You’re new to trade show marketing and don’t know where to start. Let’s begin with a simple premise – trade shows should be fun, so embrace that feeling by adding fun booth activities to your trade show marketing. Most trade shows include educational sessions, featured speakers, and social events like receptions and tours. And the show hall will have hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of trade show exhibits showcasing a wide range of products and services. All that can be overwhelming (and exhausting) for attendees.
Savvy exhibitors spend months designing a booth, creating graphics, and planning the pre-show and show experience for attendees. They want to attract the right clients and create an engaging and memorable experience for them. Fun booth activity ideas, done well, can do just that. However, fun for the sake of fun, while entertaining, doesn’t always translate into new clients and increased sales. It has to align with the company’s branding and trade show marketing goals. Let’s explore some ideas.
Getting Started with Fun Booth Activity Ideas
Your trade show marketing should begin with a plan. Trade shows are expensive, and you’ll want to maximize your investment whether you measure that via sales or non-financial objectives (or both). If you decide to have a fun booth activity, it should support your show goals. For example, a corn hole contest might be fun for the sake of having an activity in the booth, but there should be some connection with your product or service.
15 Fun Trade Show Booth Activity Ideas
1. Trade Show Photo Booth or Selfie Kiosk
Create fun and memorable experiences that can be shared instantly. Photo booths and selfie stations are popular with event and trade show attendees who want a personalized memento to share with friends and family. The software makes it easy to add customized backgrounds and upload the selfies to social media.
2. Trade Show Scavenger Hunt
There’s power in numbers on the show floor. Join other exhibitors to create a trade show scavenger hunt where attendees visit multiple booths for a chance to win prizes. This can be high-tech or low-tech depending on the budget, ranging from video games where attendees accumulate points to a simple map stamped by exhibitors during the visit.
3. Magician
It’s almost impossible to walk past a magic act on the trade show floor. Professional magicians who specialize in trade shows are experts at weaving your message into their act. Add giveaways or promotional products to the magic presentation and it becomes even more of a draw.
4. Trivia/Jeopardy/Pictionary
Tap into everyone’s Game Nerd personality with friendly yet challenging games like trivia, Jeopardy, and Pictionary. Attendees can compete against one another or against a virtual contestant. Add a scoreboard for even more visibility on the trade show floor.
5. VR Simulators and Trade Show Augmented Reality
The possibilities are limitless with VR Simulators and Augmented Reality. Participate in a Light Saber Battle, Test Your Fears on a Tightrope over a Gorge, or Drive in a Formula 1 Race Car at Monte Carlo. Just about any AR or VR software can be customized to promote your product or service. And with hundreds of sports, adventures, and games available, you’ll have fun just choosing the right one.
6. Escape Room
The Escape Room is a scenario-based experience that encourages participants to collaborate on a mutual goal. It’s a memorable and exciting way to break the ice. This fun trade show game will have attendees searching for clues, which could be industry or brand-related.
7. Golf Driving Range Challenge
Ever wonder how your game compares to professional golfers? Golf simulators allow the Average Joe to compete against Golf Professionals in a variety of courses and themes like “Outdrive the Competition” and “Sand Trap Success.”
8. Mini Workshop or Class
Trade shows are all about discovery: finding new suppliers, meeting new people, and learning about industry trends and skills. Offering a valuable workshop, whether in your booth space or through educational sessions, elevates your company as a thought leader. And unlike a stress ball or branded water bottle, it won’t be tossed in the trash after the show or given to a child as a gift. The key is to provide workshop attendees with skills that lead to actionable results and information they want to share with others.
9. Social Media Challenge
The sky’s the limit when it comes to social media challenges. All it takes is a little technology and a clever idea. For example, create a series of trivia questions about your industry where attendees then answer them using a specific hashtag. Or, post a funny or interesting photo/video on social media and ask attendees to submit their best caption. The keys are to keep it simple, offer a prize, promote the challenge, and engage with participants.
10. Trade Show Prize Wheel or Digital Spin to Win
Increase engagement at virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face events with a user-customizable SPIN TO WIN game. Offering prizes or incentives? Spin to Win is just the answer! Customize gameplay with your brand colors and identity. Add custom prizes with individual odds to win, shared prizes, and more. Collect leads quickly at virtual or face-to-face events, in digital marketing campaigns, or just add fun to an office event without lead capture. Most SPIN TO WIN games allow you to change branding, background graphics, messaging, wedge graphics, difficulty settings, prizes, and more easily – in a few minutes.
11. Live Product Demo
Demonstrating a product at a trade show is a bit like a highwire act. When done well, the crowds are engaged and in awe. It can be the ideal venue to jumpstart the sales of a new product or service. To ensure success, know your audience and their needs. Anticipate their questions. Keep it simple. Incorporate storytelling. And include interactive elements. Finally, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse and have a backup plan in case there are issues.
