Stand Activity Ideas – Partner Guide
Use this as a practical menu for stand activations, giveaways and supplier ideas.
Exhibition stands with an activity or attraction can attract around 33% more visitors. That extra footfall matters, especially when every exhibitor in the room wants the same audience.
For questions or to discuss stand activation ideas, partners can contact Salise Hylton at salise@inhouserecruitment.co.uk
Start here – Pick the goal
| Goal | Best options | Use this when |
|---|---|---|
| More footfall | Pick ’n’ mix, popcorn, wheel of fortune, hook-a-duck, giant games | You need people to stop in the aisle. |
| Lead capture | Spin-to-win, leaderboard challenge, prize draw, bookable slots | You want scans, emails or booked meetings. |
| Longer conversations | Barista station, massage, caricaturist, headshots, food station | You want people to spend time on the stand. |
| Social content | Photo booth, selfie mirror, 360 booth, branded photo wall | You want photos, tags and shareable content. |
| Premium brand feel | Cocktail bar, champagne, chef station, simulator, robot, lounge area | You want the stand to feel high-value. |
| Giveaways | Tech items, bottles, bags, notebooks, sweets, soft toys | You want something useful for visitors to keep. |
Low-cost ideas
Good for smaller stands, high-footfall areas and simple competitions.
| Idea | How to use it | Supplier options |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel of fortune | Link each segment to a prize. Ask visitors to scan their badge before spinning. | The Fun Experts |
| Mystery prize envelopes | Display sealed envelopes with small prizes inside. Visitors scan or answer a question to choose one. | 4imprint, EverythingBranded |
| Branded scratch cards | Give visitors an instant-win scratch card after a scan or conversation. Include a few premium prizes. | 4imprint, EverythingBranded |
| Prize plinko board | Visitors drop a puck to reveal their prize. It looks fun, feels quick and works well in busy aisles. | The Fun Experts |
| Guess the amount jar | Fill a jar with sweets or branded items. Closest guess wins the jar or a premium prize. | 4imprint, Fluid Branding |
| Mini putting green | Run “three shots to win” and add a daily leaderboard. | The Fun Experts, Eventurous |
| Buzz wire / wire loop game | Add a timer and give a prize to the fastest visitor of the day. | The Fun Experts |
| Pick ’n’ mix / sweet stand | Put it at the front of the stand and ask one qualifying question while visitors choose. | The Fun Experts |
| Sticker vote wall | Ask a bold industry question and let visitors vote with branded stickers. Use it to start conversations. | 4imprint, Fluid Branding |
| Branded tote bag station | Let visitors build their own tote with useful items. Save premium items for qualified leads. | 4imprint, Fluid Branding, EverythingBranded |
Mid-cost ideas
Good for partners who want more dwell time, better conversations or a stronger stand hook.
| Idea | How to use it | Supplier options |
|---|---|---|
| Photo booth / 360 booth / selfie mirror | Brand the photo frame, backdrop or digital download. Use it to create shareable content and capture visitor details. | MegaBooth, The Fun Experts |
| Professional headshot station | Offer visitors a useful LinkedIn-ready headshot. Ask them to book a slot or scan their badge to receive the final image. | MegaBooth |
| Barista station | Use coffee as a reason for visitors to stop and stay. Works well for booked meetings and longer conversations. | Eventurous, Contraband |
| Caricaturist | Give visitors a personalised takeaway. Add your branding to the paper or digital file. | Contraband, Scarlett Entertainment |
| Arcade machine / Pac-Man / retro game | Add a leaderboard and daily prize. Keep each turn short so more visitors can play. | The Fun Experts, Eventurous, Liberty Games |
| VR headset experience | Use a short, high-impact experience that visitors can complete in a few minutes. Keep staff on hand to guide them. | The Fun Experts, Eventurous |
| Racing simulator | Run a fastest-lap challenge with a visible leaderboard and premium prize for the daily winner. | Eventurous, The Fun Experts |
| Magician / close-up performer | Use the performer to draw people in, entertain queues and create a natural opening for your team. | Contraband, Scarlett Entertainment |
| Ice cream cart | Use it to drive afternoon traffic. Ask visitors to scan or answer one question before collecting. | The Fun Experts, Contraband |
| Make-your-own T-shirt / personalised merch station | Let visitors choose a design, name or message. Use the wait time to start a conversation. | Contraband, Fluid Branding |
Higher-budget ideas
Use these for headline sponsors, larger stands or VIP-led campaigns.
