Trade show ideas - connectors

The Exhibitor Show also invites attendees to attach their photo to a large world map to indicate where they are from. The map was first used eight years ago and participation increases each year, reaching more than 500 photos from every state and 60 countries at the 2012 conference. Photographers are stationed at the map to take instant thumbnail photos of attendees. Organizers say the map is an easy conversation-starter as attendees look for others from their area or from cities where they have lived in the past.

Add some fun and efficiency to the traditional exchange of information by giving your attendees a Poken. The device attaches to a lanyard or key chain and comes in dozens of conversation-starting designs such as a panda bear, a ninja, and a bumble bee (as well as a simple black-and-white model). The device uses near-field communication, so simply tapping two together exchanges the information stored on them, such as contact information, social network profiles, documents, videos, and Web sites. After the event, users plug the Poken into their computer's USB port to see all the people and information collected. It can also sync with mobile devices using the Poken app. Planners can create incentives for people to share their information by using the product's Game Pack.

Facebook and Instagram set up their C.E.S. headquarters at the Wynn Hotel Las Vegas. To celebrate the engagement of one billion stories shared daily across Facebook’s apps, the brand partnered with creative agency 72andSunny and luxury candy designer Maayan Zilberman of Sweet Saba to create a social-media friendly tunnel. The tunnel’s mirrored walls featured custom sugar art lollipops of stickers available on Facebook and Instagram Stories. We’re Magnetic produced the activation.

The activation displayed graphics and information about how businesses have used Stories ads to drive business results. Guests were welcome to take lollipops with them.

Google had a massive presence at C.E.S. that focused on the Google Assistant, the company’s A.I.-powered virtual assistant available on mobile and smart home devices. The brand activated in an outdoor space in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where attendees could test out the Assistant on numerous devices. The space also was home to product demos and live podcast recordings. Google partnered with Sparks to produce the activation.

The main attraction was a theme park ride that seemed to take inspiration from It’s a Small World at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The three-minute musical coaster, powered by Google Assistant, took attendees through a house with an animatronic family. The ride told a story about a husband asked to pick up a cake for a surprise party. At the end, riders were given a picture, a branded macaroon, and a free Google Home Hub redemption code.

LG Electronics created a striking audiovisual installation with 260 LG OLED digital signage screens in curved and flat configurations. Developed in house, the exhibit was 20 feet tall and 65 feet wide, and featured 76 concave, 72 convex, and 112 flat 55-inch screens. The video installation displayed changing images of waterfalls, the desert, ocean, and natural lights.

Intel and Warner Bros. partnered to launch an immersive experience on the show floor, delivering on a commitment the two companies made at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2017 to explore the potential for entertainment in future autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicle, a 2019 BMW X5, offered a virtual ride to Gotham City narrated by Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth. The experience, which combined an adventure story with information about the vehicle’s safety measures, featured a large-screen TV, projectors, mobile devices, sensory and haptic feedback, and immersive audio and lights.

For the fifth consecutive year, Twitter worked with experiential agency NA Collective to create a 20,000-square-foot space for C.E.S. attendees and Twitter employees to work and network. The activation featured a common space with several meeting pods, nine meeting rooms, two special event spaces, and a cafe. Wall graphics and conversation pods highlighted Twitter’s #StartWithThem initiative, which highlights how the platform benefits advertisers.

The activation included a branded café that served coffee, food, and cocktails.

Spotify’s sixth annual C.E.S. event took place at Hakkasan Las Vegas nightclub. The event, produced internally, featured a performance by Rita Ora that was enhanced by lights in the streaming platform’s signature green color.

Samsung showcased its newest TVs, monitors, appliances, and more within “districts” in the brand’s city-inspired space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Guests were welcomed to the space by a wall resembling buildings at night, with Samsung TVs serving as the lighted windows. The space was created in house.

An exhibit about Samsung’s role in the future of connected technologies featured a diorama that depicted how the brand’s driving and C-V2X (cellular-vehicle to everything) technologies will help people in cities commute more efficiently and safely.

Polaroid gave guests the chance to experience the new Polaroid OneStep analog instant camera from Polaroid Originals. With an oversize replica of the camera as a centerpiece, the booth featured interactive stations that showcased the product’s features such as double exposure, light painting, and noise trigger. Andreas Bergmann designed the booth, while Skyline handled the build and PRG handled audiovisual elements.

Attendees could have their picture taken on color or black and white Polaroid Originals film and experience film photography techniques like emulsion lifts. Polaroids were displayed on branded walls.

Nikon’s booth aimed to educate and inspire consumers to unleash creativity through photography and videography. The booth featured a stage for ambassadors and photographers to give presentations, as well as a variety of product displays. The booth also included an interactive fan area, the Nikon Pop-Up Studio, which offered colorful takes on popular photo ops such as ball pits. The brand created the booth with partners, which it declined to disclose.

Computer and mobile accessories company Logitech created an interactive live mural inspired by Las Vegas, with company products incorporated into the skyline. The brand partnered with designer and illustrator Timmy Ham on the project, which invited attendees to contribute. Attendees were encouraged to take a photo of the mural with the hashtag #WeCreate for a chance to win Logitech products. The activation was designed by Streetsense.

Innovative vehicle reveals from automotive companies were a highlight of C.E.S. this year, and Bell Helicopter’s reveal of a full-scale design of the Bell Nexus air taxi was one of the buzziest. The futuristic vehicle is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system and includes six tilting ducted fans. The booth was produced and fabricated by GES.

After viewing the air taxi, guests could participate in Bell’s Future Flight Controls simulator. Data collected from the simulators will be used to determine the actions that come most naturally to the average prospective operator of the futuristic flying vehicle.