How to Level Up Your Stand with Gamification and Interactive Features

Exhibition halls are noisy, busy and full of businesses all competing for the same few seconds of attention. While exhibition stands do a lot of the heavy lifting in capturing attention, games can significantly increase interaction and foot traffic, giving businesses something to do, not just something to look at.

Done well, gamification can take your stand from a flat display to an experience that visitors want to be part of. Most importantly, something they will remember and talk about after the show. Done badly, gamification can drown your stand. We often see queues of people lining up for the free prize or reward, but not interacting with the people, businesses or their offerings.

The difference between the two lies in the games selected, the way they are integrated, and their alignment with your company. This article covers all of the important details, with ideas and examples of games, and how to leverage them for best results.

Before selecting a game, it’s worth understanding what gamification can help you to achieve.

• Foot Traffic – Games can draw a crowd. Since people tend to be more comfortable engaging in stands that are already busy, this can raise foot traffic throughout the entire event.
• Dwell Time – Interactive experiences can keep visitors at your stand for longer, giving staff an opportunity to start meaningful conversations.
• Lead Capture – Games give you a natural and easy way to collect contact details.
• Memorability – Including an experience on your stand can differentiate you from others in the hall, boosting memorability after the show.
• Data – Poll-based games, quizzes and configurators can double as a way to collect data, and see what prospective customers actually care about.

These game ideas are great for busy shows, especially consumer-facing ones, where visitors move quickly and won’t commit much time.

These types of games barrier-to-entry and time-commitment is low, and so they’re an easy and effective way to increase foot traffic. You can leverage these interactions to gain leads by scanning each player.

Like claw games, and spin-to-win activations, integrated Plinko games are great for businesses looking a non-intimidating game with a low barrier to entry. They look professional, can be integrated directly into the stand, and you can elevate them with edge-lighting.

Incentivise people to join with a good giveaway, and make sure to scan each visitor to maximise data collection.

Creating a photo opportunity is one of the easiest ways to extend reach beyond the show. Include branded props to elevate the activation.

Batak games are a great memorable activation to include on your exhibition stand. They’re the type of game that many visitors won’t do if they’re exploring the show solo. But as a team, things can get very competitive, and the games can draw a great crowd!

You can get visitors to come back to revisit your brand, by announcing the winners on social media after  the show.

If you want to build deeper engagement using your gamification, explore games that relate more deeply to your own products and services.

This could be a polling station that relates to your services. For example, one of our clients asked attendees to vote on a product-relevant question by placing their contact details inside a split-ball and casting it into the polling station. This gamified data collection, by doubling as a competition entry for a prize.

Another travel company used NFC tags on their stand, letting visitors tap the destinations they were interested in for a chance to win a prize. This gave the team useful data for post-show follow-ups and a natural way to start conversations about their products and services.

Many businesses choose a game because it looks cool or seemed fun when they spotted it at another show. That’s a great starting point, but it’s worth talking to your exhibition stand designer before you commit. They can advise on activations that support your goals and suit the look of your stand.

For example, one client came to us wanting a money grab machine. We like these activations, but they sponsored a football team, and football was a big part of their branding. We suggested a game from Elite Skills Arena instead, one of our other clients. It was unique, on brand and a much better fit than a generic (albeit fun) money grab game, and they loved it!

Exhibition stand games work best when they feel like fun but support your exhibition strategy.

The most effective activations make sense for your brand, have a low barrier to entry, and lead visitors to your team, not just the prize. If you implement games effectively, you can can create a real buzz, and become a talking point at the show.

At Quadrant2Design, we design stands around your goals, and we can help you choose an activation that fits your look and your audience. Get in touch with our team to start planning your next stand.

Let’s talk! Contact us at design@quadrant2design.com or +44 (0)1202 723 500 for a free consultation.