| Idea | How to use it | Supplier options |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail / mocktail bar | Run a timed drinks session to bring priority prospects onto the stand. Mocktails are often easier to manage during daytime exhibitions. | Contraband, Eventurous |
| Champagne / prosecco bar | Use it for VIP meetings, hosted networking or a late-afternoon drinks reception. Best for premium stands with a clear invite list. | Contraband |
| Chef / live food station | Create a scheduled food moment on the stand. Use tasting slots to encourage visitors to book time with the team. | Eventurous, Contraband |
| Chocolate decorating station | Give visitors a hands-on activity and a premium takeaway. Ask them to scan before taking part. | Eventurous, Contraband |
| Massage area | Offer short, bookable seated massages. Works well for wellbeing, HR, workplace and employee benefits audiences. | Hands On At Work, Contraband |
| Manicurist / beauty station | Run short appointment slots throughout the day. Use the dwell time to start deeper conversations. | Contraband, Scarlett Entertainment |
| Branded lounge area | Create a quieter space for meetings, demos and VIP conversations. Add coffee, charging points and premium giveaways. | Eventurous, Fluid Branding |
| Premium simulator | Run a fastest-time challenge with a visible leaderboard. Use a high-value prize for the daily winner. | Eventurous, The Fun Experts |
| Robot / tech performer | Use it to attract attention, create photo moments and support an innovation-led campaign message. | Scarlett Entertainment, Contraband |
| AR / hologram / immersive tech experience | Use it for a product launch, demo or future-focused brand experience. Keep the experience short and guided. | Scarlett Entertainment, Eventurous |
Giveaway ideas
A good giveaway should either be useful, memorable or directly linked to your brand.
| Giveaway type | Examples | Works well with |
|---|---|---|
| Quick giveaways | Sweets, mints, stickers, pens | Spin-to-win, hook-a-duck, prize draws |
| Desk items | Notebooks, pens, mouse mats, desk plants | B2B and workplace audiences |
| Drinkware | Reusable bottles, travel cups, flasks | Coffee stands, water stations, wellbeing areas |
| Tech items | Power banks, cable organisers, webcam covers, phone stands | SaaS, tech and digital brands |
| Family-friendly items | Soft toys, activity packs, mini games | Employer brand and benefits providers |
| Premium prizes | Headphones, vouchers, hampers, experience days | Leaderboards and qualified lead competitions |
| Sustainable items | Seed packs, recycled notebooks, bamboo pens, tote bags | ESG, culture and wellbeing messages |
Simple ways to capture leads
Your activity should not sit separately from your sales goal. Build a lead-capture mechanic into the experience.
| Mechanic | How it works |
|---|---|
| Spin to win | Visitor scans their badge, spins the wheel and wins a prize. |
| Leaderboard challenge | Visitor plays a game. Highest score wins a daily prize. |
| Book a slot | Visitor books a massage, headshot, caricature or demo. |
| Golden ticket | Hide a few premium prizes in envelopes, cups, ducks or prize boxes. |
| VIP hour | Invite priority prospects for coffee, mocktails or champagne at a set time. |
| Email to receive | Visitor receives a photo, headshot, caricature or personalised item by email. |
| Demo unlock | Visitor completes the activity, then receives a short product demo or consultation. |
Supplier directory
These suppliers may be useful when planning your stand activity. Please contact suppliers directly for quotes, availability, documentation and venue requirements.
| Supplier | Useful for | Website |
|---|---|---|
| The Fun Experts | Games, giant games, buzz wires, arcade machines, photo booths, fun food and exhibition activations | thefunexperts.co.uk |
| Contraband Entertainment | Magicians, caricaturists, lookalikes, casino tables, funfair stalls, food and drink entertainment | contrabandevents.com |
| Scarlett Entertainment | Premium entertainment, technology acts, robots, holograms and interactive experiences | scarlettentertainment.com |
| Eventurous | Simulators, VR, arcade-style activities, corporate experiences and event support | eventurous.co.uk |
| MegaBooth | Photo booths, 360 booths, selfie mirrors and branded photo moments | megabooth.com |
| Hands On At Work | Event massage, seated massage, workplace wellbeing and wellness areas | handsonatwork.co.uk |
| Liberty Games | Arcade machines, air hockey, table football, table tennis, pinball and games-room equipment | libertygames.co.uk |
| 4imprint | Branded giveaways, bags, drinkware, tech, stationery and event merchandise | 4imprint.co.uk |
| Fluid Branding | Branded merchandise, event products, lanyards, gifting and tech items | fluidbranding.com |
| EverythingBranded | Promotional products, trade show giveaways, drinkware, bags and office items | everythingbranded.co.uk |