The new wave of modular exhibit design is less boxy, more flexible, and more sustainable. See what’s possible with beMatrix frames and creative concept design.
Expert consulted for this article:
Travis Lynch
National Strategic Systems Manager & beMatrix Specialist
Shepard
Table of Contents
Walk into any major trade show and you’ll see hundreds of exhibits, each one competing for attendee attention. Some cost six figures to build and end up in a dumpster at the end of the show. It’s a big investment for a few days on the convention floor, which is why more exhibitors and marketing teams are asking: is there a smarter and more sustainable way to do this?
At Shepard, we’ve gone all in on beMatrix — the industry’s gold standard in modular exhibit design — to give our exhibitor clients more cost-effective, flexible, and sustainable exhibit options.
Built on lightweight aluminum frames, the Belgian-engineered beMatrix system assembles quickly, finishes cleanly with fabric, panels, or LED tiles, and reconfigures from show to show. You’re not starting from scratch each time. You’re building on what you already have.
To understand how it all works in practice, we spoke with Travis Lynch, our National Strategic Systems Manager. Lynch spent several years at beMatrix USA in account management and technical training roles, developing the expertise to teach exhibitors how to fully utilize the system, before bringing that knowledge to Shepard in 2023.
beMatrix is less boxy and more flexible than previous waves of modular exhibit design
Before beMatrix came on the exhibit scene, Lynch told us, the “modular” tag usually conjured a boxy, one-size-fits-all approach. Those perceptions still linger in the industry, but the new wave of modular design is so much curvier, flashier, and more flexible.
Over the past few years, Lynch has watched our design teams push into the full range of creative possibilities.
“When our concept designers started working with it,” Lynch said, “they configured curves in ways I’d never seen before. Maybe because they came at it with fresh eyes. We’ve created some entrance units at recent shows that attendees were genuinely impressed with.”
It’s not beMatrix, per se, that is changing the game, but the combination of the system’s versatility as a toolkit, coupled with creative concept design and brand strategy.
At recent events we mixed and matched beMatrix components like LEGOs to pull off a massive LED wall (LightFair, now Light + Intelligent Building North America); an impact structure with edge-to-edge LED tiles (The Clean Show); curved signage structures (ANCC); a transparent entrance arch glowing with amber light (Anime Expo) — even 3D content. The gallery below includes a few purely modular highlights:
Modular exhibit design closes the rendering gap
Another advantage to the beMatrix system is how it closes the gap between rendering and build out.
In a traditional custom build, a rendered design goes to operations, and the question becomes how to make it happen.
“We prize our operations team’s creativity and grit in problem-solving and making that happen,” Lynch said. “It’s a hard-won skillset that’s certainly not going away. But with a modular system, the gap between rendering and build is a little smaller.” That reliability gives exhibitors more confidence stepping onto the show floor.
Ease of installation is yet another part of the appeal. Most beMatrix components are hand connections that don’t require power tools for assembly. And because the system is the industry standard, on-site union labor is already familiar with it. The result is a more efficient installation process that comes with real cost savings.
beMatrix with custom touches: a hybrid approach
For anything that falls outside what can be done with beMatrix components alone — for instance, a backlit logo, an impact structure with organic or biomorphic elements — Shepard offers a hybrid approach combining modular frames with hand-constructed elements for a fully bespoke result.
Our own booth at IMEX America 2025 was a good example of the hybrid approach. The design paired clean-fitting beMatrix frames and panels with LEDskin tiles with LED threshold lighting and backlit logos that were hand-built in our Las Vegas workshop. The result was a space designed for comfort, engagement, and reusability.
Is modular exhibit design more sustainable?
The events industry has a documented waste problem. An industry task force on sustainability — of which Shepard CEO Kevin Bird was a founding member — found that the average trade show participant generates approximately 3.5 pounds of material waste, 51% of which ends up in a landfill.
Exhibiting can be part of that problem. By Lynch’s estimate, the typical custom exhibit comprises upwards of 80% organic materials that can’t be reused — graphics, wood, and foamcore among them.
So how do we stop sending so much to the landfill? Modular design addresses this problem from multiple angles.
- Exhibits can be reused and reconfigured from show to show
- beMatrix components ship lighter and stack efficiently, reducing carbon emissions.
- beMatrix frames are made of over 75% recycled aluminum. At the end of a component’s useful life, the material itself is recyclable.
- beMatrix itself has set ambitious sustainability targets for its own operations, aiming to become a carbon-neutral company by 2026.
Related Content
The structure serves the experience
All of this serves a larger strategic purpose. Modular design is the infrastructure behind a great exhibit experience, not an end in itself. What it offers exhibitors is reduced complexity and greater flexibility, both of which free up resources and attention for what matters most: designing an engaging attendee experience and connecting with prospects.
Taylor Elliot, our VP of Marketing & Customer Experience, has written about the operational weight exhibitors carry: the freight coordination, the venue requirements, the deadlines, the gap between what a brand imagines in a conference room and what actually materializes on a show floor. Her point is that the challenge isn’t eliminating that complexity; it’s designing systems that help customers move through it with clarity and confidence.
Lynch has spent his career on both sides of that challenge. He knows the complexity of the build, and he knows the energy that goes into the experience itself. The goal is making sure the build doesn’t limit the experience.
“Modularity takes a large chunk out of planning so we can focus on everything else for the structure, so you can focus on the things that matter — the experience and the story you’re going to tell.”
Explore Our Exhibit Design Capabilities
Sources & further reading
How modular booth design and integrated AV created our best IMEX booth yet
The dual responsibility: rethinking customer experience in the events industry
10 practical ideas for a more eco-friendly exhibition booth
Our Exhibit Design Collection – more modular booth design ideas here
Exhibits Photo Gallery – a curated collection of exhibits photos from recent events
Shepard Audio-Visual & Production Services – an overview of our AV capacities and examples of work
