All eyes on EuroShop 2026: How much artificial intelligence does trade fair construction need?

Trade fairs are pillars of the knowledge society, going beyond being merely a park of exhibits. EuroShop must therefore also be judged on how well it answers the question of how much artificial intelligence the trade fair industry and the stand construction companies grouped in Hall 1 provide.

By Urs Seiler || February 22, 2026

Image Copyright: EuroShop, Messe Düsseldorf.

But help! I'm not an AI expert. But I'll take care of it!

Joe Pine (pictured above), the originator of the term and theory of the experience economy, is now, 26 years after the publication of his long-running bestseller "Experiential Shopping - Consumption as Experience. Business as Stage. Work as Theater," releasing his brand-new book, "The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve their Aspiration." In the foreword, Joe Pine states, "The time has come. The transformation economy is hot on the heels of the experience economy (...)."

This means that the entire event industry is undergoing another transformation (according to Joe Pine's fifth and final economic proposal) and it is important to seize the opportunities.

The core idea: The experience economy, which offered customers immersive experiences, is being followed by the transformation society. Experiences are a fundamental marketing offering to customers – but they are no longer sufficient to compete effectively. What customers want today is to be transformed and become who they want to be.

Joe Pine says in FORTUNE, Harvard Business Reviev Press: “What people want, in short, is to be transformed. (...) The ends they desire are to have a better life or a better business." And that requires new thinking.

Free: The digital economy!

One of the keys, or at least a research tool for it, needless to emphasize, is the use of artificial intelligence in everyday marketing.

The use of artificial intelligence is still in its infancy in most companies. We are all still learning (and relearning). Now is the time to understand AI, most easily by integrating the tool into our daily and weekly routines. I compare the necessity of working with artificial intelligence to learning to read, write, or use Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint. Those who don't use it will fall behind.

Ten years ago, I read an interesting definition of "digital transformation." One of its hallmarks, according to this source, is "a radically lower price." And the AI tools I'll be citing below are all completely free.

Here are some examples of how artificial intelligence can be used.

How much artificial intelligence does trade fair construction need?

Are you an employee of an exhibition stand construction company? Then you face the challenge of answering the question in the subtitle.

Here's what ChatGPT has to say: "The question 'How much artificial intelligence do exhibition stand builders need?' can't be answered with a simple percentage – rather, it's about where and how AI can be used effectively to achieve specific business goals. Artificial intelligence (AI) is not an end in itself, but a tool for increasing efficiency, automation, and better decision-making. Where can AI specifically help exhibition stand builders? In project planning and management:"

• AI can assist with scheduling, resource planning, and cost optimization.

• Forecasts for time expenditure and capacity bottlenecks are becoming more precise.

Example application: Automated appointment optimization based on employee availability. (...)

Life's a Pitch: When competitive bidding is fun

Trade fair expert Lars Lockemann says in his LinkedIn post , “Pitch culture trade fair construction: How do we come together (at the trade fair)?”:

▶️ Average of 4.3 suppliers per tender

▶️ Average 4.5 man-days of effort per pitch

▶️ 85% without pitch fee

▶️ Success rate for service providers: approximately 1:4

You know this, this economic, energetic, and emotional nonsense !

The study “Pitchkultur Messebau” dates from 2012 and the comments on LinkedIn are - in retrospect - interesting to read, because the commentators were naturally still somewhat in the dark regarding AI.

But it would be a mistake not to use artificial intelligence to reduce this enormous effort (4.5 days on average!). I researched this on ChatGPT to find out which AI tools can help with pitch participation and came across a list of software tools:

· Research: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Crunchbase, Similarweb,

· Pitch story & culture: Notion, Miro,

Presentation design: Canva, Beautiful.ai , Tome (...)

• Strategically especially valuable (!): Challenge pitch arguments, sharpen USP, add emotional depth to the story, test competitor positioning, test pricing strategy

However, the agency that used 20 (!) different AI programs for a PR message including animation, as a colleague in the industry assured me, is foolish.

The revolution in search engine optimization (SEO)

Tools like ChatGPT, Deepseek, and others are ideal instruments for researching which tools companies are looking for, for example, exhibitors at trade fairs. With ChatGPT, we came across the following: "When it comes to new customers, exhibitors are looking for:"

• “New customer acquisition”

• “Establish business contacts”

• “Meeting decision-makers”

• “Reaching buyers”

• “Build distribution”

• “Find a sales partner”

Exhibitors are also looking for return on investment (ROI) and success measurement. ChatGPT provides the following SEO keywords in this regard:

• “Calculate trade fair ROI”

"Is participating in a trade fair worthwhile?"

"Cost of trade fair booth"

• “Planning a trade fair budget”

· “Lead tracking trade fair”

• “Measuring trade fair success”

Exhibition stand construction Switzerland

Exhibition stand construction Germany

This is a small digital revolution because you no longer need specialized SEO agencies. Common AI tools deliver keywords and any uncertainties directly to your door with the click of a mouse.

Artificial intelligence at EuroShop and serendipity

In our smartville.digital cover story, we predicted that one of the most interesting topics at EuroShop would be artificial intelligence, and highlighted some presentations such as the "Welcome Speech" on Sunday, February 22nd, at 11 a.m. at the IFES booth 1.B64.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role at EuroShop 2026, both in the presentations and at the exhibition stands, particularly in the area of retail technology. This will also include:

• Innovative booth concepts & equipment

Event technology and digital solutions

Communication design & visitor interaction

These topics form the basis for how AI-supported technologies can be integrated into booth concepts.

As we always emphasize, one of the fascinations of visiting a trade fair lies in the famous "serendipity" (we haven't yet found a better German translation), that is, the unexpected (and, as Joe Pine II put it, "transformative") experience that leads to better results and more business. In this regard, we are naturally extremely curious about what will happen in Düsseldorf from February 22nd to 26th, not least in the many personal conversations we will have. I am very excited. I am looking forward to EuroShop. I am looking forward to serendipity!

Conclusion: Integrate AI into your daily routine

We are all still learning.

Therefore, integrate the use of AI into your daily schedule. Human creativity then comes into play, which is still absolutely essential today for prioritizing AI-generated content.

Always with the motto: "How can I help our customers in their ambition to become what they want to be?"

PS: This cover story was written after research on ChatGPT and Deepseek. And then with a little human creativity...

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