Beyond the Booth: How to Stand Out at Any Trade Show
You’re at CES in Las Vegas or the Jacob Javits Center in NYC, surrounded by hundreds of booths. How do you make your brand the one everyone remembers? Trade shows are booming again; by mid-2024, the exhibition industry roared back to 91% of its pre-2020 size — and marketers know the stakes. Brands invest big in trade shows because the payoff can be huge (on average, companies see about a 4:1 return on trade show spend, and 14% of Fortune 500s even hit 5:1 ROI).
But with that crowded floor comes fierce competition. Standing out isn’t just about showing up; it’s about showing off creatively and strategically.
This guide tackles the core challenge: how to differentiate your brand in a sea of lookalike booths. We’ll cover our ad-agency approach to booth design, immersive activations, savvy partnerships, and overall trade show marketing strategy that will make your booth the talk of Toronto, Los Angeles, New York — wherever you exhibit.
Trade shows are back big, with 91% of pre-2020 activity restored and up to 5:1 ROI for Fortune 500 brands — but standing out is essential.
Creative booth design is your first hook: think bold structures, storytelling layouts, and open, interactive spaces that demand attention.
Immersive tech like VR, AR, touchscreen demos, and scent/sound marketing turn passive booths into unforgettable brand experiences.
Gamification, live demos, and surprise activations like influencer visits or flash mobs can drive crowd buzz and organic social reach.
Design for social sharing: photo-worthy moments, live social displays, and hashtag contests increase engagement far beyond the floor.
Good Kids helps brands turn booths into buzz magnets — from LA to Toronto — with strategy, design, and experiences built to win hearts and ROI.
Why Standing Out Matters
Crowded expo halls mean split-second judgments. Attendees wander aisles at places like CES, NRF, or Cannabis Expo with sensory overload – bright lights, blaring demos, and swag flying everywhere. This section addresses the core challenge: why it’s so hard to stand out, and how understanding this sets the stage for your strategy.
Sea of Sameness: At a major show, you might be one of hundreds of exhibitors, all vying for attention with banners and brochures. The average attendee spends just 5.5 hours total on the show floor, which means maybe a few minutes per booth if you’re lucky. You need to break out of the “vendor village” vibe.
Short Attention Spans: Attendees are actively looking for what’s new and exciting, but they won’t notice you if you don’t grab them fast. Over 50% of attendees are first-timers — they’re wide-eyed and curious, but also easily distracted by the next shiny object. If your booth doesn’t scream “check me out!” at first glance, they’ll stroll right past to your competitor.
ROI is on the Line: Trade shows aren’t just for fun; they’re for business. Yet only 6% of exhibitors feel very confident in their ability to convert leads on-site, indicating most brands know they could be doing more. A standout presence directly impacts that ROI, given that 52% of business leaders say trade shows give the highest ROI of any marketing channel. In other words, if you nail your trade show strategy, it pays dividends.
Ways Your Brand Can Stand Out at Trade Shows
In a sea of competing exhibitors, strategic differentiation is the key to capturing attention and leaving a lasting impression on potential clients and partners. Here’s what you can do to stand out amongst the crowd.
1. Booth Design
Your booth design is the bait that hooks attendees from across the aisle. This is absolutely non-negotiable if you’re trying to make your booth a success. Here are some steps you can take to make your booth design memorable
Go Big on Design
An eye-catching booth isn’t optional – it’s step one. Use bold colors, dramatic lighting, and unusual structures to draw the eye. For example, instead of a standard backdrop, imagine a 15-foot art installation or a giant product replica towering over your space.
At ComplexCon, our team built a life-sized cartoon van for the Doodles x Crocs booth as a playful centerpiece — it stopped people in their tracks (and yes, generated 50-deep lineups of fans waiting to get in). The goal is to disrupt the visual landscape of the expo hall in a way that your booth becomes a must-see exhibition.
Tell a Story Through Space
Great booths are on-brand and tell a story at a glance. Use your brand’s identity and theme in the physical design — if you’re a luxury brand, think chic lounge with velvet ropes; if you’re a tech startup, maybe a futuristic “mini-city” vibe.
