Choosing the Right Trade Show Game

Posted by Alistair on 21.10.2025

Choosing the Right Game for a Trade Show

Not all games were created equal – here we walk you through the ones that were born for success in a trade show setting!

Our games are an eclectic bunch (having spent thousands of hours developing them, we should know). Each one boasts its own unique attributes and gameplay characteristics, meaning there’s a range of options to choose from depending on the specific objectives of your campaign.

But what about when the game is to be used at a physical event such as a trade show, exhibition, or expo? Which types lend themselves to a busy stand or are good for bringing in the crowds in the first place?

Let’s explore what’s involved in choosing the right trade show game for your event and audience.

Defining your objectives

When it comes to planning for your event, your first step should be defining what you want to achieve and how you’re going to measure success. Here are just a few of the potential objectives for exhibitors at a trade show:

Stand out from the crowd
Start more conversations
Capture lead data to follow up after the event

Once you’ve defined your objectives, it’ll be much easier to choose a game that suits your target audience and industry.

Interactive trade show games

With your trade show objectives clear in your mind, let’s take a look at the different types of game and what they bring to the table! 👇

Quick-play/instant-win

An endless runner or matching pairs (memory) game might be ideal if you’re exhibiting at a high-footfall event.

They’re easy for visitors to play, great for giving away lots of low-value freebies, and encourage fast-paced movement through your stand (players are drawn in but won’t usually spend more than a couple of minutes playing).

Peek & Poke recommends: Rooftop Runner or Flippin’ Faces 🏃

Educational

A quiz or simple trivia game might be the way to go if you’re launching a new product or sharing a technical concept in a specialist industry.

An industry-specific quiz can go down particularly well where delegates are from highly technical or specialist job roles.

Peek & Poke recommends: Mini Quiz or Get Quizzy

Puzzle

If you want to challenge and engage your delegates for longer, consider a Match-3 or Tetris-style game that requires a little more time and logic to complete.

Peek & Poke recommends: Cyber Match-3 📱

Nostalgic/retro

Well-known retro-themed games can create genuine emotional connections with your delegates if you’re looking to engage on a deeper level and offer a memorable experience.

Peek & Poke recommends: Trade Show Conga or Maze Raider 👾

Industry-specific themes

If you’re heading to an industry-specific event and aiming to connect with a B2B audience, this might inform whether the game would benefit from a certain style or theme.

Our collection of tech games, for example, is ideal for any brand in the software/tech/IT space who are looking to stand out from the crowd and draw visitors to their stand.

Games are great for attracting delegates who wouldn’t usually engage with staff on a booth, providing a fun ice-breaker that sparks conversations.

Seasonal or sporting themes

Depending on when your event is taking place, you may want to include a little nod to a seasonal or sporting event. This could be an Easter-themed match-3, a Halloween-themed conga, a Christmas-themed runner, or a football-themed quiz.

Prizes, prizes, prizes!

We talk a lot about the importance of a solid prize structure for online campaigns, and the same goes for games used at in-person trade shows and events.

Whether it’s on-the-spot prizes such as t-shirts for achieving a certain score, or a main prize drawn from all the leaderboard entries at the end of the event, a good prize competition will give players an extra incentive to come and play.

Who knows – word might get around and create an even greater buzz about your stand!

Check out our ultimate guide to trade show giveaways for more inspiration.

Devices/hardware for trade show games

Our games will work on a range of internet-enabled devices such as tablets, large touchscreens, or even arcade machines. We can provide detailed setup guides to make sure that everything runs smoothly – you’ll just need to ensure you have a WiFi or 4G/5G internet connection at your event.

Learn more about the different trade show setup options.

Designed for busy marketing teams

We understand the realities of trade shows: tight deadlines, limited space, and high expectations.

That’s why our trade show games are designed to be:

Quick to set up
Compatible with multiple hardware types
Reusable across multiple events
Supported by a friendly and responsive team

Whether you need a fast ready-to-deploy game or a tailored experience, we’ll help you deliver a professional, on-brand activation from the moment the event opens.

Need a hand deciding?

We love chatting about all things branded games and are well-versed when it comes to helping brands find the right game for their event. If you’d like advice or you have any questions, book a free discovery call with our friendly team.

Get in touch

Tell us about your next event

👉 Tell us about your next event and we’ll recommend the perfect game for your audience and objectives.

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[Download] Event & Expo Games Guide

Campaign Recipe: B2B Trade Show Engagement for Small Stands

How to Display Games on Your Stand

“It exceeded our expectations because we didn’t realise how popular it was actually going to be, and how different it was to other stands!”

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