How Smart Flooring Choices Transform A Booth
After hours of walking the tradeshow floor, attendees are often searching for one thing: relief for their feet.
Exhibitors who invest in strategic flooring choices can create an inviting, comfortable space that encourages visitors to stay longer, engage more, and absorb their brand message.
Beyond comfort, flooring is also a powerful design tool—it defines space, enhances branding, and can even contribute to sustainability goals. Mike Vallone (Hill Partners), Dave Sterne (The Inside Track), Tim Wirtz (Graphic Image Flooring), and Lorin Glazer (K&S International) all emphasize that exhibitors who treat flooring as an afterthought are missing a critical piece of the engagement puzzle.
This article explores how flooring impacts attendee dwell time, trends in modular and customizable flooring, and innovations in sustainability that are shaping the industry in 2025.
The Comfort Factor: How Flooring Keeps Attendees in Your Booth
Tradeshow attendees spend hours on their feet, moving between booths, networking, and attending sessions. A booth that provides a comfortable, visually engaging, and well-defined space can stand out as a welcome break from the hard, industrial show floor.
Vallone, vice presdient of creative & brand at Hill Partners, explains that flooring isn’t just about aesthetics—it directly influences how attendees experience a booth.
“Flooring can be used to define different zones within a booth, creating natural pathways or focal points. Raised platforms or decks can create a sense of exclusivity. Flooring can be a great way to add washes of brand color, or neutral tones to anchor a design.”
By using flooring strategically, exhibitors can create areas that feel more inviting and comfortable, increasing the likelihood that attendees will linger, engage, and interact with staff.
But not all flooring is created equal. Glazer, president of K&S International, notes that time and labor are often overlooked factors when selecting flooring.
“Interlocking flooring is one of the easiest options to install. Jen and I put together a 10’ x 10’ booth in under two hours, where roll-out flooring can take a full day. And because you don’t need specialized labor, it saves exhibitors time and money before the show even begins.”
For exhibitors with heavy displays or interactive elements, Sterne, founder & CEO of The Inside Track, warns that certain flooring choices can cause unexpected issues.
“If your exhibitor has items constantly rolling on the exhibit flooring—such as medical equipment, carts, or anything on wheels—you’ll want to avoid standard rollable vinyl because the weight of the items can create speed bumps.”
For those seeking durability and comfort, EZ Down Planks or layered eco-padding under vinyl flooring can help without compromising on design.
Wirtz, founder and CEO of Graphic Image Flooring, adds that exhibitors often underestimate the impact of a well-chosen floor.
“In a 10’ x 20’ space, you have 200 square feet of marketing right under your feet. Too many times, we see exhibitors leave their flooring as the busy convention center carpet, which only takes away from their space. This should never be done.”
Innovations in Modular & Customizable Flooring
One of the biggest flooring trends in 2025 is modular and customizable flooring solutions. These options allow exhibitors to create unique booth layouts, mix materials for visual contrast, and adapt to different show environments.
Mixing Materials for Engagement
Rather than sticking with one flooring type, exhibitors are combining different textures, patterns, and finishes to guide attendees through their space. Soft carpet for lounge areas, high-gloss vinyl for presentation zones, and textured wood-look planks for product displays are all being used to create multi-functional environments.
Vallone notes that exhibitors are embracing richer color palettes and immersive design techniques to create more engaging spaces.
“There’s definitely a shift in design in general to a more rich palette. Muted earth tones—warm beiges, deep forest greens, marine blues, and clay hues—are trending, as brands aim for a more natural, immersive feel, and away from the all whitedesaturated looks of the past.”
A rising trend is the use of color-washed flooring, where entire sections of a booth are saturated in a single color to create an immersive, branded space.
Interlocking Flooring: A Game-Changer for Exhibitors
Modular flooring is also increasing flexibility for exhibitors who need to adjust booth sizes across multiple shows.
Glazer highlights the ability to reconfigure interlocking flooring for different booth sizes, eliminating the need for multiple sets of flooring.
“A 40×40-foot setup can be broken down and reconfigured for an inline or smaller space without needing to buy new flooring each time. That flexibility makes a huge difference for exhibitors working with different footprints at various shows.”
Interlocking flooring is also designed with accessibility in mind.
“A big benefit of modular flooring is that beveled edges make it accessible for wheelchairs and rolling equipment, something exhibitors sometimes overlook.”
Sustainability: The Future of Flooring Choices
As more exhibitors prioritize eco-friendly tradeshow materials, flooring companies are developing sustainable solutions that reduce waste and maximize reusability.
Sterne highlights custom printed textured (CPT) flooring as one of the most durable and sustainable options available.
“Custom printed rollable vinyl flooring is one of the most innovative products for the tradeshow, event, museum, and retail sectors. What makes our CPT flooring the leader in this field is that the vinyl is manufactured clear, and we reverse-print the image underneath so the design is always protected from foot traffic.”
This reverse-printing technique ensures longer product life and less material waste, making it a cost-effective and environmentally responsible choice for exhibitors who reuse flooring across multiple shows.
Exhibitors are also moving away from single-use flooring options and opting for:
Recycled materials (such as carpet tiles made from repurposed plastics).
Reconfigurable flooring systems that can be adapted for different booth sizes.
Dye-sub carpeting that maintains its vibrancy over multiple uses.
Vallone and Wirtz also note that exhibitors are prioritizing durability and multi-show reusability when selecting flooring.
“There’s no reason today not to utilize your space to its fullest capacity. Whether it’s the softer approach of a cool dye-sub carpet or the extreme durability of vinyl, exhibitors have more options than ever before,” Wirtz said.
Final Thoughts: Flooring as a Competitive Advantage
As exhibitors look for new ways to stand out, flooring is proving to be one of the most effective and underutilized design tools in the industry.
By choosing the right flooring materials, integrating brand elements, and prioritizing comfort, exhibitors can create a booth that not only attracts attention but also encourages attendees to stay longer and engage more deeply.
Glazer sums it up best:
“A well-planned flooring system saves time, money, and resources. Exhibitors don’t always think about it first, but once they experience the difference, they don’t go back.”
This story originally appeared in the Q2 2025 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 64. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_apr_may_jun_2025/64.