Consistent branding (colors, fonts, messaging) combined with creative theming helps attendees “get” your vibe in seconds.
Interactive Layout
Don’t box yourself in (literally). Create an open, inviting layout — think walk-through installations or 360° designs rather than a table at the front and a banner behind. If attendees can step into your world, sit in a comfy corner, play with a demo station, or take a photo in an immersive setting, your booth becomes an experience, not just a display.
2. Incorporate Interactive Elements & Tech Integration
Interactive elements are a great way to create an experience for your booth attendees. While other booths may just be a movie people watch at the cinema, interactive elements can make the guests feel as if they’re part of the set.
Touch and Tech
We live in the age of touchscreens and holograms, so why not bring that into your booth? Over 64% of attendees prefer hands-on, immersive experiences at events over static displays.
Consider adding interactive touch tables, AR-enabled product demos, or even a live VR showcase to plunge visitors into your content. When Mountain Dew wanted to amp up their All-Star Weekend presence, we brought in VR headsets so attendees could virtually step onto a basketball court — it was a total crowd magnet.
As you can see, using virtual or augmented reality can transform a standard booth into a must-visit destination. The tech should tie back to your product story (for Mountain Dew, VR tied into an NBA All-Star experience, aligning with their sports marketing angle).
For a fashion brand, maybe it’s a virtual try-on mirror; for an automotive brand, a VR test drive; for a SaaS tech brand, an interactive demo console showing your software in action. If it lights up, moves, or responds to them, it’s going to draw a curious crowd.
Go for Sensory Appeal
Beyond sight and touch, think, sound, and even smell. A subtle soundtrack or sound effects can create atmosphere (imagine a low hum of city noise for an urban-themed brand or high-energy music for a sporty vibe).
Scent marketing is a thing too — a pleasant fragrance in your booth (e.g., fresh-brewed coffee for a café brand or a new-car smell for an auto exhibit) can subconsciously pull people in. These little touches make your booth a full sensory experience that feels different from the booth next door.
3. Experiential Activations
A pretty booth alone isn’t enough; you need to energize it with activations that engage and delight. This section dives into experiential marketing tactics for trade shows: the fun stuff that gets people talking, tweeting, and lining up at your space.
From interactive games to VIP experiences, these ideas ensure your booth isn’t just seen but fully experienced.
Gamify Your Booth
Turn your booth visit into a game or challenge. People can’t resist the chance to play and win. Ideas: a “spin to win” prize wheel, a quick trivia quiz about your brand with instant rewards, or a leaderboard competition (who can complete a puzzle or virtual task fastest).
Gamification not only draws a crowd (everyone loves free stuff — 60% of consumers engage for samples, 57% for cool swag), it also creates longer engagement as people stick around to play.
Live Demos and Workshops
An active booth is a magnet. Schedule live demos, tutorials, or mini-workshops at your booth throughout the day. A fashion brand might have a stylist show how to mix & match outfits; a tech company could do on-the-hour live hacks or product walkthroughs.
Also, it’s always a good idea to encourage hands-on involvement — invite attendees on stage or give them a role. They become participants, not just viewers, which is far more memorable.
Surprise & Delight Moments
Plan unexpected bursts of excitement. Maybe it’s a flash mob dance that suddenly erupts at your booth (instant crowd-gatherer, very L.A. style), or a well-known local influencer making a guest appearance (imagine the buzz if a TikTok star swings by your space in NYC).
These surprise moments create a buzz that extends beyond your booth — people will point others to “go check out the booth where that cool thing just happened.” It’s all about creating FOMO on the show floor.
4. Social Media & Shareable Moments
When it comes to anything these days, if it’s not on social — it didn’t happen. The most successful booths aren’t just built for attendees, they’re designed to be shared, snapped, and spread across platforms in real time.
Add “Instagrammable” Elements
Give attendees something so cool they have to pull out their phones. Maybe a stunning backdrop or prop where they can snap selfies (think neon angel wings, a graffiti wall with your logo, or a live cactus garden for a cannabis lifestyle vibe).
