Like you, there's nothing we love more than talking to industry folks as we walk the show floor, and we uncovered some trends at RSA Conference. One trend concerning exhibitors is that at cybersecurity shows in general, there is a vast number of satellite events taking place outside the main venue, siphoning off attendees who might otherwise be visiting their booths. We counted more than 200 such events at RSA Conference, a shift both exciting for attendees and perhaps a warning bell for show organizers. We also loved hearing presenters individually describing themselves as bucking the cybersecurity design trend that makes booths appear menacing and ominous. Because as a whole, the convention center was lively, colorful, and brightly lit, showing that perhaps exhibitors tapped into the collective unconscious when choosing to go against the grain.

Putting Jungian theory (mostly) aside, our editorial team spent its time in San Francisco embarking on a hero's journey that led us to everything from well-executed classics to pure theater. And in the end, it was not self discovery, but booth discovery that left us transformed. Read on to learn about the five designs that landed a spot on our list of favorites.
1 Commvault's Cleanroom
On a show floor rife with bright colors and flashing lights, the juxtaposition of Commvault's lab-like cleanroom, developed by Sparks with audio and soundscape by John McNeil Studio (JMS), stopped people in their tracks. The organization launched its cleanroom for cyber recovery at the show and used its space to make the intangible a delightfully tangible experience. The booth, enclosed in gleaming white walls, had a single entrance flanked by a semi-transparent scrim that was guarded by a mannequin wearing a contamination-proof hazmat suit. A staffer in the same attire held a lab tray that displayed special glasses attendees could use to experience a bit of technological magic inside the booth. Beyond the welcome desk, the interior of the sterile environment was devoid of color. A soothing, feminine robotic voice echoed throughout the booth welcoming visitors to the cleanroom and alerting them to security scans, which took place every 15 minutes and were illustrated by an increase in the soundscape volume accompanied by a purple light cycling across the white space. Seemingly blank screens adorned the walls, but when visitors donned their glasses and took a second look, words introducing the cleanroom concept appeared. Commvault imaginatively employed simple screen privacy technology to create the surprising effect. This use of the technology appeared elsewhere on the show floor, but nowhere else was it used so creatively. The organization inserted a bit of whimsy into an otherwise austere environment with looping videos that depicted lab techs in hazmat suits practicing yoga, performing martial arts techniques, or defying gravity with standing backflips. Visitors who wanted to learn more about Commvault's launch were directed across the convention center to a second environment where they could meet with subject matter experts and account managers. This clever arrangement both allowed cleanroom-curious visitors to take in an experience that was uncluttered by conversation nooks and funneled self-qualified attendees to the sales team for a demo and chance to win a raffle. Commvault representatives had a goal of conducting 231 demos at the second location and they blew past that goal and headed straight for the cloud by conducting more than 960. That's the type of lab data that would excite any events professional.

2 Microsoft
Microsoft cleverly illustrated the difficult-to-grasp concept of AI-powered security by attaching it to a real-world example. Real world, that is, if you're into science fiction. Which we are. The exterior of the circular booth, created in partnership with Green Room Inc. and The Freeman Co. LLC (dba Freeman), held demo stations for those who wanted to learn about Microsoft solutions, but it was inside the booth where imaginations were truly launched into orbit. A video presentation performed by LeVar Burton, known either for hosting "Reading Rainbow" or playing Geordi La Forge in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" depending on your age, greeted visitors. Once inside the circular environment that felt much like the command center on a space craft, eyes were immediately drawn to an LED tower topped by a globe that appeared to spin thanks to the magic of custom-programmed lighting. Booth staffers adeptly led visitors to the first of three command centers beneath an LED screen that gave the illusion of space travel. The command centers asked visitors to imagine they were under alien attack, with aliens representing a cyber threat. AI assessed the threat, provided visitors with salient information and a few options, and left visitors to perform the very human task of choosing the best course of action to save their ship from total destruction. The final task in the booth's well-designed layout was strapping into a rumble seat on a space capsule and flying away from the neutralized threat. The members of our editorial team would never classify themselves as cybersecurity experts, but the savvy use of pop culture references and gamified explanation helped us understand Microsoft's offerings at warp speed.

3 Pentera
The cybersecurity experts at Pentera know that identifying and fixing security gaps is gloomy and sometimes thankless work. Security breaches certainly are noticed, but if things are going well, cybersecurity operates in the background without a lot of reward for those who pursue it as a career. At RSA Conference, Pentera could think of nothing more rewarding than candy, so they plopped a candy store at the entrance to an aisle on the show floor to deliver a sweet message. The booth floor was printed with a path to strong security that would look familiar to anyone who was a Candy Land enthusiast as a kid or lives with a 5-year-old. A 4-foot-tall gumball machine invited attendees to guess the number of gumballs inside and serve-yourself candy bins took the requisite candy dish found at countless standard booths up several notches. Candy-striped ottoman stools provided comfortable seating in front of a video screen nestled among gumball-filled candy dispensers while candy canes swayed gently overhead. This frothy confection of a booth design left attendees with a sugar rush rivaled only by Halloween.

4 Rubrik's DSPM Speakeasy
At a show heavy on tech, Rubrik married the past with the future of cybersecurity in its DSPM Speakeasy, dreamed up by the creative minds at Impact XM. The booth was walled in by a combination of heavy, blue velvet curtains and translucent brick-printed fabric, which created a sense of exclusivity for those inside and a bit of FOMO for those still walking the show floor. The booth corners, however, were draped in gold beaded curtains that offered an easier view for attendees to peek inside and see what they were missing. Show-goers walked past a bourbon barrel placed beneath a symbol reminiscent of the Eye of Providence (the one you see on the back of the one-dollar bill). But somehow, the all-seeing eye failed to notice that beneath its gaze, a simple telephone booth door masked a lavish speakeasy. The interior of the booth oozed with pure opulence with faux wood flooring and a bar backed by an art deco wall covering that screamed Roaring '20s. Cozy seating areas in shades of blue and green accented with gold were arranged to allow for conversation, and one attendee was overheard saying that the walled-in space provided a welcome respite from the din of a busy RSA Conference floor.

5 WizMart
Wiz, a cybersecurity organization that helps companies create secure cloud environments, sent RSA Conference attendees straight into the stratosphere with its imaginative take on a grocery store, dubbed WizMart. Visitors to the environment experienced a design, dreamed up in partnership with Exhibitus, that left no detail out. Towering shelves packed with snacks funneled visitors to a demo area flanked by the same type of drink cooler you'd find at any local supermarket. Even a Guy Fieri impersonator made an appearance in case anyone was up for a round of Grocery Games. The striking illusion held until closer inspection revealed the clever marketing message behind the display. Each food item was labeled with an imaginative take on a real grocery story product, such as Mac & Wiz, Acronym Soup, the always thirst-quenching Breach Blast, and Cloud Visibility Spray, a cleaning product that promises a crystal-clear cloud perspective. Curious attendees who took products from the shelves found still more clever wordplay where you'd expect to find nutritional information. If WizMart's environment was indicative of the type of inventiveness we can expect, we're hopping on the next plane to Flavortown.