How To Use Technology To Enhance An Exhibition Stand

Your shell-scheme stand may be attractive, full of brand messaging, and ready to receive an audience, but sometimes you need a little extra to create a buzz. With interactive technology, you can really draw a crowd and become more memorable than your competitors.

At Lion, we build hundreds of exhibitions every year. We see all kinds of displays, activities and demonstrations, and regardless of the industry, those using innovative technologies to show off their product often steal the show.

Interactive displays

Nothing catches people’s attention like the chance to participate. Interactive displays put visitors to your booth in control and give them the chance to drive the action. Here are some examples we’ve seen over recent years.

Touchscreen dashboard

Large touchscreen displays can provide a focal point for your stand, enabling visitors to interact and navigate your software demo, information brochure or website. You can rent a large-scale touch screen or use a large touch-sensitive monitor connected to a laptop. Simply load up your software, app or online brochure and let people play around.

Button-activated presentation

This is also an energy-saver. Your digital presentation loads up only when visitors press a button, rather than playing on a loop all day. You can use a novelty big red button or place a wireless mouse on a hired podium to encourage curiosity. Often, once people start something with an action, they stick around to see it through.

Virtual Reality

A real crowd-pleaser, virtual reality (VR) has people queuing up to see what is going on under the headset and creates a unique experience that gets people interested in your brand. You don’t have to be a games company to use VR headsets in your exhibition. It takes some specialist design and programming, but it can be worth it because of the exposure VR can generate. Here are some ideas on how to use VR technology to impress at your next trade show:

Give a virtual tour of your facilities/campus

Whether you’re a university, museum, events space or manufacturer, a VR tour of your buildings can highlight the benefits you have to offer. Making a virtual tour can be as high or low-tech as you choose, and can even be done using a smartphone camera and access to Google Street View.

Offer a taste of your experience

If you’re at an exhibition to sell an experience, from escape rooms to holidays, from aquariums to club nights, you can use VR to give people a taste of what they’ll find with your company.

Augmented Reality

Different to virtual reality, augmented reality (AR) uses smartphone or tablet cameras to place 3D images in the physical space around you. The most common example is in AR Snapchat filters. This technology can let you take selfies with animated characters, place brand imaging on the walls around you and showcase large products in the event hall, even if they won’t fit through the door.

Show your full product range in 3D

You may only be able to show some of your products at a trade show exhibition, due to booth space and logistics. AR can help you show a much more realistic and interactive demonstration of the products you can’t carry. Use a tablet or smartphone to render a full-size 3D model of your product right on the exhibition floor, a table or another surface.

For example, if you are advertising a range of sofas, and can only bring one piece, you can use AR to show what it looks like in different colours or highlight variations

AR Print Materials

Make your business cards and brochures more engaging by adding AR features that show up when viewed through a smartphone app. Transform flat images into 3D models, create holographic messages and highlight key information with animations.

Virtual Dressing Room

If your brand sells clothing, shoes, accessories or any apparel, you can use AR to show people what they’d look like wearing your products.

Benefits of Using Cutting-Edge Tech to Enhance Your Booth

Of course, many of these high-tech exhibition ideas require some programming and design expenses. There are software services and apps that can help you set things up, as well as talented VR and AR designers who create virtual marketing experiences. There are huge benefits to these experiences that make it worthwhile, however, and the return on this investment can be significant.

• Cut through the noise: Everyone at an exhibition is trying to draw people into their stand, and it can be difficult to make yourself seen. Adding technology to the experience can help your brand really make an impact on the show floor.
• You can use it again and again: once your virtual tour, interactive dashboard or AR experience is designed and made, it won’t deplete over time. You can take it to every exhibition, trade show and marketing event, and share it online for people to try for a social marketing experience.
• Bonus! Reduce paper brochures and leaflets: using digital marketing collateral, you’ll cut down on the amount of paper waste produced for your stand, and you won’t have to carry so much around