Everything you need to know About Virtual Reality Games for events
1 . Introduction
In the highly competitive, rapidly evolving landscape of trade shows and exhibitions, where engaging attendees is not merely a secondary goal but a prime necessity, gamified activities emerge as a strategic powerhouse. Trade show booth games are more than just playful diversions; they are strategic tools meticulously designed to captivate, educate, and leave a lasting impression on attendees. Far from being an afterthought, these games are integral components of a booth’s overall strategy, creating interactive spaces that stand out in the crowded horizon of trade show exhibits.2. The need for trade show booth games
Skilful event gamification reaps many benefits. Its significance lies in its ability to transcend the traditional trade show interaction model which tends to be rather passive. By integrating game mechanics such as challenges, rewards, and a competitive spirit into the fabric of the event, gamification captivates attendees, turning even the mundane into a dynamic and interactive journey. At their core, games installed at trade show booths serve multiple strategic objectives. They act as attention magnets, drawing attendees to the booth with the promise of an interactive and enjoyable experience, irrespective of their specific interests in the brand or purchasing power. This allows booth organizers to expand their advertising reach. Beyond mere engagement, these games are also cleverly designed to communicate brand messages, showcase products and services incorporated into the gameplay, and foster meaningful interactions that extend far beyond the trade show floor and contribute to event recall in a much more positive light. They also function primarily as lead generation games, captivating the eyes of a diverse crowd and easing the process of information exchange. As branded marketing games that are tailored to incorporate key brand values and symbols, ongoing campaign details, they become a powerful tool for brand promotion and product showcasing. Attendees, as active participants, are more likely to remember and positively associate with brands that offer them an immersive and entertaining experience.The spectrum of these games is diverse, catering to varied preferences and event goals. From digital touch games that leverage the latest technology trends to classic board games and card games with a modern twist, the options are as vast as they are versatile. Attendees may find themselves immersed in trivia challenges, scavenger hunts, or immersive AR or VR-powered simulations,taking back with them a bold impression of the organizing company wrapped up in a fun memory.
The adaptability of trade show booth games transcends industry boundaries. Be it in technology, healthcare, or consumer goods, the strategic integration of games becomes a universal language to communicate complex ideas, showcase innovations, and make a memorable impact across all demographics.
3. Top 10 interactive games to boost trade show engagement
There are several types of interactive games, classified on the basis of required skills, chance or the mode of playing. Each may be marketed to a specific type of audience, and incorporated into particular budgets. Based on the budget allowance, allotted booth space and other technical requisites, BTL marketing goals and the time accorded to the players, the organizers may choose from among the following most popular booth games:- Virtual Reality Games: VR Games have built a steady fan following globally, but beyond that, certain VR gaming experiences are widely adored and lend themselves excellently to the purpose of adding elements of novelty and adventure to the occasion. An endorphine rush of a VR Roller Coaster ride or a match of Beat Saber remain time-tested ways of making sure that the participants have a great time at your booth.
- Conga Line Game: Invoke some nostalgia with the classics, revamping them to fit seamlessly into the contemporary setup. While many may remember the Snake game they furiously played on tiny screens of keypad phones, the Conga Line is another famous variant of it that is endlessly malleable. Create an office setting, a shopping mall, a party or any other, and allow players to form their human trail without bumping into things. The gameplay can be customized to add particular brand and thematic elements, from product placements to a Thanksgiving dinner.
- Trivia Quizzes: Custom trivia games not only facilitate lead generation, but are also an effective means of lead qualification as you can classify them on the basis of specialty and difficulty levels. What’s more, by building an elaborate quiz game setup, you not only engage a handful of players at a time, but a wider audience that becomes interested in the session and hyping the individuals participating.
- Branded Memory Games: A favourite at corporate events for their ease of integrating the brand’s products and other company elements into the gameplay to which the players are repeatedly exposed, memory games have amassed immense popularity. From pattern-based audio-visual games to a quick round of matching pairs of cards, they make for an addictive, user-friendly gaming experience.
- Hidden Objects Game: Much like a Conga Line, this is another game loved for the versatility of its design. It can be made to scale and depending on the difficulty levels you may be seeking, ranging from office cubicles to an entire town. Here too, it is not only with the setting that you convey the purpose of the occasion or your business interests, but also by placing your products themselves for the players to stumble upon and explore.
- Escape Rooms: As is the case with a scavenger hunt, escape room challenges utilize the existing event space to expand its interactive possibilities, and offer the guests a feeling of truly being present in the moment. They are also efficient for team-playing, which draws a greater amount of buzz and also aids word-of-mouth marketing. Virtual or physical, escape rooms can be customized and branded to boost exposure and awareness. The tasks or puzzles that need solving are also a testament to your creativity, and can significantly help with lead qualification.
- Lucky Draw Games: As stand-alone games or in combination with other contests, a raffle, scratch-off card or spinning wheel games are based entirely on chance, and thus usually garner wide interest among people wishing to test their luck. They serve as effective means of lead collection and heighten brand visibility.
- Sorting Games: Conducive to creating brand awareness through customized gameplay, without any hassle of rules or tricky technology, object-sorting games in digital format win hearts and secure precious memories.
- Social Media Contests: Often, social media forms the part of pre-event marketing strategy to garner greater footfall for the D-Day. Upon its culmination, the same channel serves as a repository of what’s hot what’s not and keeps the conversation going. But what about the day and time of the event? A minimal-effort gamified activity that you can design for visitors to indulge in while at the venue is a hashtag contest. Create an event-specific hashtag pertaining to your brand or campaign and encourage the audience to post on a particular social media platform, using it. You can award prizes to those who amass maximum engagement, or count in all those who post for a quick lucky draw. You may further refine this activity by creating fun challenges that need to be attempted within the event space. It could be a currently trending dance challenge or some other, filming which in real-time will also help with organic user-generated content for resonating buzz surrounding your attendance at the trade show. You may also install a Social Wall at your booth to showcase the posts and provide an added motivation to the participants.
- IOT-based Games: An alternative to VR or AR sport simulations that integrates visual and tangible components, Internet of Things gaming is a rising star on the horizon of trade fair gamification. With options for multiplayer setups and customized, animated display, a Spot Running or Punching Bag activity guarantees head-turns and enthusiastic response from groups of visitors.