Trade Show Booth Games for Events: 15 Interactive Activity Ideas
updated
July 22, 2025
Trade shows are all about connecting you with potential customers and clients, as attendees flock in to check out cool products. With every booth trying to draw attention, it's important to find unique ways to get people to stay around longer to deliver your message. That's where interactive games for trade show booths come in. Games are shown to help create an emotional connection and increase information retention. That means your audience is more likely to remember what you have to say.
Inspire event attendees at your next trade show with our top 21 ideas for booth activities, entertainment, brand engagement, swag items, displays, games, and incentive prizes.
1. Educate & Entertain with Trivia Games
Host trivia sessions where each correct answer earns a raffle ticket. This encourages participation and keeps attendees engaged. Trivia games can be themed around your company history, one of your corporate values with broad appeal or latest product offering, making them both fun and educational. For example, if your company focuses on eco-friendly products, you could include questions about sustainability and environmental impact. To make it even more engaging, consider using a digital trivia platform where participants can answer questions on their smartphones. This allows for real-time scoring and can create a competitive atmosphere.
2. Mini Theater Sessions
Set up a mini theater with the iLive™ Cinema Home Theater Kit to showcase your product videos. This immersive experience can captivate your audience and provide a comfortable space for presentations. You can schedule short presentations or product demos throughout the day, ensuring a steady flow of visitors to your booth. Use comfortable seating and high-quality audio-visual equipment to create a professional and engaging atmosphere. Additionally, consider offering refreshments or small giveaways to attendees who participate in the theater sessions. These screenings can also be stops on multi-step attendee experiences that help them score more prizes.
3. In-Display Gamification
Incorporate gamification elements into your displays like the Game Wall for 10' Tents. These activities are fun and can be themed around your brand message. Gamification can also include digital elements, such as QR codes on creatively designed backdrops that attendees scan to participate in online games or challenges. This not only engages visitors but also allows you to collect valuable contact information for follow-up. Consider creating a leaderboard to display the top participants, adding a competitive edge to the activities.
To incentivize participation, offer a variety of prizes. Plushies are a popular choice because they can be given to kids or patients, creating a positive emotional connection with your brand. Other prize ideas include:
4. Wall Mounted Ring Swing Game
When you're looking for challenging trade show games with logo, the Wall Mounted Hook and Ring Toss Game delivers an engaging experience for all to enjoy. This game is simple yet addictive, making it a great way to attract and entertain visitors at your booth.
By combining engaging games with attractive prizes, you can create a dynamic and interactive experience that draws attendees to your booth and keeps them engaged.
5. Virtual Reality Experiences
Use VR headsets and simulators to create custom experiences, such as virtual sports or driving. This high-tech approach can draw in tech-savvy attendees and provide a memorable experience. Virtual reality can be used to demonstrate complex products or services in an interactive and memorable way. For example, if you sell automotive products, a VR driving experience can showcase the benefits of your products in a realistic setting. Additionally, VR can be used to create immersive brand experiences, allowing attendees to explore your company's story or values in a unique way.
6. Interactive Displays
Set up interactive displays that include touch screens, motion sensors, and other technologies that allow attendees to engage with your content in a hands-on way. Interactive displays can make your booth more memorable and increase the likelihood that visitors will remember your brand. Consider incorporating augmented reality elements to provide an even more engaging experience. For example, you could use touch screens to allow attendees to explore your product catalog or motion sensors to create interactive games that highlight your brand's features.
7. Create a Unique Atmosphere with Lighting
Create an eye-catching booth with glowing displays and unique lighting elements. Use products like the 4' x 4' Fusion Glo Display Kit, ShowGlower Counter Kit, and 44" ShowGlower Totem Kit to add dynamic visual elements to your booth. These glowing displays can attract attention from across the trade show floor and create a memorable experience for attendees. Use LED lights, neon signs, and other lighting effects to make your booth stand out. Unique lighting can create a visually appealing atmosphere and draw attention from afar. Consider using programmable lights to change colors or patterns throughout the day, keeping your booth dynamic and engaging.
8. Branded Snacks and Drinks
Offer good snacks in custom printed eco-friendly packaging, such as Gourmet Cookies or Eco-Friendly 3 Ounce Wrapper Bars. Serve drinks in branded cups like the 16 oz Chill Steel Party Cup. Providing refreshments can make your booth a popular stop, especially if the trade show is long and attendees are looking for a break. Branded snacks and drinks also serve as a reminder of your company long after the event is over. Consider offering a variety of options to cater to different dietary preferences and needs.
Set up a Fold Away Bar to serve beverages and treats. This can create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere at your booth. Use branded cups and eco-friendly packaging to reinforce your brand message. How about a unique offering like homemade organic sodas and seltzers from a dispenser? Or next level Italian coffee with your logo created in the foam? Offering refreshments can make your booth a popular stop, especially during long trade show hours, particularly if you can also provide some comfortable seating.
