When trade show exhibit goers walk the vast exhibit hall floors and come upon highly creative, interactive trade show displays, they get to stop and join in some fun. The trade show attendee becomes part of the exhibit. By using experiential activity, the trade show exhibitor not only entertains but also educates their key customer prospects with entertaining hands-on experiences. Why are such participatory activities important at trade shows? Quite simply: they boost traffic to the trade show exhibit site, leading to product interest and often substantial sales from experiencing first hand a dynamic new product. When Event Marketer covered the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January 2006, they found exceptional trade show exhibits that offered interactive experiences. Here are a few exhibitors whose hands-on trade show displays showcased new product trials on the trade show floor: Canon -- Canons goal was to get attendees hands on its products. They had three hands-on display islands staffed by representatives. One of the islands featured PowerShot and EOS cameras and camcorders, another showcased printers, and the third island featured smaller digital cameras and camcorders. Canon also had a theater that mimicked a working film set with camera booms and professional stage lighting. Visitors demonstrated Canons new products and took photos and videos of a working model-train village choo-chooing away in their center island. Dolby -- A TrueHD Theater was Dolbys centerpiece to run demos of its high-definition audio technology. Separate semi-enclosed zones showed off Dolbys audio technology for HDTV home theaters, surround-sound video gaming, and PC home audio. The gaming zone offered visitors a chance to try Burnout, the new Xbox 360 racing game. The Xboxs Dolby Digital sound technology seduced game enthusiasts to come try their new products. Garmin -- Several interactive demonstration stations helped Garmin get its portable navigation systems into peoples hands. Two circular islands each featured eight handheld navigation units for visitors to try, while plasma screens atop the stations ran videos about the products. Nokia The company divided sections of the trade show exhibitwhich featured everything from its mobile office products to its latest Bluetooth-capable phonesto create individual environments for products and presentations. Visitors checked out the products on tables on the main floor. Nokia created interactivity with touch-screen computer kiosk booths, where trade show attendees could learn more about key product features. Remember that people want to try before they buy. At trade shows, they want to see for themselves and be part of the action. That is why the use of interactivity works especially well at trade show displays that introduce new products and services. |