12. Personalize Product Mockups
Personalized product mockups are visual representations of a product design or idea that have been customized with specific details to represent a unique or personalized version of the product. These can be custom text or messages, personalized images, colors, or unique design elements. Personalized mockups are more engaging and encourage clients to share feedback.
13. Pop-up Expert Talks
Imagine having your industry’s thought leader in your booth. And this person will lead a short, informal presentation or discussion about a specific topic relevant to your audience. Pop expert talks offer a valuable opportunity for attendees to gain knowledge, network with industry professionals, and share feedback on their experiences. Effective expert talks typically last no more than 10-15 minutes so they are concise and specific.
14. Interactive Projection Mapping
Interactive projection mapping combines projection mapping with interactive elements, creating immersive experiences where users can interact with projected images. It involves projecting images or videos onto surfaces, and then using sensors or other input devices to detect and respond to user interactions. The benefits to interactive projection mapping are engaging experiences, enhanced brand awareness, data collection, and customizable interactions.
15. Live Mural or Artist Collaboration
Hiring an artist can be an effective way to increase engagement and lead gathering when it matches your brand’s strategy. The artistic collaboration will create visual impact, a memorable experience, and shareable content. Attendees are more likely to share photos and videos on their social media and engage in conversations with staff, other attendees, and the artist. When done well, it will create a memorable experience and the possibility of increased brand loyalty.
Are Trade Show Activities Worth It?
Trade shows mean business, whether it’s CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, or PRVCA, the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle, and Camping Association, research has shown that 90% percent of attendees attend trade shows to see new products or services before making a buying decision.
But, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. There’s plenty of room for fun and games. Games are one of the best ways to attract attendees to your booth, create brand awareness, and qualify leads.
Many exhibitors only consider promotional products, like pens, luggage tags, and candy, but games are much more likely to draw crowds and elicit conversations with your exhibit staff. In fact, interactive trade show games and unique booth activity ideas are more than simply fun and entertaining. They help visitors retain information about your brand and service. Games, when done well and with a specific marketing goal, create conversations not only in the booth but also throughout the show hall.
At the end of the day, people remember how the experience made them feel more than what was said or done. Gamifying your trade show exhibit gives visitors a positive feeling they’ll share with others.
Inexpensive & Fun Trade Show Booth Activities
Massage Chairs – Can anyone walk past a massage chair after a long day on the trade show floor and not be tempted? Just 5 minutes… well maybe 10 minutes. It’s the perfect opportunity to chat with a grateful attendee (who will spill his or her guts for an extra minute or two in the chair)
Corn Hole Contests – This simple yet challenging game is a trade show magnet to attendees on the show floor. Anyone can play. Compete against a colleague or form a team and challenge a competitor to corn hole mastery. The boards and bean bags can be branded to match your booth graphics.
Arcade Games – Think Mini Basketball, Putting, Skee Ball, or any arcade game. They’re fun, inexpensive to rent, and brandable. Consider adding a scoreboard or timer to bring out the competitive spirit and attract even more potential clients.
Scratch-Off Cards – Scratch-Off Cards are both compelling and super-simple as a fun trade show activity. Contestants love this game of chance, and unlike lottery raffle tickets, everyone’s a winner with your cards.
Memory Match – Memory Match is the ultimate customizable game, where the icons can be your products or services. It can be played on an iPad or a huge LED Video Wall complete with a scoreboard. Add a timer to “amp up” the competition!
Whack-A-Mole — Attract attention, engage larger audiences, and build excitement around your brand instantly with WHACK-A-MOLE! This exciting, addictive game will have prospects returning to your booth again and again. WHACK-A-MOLE is user-customizable with customizable lead capture forms, custom leaderboards, player profiles, and a Rewards Redemption center where participants can redeem points for prizes. Change branding, background graphics, messaging, interactive elements, difficulty settings, prizes and more easily — in just a few minutes.
Want More Trade Show Booth Activity Ideas?
Our passionate team at Exhibits NW has been in the trade show industry for over three decades now. Whether you’re looking for a rental exhibit, a custom exhibit, or just a trusted partner to ensure your success, reach out to our team so we can help you exceed your trade show goals!
The professionals at Exhibits Northwest know this and have assisted thousands of clients with creating and refining their ROI strategies. You can rely on their professional trade show management services.
With over twenty years of experience designing, building, shipping, and storing trade show displays, the ENW team can assist you with the nuances and complexity of trade show marketing. And if you want your new exhibit to impress trade show attendees and draw crowds to your booth, then we’ve got that covered too.