Once every three years, EuroShop transforms Düsseldorf into one of the world's most important testing grounds for retail and experiential design. The fair's irresistible pull draws designers, fabricators, technology providers, and brands eager to showcase the ideas shaping brick-and-mortar experiences.

In February 2026, more than 1,800 exhibitors from 61 countries filled 14 halls of Messe Düsseldorf creating a massive display of innovation in store design, visual merchandising, lighting, and retail technology. For professionals involved in building retail spaces and branded exhibits, EuroShop provides a rare opportunity to show off their design capabilities on a global stage. For EXHIBITOR magazine, it's an opportunity to help set the global design standards that will influence the industry for years to come.

To that end, EXHIBITOR organized the EuroShop Stand Design Awards, a competition officially endorsed by the EuroShop organizers and this year, sponsored by BeMatrix. EXHIBITOR editor Emily Olson and awards manager Linda Armstrong visited every stand in Messe Düsseldorf and selected 10 finalists in each of five size-based categories. Then they led a panel of 13 global design experts through the show floor, asking them to use a rigorous scoring process to identify gold, silver, and bronze winners in each category. From the pool of finalists, one additional exhibit earned the People's Choice Award through popular vote.

The Gold Award winners that are featured on the following pages are the highest-scoring stands in their respective categories. From a monochromatic gem where every square inch carried weight to a sprawling retail playground filled with a riot of color, these exhibits represent design at its most ambitious.

People's Choice Award
Itab Shop Concept AB

When faced with a massive space, a designer feeling an embarrassment of riches might instinctively pack every one of their 1,344 square meters with a jumble of competing elements. Itab Shop Concept, however, resisted that impulse, creating a clear visitor journey and earning a People's Choice Award in the process. Itab exists to make stores more efficient and customers' time more pleasant, and its suite of services was on full display at EuroShop. Using a neutral color palette with pops of earthy blue, each distinct zone in the exhibit reflected real consumer behavior. The result was an engaging environment that felt like a day out shopping. Yet some of the most impressive elements weren't visible at all — designers included AI tools and tracking systems that quietly captured how visitors moved through the space.

Best XL Exhibit
(89 sqm. or more)
Umdasch Store Makers Management GmbH

Some stands attract attention. Others grab you by the lapels and pull you in. The Umdasch Store Makers Management exhibit did both. Wrapped in a perimeter of suspended cards that created a playful peekaboo effect, the cotton-candy-hued stand immediately caught the eye. But once inside, the layout created such an intuitive visitor journey that one judge said the space “sucked you in and swept you away.” The design's clear spatial choreography made the path forward obvious without a single sign. As attendees moved through the pastel displays, Umdasch's “Colours of Retail” concept became a curated path through retail design solutions, creating what another juror described as “a perfect retail playground.”

Best Large Exhibit
(50 - 88 sqm.)
Brace Group GmbH

Trade shows are typically exercises in sensory overload, but Brace Group instead transformed its inline space into a lakeside campsite designed to encourage visitors to unplug and gather. At the center of the stand, a virtual campfire built from rectangular LED panels flickered with digital flames, drawing attendees into a gravel seating pit where stools — a few of which attendees discovered were drums — encouraged conversation. An LED backdrop depicted a tranquil lake, while subtle forest sounds completed the illusion. Interactive elements, including a nail-hammering challenge, balanced playfulness with effective lead generation. The result was a juxtaposition of technology and nature that created a social space unlike anything else on the show floor.

Best Medium Exhibit
(31 - 49 sqm.)
Goldstein Gruppe

Afloating canopy of gauzy fabric rippled above the Goldstein Gruppe stand, setting a calm, atmospheric vibe. The suspended translucent cloth formed an undulating ceiling element, with the company's logo glowing subtly from within its layers. Beneath it, the sparsely composed inline booth displayed quiet elegance with a sculptural twist of LED light suspended above the warm terracotta flooring that grounded the space. Jurors praised the design's “judicious use of materials,” calling it elegant, refined, and “a breath of fresh air.” One afternoon, the scent of palo santo drifted through the booth — an IYKYK moment that perfectly matched the stand's serene atmosphere.

Best Small Exhibit
(18 - 30 sqm.)
Walbert-Schmitz GmbH & Co. KG

At just 30 square meters, the Walbert-Schmitz stand proved that great storytelling doesn't require a large space. Judges praised the exhibit for packing remarkable interaction into a compact footprint. The booth itself was crisp and sculptural, defined by a bold black, green, and white palette and a striking perimeter that framed the small footprint. Inside, visitors discovered an activation judges called “incredibly smart.” They were handed green dot stickers — a theme carried to the company website — and invited to place them on white panels representing different ideas, creating a living art piece displaying attendee priorities. Nearby, miniature sculptures unlocked content when placed on an RFID table, offering attendees deeper insights into the company's work.