72% of event attendees share content online, so engineer those shareable moments! A custom hashtag and a prominent Instagram handle sign can help track the chatter.
Example: At one of our client activations, we built a photo-op wall with a gigantic Beauty Blender sponge and disco theme — influencers couldn’t resist posing. The result? A flood of posts and tags that amplified the brand far beyond the booth.
In-Booth Social Activations
Take it further by integrating social media into the experience. Perhaps a live social media feed display showing anyone who tags your brand or uses the event hashtag (people love seeing their posts show up in real-time).
Or set up a quick video booth to let visitors record a 10-second testimonial or a fun message — then send them the clip to share (branded with your logo, of course). User-generated content is marketing gold; your job is to spark it.
Contests & Giveaways
Another great method is to use social channels for contests: “Post a photo of our booth with #MyBrandShowcase and the best post wins a $500 gift card!” This drives traffic (everyone comes to get the perfect shot) and extends your reach to all their followers.
Make sure the prize is enticing for your target audience — high-end product bundles for luxury consumers, exclusive access or membership for B2B SaaS clients, etc. Contests create ongoing engagement, as attendees will check back or stay tuned online to see if they win, keeping your brand top-of-mind even after they’ve left your booth.
5. High-Energy Staff & Human Engagement
Your staff is the complete representation of your brand at a trade show. You need to make sure that the staff assigned to the booth is knowledgeable about your brand, your values, and your products. Most importantly, they need to be trained on how to attract trade show attendees and how to give them a good experience at the booth.
Your Team is a Part of the Experience
Don’t underestimate the power of charismatic booth staff. People remember people – a friendly, energetic brand rep can be more persuasive than the fanciest display. Staff should actively pull folks in: smile, say hello, ask questions (“Have you tried this yet?” or “Looking for anything specific?”).
A team with an engaging personality creates a welcoming vibe and makes attendees feel comfortable. Encourage your staff to be brand storytellers and problem solvers, not pushy salespeople. When your booth feels staffed by passionate humans rather than task-drones, it stands out in a hall full of bored-looking reps.
Training for Wow-Factor Service
Equip your booth team to shine. Every member should know the products inside-out and be ready to demo at a moment’s notice. Quick on their feet, adaptable to any question or crowd scenario.
Consider a quick daily huddle during the show: share goals (“Let’s each try to personally invite 20 passersby this morning”) and pump them up like it’s game time. Their enthusiasm is contagious. A well-trained, confident staff can turn a casual visitor into an engaged prospect just by the interaction quality.
Read our tips on hiring and training top-notch trade show staff to ensure your team is booth-ready.
6. Trade Show Marketing Strategy: Partnerships & Beyond-Booth Ideas
Standing out isn’t just about what happens at your booth — it’s also about smart moves before, during, and after the event, often extending “beyond the booth” itself.
In this section, we go through broader trade show marketing strategies like strategic partnerships, off-booth promotions, and pre/post-show tactics that give your brand an extra edge. Think of it as the 360° plan surrounding your booth presence.
Build Hype Before You Arrive
Don’t wait until the expo doors open to start wowing people. Use your marketing channels to tease your trade show plans. Localize your teasers: e.g., “Hey Los Angeles! We’re coming to Adobe MAX – and we’re bringing something big… 🔥”
Share sneak peeks of your booth design or the swag you’ll give away, or drop hints about a special guest or product reveal. This can drive booth traffic as attendees will have your brand on their must-see list.
VIP Outreach
A week or two pre-show, have your sales team invite key clients or hot prospects to visit your booth for a “first look” or a private demo. Offer a scheduled appointment or a VIP gift waiting for them.
This personal touch can ensure important targets seek you out (while your competitors hope those folks just wander by). In cities like New York or Toronto, where industry communities can be tight-knit, you might even host a pre-show meetup or dinner for select attendees — positioning your brand as a market leader before the trade show even begins.
