Derse Wins Two “Best of Show” Awards at EXHIBITORLIVE 2025
MARCH 18, 2025 - SAN ANTONIO
Derse took home top honors at this year’s EXHIBITORLIVE, winning two coveted Best of Show awards: Best Large Booth and Best Booth Staff. These accolades were presented in recognition of the Derse Apothecary activation—an immersive brand experience that blended creativity, strategy, and storytelling into a seamless trade show remedy.
The award-winning Derse Apothecary at EXHIBITORLIVE 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. The 20’ x 40’ trade show booth was designed and built by Derse.
With the theme, “Reveal your trade show remedy and experience clarity with Derse,” the Derse Apothecary invited attendees into a modern-day apothecary designed to soothe the common pain points of trade show marketing.
Every touchpoint was carefully considered—from the aisle attractor and staff wardrobe to a custom remedy-themed giveaway box—creating a fully immersive, end-to-end experience.
EXHIBITOR Magazine’s editor, Emily Olson, announced the awards, sharing the jurors’ feedback: “The winner is a stand that jurors called smart, unique, and incredibly interactive, praising the storytelling aspect of the environment.”
The booth was met with high praise from the judges:
“Their storyline was captured throughout the entire experience. Every detail led back to their theme—great booth!”
“Great theme! Simple, clean, and welcoming. Love the use of materials.”
“Sophisticated design with whimsical touches. Beautiful presentation with the swag giveaway. Staff in aprons with prescription pads was a perfect touch. Great use of space designed to evoke a drugstore. Large digital displays provided interactive activities and info gathering, with a ‘remedy’ for various pain points encountered by potential clients.”
Stacey Nelson, VP of Marketing at Derse, reflected on the recognition: “We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to this incredible project. Your hard work and passion brought the Derse Apothecary to life, making a powerful impression on everyone who experienced it.”
This double win reinforces Derse’s commitment to delivering intentional, results-driven experiences that resonate deeply with audiences—and it proves once again that great storytelling, paired with smart design and planning, can truly be the remedy to trade show success.
ABOUT EXHIBITOR GROUP
The leader in trade show and corporate event marketing education, Exhibitor Group publishes EXHIBITOR Magazine, an award-winning publication featuring best practices in trade show marketing. EXHIBITOR's learning events include: EXHIBITORLIVE, The Conference and Exhibition for Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing. Learn more at www.ExhibitorOnline.com.
ABOUT DERSE
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Derse is a family-owned complete experiential marketing agency and exhibit builder with nearly 600 employees and seven full-service divisions in the United States and Europe. For more than 75 years, Derse has created award-winning exhibits, events, and environments for client programs in more than 50 countries, and is consistently recognized amongst its clients and peers as one of the most respected companies in the exhibit and events industry. Experiences matter at Derse. For more information, visit derse.com/about.
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