Every December, the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) hosts ACCESS, the annual meeting where owners and executives of the event industry gather to set the pace for the year ahead. This past December, I headed to the shores of Amelia Island, Florida, to dive into everything from design and innovation to the economic forecasts shaping the future of the show floor.
Over 350 people gathered under the "Waves of Connection" theme. While the weather wasn't always smooth sailing, the energy around professional growth, industry innovation, and networking was high. Here are the biggest takeaways from our time at the conference.
One of the most striking pieces of data shared was a shift in why companies exhibit. For the first time, the #1 reason exhibitors cited for being on the floor was PR, media, and content. Surprisingly, "generating leads" dropped to 12th in priority in the survey—a massive shift from just last year.
We are seeing this play out in real-time. More brands are viewing their exhibits as a "Content Studio". Our recent Edelbrock booth is a great example of this, where the focus was on giving influencers and attendees plenty of content-creation options, with products and branding clearly visible. The exhibit helped reintroduce this iconic brand to a new, younger generation.
It’s a two-pronged strategy: both the exhibitor and the attendee are now creators.
In a world saturated with AI-generated misinformation and "fake news," people are beginning to doubt what they see on their screens. Because digital spaces are becoming too saturated and difficult to convert, B2B companies are shifting budgets back to live events where people can get "real" information, interaction, and hands-on experience.
The data backs this up:
On the creative side, the industry is feeling a universal squeeze. Designers are leading the charge and wearing more hats than ever, but because clients are often slower to provide feedback, timelines are getting tighter and tighter. This is an industry-wide phenomenon, but at PFI, we’re adapting our processes to ensure high-level design stays the priority even when the windows are narrow.
The closing keynote by Leo Chan on innovation introduced the concept of Associative Thinking. The idea is to be deliberate about brainstorming; if you ask yourself the same problem-solving question repeatedly, your brain will work on it in the background until you hit an “A-ha!” moment. Part of this also entails seeking out new experiences, from restaurants to outdoor spaces, even books, museums, etc. New activities give your brain a chance to unwind, and get outside of the normal day-to-day stress (like reading blogs and sifting through countless emails).
It’s a great reminder that the best solutions for our clients often come from that persistent, deliberate curiosity.
The economic forecasting offered a mix of caution and clear action. While inflation is expected to hold at current levels for now, it could climb to 7% by 2029. Business travel is expected to increase, a good sign for our industry specifically and the economy in general.
The biggest takeaway for business owners? Hold on to your people. Based on unemployment numbers, right now is the best time to hire - it’s only going to get more difficult and expensive as time goes on.