15 Fun and Engaging Trade Show Booth Game Ideas

Trade shows are a great way for businesses to get their name and products out there and seen by potential customers. Yet, without an engaging and fun trade show booth, it can be hard to attract customers to visit your booth.

At the end of the day, a successful booth catches people’s attention and piques their interest. 

One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating games and prizes into your booth design. In fact, according to a study by Princeton Marketing, 52% of trade show attendees are more likely to enter an exhibit if they’re offering some kind of giveaway or freebie. 

With this in mind, here are fifteen fun trade show booth game ideas that you can use to help promote business and products at your next trade show event.

1. Spinning Prize Wheel

One of the best things about a prize wheel is that it can be customized to fit your brand and marketing objectives relatively cheaply. For example, you can use different colors, shapes, and images on the wheel to reflect your company’s logo or branding.

Pro Tip: On the wheel, try to include a mix of small prizes (such as branded keychains) and larger prizes (such as gift cards or discount coupons). This will help appeal to a broader range of players and encourage more visitors to stop by your booth.

2. VR Trade Show Games

If you have a higher budget and are looking to make a big splash, consider renting a virtual reality (VR) game for your booth. VR games are extremely engaging and can help you to attract a large number of attendees to your booth.

Some popular VR game options include racing simulators, driving range games, and other immersive experiences. Since these games are such a hit with attendees, be sure to have a sign-up form or another lead-generation mechanism to capture valuable contact information.

Pro Tip: Consider working with a trade show display company to ensure that your booth is set up properly for your VR game – as this is no trivial task. This will help minimize potential issues and create a better experience for all.

3. Roll Doubles, Get a Prize

Some people prefer a quick and simple game that doesn’t require much thought or focus. If you want to appeal to this audience, try playing a simple dice game called “roll doubles, get a prize.”

This game is cheap, easy to set up, and can be played by almost anyone. Put a table in front of your booth and place small prizes on it. Then, challenge passersby to roll doubles – if they do, they get to choose one of the available prizes from the table.

Pro Tip: To make this game more enticing, offer a large prize (such as an Amazon gift card) to anyone who rolls doubles twice in a row.

4. Mini Basketball Arcade Game

Renting a mini basketball arcade game for your trade show booth is a great way to engage visitors and boost your brand’s visibility. This type of game is fun for people of all ages, making it a crowd-pleaser at any event.

As a bonus, mini-basketball arcade games typically have a built-in scoreboard, which helps increase the overall sense of competition among attendees. To maximize your return on investment, consider requiring visitors to exchange their business cards or other contact information in order to play the game.

Pro Tip: Prizes can be a great way to incentivize visitors to play your mini-basketball arcade game. Consider offering branded merchandise or other gifts in exchange for high scores.

5. Trivia Games

Who doesn’t love the chance to show off their knowledge? Trivia games are a great option if you want to engage visitors at your trade show booth with an intellectual challenge.

There are many different types of trivia games that you can choose from, including:

• General Knowledge Quizzes
• Themed Quizzes (such as pop culture or sports)
• Custom-Made Questions About Your Industry

No matter which type of trivia game you choose, be sure to make it engaging by offering prizes or other special offers to winners. It may also prove beneficial to display the questions in a Jeopardy-like format on a large screen or monitor. This will improve the overall entertainment value of the game.

Pro Tip: For maximum effectiveness, try to tailor your trivia questions according to the demographics of your target audience. 

6. Cornhole

Who doesn’t love a little friendly competition? If you want to attract visitors to your trade show booth and get them excited about your brand, cornhole is an excellent option.

Cornhole is a classic game that involves tossing bean bags onto a raised board to score points. It requires minimal equipment, which makes it easy to set up and play at almost any trade show booth – assuming you have the space. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of the game helps keep participants engaged, encouraging spectators and passersby to stop and watch. 

Pro Tip: To incentivize participants, offer small prizes for winners. Alternatively, consider offering discounts or other special offers to attendees who participate in your game.

7. General Drawings

If you’re looking for a great way to generate leads at your next trade show, a general drawing can be a highly effective option.

You can set up a general drawing for your booth in many different ways. For instance, you can ask attendees to sign up for your drawing by providing their contact information or business card. Alternatively, you can utilize social media and encourage participants to share or like your company’s page to enter the contest.

Pro Tip: To increase your chances of getting attendees to stop by your booth, consider offering multiple prizes in the drawing. This can include free products, branded swag, or other enticing rewards.

