Beauty sells. That was true with some print advertising in late 1800’s, and it’s still true today, to one degree or another, both on and off the tradeshow floor.
In The Beginning
One of the first presences of female models representing businesses at a public corporate event was during the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Ford had models posing next to new cars. General Electric used hostesses to escort consumers to new products, explaining potential benefits, and then conducting market research. DuPont used walkway models to showcase “The Wardrobe of the Future” highlighting legs and nylon stockings. World War II, however, brought a fast stop to merchandising, marketing, and models.
After the war, consumer consumption surged and prosperity returned. One of the first industries to return to using beauty to sell was the automobile industry. There have been auto shows since early 1900’s, but in the 1950’s car companies added a new element to the show floor: more models, and not just the automotive kind. Attractive females emerged more prominently.
It started out as equating car buying with elegance, a sort of moving up in the world. However, it quickly became a feast for the eyes, aka “eye candy.” Women wore tight dresses and high heels while selling the image of beautiful cars benefitting beautiful people. By the 1960’s, in both print and TV ads, muscle cars and sexy models were presented in tandem—the subliminal message being, a man could easily pick up a hot woman if only he had a hot new car. Brigette Bardot modeled at the Paris Motor show in the late sixties, and the presence of booth babes on the tradeshow floor motored into other industries.
The Last Fifty Years
In the early 1970s, many international exhibitors at CES displayed attractive, scantily clad models next to their products. By the 1980’s “booth babes” became commonplace at auto shows, truck shows, motorcycle shows, apparel shows, agricultural shows, food shows, and tech shows. E3 presented their “E3 girls” in the mid-nineties. Interop, CeBIT, and CES featured booth body painting over the next two decades.
In a 2012 interview, Gary Shapiro, the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), was asked about models at CES; “It is a little old school, but it does work. People naturally want to go towards what they consider pretty.” The next year at CES, an Apple accessories company, Hyper, posed topless women in body paint and thongs.
Changing Attitudes
Initially models were there to attract eyeballs and bodies to the exhibit; they posed for photographs and sometimes handed out literature. However, exhibitors soon learned that these models, when properly trained, could become valuable additions to their exhibit staff. They could become “Brand Ambassadors” or “Professional Product Specialists.”
Depending on the industry, the specific company, and the region of the world, things began to change. The medical industry, for example, never hired as many models or hostesses as the auto shows. The ones they did hire tended to be better trained, more professional, and were often used to solicit info and feedback from attendees.
Over time, some auto companies realized that booth babes could have a negative impact, as women not only had buying influence in the decision-making process but were often the actual buyer. With the Me-Too movement in 2017 there was a shift away from the booth babes. The Geneva Motor Show in 2018 publicly issued a statement to that effect, but some companies that year still promoted sexy models with their vehicles.
Attitudes and dress codes have changed. CES’ regulations state that participants “must not be dressed in clothing that is sexually revealing […] or that reveals an excess of bare skin.” RSA banned “objectionable or offensive costumes.” While these might be open to interpretation, they are a start.
Today, most professional models are charismatic, outgoing, intelligent, knowledgeable, well prepared, and well spoken. Not only can they attract attendees and scan badges, but when properly trained, they can pre-qualify leads, demo products, and do sales presentations. Some speak multiple languages; others hold MBA degrees.
At SEMA recently, one booth hired attractive, accomplished, female race car drivers to be their brand ambassadors. Some hostesses have turned a temporary job into an ongoing position. Like how exhibit leads travel and install exhibits at multiple events around the country, some hostesses work for the same company at different shows, in different cities, and even in different years.
Will The Future Be Robotic?
What if “robots with a human touch” become the brand ambassadors of the future? Will it be accepted and seen as less exploitative if booth babes are human in appearance only? Will that be considered progress? Or decline?
Sophia, “a social robot,” made her first public appearance at SXSW in March 2016. Some critics were not impressed and described her as “a chatbot with a face.”
At CES 2025, Realbotix displayed Aria: a life-size, full-bodied, human-like, AI robot. Although stationary, Aria was capable of emotions and engaging in conversation. Described as “a hyper-realistic AI humanoid designed for brand activations and events,” Aria had expressive eye, mouth and hand movements. She could answer questions and even hold conversations in multiple languages. However, some of her responses were delayed—as if she had been out partying too much the night before.
Did that make Aria appear more, or less, human? What does that say about the people she is mimicking?
The Bottom Line
Hosting in an exhibit, whether male or female, has become a more professional occupation. That trend will continue. Whether the image is professional or tawdry, the show, exhibitor, and individuals will decide. Attractive people attract all people.
Bob McGlincy is the co-author of “The Invisible Industry” and can be reached at BobM@exhibitcitynews.com. Feedback is welcome.
This story originally appeared in the Q2 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 40. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_apr_may_jun_2025/40.
