7 Ways to Drive Booth Engagement Using Event Technology

July 13, 2017

Jesse Johnson

Jesse Johnson is a Marketing Specialist and Blogger at Meeting Tomorrow, a full-service event technology partner to businesses and meeting planners around the country.

There’s nearly an endless (and ever-growing!) supply of technology you can utilize at trade shows and events. However, having the latest and greatest tech doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a more successful event or get more leads at the show. In order to be truly great, event technology should be aligned with your event goals and used in a way that promotes engagement and interaction. It needs to compliment your brand vision instead of draw attention away from it.

Below are some surefire ways you can use event technology to drive attendee engagement:

1. Perform Interactive Product Demonstrations

Touch screens are truly great tools for engagement at events. They allow attendees to fully interact with your content rather than simply watching and listening. Touch technology is perfect for exhibitors to demonstrate apps and 3D product models, and particularly useful for large products or complex processes that can’t fit into smaller event spaces. If you’re looking to maximize impact, touch video walls are undeniably impressive and open up the opportunity for interactive group presentations.

2. Promote Friendly Competition With Gamification

Gamification is a great way to get the people in your booth excited about being there. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to create unique brand associations and give attendees something special to remember you by. There are a variety of ways you can gamify and incentivize your guests, including game show tech (like virtual prize wheels), gamification apps and social media contests. Whatever method you choose, creating an environment of friendly competition is a fun way to break the ice and encourage conversation and networking.

3. Transform Your Booth Using Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is really big right now and there are some great virtual applications for trade shows and events. One cool idea is to create a virtual scavenger hunt for guests to find hidden objects and clues overlaid on your actual booth. Alternatively, hire a gaming designer to create a custom VR game that relates to your field. Or, incorporate virtual notes and special features to go along with product demos for those interested in diving deeper. With so many possibilities, VR and AR have incredible potential to up the fun factor for attendees. Just make sure VR makes sense for your content and event goals.

4. Draw a Crowd with Great Video Wall Content

If you’re displaying videos, social feeds or digital signage, there’s no better way to draw attention than a video wall. The sheer size and brilliance of video walls make them much more impressive than standard monitors, and your content options are greater too. A few ideas to help pull in foot traffic are featuring attendees via social media feeds and showing live demonstrations and contests. You can also display your activity schedule and display sponsors so everyone can see.

5. Direct & Inspire Conversation on Social Media

Events give you the opportunity to network with attendees in person while simultaneously connecting with them online. If you really want connections to last beyond the show, you should have a social media strategy in place to promote your booth and inspire others to interact on your accounts. Using a social media wall to direct and display social discussion is a fantastic way to generate buzz. Incorporate thought leaders, giveaways and a social photo booth to up guest engagement even more.

6. Invite Guests to Charge Their Phones for Free

Event guests rely on their phones to make plans, stay organized, share content and network. The last thing anyone wants is to be without this major tool during a show. Mobile charging stations give you a great opportunity to get your brand in front of attendees, have meaningful conversations and distribute promotional material. Guests won’t need to leave the event space to charge up, so you’ll have even more time to interact.

7. Create an Irresistible Event Photo Opp

When attending any event, people love posting about it online and showing their friends how much fun they’re having. If you can create a fun-looking, unique photo opp that people will want to post, you’ll have a steady stream of guests ready to talk to you and explore your space. Let your imagination run wild and create a cool social media photo station to inspire posts and simultaneously promote your booth and brand. Leverage your social media wall, gamification tech or VR component to boost your efforts!

Overall, technology is only as good as the planning that goes into its implementation. A simple monitor or iPad can be engaging if the content is great and the team running it is friendly and professional. Always filter your event tech ideas through your brand vision and make sure it will be engaging for your audience. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way to a successful event! 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.