Partner with Complementary Brands
Why go it alone? One way to stand out is to team up with another brand for a co-branded experience. For example, a fashion label might partner with a tech gadget company to create a smart fitting room at the show — attracting both of their audiences. Or a food & beverage brand could collaborate with a cannabis lifestyle brand to host a “taste & chill” lounge.
Partnerships can double your foot traffic and share costs/resources. Just ensure it’s a true win-win where both brands get halo benefits. (Case in point: Our Doodles x Crocs collab at ComplexCon combined art + footwear, doubling the buzz and drawing 50,000 attendees into an immersive, culture-blending booth.)
7. Local Flavor: Adapting to Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto
Your trade show approach can gain an extra edge by tailoring to the local vibe of each city. As a globetrotting brand (or if you’re targeting specific metros), show attendees that you “speak their language.”
This section highlights how to incorporate localized angles and references to major cultural hubs like LA, NYC, and Toronto in your trade show presence. (It’s about being relevant and relatable no matter where you go.)
Los Angeles – Go Big, Go Glam
In LA, home of Hollywood and endless sunshine, spectacle wins. LA attendees appreciate entertainment value and trendiness. Lean into experiences that feel like a Hollywood event — e.g. a red carpet photo booth, a celebrity cameo, or swag bags like award-show giveaways.
References to LA pop culture (sneakers for a streetwear crowd, sci-fi for a Comic-Con vibe) can click with the diverse LA audience. And because LA is so social-media-centric, it makes everything shareable and shiny. (If you’re at something like E3 or VidCon in SoCal, you know the crowd will be Snapchatting and TikToking everything!)
Good Kids got its start in Los Angeles, so trust us, we know how important it is to bring that West Coast flair.
New York City – Fast-Paced & Cutting-Edge
NYC is all about hustle and sophistication. New Yorkers have seen it all, so hit them with cutting-edge tech and smart, witty branding. At a New York trade show, a sleek, modern booth with a touch of urban edge works wonders — think digital skyscrapers in your booth design or a nod to the NYC subway in your graphics.
Also, emphasize efficiency (this crowd values their time): quick demos, clear value props, and strong networking opportunities (maybe a small meeting lounge with coffee because NYC runs on caffeine). If you can incorporate NYC’s cultural elements, even better — e.g. a street artist demo (very SoHo), or a Wall Street mock trading game for a fintech audience.
Toronto – Culturally Diverse & Innovative
Toronto audiences are diverse, polite, and tech-savvy. A welcoming approach goes far. Emphasize inclusive experiences; for instance, if you’re giving out branded gear, have a range of options to suit different tastes and styles reflecting TO’s multicultural vibe.
Tech and innovation play well here (Toronto has a booming tech scene), so highlight any innovative aspect of your activation. And don’t ignore Canada’s unique traits: maybe incorporate a hockey mini-game or a fun nod to poutine or maple syrup in a creative way (everyone loves a little good-natured Canadian stereotype humor, done respectfully).
Local Toronto references, like featuring artwork from a local artist or partnering with a beloved Toronto charity for the event, can endear your brand to the community. Since Good Kids also has an office in Toronto, we live and breathe this market’s nuances daily – adjusting tone and tactics to resonate with the 6ix crowd. Check out our Good Kids Toronto page to see how we connect with TO brands
Localization isn’t about changing your brand’s core; it’s about seasoning your strategy with local spice. The result? Attendees feel an instant connection, like “Hey, this brand gets us.” That emotional click can be the difference between a passerby and a lifelong fan.
Case Studies & Inspiration: Brands That Nailed It
Sometimes the best way to plan your standout strategy is to learn from others who already crushed it. Here we highlight a few client case studies and real-world examples of trade show and experiential wins — including some Good Kids projects we’re proud of — to spark your imagination.
Mountain Dew’s “Court Vision” All-Star Experience
When Mountain Dew wanted to dominate NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto, they thought way beyond a basic booth. We helped them create an interactive basketball haven, complete with VR hoops competitions, surprise appearances by NBA stars, 3D graffiti art installations, and live DJs. The booth wasn’t in a trade show per se, but at a fan event – still, it’s a perfect template for experiential marketing at trade shows.
