Want Sumo This?
Everybody is looking for a sweet photo op these days, so mannequin provider Zhongshan Shiningmax Display Supplies Co. Ltd. gave visitors one at EuroShop. However, it added some clever, albeit somewhat subtle, branding. The firm positioned two nearly life-size models of sumo wrestlers along the front aisle of its in-line exhibit. Strategically lit from simple floor lights, the plaster dudes surely caught the eyes of the show's shutterbugs. However, directly between the two models marketers set up a small sign with the name of the firm and its URL. That way, whenever anyone snapped a pic, they also walked away with a visual reminder of Zhongshan's name and its web address. Flight Simulator
With a little help from 2020 Exhibits Inc., Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. erected a 42-foot-long, 15-foot-wide faux airplane fuselage in the center of its footprint at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Germany. Inside the cylindrical cabin, the provider of in-flight entertainment and tech-nology strategically tucked two conference rooms and a playful "cockpit" outfitted with a pair of plush pilot's seats for smaller meetings. To round out the aircraft illusion, the fuselage tied into the flooring design where sky-blue carpet fanned out like wings and tail fins amid the cloud-like white and gray carpet covering the majority of the booth. Playing host to more than 100 meetings throughout the show, the unique environment reinforced the message that Global Eagle's media offerings make the skies a little friendlier. The Big Reveal
When the purpose of the product is to remain hidden, how should an exhibitor show how it works? Connectrac, which makes floor-based cable-management solutions, faced this challenge at the American Institute of Architects' Conference on Architecture in Las Vegas. Here, Connectrac pulled back the curtain – or, in this case, the carpet – to reveal the solution with a dynamic cutaway. Half of the company's 10-by-20-foot in-line was set up to look like a staid waiting room. Along the aisle-side portion of the display, the company cut out a triangle of its gray carpet to expose a bright yellow pad and the apparatus housing the booth's concealed wires. The high-contrast flooring drew heads downward while the revealing tactic perfectly showcased Connectrac's hidden solution.
Smart Home
Exhibiting at digital trade shows doesn't mean abandoning engaging educational experiences. In point of fact, Schneider Electric Industries SAS delivered a gamified activation at the all-digital International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that showed how its Wiser Energy system sends energy-related notifications to users' smartphones. In the game, players became homeowners and were transported into a modest-sized house. Using prompts from the in-game Wiser app and a virtual spouse, players hurriedly prepped the home for an unexpected visit from their in-laws. For instance, the wife asked players to check the stove, dim the lights, charge the electric vehicle, etc. A simple status bar along the top of the game screen let attendees know how far through the activation they'd progressed. Upon completion of the game, text congratulated players and prompted them to return to Schneider's microsite to learn more about its offerings. Fine Produce
Bringing a sculptor into your booth to create delicate pieces of art would seem like a surefire way to draw a crowd at an art-supply trade show. But it would seem a little off target at the Sweets and Snacks Expo – that is unless the artist's medium was food. That's why Haribo of America Inc., a maker of gummy candies, brought in executive chef Chanse Schomber and what seemed like an acre's worth of watermelons. You see, Chef Schomber may be a fine restaurant and catering cook, but his watermelon sculptures are truly exceptional. Throngs of attendees stopped to watch and take pictures as the chef transformed his globed fruits into amazingly detailed depictions of Haribo's bear mascot along with other artfully branded creations. Even better, the show-stopping artwork piqued attendees' appetites to learn more about Haribo's sweet treats.

Gold Star
Trophies and awards often do little more than fluff egos and gather dust in the recipient's display case. At EXHIBITORLIVE, the conference for trade show and corporate event marketing, The Trade Group LLC polished some of its most prestigious hardware and displayed them in its exhibit. On the front wall of the in-line booth, marketers mounted two trophies commemorating the firm's exhibit-design prowess and one honoring its event-marketing skills, while nearby graphics listed The Trade Group's exhibit, event, and environmental offerings. The tactic succinctly conveyed that the firm does award-quality work.

King of the Throne
Attendees frequently want to know what makes a product tick – or in this case, flush – but those machinations are often inaccessible because they're hidden inside the product itself. At Greenbuild, Niagara Conservation Corp., which was touting its Stealth toilet's powerful vacuum-assist technology that consumes a paltry 0.8 gallons of water per flush, solved that problem by replacing the loo's typical porcelain tank with a clear acrylic one, revealing its innards for all to see. Then the manufacturer hoisted the toilet onto a knee-high pedestal to bring the tank up to eyeball level and asked attendees to test it out – the flushing, that is. Visitors watched after each use as staffers explained how the air transfer tube automatically pressurized the trap and primed it for the next plunge. The crystal-clear demo had attendees peppering staffers with bathroom-only questions that left everyone flushed with intrigue.