9. Prize Wheels and Drawings
Use a custom prize wheel to create a memorable experience for attendees. Offer a mix of small and large prizes to keep the excitement high. Prize wheels can be customized with your branding and can include a variety of prizes, from small promotional items to discounts to larger, more valuable giveaways. This can create a sense of anticipation and encourage attendees to spend more time at your booth. Scan attendees ID badges as a prerequisite for participation, so you know who to follow up with. Consider incorporating a digital element, such as an online prize wheel, to engage attendees who may not be able to visit your booth in person. Here are some prize ideas for your lucky winners:
10. Talent Shows for Fun, Competition & UGC
Have attendees play your jingle on a light-up or color-coded keyboard. Alternatively, set up a portable karaoke kit like the Magic Mic Karaoke Set and have them sing your jingle or a song from your marketing campaign. Don’t forget the dancers, bring your own spin on Dance Dance Revolution to your booth so participants can bust a move to your latest commercial soundtrack. This can be a fun and engaging way to get attendees involved and create a lively atmosphere at your booth. Offer small prizes for participation and larger prizes for standout performances. Consider recording the performances and creating compilations for social media and advertising to extend the reach of your event.
11. Scavenger Hunts
Create a scavenger hunt where attendees hunt for printed or actual items. This activity can be customized to highlight different product features or company values. For example, if you have multiple product lines, each station could represent a different line, encouraging attendees to learn about all your offerings. Use a QR code for participants to register, and then have someone scan their ID, or give out stickers, tokens, charms, or other items to turn in for swag and entry into a bigger drawing. This can create a sense of adventure and encourage attendees to explore your booth and the surrounding area. Consider incorporating clues or challenges related to your brand or products to make the scavenger hunt both fun and informative.
Scavenger hunts can be within your booth or augmented reality-based and all around the event hall. This can create a sense of excitement and competition among attendees, encouraging them to visit multiple parts of your booth.
12. Custom Cornhole Game
Bring a beloved backyard favorite to your next trade show and turn your booth into the go-to destination for fun and friendly competition. This custom cornhole set can be fully branded with your logo and colors, making it a standout visual and interactive element. Attendees will love showing off their tossing skills, and the game naturally encourages lingering conversations and laughter. Whether they're playing to win swag or just for the fun of it, cornhole is a crowd-pleaser that draws people in and keeps the energy high.
13. Tabletop Disk Drop Game
The Tabletop Disk Drop Game is a fun and engaging way to attract visitors to your booth. Participants drop disks into the game and try to land them in specific slots to win prizes. This game is easy to set up and carry in a conveniently included case. The entire face of the game splashes your custom brilliant full color image, so as players stare intently at the fate of their disc’s path, they are absorbing your message. It’s a great way to create a lively and interactive atmosphere at your booth. Here are some fun prize ideas that will send your logo home with them:
14. Photo Opportunities with Cutout Banners and Selfie Frames
Create memorable photo opportunities at your booth with the Double Face Cutout Banner Kit and 36'' x 46'' Selfie Frame. Attendees can pose with their faces in the cutouts or use the selfie frames to take fun and shareable photos. Customize these items with your branding and event hashtags to increase social media engagement. This not only draws people to your booth but also increases your brand's visibility as attendees share their photos online. These photo opportunities can create a lively and interactive atmosphere, making your booth a popular spot at the trade show.
15. Multi-Stop Event Participation
Encourage multi-stop event participation by offering small prizes or refreshments at each station and then offering bigger prizes and entries into drawings for completion of your planned adventure. You can track attendees’ progress in a number of fun ways. Consider using custom printed loyalty cards or key tags, like the Loyalty Wallet Card. You can also use punch cards, stamps, brand story stickers, tokens, or QR code-initiated apps with completion scans that are self-serve or via staff. All will encourage prospects to visit multiple parts of your booth. This can increase engagement and make the experience more interactive.
Want to really think outside the box, but inside a top trend? Track participation with custom shoe charms like the 2D Custom-Molded Clog Shoe Charms. When earned, these can be collected and kept on a clog charm ready keychain or lanyard. These small, collectible items can create a sense of excitement. You can design the charms to represent different aspects of your brand or product lines, making them both fun and informative.
Here are a few easy ways to track multi stop event participation:
By incorporating these elements, you can create a dynamic and engaging experience that keeps attendees moving and interacting with your brand. This not only increases the time they spend at your booth but also enhances their overall experience, making your booth memorable and impactful.
Interactive trade show booth games and activities are a fantastic way to attract and engage visitors. By incorporating these ideas, you can create a memorable experience that leaves a lasting impression on potential customers. Whether you're using trivia games, mini theater sessions, scavenger hunts, or virtual reality experiences, the key is to make your booth fun, engaging, and memorable. With the right mix of activities and incentives, you can stand out from the competition and make a lasting impact at your next trade show.
We also carry all the trade show items you need to ensure success for your business, including table displays, event tents, giveaways and more. Shop Crestline for all your event needs.
