Winntech didn’t just want to stand out at GlobalShop 2007. The design and marketing-solutions firm wanted attendees to see its booth and go “Huh?” To carry out the company’s “Stop, Gawk, and Ask” strategy, Winntech used a huge 50-foot-wide, two-sided banner that stretched 30 feet high as the back of its booth. One side featured a pig’s head with red lips and beady eyes along with the text, “@!#% Ordinary,” while the other side displayed a wolf and the words “Abandon Fear.” Winntech intentionally kept the booth brand free, sure that curiosity would draw people in. The shock-em style worked, resulting in more than 600 in-depth interactions, tripling the roughly 200 leads it gathered at GlobalShop in 2005.

To unveil its newest 3D HoloProjection (3DHP) image technology, Imagen LLC turned its 20-by-20-foot exhibit at TS² 2007 into a miniature 3-D theater. A black curtain suspended on a circular track created a theater-like feel inside the space, while staffers acted as ushers, handing attendees 3-D glasses and inviting them to sit down and take in the 3DHP technology. The looping eight-minute video not only demonstrated the product, it showed how it could be used for product demos and 3-D modeling, among other applications. As attendees turned in the glasses after the show, staffers gave them buttons that read, “I saw it first!” The branded buttons piqued interest throughout the show floor, driving attendees to Imagen’s booth to see for themselves.

When the product you’re selling is micro-brewed beer, what better backdrop for your booth than a bar? As attendees at the 2007 Upper Midwest Foodservice and Lodging Show in Minneapolis approached the Summit Brewery Co. booth, it appeared as if the company had brought a beautiful wooden bar to the show and turned its booth space into a 10-by-10-foot pub. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a life-sized photo of the company’s St. Paul Ratskellar bar, printed on magnetic panels and affixed to a steel frame. The giant photo served multiple purposes: It set the scene for the product, made installation and dismantle quick and easy, and since it fit into two 3.5-by-1.5-foot cases for easy shipping, it gave new meaning to the phrase “light beer.”

Looking at exercise equipment is about as fun as watching marathons on TV. Yet, most exhibitors at the 2007 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association’s Show simply plopped down their products in their booths and called it a day. Exercise-equipment manufacturer Star Trac Inc., however, got attendees up and moving — and engaged with its products — by offering in-booth spin classes. Before the show, the company sent an e-blast to pre-registered decision makers, inviting them to sign up for one of three spin classes featuring its stationary bikes. During the show, each group of sweaty, intent spinners drew crowds during the 45- to 50-minute instructor-led classes, setting Star Trac apart from the masses, and allowing attendees to experience its products in action.