Most Common Activations to use at a Trade Show Booth
Trade show booth activations are interactive experiences or features designed to engage visitors, create a memorable impression, and ideally generate leads or sales. Over the years, several types of activations have become popular due to their effectiveness in attracting and engaging attendees. Here are some of the most common ones:
15 Trade Show Activations
- Product Demos: Demonstrating a product in action can be one of the most compelling draws for attendees, especially if the product has unique features or capabilities.
- Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): These technologies can be used to immerse attendees in a brand-specific experience or demonstrate a product in a unique and interactive way.
- Interactive Touchscreens: These can provide product information, videos, testimonials, and more, all at the touch of a finger.
- Photo Booths: Custom photo booths with branded backdrops or props allow attendees to take and share pictures, increasing the brand’s visibility on social media.
- Games and Contests: These can range from simple spinning prize wheels to sophisticated digital games. Prizes can be branded merchandise, further promoting the company.
- Charging Stations: Offering a place for attendees to charge their phones and devices can be a magnet. These stations can be branded and placed in a comfortable seating area, allowing for longer engagement.
- Live Presentations or Workshops: Host live sessions on topics relevant to your industry or product. This can position your brand as a thought leader.
- Sampling Stations: If your product is something that can be tasted or tried on the spot (like food or cosmetics), samples can attract a lot of foot traffic.
- Social Media Integration: Encourage visitors to share their experiences on social media for a chance to win prizes or get discounts. Display live social media feeds on large screens.
- Personalization Stations: Allow attendees to personalize a piece of merchandise, whether it’s engraving, printing, or some other method.
- Lounge Areas: A comfortable space where attendees can sit and relax for a moment. This is especially effective for larger trade shows where attendees are looking for a break.
- Giant Props or Installations: Oversized objects related to your product or theme can be both eye-catching and photo-worthy.
- Video Walls: Use large, dynamic video displays to showcase product videos, testimonials, or other brand-related content.
- Live Entertainment: Depending on the audience, live performances or celebrity appearances can draw a crowd.
- Seminars and Q&A Sessions: Hosting informative seminars about industry trends or Q&A sessions with experts can draw in a crowd interested in learning.
When planning a trade show booth activation, it’s essential to consider the target audience, the nature of the product or service, and the goals for the show. A well-chosen activation can significantly boost engagement, leads, and ultimately, sales.
Using Games and Contests for Trade Show Activations
Games and contests can be a great way to engage attendees at a trade show booth. They can be both fun and informative, offering a break from the traditional promotional activities while also creating opportunities for deeper brand interaction. Here are some more examples:
- Spin the Wheel: A classic game where attendees spin a wheel to win a prize. The wheel can be divided into sections representing various prizes or promotional offers.
- Plinko Board: Inspired by game shows, attendees drop a puck down a board with pegs, watching it bounce around until it lands in a prize slot at the bottom.
- Digital Trivia: Set up tablets or touchscreens where attendees can answer trivia questions related to your industry or brand.
- Memory Matching Game: Attendees have to match pairs of cards based on memory. This can be themed around your products or services.
- Interactive Floor Games: Use floor projections to create interactive games that attendees can play by stepping or moving on the floor.
- Scavenger Hunt: Encourage attendees to visit different parts of your booth or other booths you’re partnering with to collect stamps or clues and win a prize.
- Virtual Reality Games: Offer a unique experience where attendees can play a VR game related to your brand or industry.
- Ball Toss: Simple games like tossing a ball into a bucket or hoop. This can be made more relevant by theming the balls and targets around your brand.
- Time Challenges: Set up a challenge where attendees have to complete a task in a certain amount of time. This could be assembling something, solving a puzzle, etc.
- Guess the Number: Have a jar filled with products or items and ask attendees to guess the quantity. The closest guess wins a prize.
- Social Media Contest: Encourage attendees to post a picture or message with a specific hashtag, and then randomly select winners from those who participated.
- Jenga with a Twist: Use large Jenga blocks, and on each block, print a question about your company or industry. When attendees pull out a block, they can answer the question for a small prize.
- Slot Machine: A digital or physical slot machine can offer attendees the chance to win prizes, discounts, or promotional items.
- Puzzle Assembly: Challenge attendees to assemble a puzzle within a time frame. The puzzle image could be a new product or branding.
- Custom Board Games: Design a simple board game around your brand’s narrative or the trade show’s theme.
When implementing games or contests, it’s essential to ensure that the activity aligns with your brand message and the goals of your trade show participation. It’s also crucial to have engaging and well-trained booth staff to guide attendees through the game, answer questions, and collect lead information if applicable.
To learn more about how you can bring a digital version of game and contest activations to your next trade show contact Captello. Captello offers a suite of over 60 different digital activations with leaderboards, reward centers and more – all customizable to match your company branding and message.
Captello is a multifunctional event platform that provides: Universal Lead Capture, User Customizable Gamification, Marketing Automation, CRM, Lead Management, Sales Enablement, Leader Boards, Point Rewards & e-Gift Cards, Waypoints for Sessions & Scavenger Hunts, Player Profiles, and more with over 5,000 integrations for all common CRM and Marketing Automation platforms.
To see how Captello’s growing library of digital activations (games), universal lead capture, and reward-based solutions can help your company generate more leads at your trade shows, contact us today!
