The last few years have seen a huge increase in the use of technology to drive audience interaction in the trade show and event business. The sad part of this trend is that the technologies being employed often have little or no connection to the goals or theme of an event.
In the past, exhibitors might have compensated for uninspired marketing by having sports cars, video games or even attractive models drawing attention to their booths. Today those things have largely been replaced by gesture screens, touch tables or holographic projections.
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not averse to such tactics when they are well executed and paired with great content… I’ve used them several times. However, I am opposed to technology for technology’s sake. I recently read a very refreshing article on NOTCOT.COM that threw me back to a simpler time… and gave me some real inspiration.
The focus of the story was the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany and, in particular, the sliced Porsche cut-aways that featured the inner workings of the vehicles and the design process used to create them. Although the technology necessary to create these slices is pretty cool in itself, the displays remain fairly “old school” and passive. But it was the author’s enthusiasm and wonder at the workmanship and meticulous detail of the cars that reminded me of similar experiences I’ve had at museums, science centers and exhibits throughout my life. It also left me wondering; in this age of cost savings and down-sized budgets, what other low-tech interactive ideas have imaginatively found their way into tradeshows and events? Here are a few I’ve come across.
Puzzled? For our own exhibit campaign launched at EXHIBITOR2010, kubik wanted to focus on having “all the right pieces” for your next trade show or event. This led to a puzzle theme where, amongst other things, visitors were mailed a 6-piece puzzle invitation, with an extra piece included. They were asked to bring that piece to the booth to participate in building our message. Very interactive and low cost!
Come on Down! The Price Is Right might seem a bit dated today, but this venerable classic included a wealth of low-tech interactive games that launched a series of gameshow themed events. I’ve seen Plinko effectively used in event campaigns that turned hokey into high traffic. Check out this example for Dakota College’s Flamingo Fling.
Got it, Got it, Need it! I remember reading about an exhibitor that incorporated a scavenger hunt into their event. Prizes were handed out and the items on the list were nicely tied into the company’s marketing messages. A great way to have fun at a tradeshow!
Think BIG! The 1988 Tom Hanks film BIG featured an animated fortune teller machine called ZOLTAR. I’ve seen this machine replicated and rented for events where it delivered customized fortune cards to attendees. Imagine pairing this with a direct mail invitation using chocolate gold coins or carnival tokens. I admit it is getting into video game territory, but Zoltar is unique, fun and easy to integrate into a campaign.
Some would argue that these interactive tactics have seen their day. I believe that with the right campaign around them, they can offer a low cost way of engaging audiences that doesn’t involve kicking imaginary balls on a floor, scanning QR codes with your iPhone or making a company’s logo ripple with the wave of your hand.
Your attendees may not remember your touch-screen kiosk, but they’ll sure remember any of these. I’d love to hear about other effective examples that you’ve seen.
