Engaging attendees requires a deep understanding of your audience, a commitment to innovation, and a willingness to push boundaries. We are excited to share seven successful types of attendee engagement. Through real-world case studies and expert advice, you'll learn how to craft experiences that resonate, inspire, and drive results.
Invite-only spaces allow brands to allocate dedicated time and resources to key clientele who require more personalized attention, fostering stronger relationships and facilitating meaningful conversations.
At the 2025 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), CNC Cabinetry utilized a VIP "Vibe Room" to showcase their latest innovations. The exclusive space served as a key highlight of their exhibit, generating buzz around what was in the secret room. Restricted access made the experience feel more intimate and personalized, fostering deeper connections between the brand and its target audience. As a result, CNC Cabinetry's exhibit achieved an impressive 52% conversion rate and an average dwell time of 14 minutes, demonstrating the power of invite-only spaces to captivate and engage attendees.
Zimmer Biomet recognized the potential of pickleball tournaments as a platform to educate consumers about their joint pain solutions. By partnering with the APP Tour, PPA Tour, and USA Pickleball, Zimmer Biomet gained exclusive branding and consumer engagement opportunities at more than 20 tournament tour stops across the country. Zimmer Biomet reached a new target market and further established itself as a trusted resource in joint pain management. The engaging atmosphere of the tournaments, combined with the brand's prominent presence on and around the courts, created multiple touchpoints for attendees to interact with the brand, and ultimately “Get Back in the Game!”
Elanco took this approach during the Veterinary Conference and Expo (VMX) in 2025. To introduce their new product, Zenrelia™, and align with their "Reach for Zen" campaign, Elanco partnered with Hamilton to create a serene Zen Garden experience. Their tranquil space featured a sandpit, hydration station, and a gazebo meditation area where scheduled yoga classes were held.
Elanco's Zen Garden's success was evident in the attendees' responses, with visitors praising the creative and calming ambiance. The average dwell time of 12 minutes demonstrated the space's ability to thoroughly engage attendees, while the 5,300 visitors who participated or passed through the Zen Garden showcased its popularity. Notably, 81% of Zen Garden visitors also explored Elanco's main booth, proving that offering a relaxing experience can effectively drive traffic and expand brand visibility.
Virtual Reality (VR) is a popular tool for brands to engage attendees at brand experiences and trade show events.
At ProMat 2025, Dematic incorporated wireless-controlled VR stations into their exhibit to provide attendees with an immersive exploration of their solutions. The VR experience enabled visitors to delve deeply into Dematic's offerings, showcasing how their software seamlessly integrates with their comprehensive product suite to create a cohesive and efficient ecosystem. By leveraging VR technology, Dematic was able to educate attendees in an engaging and easily digestible format, making it more accessible and impactful.
At VMX 2025, Elanco showcased the power of themed cafes with their Credelio Cat Cafe. This unique space was designed to create a sensory experience that reflected the vanilla theme of Credelio, one of Elanco's key products. The cafe offered vanilla-flavored snacks and diffused the scent of vanilla throughout the area, immersing attendees in a multisensory environment that reinforced the brand's messaging.
In addition to the Credelio Cat Cafe, Elanco also sponsored the Cat Nap Café, which featured their feline product, Credelio CAT, and provided attendees with a lounge space to relax. By creating themed cafes that aligned with their products and target audience, Elanco was able to establish a strong brand presence and foster meaningful connections with attendees.
Interactive LED displays allow brands to captivate audiences and communicate complex information in an engaging manner.
At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Caris Life Sciences showcased the power of interactive LED displays in their 50x60 exhibit. Two striking installations greeted attendees at the entrance: a sphere simulating the molecular blueprint of DNA, RNA, and proteins, and a larger-than-life LED test tube representing blood samples for tumor testing. Both displays included touchscreens that allowed visitors to explore Caris's tumor profiling science in greater depth, creating an immersive and educational experience. These captivating LED displays served as visual metaphors for Caris's commitment to combining science and technology, effectively communicating their innovative approach to precision medicine.
The success of Caris's interactive LED displays was evident in the exhibit's overall performance: 1,708 unique visitors passed through the exhibit, and the conversion rate reached 49.9%, 11% higher than the benchmark at similar shows.
At EXHIBITORLIVE 2025, Hamilton showcased the power of personalized swag with their leather engraving activation. Attendees could use a digital order fulfillment portal, powered by Hamilton inSIGHT®, to personalize a leather key chain, luggage tag, or coaster. Two calligraphers then hand-engraved each item with the attendee's chosen details, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake that served as a tangible reminder of their experience with Hamilton. The personalized swag activation gave attendees a unique and memorable takeaway and demonstrated Hamilton's commitment to crafting innovative and engaging experiences.
Ready to take your brand experiences to the next level?
Hamilton is a full-service experiential and event marketing agency with a 75-year legacy creating immersive brand experiences for companies worldwide. We design, produce, and execute integrated experiences – exhibits, events, environments, and digital solutions – that drive meaningful connections between brands and their audiences.
Contact Hamilton today!