Exhibitors constantly are trying to find the next big thing that will make show attendees, who’ve seen it all before, stop in their tracks and take notice of the exhibitor’s booth.

A new display unit by Pufferfish out of the United Kingdom just may be that next big thing.

Pufferfish, the maker of PufferSphere spherical display systems, has a new smaller display called the PufferSphere M. This new sphere is powerful enough to stand out in a bright environment, such as a trade show floor.

Nichole Potts, sales manager at Freeman said, “Projection mapping is all the rage now, but often constraints on the trade show floor, especially when interactive, you’re looking at big shadow issues. This eliminates those issues. It offers the client something cool and trendy that’s still functional in a trade show booth. This is a great alternative when the environment is not right for projection mapping.”

These smaller displays have a smaller pixel size, which is crucial when you want booth visitors to interact with the display.

Ben Allan, sales and marketing manager at Pufferfish explains, “When a display is large, people tend to stand back and look at it and then move on. With a smaller display, like the two-foot sphere, you can make eye contact over that display which changes the personality of it. It makes it a much more magnetic display and a communal display.”

When the PufferSphere M is not in use at the show, the exhibitor could display it in their lobby or any customer facing area. That’s exactly what a private aircraft manufacturer client of Pufferfish has done. When it is not being used in a trade show, the sphere lives in their Customer Experience Center.

Freeman is using Pufferfish at an upcoming trade show in one of their client’s booths.

”This specific customer was looking for something that was unique. Something that would catch attendees attention from a distance and where attendees would want to come and check it out,” Potts said.

For those wishing to implement something like the PufferSphere, it’s important to understand this isn’t just something you load a video onto and plug it in. A display like this needs special programming, but that’s something most agencies can handle.

Potts said that their client’s content agency handled the programming. Everything was completed in eight weeks.

Because bespoke development work is very expensive and some customers will not be able to do that, Pufferfish has a series of stock applications. These commonly requested applications are available as XML editables. Customers can change the visual appearance for brand colors and change the markers and assets.

Right now this is the crest of the wave in the U.S. and a Pufferfish M sphere will likely stand out.