Editors Note: This article was updated in October 2022 with new trade show research.
As a trade show exhibitor, you have just two to five seconds to grab someone’s interest as they walk past your booth. That’s where trade show booth games come into play. And good news! We offer four fun ideas to help you draw a crowd.
4 fun trade show booth game ideas
- Games of chance
- Interactive games
- Games of skill
- Games people can take home
Fun trade show games offer the opportunity to catch (and hold) someone’s attention while educating them about your business. With these winning ideas, you can build brand awareness, make customer connections and more. It’s game on!
1. Games of chance
A game of chance can turn a quick interaction into a customer connection while adding an element of joy.
When someone approaches your table, offer them the opportunity to play a trade show game in exchange for their contact info. Quick ways to collect info include:
- Taking one of their business cards.
- Having them write down their information on a signup sheet.
- Entering their information into a database via a laptop or tablet.
- Scanning their trade show badge.
Once you have their information, give them a chance to win a prize with your information on it. A Prize Pinball game or a Prize Wheel makes for a quick and easy game. If you have limited table space, a Mini Prize Wheel offers the same amount of fun in a smaller package.
2. Interactive games
While a game of chance helps bring people in, interactive games can draw a crowd and allow you to engage people in longer conversations.
For example, challenge booth visitors to a Giant Tumble Tower Game or a fun card game using Oversized Playing Cards. Not only do these trade show booth games give participants a brain break, but they also provide the opportunity to find out what your visitors may need—and how your products or services can meet those needs.
You can also put out fun trade show games to draw attention to your booth. Make use of the crowd by letting two players go head-to-head with a Bean Bag Toss Game or Oversize Wooden Yard Dice Game.
3. Games of skill
A bigger prize can create a bigger draw, and a game of skill can draw different types of participants than a game of chance.
Invite visitors to show off their skills for a prize that’s worth their efforts. They’ll go big or go home with this 10′ Event Tent Interactive Game Wall. Offer tiered prizes based on the number of points scored.
You can try other skill-based trade show booth games that let them turn points into prizes, like a Prize Toss or a Basketball Hoop Game.
4. Trade show booth games they can take home
Promotional products are Canadians’ favourite form of advertising (PDF)—above newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
Even if customers aren’t interested in playing trade show booth games there, they’ll almost certainly enjoy taking an entertaining one home with them.
They’ll remember you every time they’re challenged with a Rubik’s Cube®. It is an entertaining way to keep your brand sitting on a customer’s desk as they spend hours, days, weeks or months trying to solve it. (Fun fact: It took the cube’s inventor a month to figure out how to beat it!)
And giving away unusual yet fun trade show games, like a Mini Memory Game, is another way to keep your brand top of mind.
Game on with fun trade show games
If you want to talk to people at a trade show, start by getting them to your booth. These fun trade show games will encourage people to stop, play and talk! Looking for even more trade show game ideas? Check out “Five great trade show booth games to attract customers.”