Tech
Exhibition venues of the future: what’ s next in venue design?
Theo Reilly looks at the immersive technology cropping up at event venues across the world, and how it could shape the exhibitions of the future
here is a gradual shift
T happening in events. Organisers are turning away from the traditional event format towards creating new experiences. Across the world, venues are using technology to meet this demand for novelty – from ceilingheight projections at THE LUME in Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to‘‘ scent-boosted’ activations for Unilever at Outernet, London.
So far, the push is coming mainly from agencies. CMOs at big corporates will no longer settle for a crisp PowerPoint and coffee on tap. They want to create memorable experiences for their employees and stakeholders. That means novelty, creativity and – crucially – technology. Major bids are won by those bringing creative, techled ideas that appeal to this growing taste for the experiential.
Fig 1. Type of technology
Projection mapping and LED walls
AI-generated visuals & interactive installations
360-degree audio & spatial sound
Touchless interaction & haptics
Scent and temperature tech
The question is: how and when will these changes come to the exhibition industry?
Of course, experiential tech is already being implemented in stand design. Gamification, dynamic projections and LED walls are all becoming commonplace. Anyone attending major tech shows like Consumer Electronics Show( Vegas) and Integrated Systems Europe( Barcelona) will see immersive technology in full bloom.
But there will always be limits on investing in installations that are dismantled after a few days. The real question is whether venues themselves will start adopting experiential technology.
First, we’ ll break down what the types of technology venues could implement. Then, we’ ll take a look at the venues already using them.
What it does
Transforming entire venues into reactive, moving environments.
Adaptive content that reacts in real time to audience movement and participation.
Creating an illusion of total envelopment, where soundscapes shift dynamically.
Giving audiences the ability to interact with digital environments through gestures or voice.
Bringing additional sensory dimensions to immersive storytelling.
Types of experiential technology Some of the most game-changing tools in this‘ experiential tech’ sphere in event design include those in Fig 1.
These tools are often called‘ immersive technology’. Described by the Ada Lovelace Institute as technology that“ mediates users’ perception of their physical environment”, immersive tech essentially“ tricks the mind” of the event-goer.
Venues across the world are adopting it. From Cosm’ s 87ft LED dome in Dallas to TeamLab’ s floor-toceiling projection experience in Tokyo, the market for large-scale immersive experiences is growing.
We asked a selection of venues how they felt about the future of immersive technology. Outernet London told us:
“ Immersive technology is undoubtedly changing the way brands approach events and experiences. At Outernet, we’ ve seen a marked increase in the demand for cutting edge creative tech in our event activations over the past year. Over 70 % have incorporated innovative tech created with our Outernet Studio.”
Outernet have used‘ innovative tech’ to deliver dozens of events, from gesture motion interactivity for Pearl Jam’ s album launch, Facescape AI for the Paramount + Most Haunted experience, scentboosting technology for Unilever’ s Comfort campaign, hyperpersonalised, creativity for Spotify Wrapped, and livestreaming for Revolut’ s Revolutionaries takeover. They tell us:“ The majority of people who visit Outernet share their experience on social media, amplifying brand engagement and reach.”
In the US, Cosm is one of the leading
26 Issue 2 2025 www. exhibitionworld. co. uk