Inside ASCO25 Exhibition – Who did it the best?

The ASCO25 Exhibition Hall at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2025 Annual Meeting was the epicenter of innovation, networking, and industry presence in oncology. Spanning vast sections of McCormick Place in Chicago, the hall brought together global leaders in cancer care—from top pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms to academic institutions, medical device manufacturers, and advocacy groups.

Attendees could explore the latest drug pipelines, test diagnostic tools, experience clinical simulations, or just grab a coffee while engaging with experts.

More than a space to showcase products, the ASCO25 Exhibition Hall was where connections were made, stories were told, and the future of oncology was on display—live, bold, and unforgettable.

Now that ASCO Annual Meeting is over #ASCO25, many of us, still being under its spell, are head over the hills to share our impressions from the biggest event in oncology. No argument – from the must-see plenary meeting where thousands had gathered in line to hear the latest achievements in oncology, to running around from North to South buildings of the McCormick place to make it to our bookmarked sessions, there was one place everyone had to visit for sightseeing – the Exhibition Hall.

If you were a first-time attendee, don’t worry, you NEVER get used to its luxury and vastness. Whether it was simple yet inviting tables staffed by enthusiastic teams or vast spaces illuminated by massive wall screens and futuristic technology, ASCO25 Exhibition Hall felt like stepping into the heart of downtown Chicago itself.

For those who couldn’t experience it firsthand, join us as we take you inside ASCO25’s Exhibition Hall, ranking the booths with the most extraordinary features and offering a glimpse into oncology’s innovative future.

Best of ASCO25 Exhibition Hall

1. Most Innovative Booths with Best Interactive Experience – Encompass, GSK, Incyte
2. Most Captivating Booth – Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Encompass
3. Best Aesthetic Design – Eisai, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi
4. Most Authentic Booth – AbbVie, Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb
5. Best Visuals – Merck, AstraZeneca, Encompass
6. Best Co-working and Meeting Area – BAYER, J&J, AstraZeneca
7. Best Flowers – Genentech, EXELIXIS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer
8. Best Cafe – EXELIXIS, Pfizer, Gilead
9. Best Food Offerings – Myriad, Genmab, Gilead, Telix, J&J
10. Most Welcoming Staff – Servier, AACR, Caidya, Medidata, Northwestern Medicine

Sci-Fi or documentary?

With a cutting-edge tech experience, ENCOMPASS invited attendees to explore tissues, cells, antibodies, and cancer antigens through virtual reality (VR) glasses. Right beside this immersive learning tool, life-size holographic patients—each with a different diagnosis—engaged visitors in interactive conversations about their disease and treatment journey. Looking to personalize a badge or a poster? They had that covered too, with on-site printing—and yes, I got mine!

We share videos from this one, as photos are too old-fashioned for here.

The dancing robot

The heartwarming nice little robot by GSK, next to a massive globe, was excited to teach as well as entertain you. Again, a must see in the video below. The booth was never empty, in fact, one of the most visited booths at the exhibition.

Feel the blood flow

Incyte’s booth captivated with a next level experience inside blood vessels with their VR glasses to explore their pipeline. You did not just see a blood vessel, you appeared inside it! While there is YET no way to replicate that experience in this article, here is a smaller visual tunnel of how it would feel.

Sakura

Daiichi Sankyo captivated the entire exhibition hall with its cherry blossom tree right behind their cafe. Crowded as no other, the lighting and the background put the tree at the center of attention of any visitor. While next to this their life size molecule exhibition would not seem as impressive, forget the tree, and it will be very, very impressive.

The Garden of Eden at ASCO25

Isolated from the tech-spirited exhibition, Eisai created the most aesthetic garden with purplish atmosphere and a wishing well. You could cast a wish into the fountain, and they would donate food to cancer patients. With sensible design, your wish would appear on a large screen to lighten the mood of the visitors. It is worth noting that their cafe’s guacamole was refreshing after all different sweets from so many booths. Play the video to briefly appear in the soothing atmosphere.

Oh-oh, Starry Night 

AbbVie was authentic from multiple angles. First and foremost, their dream space, where you could thank someone, had you smiling even after leaving the booth. Your thank-you message would turn into light, pass through the sky and display on the large screen – on the starry night sky. They gave dip-dish pizza too, which was probably more appropriate before passing through the night sky. Take a look at the video and let us know if you agree.

Bristol-Myers’ Library

If you like books, and you probably do, Bristol Myers Squibb brought a massive booth – designed as a library. While the books were not real, you could only find that out from getting too close, as the lights, once again, had you fooled.  They even had syringes for subcutaneous injections! Great place to sit down with someone and reflect on the meeting.

The Light Show

You’re casually mingling—and then, suddenly, a breathtaking arena opens up before you. Merck’s spaceship had it all: an ultra-wide screen displaying Earth in 2D and a massive 3D globe that dominated the space. They didn’t need to work hard to draw attention to their pipeline—but they did anyway. And they went big.

Feel the Luxury

Not too far away, there was AstraZeneca with their remarkable use of space. Large screens, flowers and trees, coffee, meeting rooms, club-like vibe… Always full of visitors, this booth was the place to feel important and have a long conversation with your colleague.

More flowers, more green

This year flowers were a theme for many of the booths. A few of the nicest designs with naturalistic approach could be found at Genentech, EXELIXIS, Foundation Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim, which had lungs of white roses.

Sit down, relax, innovate

When it came to comfy chairs and wide space for coworking areas, BAYER’s green backyard had you covered. Similar vibe, different place and color – Johnson & Johnson covered it all with modern design, tacos and refreshing drinks. Non-alcoholic.

Recreating Cafes

European style cafes were popular at this year’s exhibition too! From EXELIXIS‘ cozy corners to Pfizer’s long line of coffee-lovers, these booths were the go-to places for snacks and drinks.

And when it came to favorites, our delegation at OncoDaily unequivocally chooses Myriad’s Dippin’ Dots. We did go back multiple times. Which food spot was your favorite?

Personalized Billboards and Broadway

Gilead did come for meetings and did it with a style.

The people make the place

While these booths are impressive with their modern and futuristic designs, OncoDaily would like to give kudos to all the smaller booths with spirited staff who worked hard to be seen and make a difference. A few to be mentioned for dozens at the ASCO25 Exhibition Hall: Caidya welcomed you to make a gift-box for children with cancer, Servier’s staff was the best at making you feel like home, Medidata and AACR were the nicest and the most generous neighbors, and as Northwestern Medicine staff said in answer to my question:

“What is the most innovative and captivating thing about your booth?” 
“We are! The people who made it!”

Make sure to read our highlights from ASCO25 and Yvonne Awards Ceremony 2025. Visit our page dedicated to ASCO25 for maximum coverage. Stay tuned for the special article on Yvonne Awards 2025 and OncoDaily Party with photos and videos.