8. Augmented Reality Games

Another fun and engaging game idea for your next trade show is to set up an augmented reality (AR) game in your booth. With AR games, visitors can interact with the physical world around them while also enjoying a digital experience.

AR provides many possibilities at a trade show (if you have the budget), as it can be used to create custom games based on your brand’s message and image. Some possible AR game ideas include virtual treasure hunts throughout the event space. Or, you can create AR photo booths where visitors can take and post selfies and receive branded gifts as a reward.

Pro Tip: The best AR games at trade shows often merge the digital and physical worlds in a fun and meaningful way. If possible, try to get a feel for the event layout before you develop a game.   

9. “Name that Tune”

Suppose you want to attract booth visitors who have a good sense of humor and like to be challenged, “name that tune” is a great option. This game works by playing short clips of popular songs and then asking players to guess the title and artist of each tune – within a set time limit.

To make this game even more engaging, consider displaying the song clips on a large monitor or screen in your booth. This will encourage more visitors to try their luck at this fun game.

Pro Tip: To maximize the number of people who stop by your booth, consider offering small prizes or discounts for players who score the most points.

10. Putt-Putt Golf

Looking for a fun and unique way to draw in visitors at your next trade show? Consider setting up a mini putt-putt golf mat in front of your booth.

Putt-putt golf is a tried-and-true trade show activity because it offers entertainment value and the opportunity to connect with potential customers. Visitors can take a few minutes to try their hand at this game while also striking up a conversation with your booth staff. 

Pro Tip: Consider requiring a sign-up or registration form for visitors who want to try their hand at putt-putt golf. This can help you gather valuable lead information to follow up with after the trade show.

11. Interactive Scavenger Hunts

Another fun way to engage visitors at your trade show booth is by organizing an interactive scavenger hunt. This game works by providing booth visitors with a list of tasks that must be completed in order to win a prize.

Some potential tasks you can include in your scavenger hunt include taking a photo at your booth, finding a hidden object, etc. Adding a competitive element to the scavenger hunt can encourage visitors to stay longer and engage with your booth staff.

Pro Tip: Promote your scavenger hunt on social media before the show, so visitors know what to expect when they visit your booth.

12. Counting Game

If you are looking for a simple way to engage visitors at your trade show booth, consider setting up a counting game. This type of game is easy to set up and fun for attendees of all ages. With this game, attendees will have the opportunity to play for a chance to win a prize by correctly guessing how many objects are in a clear jar or container.

Some popular object options for the counting game include candy, marbles, or coins. You can also create custom scoring rules based on your brand or product, such as awarding a higher prize to the person who guesses closest without going over.

Pro Tip: Include an eye-catching backdrop or other visual elements to draw visitors’ attention and increase engagement with your counting game.

13. Memory Match Game

This type of trade show activity is easy to set up, great for attendees of all ages and offers the opportunity to win a prize.

To play the memory match game, place two identical pairs of pictures or images on a board. Visitors will then get a chance to flip over two cards at a time in an attempt to match pairs. If they can match all the pairs in a set time, they win a prize.

Pro Tip: Offer multiple prize levels for players who achieve varying numbers of matching pairs to encourage more visitors to play the game.

14. Jumbo Games

If you want to take your trade show game-playing to the next level, consider setting up a jumbo game like Jenga or Connect Four at your booth.

These larger-than-life versions of classic games can be an excellent way to engage visitors and draw them in for some fun and competitive play. Jumbo games are also an excellent match for your trade show booth because they require minimal setup and can be played by visitors of all ages.

Pro Tip: Consider creating custom branding or messaging for your jumbo game. This can help visitors more easily associate it with your company and remember your company after the show has ended.

15. Scratch-Off Cards

Another fun, interactive game that you can set up at your trade show booth is scratch-off cards. These cards allow visitors to scratch off a section of the card to reveal a prize or other surprise.

Scratch-off cards are typically used in marketing and promotions as a way to generate leads and increase sales. However, they can also be a fun way to engage visitors and encourage them to spend more time at your booth. 

Pro Tip: Try creating custom scratch-off cards that are unique to your brand or product to increase interest in your game. For example, you could include images of your company logo, tagline, products, or other elements that are strongly associated with your business.

Need Help Designing Your Next Trade Show Booth?

Art and Display specialize in creating custom trade show booths that capture attention and effectively communicate your brand to potential customers. Our team of designers and graphic experts will help you create a booth that stands out, engages visitors, and, most importantly, drives sales.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and get started on your trade show booth design.