In an era when everything  costs more — labor, materials, freight, technology, even the coffee in the convention center Starbucks — exhibit and event budgets are under more pressure than ever. What used to be considered “nice-to-have” line items are now scrutinized, delayed, or cut altogether, while expectations for experiences continue to rise. Brands are being asked to do more, with less, in environments that are more complex, competitive, and costly than at any point in re

Most exhibitors obsess over the details they can control: booth design, multimedia, content, staffing, and pre-show marketing. Budgets are built on last year’s numbers, vendor contracts are locked in, and logistics are carefully mapped. But one factor exhibit managers cannot control — the show’s host city — is one of the most dangerous variables in trade show planning. It can quietly double your costs before you even step onto the show floor. When events rotate cities, year-o

For an industry built on spectacle, experiential marketing has a chronic addiction to novelty. Every year, exhibit and event managers are sold the same fantasy: This  new technology will revolutionize engagement. That  platform will reinvent storytelling. The next headset, the next AI tool, the next immersive buzzword will finally unlock ROI. Meanwhile, back in reality, budgets are shrinking, timelines are collapsing, labor is scarce, freight is brutal, and expectations are h