Using technology to transform your next exhibit into an experience

Jack Blog

May 6th, 2019 By Jack Morton

Earlier this year, Joe Panepinto and I led a session entitled Experience in the age of digital everywhere – and what it means for your brand at ExhibitorLive. Our focus was on teaching exhibitors how to best incorporate the latest and greatest technology to turn an exhibit into an experience.

Here are three key lessons from our presentation:

    1. Don’t start with technology.
      First and foremost, focus on your goals and objectives. When you’re clear at the very beginning on what you need to accomplish, the story will start to tell itself. And then naturally, integrating technology that’s most effective for your exhibit will become evident.The key here is that technology itself should not be the story of your experience – unless technology is your product.Like the retail experience we built with Adidas Speedfactory, where customers joined in on the manufacturing process and personalized the design of their shoe, on demand.
    2. Avoid using technology for technology’s sake.
      Virtual reality this, augmented reality that. But here’s the thing – the technology doesn’t matter nearly as much as what you’re trying to accomplish.I’ve seen countless exhibits using technology that didn’t serve much of a purpose. When virtual reality was the hot, new tech, I attended a health care trade show where almost every exhibit had some kind of VR “experience.” Most companies were displaying their existing literature via a VR headset, but there was one company that got it right (in my opinion). Their approach was to spend a day in the life of a diabetic and showcase how their body feels when their blood sugar is low or high to explain how their drugs counteract those feelings. Through this, I understood the benefits of using their products compared to the majority of exhibitors who missed the mark on creating a meaningful VR experience.
    3. Transform exhibits into experiences.
      This is possible when they are:

      • Simple – Easily understood and arresting, like Audible.com’s audio-based game that drove thousands of people and a 45-minute wait at ComicCon.
      • Moving – Making people feel something on a deeper level, like we did with DockerCon. We showcased Docker’s fun, creative and collaborative company atmosphere by creating the first 5,000 person live multi-player video game!
      • Original – Irresistibly new and unparalleled, like Nike’s first full-sized LED running track in the world.

      For more insights, or if you’re interested in learning more about how to transform your exhibits into experiences using the right technology and approach for your brand, contact us. We’d love to work with you!