Great trade show attendee experiences can be created by combining physical objects with digital technology. Whether it is digital media enhanced by physical objects, physical objects enhanced by digital media, or the two working in tandem—all it takes is a little imagination to create something unique, engaging, and memorable.
Here are five examples:
1. Physical product display enhanced with interactive content. Hill's Pet Nutrition chose display cases with transparent touchscreen faces to enable visitors to see its new products while simultaneously interacting with a variety of content. The content included videos demonstrating the palatability of its Prescription Diet products and additional details on product efficacy and clinical results. This approach provided information to satisfy all levels of attendees—paddlers, swimmers, and divers. (Exhibit design and fabrication by 3D Exhibits)
2. Physical product enhanced by digital media. At CES, Kia demonstrated a personal transport concept vehicle by placing the prototype in front of an LED screen of equal size. Animations on the screen showed a wireframe man peddling the vehicle so attendees could visualize the vehicle in use. Graphics of buildings and parks speeding by create the illusion of motion while bright colors and special effects added excitement. This approach turned what would have been an understated display into a dynamic, attention-grabbing element. (Credit: Innocean)
3. Physical object working in tandem with interactive media. Osram creates technologies that use light for applications as varied as safety, agriculture, and enabling self-driving cars to "see." At CES, the company demonstrated its mobility technologies with an object-enabled touch screen. Attendees would place a small model car on the surface of a table to activate the activity. From there, they selected a specific technology to learn about—many of which then used the small car and animation on the screen to make it look like the car was in motion. This technique simplified complex concepts—including how self-driving cars see and how automatic headlights know when and how to adjust. (Exhibit design and fabrication: The Taylor Group)
4. Physical objects operating in tandem with animation. At DistribuTECH, a trade show where municipalities and utility companies assess the latest products and technologies available to them, S&C Electric combined an illuminated scale model with animation and a live presenter to demonstrate how its products minimize the impact of power outages. Via a three-minute demo, attendees watched the power go out in a portion of the city, followed by S&C Electric's technology locating the outage location and identifying a power supply reroute to minimize the number of buildings impacted. The combination of scale model, animation, and presenter delivered simple, visual, and highly impactful presentation. (Credit: S&C Electric)
5. Physical object triggering a digital display. Delacon got a little philosophical with attendees at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) by pairing a physical object with animation to symbolize ideas taking flight and spreading. Attendees blew on a plastic replica of a dandelion seed pod at one end of the booth to activate the animated dandelion seed pod on a large LED screen. As attendees blew, they watched the dandelion seeds on the screen magically take flight and disperse. The seeds took flight in direct proportion to how hard the attendee blew. Blow too gently, and only a few seed pods were released. Take a deep breath and—well you know. This unique activity reinforced Delacon's positioning as a tech-savvy, cutting edge innovator. (Credit: Delacon)
How do you harness digital technology and dimensional objects to tell your brand story?
