20 Incredible Interactive Trade Show Booths
The trade show booth: it’s as old school lead gen as they come: a critical component of identifying customers and networking with colleagues for generations. Think the practice has become antiquated? Think again. Sure, our LinkedIn generation can “network” across oceans. But trade shows actually present an opportunity that’s become more–not less–valuable with time: human interaction.
Plus, technology can actually work for you and not against you as you build out your trade show. Attract visitors with a taste of hot tech they’ve yet to try, such as virtual reality, or one they couldn’t easily facilitate on their own, like a ride on a genuine gyroscope. Get creative. Go big. And get ready to meet some new customers.
Darting for Discounts
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼
Selling your wares? Why offer everyone a predictable 10% off when you could attract buyers with a whimsical chance to secure randomly placed discounts instead? Rent a carnival-style balloon dart toss and fill each balloon with a waterproof card displaying different discounts. Each potential buyer is given a dart with which they could snag a modest or major discount.
Challenge the CEO
Cost: $
Space Required: ◼-◼◼◼
At the famed Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meetings, each of the company’s brands get to display their wares at Omaha’s massive Qwest Field. Shareholders and press alike scoop up Justin boots, See’s candy, and even manufactured homes from Clayton Homes. Clayton’s trade show booth is one for the books: an entire home assembled onsite. In addition to letting attendees tour the house, they also use it as the grounds for a unique competition. Warren Buffett, whose first childhood job was delivering newspapers, challenges attendees in a newspaper toss to see who can accurately deliver a paper to the home’s porch. In the likely case that your CEO isn’t a former newspaper delivery person, identify a skill that could be put on display and invite attendees to come and see what we all love best: their own recognition.
Mechanical Bull
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼◼◼
No, this isn’t a country music bar. This is a booth with an attitude. A mechanical bull rental is a quick way to spice up an otherwise predictable trade show into a raucous attraction. The activity takes a lot of space (20’ x 20’) and only accommodates one rider at a time, but the attention it will draw from onlookers will be well worth it.
Pop-Up ClassicArcade
Cost: $$$
Space Required: ◼◼◼
Those lucky enough to have access to an especially large space will find out quickly that the gift can also be a tough assignment. What could possibly fill such a space after all? Our take: nostalgic play. Arcade games, whether vintage or modern, provide passersby with a welcome break from dry pitches and mundane mingling. Rent a collection of games to display with or without additional decor such as a blackout tent and LED lighting. Our collection of classics includes Pac-Man, pinball, skee ball, Galaga, and more.
Custom Face-in-Hole
Cost: $
Space Required: ◼
Photo op cutouts are a dime-a-dozen at theme parks and road trip pit stops, but they’re not common at corporate functions. Yet. Sure, you can rent one for a quick solution, but nothing will draw customers like a more relevant photo op. Perhaps it’s as simple as a cutout that memorializes the theme of the year’s overall event, or perhaps it’s a theme that’s specific to your brand. The wider the appeal of the cutout, the more effective it will be as a lead magnet. But the more narrow the focus, the “warmer” those leads will be.
On-Brand Balloon Art
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼
You don’t have to be a child to envy a good balloon hat. Hire a balloon artist to come up with a few on-brand balloon creations, then offer trade show attendees their choice for free. Gathering a group of veterinarians? A balloonified dog on a leash will catch the eyes of attendees venue-wide. Launching a new software program? Transform its logo or most used button into a hat. What’s the difference between this giveaway and those other items guaranteed to be thrown away? This one will spread delight before it lands in the waste bin.
Virtual Reality Goggles
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼
Of all the interactive activities on the market today, VR is perhaps one of the most effective for the time being. Widely talked about by still rarely experienced, VR of any kind is still novel, still interesting, and still drawing crowds. While pricey, VR sets can be easily rented. Ranging from simple goggles to immersive full-motion simulators, our HTC Vive, and Oculus Full-Motion Simulators pair with such creative and dramatic activities as Tilt Brush, Fruit Ninja, Zombie Training, and Mount Everest. Find a game relevant to your brand or campaign, create signage that connects your company to the activity, and watch the crowds line up.
Photo Mosaic Wall
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼
Photos are everywhere. Just when you thought there couldn’t be another way to incorporate photography into an event, some innovative techies devised one. The Photo Mosaic Wall photographs attendees just like any other, but creates a final product unlike any other. The images are gradually combined to create your logo, branding, or image in a giant mosaic. Including the photo mosaic wall in your booth area will make your location the destination hundreds of attendees will be searching for.
The Big Exclusive
Cost: $-$$$$
Space Required: ◼
When Coca-Cola crafted their massive pavilion for Expo 2010 (the modern equivalent of the World’s Fair), they drew lines hundreds of people long with something people didn’t even know if they’d like or not. It was a product no one could buy, but they could receive for free if they waited long enough. It was a special can of coke that transformed into a Slurpee-like consistency with the pull of a tab. Nothing instills a sense of “must visit” like a product or experience they’ll never be able to experience again. Perhaps that’s an exclusive flavor, pattern, or size. Whatever it is, make one thing known: to experience this, you’ll have to come here, now.
Giant ChessTournament
Cost: $$
Space Required: ◼◼
Among the most important factors in building out a compelling trade show booth is scale. Most take place in giant rooms, where small posters and modest chotchkies quickly disappear. Finding something that draws the eye from across the room is a smart way to attract potential customers to your booth. One idea that fits the bill: an oversized chess tournament. Our giant chess set is one rental that’s sure to draw some stares. Challenge visitors to a chess competition, then invite winners back throughout the day to play for a prize. As with all marketing initiatives, this booth activity is most effective if you can tie in your brand in a relevant way. Potential brand themes: strategy, smarts, and planning for next steps.