The result was an immersive brand playground that amplified Mountain Dew’s image and drew huge crowds who stayed to play.
Doodles x Crocs at ComplexCon
Talk about a collision of worlds — an NFT art brand meets a footwear giant. At ComplexCon 2023 in Long Beach, Doodles (the Web3 darlings) partnered with Crocs to debut a collab, and the challenge was standing out in a convention full of hype brands.
Good Kids designed a booth dubbed “Hap’s Backyard” that mashed up exclusive digital art, street culture, and physical collectibles. The space was pure imagination – pastel colors, funky characters, and interactive touchpoints everywhere. The kicker was a chance to win a one-of-a-kind Doodles-themed PlayStation 5, which drove massive buzz and 50,000 attendees through the activation.
By blending a giveaway game, immersive design, and collab energy, this booth became one of ComplexCon’s standout successes.
Beautyblender’s Disco Glam Launch Party
This one took place off the trade show floor, but it’s brimming with ideas you can steal for booths. Beautyblender wanted to launch new products with impact, so we created an ’80s “Glam Disco Skating Party” event in Miami — complete with a roller rink, giant disco ball, neon lights, and influencers rolling around sampling makeup.
The thematic immersion (retro music, costumes, everything on-brand pink) made it unforgettable. Attendees were posting selfies and dance videos all night – exactly the social media explosion the brand hoped for.
The lesson? A strong, creative theme + interactive fun (in this case, skating) + influencer integration can be a winning formula to engage your audience. Now, imagine applying that mindset inside a trade show: your booth as its own mini party or themed experience. It doesn’t feel like work; it feels like entertainment.
Reddit’s “Future Tellers” at CES
Even tech companies are getting whimsical. At CES, Reddit set up a “Crystal Ball” installation where attendees could see futuristic Reddit posts about crazy ideas that might become real. It was interactive, humorous, and perfectly on-brand for a company built on online conversations. The booth also had a “Communi-Tea” bar and quizzes – basically turning Reddit’s digital community into a physical, playful space.
The takeaway: interactive storytelling — Reddit translated abstract online trends into a tangible experience. For your brand, think about how you can bring your story or community to life off-screen.
Go Beyond the Booth (and Get Results)
In a world where 83% of brands consider live events critical to their marketing and face-to-face engagement is invaluable, simply setting up a booth isn’t enough. You need to go beyond the booth — in creativity, in strategy, and in heart.
By implementing the ideas in this guide, show-stopping booth design, immersive activations, strategic partnerships, and local savvy, you’ll not only stand out on the trade show floor, you’ll also forge deeper connections with your audience. Remember, the best booths make attendees feel something: excitement, curiosity, delight, FOMO. Aim for that emotional impact and the ROI will follow (after all, 66% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase after interacting with a brand at an event – the endgame is in sight!).
As a boutique creative & experiential agency, this is literally what we live for. Good Kids has helped brands from automotive to fashion to tech steal the show at expos across LA, New York, Toronto and beyond. Our parting advice: be bold, be playful, and above all, be true to your brand. If you have fun with your trade show marketing, your audience will too.
We’ll brainstorm insanely creative ideas tailored to your brand and target market, and show you how to execute them flawlessly. Whether you’re planning for the next big show in Los Angeles, a trendy expo in NYC, or a global summit in Toronto, we’ve got your back.
We can help. Get in touch today.
References:
ATN Event Staffing – 20 Experiential and Event Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2025
Giant Printing – 2025 Trade Show Statistics: The Latest Trends & Data in the U.S.
Trade Show Labs – [2024] 150+ Trade Show Stats That Reveal All
Trade Show Labs – [2024] Mastering Trade Show Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide
GoGather – What Gen Z Wants at Conferences: Insights from Our 2025 Survey
BizBash – Interactive Trade Show Booths
Tecna – 30 Statistics That Prove Events Are Worth the Investment
