Engagement Ideas

At the U.S. Open American Express Fan Experience, a 20,000-square-foot activation, tennis fans could get a professional swing analysis.

Brooklyn Nets star Mason Plumlee manipulated his own image in a game that American Express devised for fans in town for the N.B.A. All-Star Game that let them control images of the player using a basketball-shaped console.

Singer Tim McGraw performed for fans at the American Express Unstaged concert series, in which Academy Award-nominated director Bennett Miller directed a live stream of the show for fans.

Fans could recreate a game-winning shot from Michael Jordan at a simulator that was part of the brand’s 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan sneaker.

At an activation timed to the World Cup in Brazil, fans wearing new Nike cleats tested their response time and accuracy in a game that included digital elements.

The “Insurgent—Shatter Reality” tour offered consumers interactive 3-D virtual reality simulations with Oculus-powered Samsung Galaxy Gear VR headsets.

The first Red Bull at Night was held February 21 and featured a four-story cube on the Exchange Building rooftop in Los Angeles.

The Shuttr selfie remote (from $39.99), available from Axis Promotions, is compatible with most phones and tablets and can trigger a photo from as far away as 30 feet. A logo can go above or below the Shuttr logo.

Give guests peace of mind with Tile (from $20 each with logo for bulk orders). Attach the water-resistant device to things like keys, chargers, memory sticks, or wallets, and if the item is misplaced, it can be tracked instantly using the Tile app. The company offers customization for corporate clients, and the Tiles can be left in bulk or individually wrapped.

Chipp’d produces key chains and bracelets (from $44.99; bulk pricing is available) that include QR codes that link to a custom microsite. Organizers can load the sites with agendas, audio, videos, photos, and other event information. They can also continue to add new content to keep guests engaged throughout the year. The key chains and bracelets come in a variety of colors, shapes, and materials and can be engraved.

Talk about the ultimate all-in-one charger: Weego’s jump starter battery pack (from $109.99) can be used to start cars and charge phones, tablets, speakers, and other portable USB devices. The item is also small enough to fit in your pocket. It’s available from TCMPi, the Corporate Marketplace, and can be customized with a logo.

Make it easy for guests to share photos from events with a Bluetooth selfie stick (from $11.88) from Geek Tech Branding that comes in blue and black. The stick extends to nearly 40 inches and photos are snapped with the remote control. The clamp can be customized with a logo.

Persnickety Promotions offers a mini boom speaker and FM radio ($48.95 each for 400) that connects to mobile devices through Bluetooth or an included USB cord. It can also be used for hands-free phone calls.

Evernote Notebooks by Moleskine ($29.95) are the first paper notebooks designed to create digitized versions of handwritten notes. Jot down notes on the specially designed pages, snap a picture with the Evernote app, and the page is instantly digitized for storage on all of your devices. The items are available from Scarborough & Tweed.

Capsule-shaped speakers ($50) from Positive Impressions connect to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. They include a carabiner clip and can be customized with a logo.

The Bluetooth keyboard ($39.95 each for 300) from Persnickety Promotions connects wirelessly to iPads and comes with a pebble-grain, faux leather case that can be folded into a stand.

The Cypress Wireless Speaker ($22) from Scarborough & Tweed has a rubberized, water-resistant casing with a suction cup on the bottom so it can be used in the shower or near a pool or hot tub. It can be customized with a logo.

The Wedge (from $14.99), available from Axis Promotions, can prop up any mobile device on nearly any surface without sliding. The micro-suede fabric cover can also be used to clean screens. Full imprint design is available.

Turn guests’ mobile phones into wallets with the Econo Silicon Mobile Device Pocket ($1.45 each for 1,200) from Persnickety Promotions. The colorful silicone pocket attaches with removable adhesive stickers and can hold credit cards, hotel room cards, drivers' licenses, coins, and other small items.

Geek Tech Branding's high-capacity charger (from $35) for iPads and iPhones has dual ports for multiple devices and can be customized.

Positive Impressions’ gunmetal stylus pen (from $1.50) writes smoothly on smartphones and tablets and helps to keep touch screens clean and free of fingerprints.

Michael Breach's latte art inspires guests to snap photos and share them on social media networks.

Able to work from photos, Breach can design faces, logos, or even pets in foam. As for the most unusual designs he's created, Breach said that he rendered a "very odd assortment of objects" in foam for a skit with Amy Schumer and Comedy Central. Each design typically takes around five minutes.

Black Light Visuals offers a psychedelic twist on temporary tattoos by tie-dyeing guests' arms and hands. The funky arm art appeared at this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, with concertgoers dipping their limbs into vats of swirling acrylic paint. The trippy tattoos are best showcased in the dark and can be washed off with soap and water. The Clarkston, Michigan-based design company can also customize color combinations for events.

In March 2014, attendees of the Divergent premiere in Los Angeles went home with airbrushed tattoos, a visual inspired by the movie, in which tattoos figure prominently.

Guests at this year's Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour, which includes stops in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, sported metallic tattoos with the car brand's logo and more.

During Thrillist's "Best Day of Your Life" event in June 2014, attendees scored airbrushed tattoos with various quirky symbols representing the brand and the festivities.

At an Old Navy Fashion Week party in September 2014, actress Katie Holmes applied two shiny flash tattoos on the back of her neck and arm.

At the Whitney Museum of American Art's gala and studio party in October 2013, sponsor Louis Vuitton offered guests wearable art—signature tattoos from Glitter Tattoo New York.

At a party celebrating Travel & Leisure's Social Media in Travel & Tourism Awards (known as the Smittys) in June 2013, guests could choose from an assortment of temporary hand-drawn-inspired tattoos.

Henna artists offered tattoos to guests at the Hope House fund-raiser's after-party in June 2010 at the Palais Royale in Toronto.

Red Bull branded attendees with a glittery temporary tattoo when they entered the company's pop-up venue and concert series at South by Southwest in Austin in March 2009. Guests could re-enter on any night of the four-night party simply by flashing their tatted skin.

Printed with vegetable-based inks, Tattly's collection includes 313 tattoo options, such as vintage cameras, friendship bracelets, and black-and-white typography. The Brooklyn-based company has worked with brands such as DreamWorks, NPR, and Twitter on custom projects, which are available as individual tattoos or as sets of six. The individual tattoo packages start around $500 each, while the sets start from $5,000.