A Healthy Aim
MediKeeper Inc., whose services help human-resource managers administer their wellness programs, brought the big guns to its in-line exhibit at the Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference and Expo. To reinforce its fitness-minded messaging while offering an engaging in-booth activity, the company staged a "Healthy Habits Shootout" at one end of its booth. A freestanding wooden structure contained eight round pieces of cardstock printed with images of fresh fruit, french fries, bottles of sunscreen, alcoholic drinks, etc. (Each image was inserted into a plastic support that kept it upright.) After having their badges scanned, attendees stood several feet from the shooting gallery, picked up a Nerf-brand toy gun, and fired foam "bullets" at the four placards denoting healthy choices. Each eagle-eyed participant who knocked over the targets walked away with a complimentary grooming kit and a memorable show-floor encounter. Fear Factor
Fear is a powerful motivator, which is why Assa Abloy used it to market its line of attack-resistant doors at Greenbuild. One wall of its exhibit featured two of its fortified doors along with graphics denoting an elementary-school setting. While the door on the right was in pristine condition, the one on the left had visibly endured a frightening test. Staffers explained that it had been riddled with 60 bullets – 30 aimed at both the lock and the window – before a mock assailant attacked it with a baseball bat, a mallet, and other weapons. The display was a grim reminder for prospects about what could happen if their schools and offices weren't equipped with reinforced doors. Loud and Clear
The sound of objects being smashed is enough to draw attendees from aisles away, so hordes of showgoers sought out Louisiana-Pacific Corp.'s exhibit at the American Institute of Architects Conference on Architecture, where the manufacturer of wood-engineered siding was literally destroying the competition. LP set up a side-by-side demonstration comprising a partially finished wall, the bottom portion of which was clad with the company's SmartSide siding on the right and a competitor's traditional fiber-cement siding on the left. Above, designers suspended a pair of sledgehammers by their handles so the heads aimed directly at the two panels. Attendees took turns hoisting the hammers and letting them crash into the siding with ear-splitting whacks. The competitor's board splintered during each demo while the LP product remained intact and unscathed. Room With a View
In-booth conference rooms are great for formal meetings, but what about convos that fall somewhere between basic staffer/attendee engagements and full-fledged conclaves? NEC Displays Solutions Europe GmbH accommodated the latter inside its booth at Integrated Systems Europe. While a second-story space on the exhibit's upper deck hosted more private meetings, a royal-blue seating pod outfitted with a table and flatscreen monitor housed less formal, open-air engagements. Providing the perfect balance of openness and intimacy, the pod was the staging ground for dozens of spontaneous, semiprivate meetings throughout the show. Overhead Intrigue
BreezeoMeter Ltd. provides its clients with real-time air-quality data to improve their health and well-being. But at the 2019 International Consumer Electronics Show, surrounding exhibits offering up high-tech gadgetry could have easily stolen BreezeoMeter's thunder, robbing the company of an opportunity to explain its services. So in hopes of driving booth traffic, marketers used an unexpected exhibit element to attract attention and pique attendees' curiosity. A net-covered ceiling element filled with inflated balloons capped the company's otherwise ordinary exhibit, while a series of strategically placed fans created enough circulation to keep said balloons in constant motion. The colorful, kinetic lure helped BreezeoMeter stand out on the trade show floor, inflating booth traffic and ballooning brand awareness. The Art of Social Media
Exhibitors often use social media to expand the reach of their exhibits far beyond the confines of the convention center. But getting busy attendees to tweet about their experiences in your booth can prove a daunting challenge. So Caesarstone Ltd. incentivized showgoers with cold, hard cash. After picking up an "At Home with Caesarstone" coloring book in the company's exhibit, attendees were encouraged to complete one or more pages in the book, snap a photo of their artwork, and share it on Twitter or Instagram to be entered into a drawing for $500. The artful strategy successfully generated a bevy of social-media impressions and effectively communicated attendees' in-booth experiences to their online followers. You Sunk My Battleship!
It can be difficult to get passersby to pause long enough to learn about a new service or product, especially digital wares such as Middleby Advantage. Offered by Middleby Corp., the web-based platform helps owners of the company's food-service equipment track down replacement parts from partner manufacturers instead of relying on jerry-rigged solutions. To draw attendees into its exhibit to learn about the new platform at the National Restaurant Association Show, Middleby fabricated an oversized version of the classic Battleship game. Competitors arranged fleets of wooden boats on a 5-by-5-foot base, while a 5-foot-tall divider prevented cheating. Taking turns calling coordinates and placing massive PVC pegs on the boards created several minutes of fun before players shoved off and let others continue the battle or begin anew. While players didn't compete for prizes, a healthy serving of childhood nostalgia was all that was necessary to lure passing attendees out of the aisle and provide staffers plenty of time to explain how Middleby Advantage sinks subpar repairs.