2018 is proving to be the year of innovation for exhibition stands. With advancements in artificial intelligence, healthcare and automotive technologies launching the world into a new era of electronics thus far, Innovation Factory, an award-winning shop-fitting and exhibition stand design company, has implemented improvements of their own.
With an assortment of innovative technological aids, as listed below, Innovation Factory aims to ensure that their exhibition displays stand out from the crowd.
1. Interactive Apps
Interactive business apps are effective: they allow people to engage and learn about your products and services in a fun and exciting way. For example, someone who is interested in taking a look at your latest sports car might enjoy a game where they're able to customise and 'build' the car, discovering all the features as they play. Now, imagine the alternative: a 6-page handout with lots of technical jargon and a couple of static images. It's not much of a contest, and one of them can go in the bin.
By creating your own bespoke app, customers can interact with your brand content at their own pace and — perhaps most significantly — long after the event, on their smartphone. For added interaction and quirkiness, you can place QR codes around your stand for people to scan for extra nuggets of information about your products and services.
2. Augmented Reality
This impressive technology works by integrating computer-generated scenes with a live view of the real world for a 2D or 3D interactive experience. From making print come to life to allowing participants to zoom, turn and manipulate your product in real time, using AR can be a total game changer for how people engage with and understand your offering. Allowing your customers to explore your products with this real-time technology can help to create a truly memorable brand experience. One only has to look at phenomena like PokemonGO to see the viral potential of AR technology.
3. Robots
Robots will not only entertain and draw the prospects in, but they'll also act as a highly effective communication tool; answering questions, gathering data and even moving around the exhibition, encouraging people to visit the stand and interact with them.
4. 3D Printing
3D printing is a great way to draw prospects to your stand and give them something to remember you by. This relatively low cost piece of tech plays on the satisfaction people get from watching a process and seeing the end result — in this case a tangible object they can take home and keep. Easily printed versions of company logos or marketing materials make great gifts for visitors to your stand and will go a long way in terms of brand visibility.
5. Radio Frequency Identification Technologies that Capture Audience Data
RF technology can be used for tracking exhibition industry audiences. You can unobtrusively track attendance by simply placing a beacon at your session entrance. They can give real-time views on session attendance and duration, attendance at exhibition stands, exhibit floor visits, traffic patterns and event activities. This real-time accessibility allows for reports and metrics to be viewed while on-site. This gives event managers insight into attendee interests, thus generating overall event ROI and increased revenue opportunities. Taking advantage of cutting edge technology like IoT (Internet of things) beacons allows exhibitors to create rich and immersive experiences for their audiences in a completely unobtrusive way.
6. Charging Stations
Charging stations are strategic trade show accessories that will attract traffic, while also keeping potential clients at a booth space for an extended period of time. They offer the audience a service that is in high demand at trade shows. While attendees wait for their phones to charge, the sales staff has the opportunity to engage in meaningful selling conversations. A short attention span is common at trade shows. Therefore, charging stations are paramount to retaining the interest of booth visitors. This provides a mutually beneficial relationship for both the company and the audience.
7. Wearable Tech
If you're running a workshop, you could monitor to check when attendees heart rate drops and take that as a cue to spice things up a little with a more interactive event activity or event just asking everyone to get up and jump around a little.
