EMS 2026 Trends & Hot Takes 🔥: What Experiential Marketers & Event Industry Partners Are Seeing

1. Interaction Is Becoming Table Stakes For Creating Memorable Moments & Pulling People In

A major throughline is that brands can’t rely on a visually impressive booth alone. Attendees need something to do, touch, play, customize, or participate in.

This includes games, tactile demos, hands-on product moments, human claw machines, interactive tiles, touch-based elements, and live customization. The core idea: interaction is what makes a booth memorable.

2. Tactile & Analog Experiences Provide A Desired Escape From Digital Saturation

Several people pointed out that while digital activations are everywhere, attendees are craving more physical, tactile, and analog experiences. In a digital-saturated world, people still want to touch a button, build something, customize a takeaway, or leave with something personally meaningful.

This is especially relevant because AI and digital content are making online experiences feel less trustworthy or less special. That makes real-world, in-person moments more valuable.

3. AI Is Simultaneously A Tool For Quicker Execution & A Scourge Driving People Toward In-Person Events

Like the general public, people at EMS were of 2 minds about AI at EMS 2026.

On the one hand, several event presenters and vendors touched on the possible use cases as a design, scoping, and planning tool that can speed up the V1 creative processes for brand teams, designers, and manufacturers.

And on the other hand, a lot of people expressed that AI may be a significant driving for in the increased value of in-person experiences because people want to see, feel, and verify things for themselves.

4. Strategy Paired With Intentionality Beats Shiny Eye-Catching Technology When It Comes to Booth Design

We heard this point expressed in several ways.

From agencies and technologists who design booths, we heard an emphasized recommendation to build for your target audience rather than making 1 of 2 mistakes.

1. Providing interactive components that aren't a fit for the tone of the event or the people you're interacting with. That live video game wall might not be the best way to showcase your professionalism if you're in a more serious industry that needs to demonstrate authority or security.

2. Jumping on a technology trend or prioritizing flash-y looks over an intentional, thoughtful approach to giving people stories and experiences that match your event goals. LED capabilities are a very fun technology right now, but do you truly have a reason to use them in your specific booth?

And some of the "be strategic" and "be intentional" voices resonated with us and the reports we've seen as companies continue to scrutinize marketing teams to understand the value and take accountability for the ROI behind being at events.

5. Agencies Prefer Vendors & Partners That Are Moving Toward All-In-One Services

We heard from several event pros and partner vendors on this year's show floor that being able to provide more custom services and products under one roof is valuable to agencies right now, but there is 1 important condition that has to be met for this to matter:

The partner can actually deliver on their advertised capabilities or source on an agency's behalf with high confidence they can manage all the logistics.

Very few companies will ever be able to be everything for everyone, but at least for now, there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that agency teams enjoy managing fewer partners and are willing to pay more to the teams who can take more of the project manage on their behalment load of their shoulders.