We’ve been presenting at event after event this year, and you won’t believe what digital tools companies have been using! Booth designs have been expanding on everything from digital experiences to auxiliary applications used to follow up with leads.
We mentioned new tradeshow technology briefly in a previous post. Now that we’re well into the year, we want to share digital tools proven to captivate audiences.
1. Interactive Games for Visitor Engagement
Contests and games have been popular before, but companies are now transferring the same idea to LCD touch screens. We’re talking multi-sensory engagements using touch screens to make more memorable encounters! Imagine a game of cards where you can play with the touch of a screen:
Make sure you evaluate the trade show’s expected audience before deciding on this tool. See what type of game would be most appealing to your event’s crowd. Then, you can seamlessly integrate information about your own product into the game!
2. Social Walls
You can also take the interactive aspect and use it to push social media. We know for a fact that everyone is bringing their smartphone to these events, and they’re already posting about them on Instagram, Twitter, etc. Why not invite them to join a conversation that you yourself start?
All you need is a social tool like Hootfeed, Tagboard, or Everwall to display what everyone’s talking about! You’ll even kill two birds with one stone by increasing your social engagement during the trade show.
3. Unique Photo Opportunities
To shoot for more engagement, turn your booth into the ultimate photo opportunity that people won’t be able to walk away from. Curious of what we’re talking about? Our team has seen everything from customized Snapchat filters to green-screen photo booths!
Customized features aren’t going away any time soon, especially because Instagram is working on a tool to compete with Snapchat filters. Soon, they’ll allow brands and public figures to create custom filters! Keep your eyes peeled and add it to your to-do list.
To add to the list of 2018’s trade show portfolio, having a physical photo booth brings a crowd right to your area. Take a look at how Overwatch uses a green screen to put attendants right into their game (shown below). In the tourism or movie industry? This tool might be a perfect fit for you!
4. Virtual Reality Demos
This one’s a crowd favorite that’s been creating more buzz than ever before!
We’ve seen a lot of companies big and small take what would usually be an off-site demonstration and transform it to a VR adventure. Look at AT&T for example. They created a VR experience focused on protecting their customers by transporting them, virtually, to their Global Networks Operation Center.
Creative, right? You can do the same! Here are a few ideas to inspire your booth:
- Virtual shopping for retailers
- Putting the user in a game for sports industries
- Touring a building for real estate, architecture, or home improvement companies
5. Smartphone Apps to Manage Leads
Let’s not forget the point of these trade shows: increasing leads! There are so many new and updated apps out there that make this part of the day a breeze for you. A few popular ones we’ve noticed include iCapture, LeadPod and Intelligent Leads.
Each lets you do things like scan business cards or integrate your CRM! Just browse around and see what works for you, spend less time worrying about jotting down contact information and let the software do the work.
Whichever assets you’re planning to add to your trade show strategy, consider how these tools can promote your business. For more on the latest event trends visit our blog, where we highlight tips of the trade, or contact us for trade show training and consulting.