04.19.2024
ISA International Sign Expo 2024 last week proved that it is truly the place where the sign, graphics and visual communications industry gathers. For attendees and exhibitors, the work is just beginning. There are contacts to follow up on, orders to deliver, learnings to implement and new friends with whom to connect.
ISA focused on amping up the attendee experiences at the event, which marked its first time in Orlando since 2018. Exhibitors were able to enjoy a concierge program and could invite VIP attendees. New exhibitors were housed in a special section of the tradeshow floor, allowing attendees to experience the latest products and find new business partners.
The event, which surpassed pre-COVID attendance levels for Orlando with 19,500 registered attendees, was hailed for the quality and quantity of buyers at the show, many of whom were in a mood to purchase the vast array of new products that made their debut. The tradeshow floor was the largest since the pandemic, approaching 200,000 square feet, with more than 570 exhibitors.
“ISA International Sign Expo is always a great place to see the latest products and make the most important connections, but this year felt especially so,” said Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO. “We heard such amazing feedback from our exhibitors, wowed by the quality of attendees who were interested in buying. Many of them said it would take months to follow up on all the quality leads they gathered at the show. And a number said it was by far their best show ever and have already asked to expand their booths for 2025.”
Since in-person tradeshows have returned post-pandemic, ISA has focused on increasing the number of attendee experiences while improving traditional elements of a tradeshow, like exhibitors and education. ISA International Sign Expo 2024 was no different. It featured a number of new experiences, several returning favorites, enhanced networking, targeted education and an expansive tradeshow floor.
The tradeshow floor featured components that showcased the skilled craftspeople in the sign, graphics and visual communications industry. The Wrap Experience™, a popular feature since 2018, showcased the talents of wraps professionals while the Sign Shop Spectacular!™ displayed the work of installers and fabricators. ISA and The Wrap Institute, which jointly produce The Wrap Experience™, announced plans to collaborate more closely on future events, with ISA taking an ownership interest in TWI.
Installation professionals could connect through expanded networking events, including ISA Install: Signs & Service, a reimagined—and sold-out—take on a long-standing networking event. It joined new opportunities in ISA Install: Wide Format Graphics and ISA Install: Mix & Mingle, which also sold out. All were designed to pair national sign companies with skilled local installers, a powerful few hours that yield year-round business for local installers.
Returning events provided opportunities to connect. ISA Rocks: THE Industry Party, sponsored by Roland DGA, provided networking and fun in a casual setting. This popular event always sells out. ISA Elite brought young professionals for targeted networking while Women Leading the Industry (WLI) was again sold out. The popular Make-It-Happen workshops and other pre-conference workshops also proved popular, as did targeted education sessions and exhibitor-led Learning Lounge sessions.
“There really was NO LIMIT! to the impact of this event, and we continue to hear amazing feedback from ISA International Sign Expo 2024,” Anderson said. “It only raises the bar to make ISA International Sign Expo 2025 even more amazing, but I know that we’re up to the task.”
ISA International Sign Expo 2025 is set for April 23-25 in Las Vegas, with pre-conference education on April 22.
