Event marketing

Running a trade show stand activity with a treasure hunt

The real problem with a stand isn't attracting visitors: it's keeping them.

A trade show visitor spends a few seconds in front of a stand on average. They pick up a brochure they won't read, smile politely, and move on. The usual activities β€” the prize wheel, the raffle β€” draw a crowd but say nothing about what you sell.

A treasure hunt changes the nature of the interaction: to answer, the visitor has to read your posters, watch your demo, or ask you a question. They spend five minutes with your message instead of thirty seconds with your freebie.

How to go about it

  1. 1

    One code per zone of the stand

    One by the demo screen, one near the product panels, one at the welcome desk. The trail forces people to walk round rather than hover at the entrance.

  2. 2

    Make every answer findable on the stand

    Each question must have its answer somewhere on your material. That's what turns the game into reading your arguments, rather than a general knowledge quiz.

  3. 3

    Extend the trail to partners

    If you're exhibiting alongside non-competing partners, put a code with each of them. You send each other traffic, and visitors walk the whole aisle.

  4. 4

    Announce the winners at a fixed time

    The live leaderboard draws a crowd: visitors come back to see whether they're still ahead. A prize at five o'clock gives people an appointment at your stand.

Example questions

Each question offers four possible answers, only one of which is correct. You decide how many points it is worth.

  • How many languages does our platform handle?
  • In which year was the company founded?
  • What is the average time to go live?
  • How many customers use the solution today?

Advice from the field

Export the scores at the end

The list of players and their scores exports as CSV. You get the participants' first names and a record of footfall hour by hour.

Put the leaderboard on your screen

A screen that moves attracts more attention than a brochure. The live leaderboard does the job of drawing people in for you.

Test the connection the day before

Exhibition hall Wi-Fi is often saturated and mobile coverage unpredictable. Check on site before the doors open.

Frequently asked questions

How do we collect participants' contact details?+

The app only collects a first name β€” that's what lets people play without signing up. For full details, make handing over the prize the moment you exchange cards, at your stand.

How many questions for a trade show stand?+

Five to eight. A trade show visitor has no more than ten minutes for you, and a trail that runs too long puts people off before the end.

Can the hunt span several stands?+

Yes. The QR codes aren't tied to any location: you can give some to partner exhibitors to build a trail across a whole aisle or hall.

🎯 Ready to play

Ready for your event marketing?

Create your account, write your questions, print your QR codes. Ten minutes is enough.

No install Β· No player accounts Β· Unlimited