September 2025
Written by
Abbie Mason
E-commerce
Marketing strategy
Product launch
Tech
Experience & Interactive Marketing at Trade Shows
In a hall full of logo walls and pamphlet stacks, the stands people still talk about hours later are the ones that made you do something.
They offered pause, participation, delight — before ever delivering a sales pitch.
As the organisers of this year’s Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show state: “Recognised as industry-leading events, The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show and lunch! attract thousands of senior decision-makers from across the UK’s foodservice, retail, and hospitality landscape.” (nrpbs.co.uk)
That sets the stage: these shows aren’t for casual browsers. The audience is senior, attentive, and primed for meaning. And in 2025, experience marketing is the way to reach them.
Why Experience Matters
Trade shows are crowded and noisy. Your target audience strolls past dozens of stands per minute. A glossy display or catchy tagline might stop some eyes — but not hearts.
The stands that truly win attention build a reason to stop. A playful hook. An unexpected interaction. A moment that breaks the pace. That’s how you create a memory first, before you ever ask someone to talk product.
In that context, leading with impact rather than product becomes not just smart — essential.
Proof on the Show Floor
At the Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, the pattern was obvious. The brands that were still being talked about didn’t lead with product — they led with experience.
Dot Dot Tea turned sampling into theatre with a bubble pit people could reach into. You stop, you engage, you smile. Only then does the product enter the conversation.
VITHIT used a mini bowling lane: the game draws a crowd, the queue gives time, the pitch slides in while people are already engaged.
Smint leaned into the human love of mystery with a lucky dip. The queue builds itself. The reward cements it. The brand becomes part of the moment.
All three flipped the sequence: hook → engage → product. They made people feel something first.
Small Moments That Deliver Big Returns
None of these activations required a blockbuster budget. A bubble pit. A bowling lane. A lucky dip. All relatively low complexity. But they became magnets because they appealed to emotion, curiosity, and fun.
Meanwhile, tote bags, free food, drinks, and samples — those staples — supported the experience. They gave people something tangible, confirming your presence. But they only shine when integrated into a bigger interactive narrative.
What this means for trade shows
If your stand looks like a product display, you’ll fade into the background. If it feels like something, you’ll be talked about. Your playbook should be: Lead with impact — something that stops people. Create emotion — curiosity, delight, surprise. Bring in the product only once interest is earned. In a crowded hall, your product won’t draw the crowd. But the feeling you create will.