From Los Angeles to Germany, trade shows around the world saw higher attendance and larger exhibit floors than previous years last month. Take a look:

DSE 2019

Digital Signage Expo—the world’s largest trade show and conference for digital displays and interactive technology—saw the second-largest attendance in its 16-year show history at its Las Vegas show this year, logging a 3 percent increase in end-user attendees over the previous year and a 6 percent increase in total verified attendance (4,260), which includes end-users along with system integrators and advertising executives. This was partially due to an uptick in international attendees from 63 countries, which accounted for nearly 18 percent of overall attendance—an increase of 7 percent from 2018. In addition to the stellar numbers, which show officials attributed to “relentless marketing,” other highlights of DES 2019 included a high-profile keynote on innovation from author Tom Goodwin, action-oriented (rather than track-driven) sessions and peer networking discussion groups during lunches.

Beauty Düsseldorf 2019

This year marked the best-attended event in the history of Beauty Düsseldorf, drawing around 58,000 guests and 1,500 exhibitors and brands across three days to Düsseldorf Exhibition Center in Düsseldorf, Germany. As the leading industry meeting for professionals in the cosmetics, nail, foot, wellness and spa industries, it serves as an international forum for service cosmetics, giving attendees an overview of new products, care concepts, scientific findings and themes. Digitalization was a big focus of the conference for a second time, with workshops addressing topics related to online marketing and social media. “Suppliers in the professional cosmetics segment confirm Germany as a leading international location,” said attendee Alexander Drusio, deputy chairman of Verband Cosmetic Professional eV. “This is also reflected at Beauty as the most relevant event of the year with high-profile trade visitor attendance and high-quality contacts.”

Aging into the Future

Los Angeles Convention Center was home to the third annual Aging Into the Future Conference + Expo, which gives seniors the opportunity to explore new technologies. The one-day conference is organized by the non-profit organization St. Barnabas Senior Services. This year, the show featured its first-ever Tech Expo, with 50 interactive product demonstrations geared toward making life easier for seniors and caregivers. There was also a Tech Help Lounge that served as a learning hub to teach attendees about Facebook, YouTube, computers, email and smartphones. Among the biggest hits on the show floor were a virtual reality experience and a self-driving taxi, giving a new perspective on what “aging into the future” really means. This year’s show had 753 attendees and 50 exhibitors, occupying approximately 16,000 square feet.

NRA

The 148th annual meeting of the National Rifle Association of America brought in more than 81,000 members to Indianapolis, April 25-28. This year featured the show’s largest-ever exhibit hall, covering 15 acres and encompassing 800 exhibitors. Over four days, attendees took in a nonstop lineup of events and performances, including appearances by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum. Another highlight of the event was the National NRA Foundation Barbecue and Auction, which sold out with 1,500 tickets and included a concert from country music artist Alan Jackson at Lucas Oil Stadium. In 2020, the NRA Annual Meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee.

NAB Show

More than 91,000 professionals in the media, entertainment and technology industry convened in Las Vegas April 6-11 for the NAB Show, the world’s largest convention for this audience. A large part of the attendance was international guests, with 24,000 from countries outside the U.S. This year’s show boasted 224 first-time exhibitors, a major milestone, who joined exhibiting veterans across nearly 1 million net sq. ft. of space. Also new this year were several technology-focused areas on the showfloor, focused on things like esports and 5G technology; as well as the NAB Show Product of the Year Awards, which recognized the most promising new products and technologies on display at the show.