The most successful brands no longer focus on square meters, but on relevance. Anyone who takes trade fairs seriously today thinks beyond them: as a platform, as an event – or deliberately replaces them with something better. What used to be set in stone – stand size, visitor frequency, measurable visibility – is now being renegotiated. And that's a good thing. Because trade fairs are growing. But not in terms of space, but in terms of significance. In terms of what they are supposed to achieve. Those who simply show up today stand at the most beautiful (or largest) stand that nobody needs. Visible, but ineffective.

Because the real problem often lies elsewhere: the why is missing. Why are we doing this? For whom? And what should remain when the trade fair is over, the last handshake has been made, the last photo has been posted, the last sentence has been spoken? Those who can answer these questions use trade fairs as a strategic lever. And those who cannot answer them – perhaps they should start somewhere else entirely. Claudia Köhler-Dams, Co-CEO of VOK DAMS worldwide, sums it up: “Many companies attend trade fairs because they have always done so. But not because they are convinced of the benefits. This is precisely where the opportunity lies: redefining the ‘why’ – and developing formats that really work.”

What often happens today is a different reflex: you set out to do everything right – and end up in the uniform gray of good taste. The trade fair booth has a photo wall for Instagram, there is a speaker with a well-known name, a barista with latte art, a bit of gamification for engagement. Check. Check. Checkmate. Because what everyone else is doing no longer works. Especially not if it's not designed with the target audience in mind. People don't share what feels like a mandatory program – they share what moves, surprises, or inspires them. What tells a story. What triggers something in them. Planning is necessary – but not according to a formula. Rather, with a sense of dramaturgy, relevance, and resonance.

Trade fairs as a playing field for real strategies

Rethinking trade fairs means not bigger or louder, but clearer, more targeted, more relevant. And today, there are many different ways to achieve this. We observe three central strategies, each effective in its own right when it fits the goal.

One way: trade fairs as platforms. Trade fairs are places that bring everyone together—but the real experience happens alongside, before, and after the event. A good example is IAA Mobility in Munich. Here, the trade fair deliberately extends into the city. Brands no longer limit themselves to their presence in the exhibition halls, but make use of the urban environment: with walk-in experience rooms, test drives, and dialogue areas in public spaces. The framework is growing – and with it, the impact. Trade fairs are becoming hubs for discussions, content, and brands. Above all, however, they are becoming part of an overall experience that reaches different target groups on different levels. This is where hero moments arise – moments that not only impress, but also remain in the memory. They don't have to be big or loud, but they do have to trigger something. This could be a curated discussion format with thought leaders, a test moment with real experiential value, or a digital impulse that carries on beyond the trade fair. 

A second approach: use the trade fair as a hook – but deliberately without a stand. Many companies use major trade fairs to hold their own targeted events in the same city. Not at the trade fair, but during it. Not for everyone, but for selected guests. They meet in the hotel across the street, in the showroom two streets away, or over dinner in a small group. Because everyone is there anyway – but it's better to communicate with focus than to get lost in the general hustle and bustle. And because this allows you to reach people who would never have set foot in the exhibition hall – because they are invited in a more targeted manner or simply have different expectations of the encounter.

A third way: without a trade fair at all. If you know your target group, you can often reach them better through other formats. For example, through digital experience platforms, regional tours, exclusive customer events, or innovation days. Some B2B companies deliberately forego the classic trade fair presence – and instead invest in co-creation formats, in genuine participation, in deeper dialogues. Often with less effort – and more impact. Especially when the company doesn't just want to “show,” but wants to involve, understand, and help shape.

Smaller, regional trade fairs are also gaining in importance. They lower the threshold for participation—not only because of shorter travel distances, but above all because they eliminate the need for expensive hotel accommodation or complex logistics. This creates low-threshold points of contact—and also new target groups that have previously been left out of large trade fairs. These events in particular benefit from accompanying offers: a side event for local partners, a breakfast talk with selected guests, or an interactive live format in the digital space. This suddenly makes trade fairs relevant to people who would otherwise not have considered them. Here, too, opportunities arise for surprising moments of insight and differentiated brand messages – precisely because the environment is smaller, quieter, and closer.

Relevance instead of ritual: what makes good trade fair formats

What these very different strategies have in common is their starting point: the goal. Successful formats don't start with the space, but with the question: What do we actually want to achieve? Who are we doing this for? What should be different in the end than before? Colja M. Dams, Co-CEO at VOK DAMS, says: “Whether at the trade fair, next to the trade fair, or without it altogether – the key is that the format fits the message. That's when relevance is created. And that's what it's all about.”

This approach has also been evident in the most successful trade fair examples of recent years. At Milan Design Week, for example, brands do not use exhibition stands, but entire neighborhoods. They open temporary studios, use backyards, and occupy vacant spaces with conceptual art. What counts is not size, but ideas. Not volume, but attitude. Many show less product—but more brand. And in doing so, they create a lasting presence. The tactics of some car brands at international motor shows are similar: instead of the exhibition center, they build their own locations – from villas in the city center to industrial halls and outdoor test tracks. These formats appeal to specifically selected visitors, avoid wastage and create controllable, highly individualized spaces for experiences. More exclusivity, more proximity, more impact.

On the other hand, a common mistake is made with formats that run in parallel and thus weaken each other: when companies bring big names to their stands while at the same time high-profile masterclasses or central forums are on the official trade fair program, competition for attention arises that benefits no one. What was intended as added value loses its impact. Here, too, the same applies: good ideas only have an impact if they are embedded, coordinated, and meaningfully integrated into the overall picture.

Trade fairs are getting bigger – but not necessarily in terms of stand space. Rather, in terms of target groups, communication channels, and strategic depth. The aim is to tap into new groups of people that traditional trade fair formats have never reached – and to address existing target groups in a more differentiated way. That is precisely why Messe Plus is more than just a trend today: it is a necessary expansion. Ultimately, there is no magic formula for the perfect trade fair appearance. But there are questions that provide guidance—and create clarity before the first square meter offer is on the table:

1. Why are we doing this—and what would constitute real success?
2. Who are we doing this for—and what motivates these people?
3. What distinguishes our format from all the others on site?
4. How do we prolong the effect – beyond the trade show period?
5. Do we really need a trade show for this – or just a good idea?

VOK DAMS supports companies in precisely these considerations. We don't think of trade fair communication as a standard module, but as a strategic lever – flexible, holistic, targeted. Trade fairs are here to stay. But only if they don't just happen. Only if they trigger something.

Are you interested in trade shows and events that stand out from the crowd? Then feel free to contact us at info@vokdams.de.

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