Since the early 2000s, a ‘trend’ has emerged in the exhibition and trade show display world and is rapidly gaining traction, yielding impressive, tangible results, guaranteeing that Its popularity is set to soar.

We’re talking about gamification—an approach that consistently delivers outstanding outcomes and is moving from a trend through to a legitimate marketing and sales strategy, helping businesses all over the world to level up their events.

Why does it work so well?

‘Gamification leverages the innate human desire to compete, win, and be rewarded, transforming brand engagement into an exhilarating and meaningful experience.’

– Debdutta Choudrey – Case Author of the Consumer Behaviour & Green Consumption Research

By incorporating gamification into your strategy, you not only capture attention but also foster a deeper connection with your audience, turning interactions into impactful moments.

It’s able to influence customer behaviours, reinforce key branding and messages, increase engagement and ensure your stand (and brand) is remembered and thought of in a positive way.

It also seems to be the key to successfully achieving the sometimes tricky activity of collecting event visitor data.

Proven results:

‘Gamification provides impressive ROI with Customer engagement increasing by 48%.’ “Perhaps most impressive for businesses exhibiting at events is that” ‘…gamified strategies can improve conversion rates by up to 50% and sales performance by 3.5 times through competitions and challenges.’

– BEELIKED – Emerging Trends in Gamification: Key Statistics and Market Insights for 2025

Ideas:

There are SO many options available to businesses planning their stands for their next events.

Photobooths (including AI versions), Photo and Graffiti walls, emerging technology such as ‘Smart Mirrors’ which experts like Noonah use to:

‘blend the user’s reflection with various functions, from photo and video capture to games and social networking.’

Other options include:

  • Live event printing
  • Vending machines
  • QR run data capture games
  • Interactive product demos
  • Leaderboard focussed games
  • Physical Prize Wheels
  • Scavenger Hunts around the exhibition hall

Plus there are numerous existing and emerging AI immersive options available.

There is literally an idea for every budget and all of them can yield impressive engagement for businesses exhibiting.

Best practice – Always Be considered

‘…gamification needs to be considered as part of an integrated strategy with holistic objectives in order to succeed. There’s no point in gamifying part of a campaign or promotion for the sake of it; there needs to be a defined purpose, clear routes to engagement and most importantly, an understanding of the motivations of the intended users. Why would they get involved, does it help them connect with the brand, what are their motivations and is there a suitable reward or sense of progress at the end?

Get all of those things right, and brands can start to see the benefits of gamification at first hand.’

– TheDrum.com – Analysis: The rise of gamification

If you want to bring your A-game to your next event, speak to us, we can help.