When BlueHive Exhibits began to imagine its booth for EXHIBITORLIVE 2024, the company was undaunted by the fact that it would be on the floor with the queen bees of the exhibits industry. Instead, its sole focus was on its bold and ambitious goals - it wanted to solidify its unique brand identity in the minds of every attendee by creating a visually irresistible design. But doing so wasn't just about catching eyes.

The company also aimed to engage a diverse range of attendees in meaningful ways and ultimately generate valuable leads. Additionally, by repurposing materials from previous exhibits, BlueHive showcased its commitment to sustainability, enhancing its reputation as forward-thinking innovators. As Dana Esposito, BlueHive's EVP of Strategy, aptly put it, “We wanted to announce, 'We are here, we are vibrant, and we are incredibly creative!' from every angle of our booth.”



A Sweet Idea
BlueHive's booth was the bee's knees in innovative thinking, combining a professional and polished exterior with a vibrant and engaging interior. As attendees strolled through the bustling trade show floor, BlueHive's booth immediately caught their attention with its clean, polished look and subtle, yet intriguing, design. From a distance, a large hexagonal overhead fabric sign, reskinned with a white birch tree pattern, stood prominently above the space, signaling the presence of something unique. The booth's exterior, adorned with clean white surfaces and a natural birch tree pattern, exuded professionalism and clarity, reflecting BlueHive's polished reputation.



The inviting layout featured open spaces that welcomed visitors to explore further, with a walk-up reception counter that encouraged casual, natural engagement. As attendees ventured closer, they were drawn into the warm, glowing honeycomb interior design, which symbolized a journey inside a hive. This amber-lit environment hinted at BlueHive's dynamic and fun culture, creating a sense of curiosity that beckoned visitors to learn more.

Once inside the booth, an 11-foot-tall LED tower played an engaging, in-house-created animation, which took onlookers on a journey from the outside world into the heart of the hive. Displayed in vivid detail, the animation followed the perspective of a bee, flying through the branches of a birch tree, symbolizing the process of gathering information and creativity. As attendees watched, they saw how BlueHive transforms ideas into reality, showcasing a portfolio of services ranging from custom exhibits and corporate events to large-scale installations and museum designs.

The pièce de résistance was the curiosity-creating “Honey Portal,” which sat atop a set of steps with an inviting opening at the base, beckoning attendees to step up and explore “inside the hive.” Esposito notes that it was amusing to watch attendees as their curiosity was piqued. “They would stroll past, suddenly halt, fix their gaze on the honey portal, shift from a walking stance to a casual standing position, then gradually approach the exhibit. After witnessing someone step down with a smile, selecting a colored ball, they'd often decide to join in,” she says.



According to David Gorham, BlueHive's creative director, one design challenge was ensuring the portal experience was comfortable and accessible. Initially designed with a ladder, the portal proved impractical for every attendee. After internal testing, BlueHive wisely switched to stairs, ensuring a more inclusive experience. “We built a prototype of this unit in our shop allowing us to have various members of BlueHive step up into the portal. This gave us a chance to test ergonomics for humans of different heights and test for the proper length of video. We wanted it long enough to tell a story and prompt human action afterward, but not too long for humans' short attention span,” Gorham says.

The Honey Portal offered a 90-second immersive journey designed to seclude attendees from the surrounding trade show noise. Upon stepping into the portal, visitors found themselves transported into a digital world of “molecular honey.” The visual animation featured a dynamic representation of a beehive that simulated the fluid, organic movements and colorful structures of molecules. The visual effects were magnified by reflective laminate surfaces within the portal, which created a kaleidoscope of colors and movements, while blue acrylic bees, suspended above, hovered like protectors of the hive. This calming environment allowed visitors to focus entirely on the experience, engaging their senses of sight, sound, and touch.

The animation immersed attendees in a visually rich and mesmerizing sequence, narrating a story of how different parts of BlueHive's services come together to create cohesive, innovative solutions to their key service areas and client challenges. The environment felt personal and introspective, as the experience was centered around the attendees' needs rather than on promoting BlueHive directly. A soothing voiceover narrated the experience, guiding attendees through BlueHive's various service offerings, and asking them to reflect on their own challenges in event marketing.

As the animation progressed, attendees were prompted to choose from one of six key elements: fabrication, environments, onsite labor, account management, storage and warehousing, and creative, that presented a specific service challenge for them. Each challenge element was represented by a different color molecule. As they exited the portal, they had a decision to make: Which of the six elements represented their greatest challenge?

Decision made, attendees found a set of colored ping-pong balls shelved on the side of the Honey Portal unit and they were encouraged to choose the one that corresponded to the element they felt most aligned with their challenges. With the ball in hand, they followed a bee-lined path on the floor, leading them to the reception counter where they would deposit their ball into one of six silos, which served as a visual representation of the collective challenges faced by trade show marketers.



Throughout the show, as the silos filled with colored balls, the challenge chart grew, creating a crowdsourced visual index of the most pressing industry challenges. This live data not only added a sense of community to the experience, but also provided BlueHive with instant insights into attendee needs. The act of depositing the ball into the chart facilitated conversations with BlueHive staff. Armed with a “cheat sheet” that linked each ball color to a specific challenge, the staff could easily initiate discussions by saying something like, “I see you chose the green ball, which indicates you're struggling with on-site setup. Let's talk about how we can help with that.”

As a parting gift, attendees were handed a test tube filled with multi-colored honey sticks, a playful yet memorable giveaway that represented the different service elements they had explored during the animation. This final touch added the sense of taste to the multi-sensory experience.



BlueHive's commitment to sustainability and innovation was evident throughout the exhibit. Post-show, the custom honey-portal structure, along with components, such as the hanging sign frame, wall panel frames, and lightbox bar cabinets, were entered into the company's rental inventory so they can be repurposed for other clients. This approach not only reduced waste, but allowed clients to benefit from proven, impactful design elements that can be customized to fit their brand and message.

Sweet Success
The results of the design were exceptional. The booth was a traffic magnet; more than 100 people used the honey portal on the first day, boosting overall booth traffic by 75 percent from the previous year. The steady flow of small groups ensured in-depth and meaningful interactions between booth staffers and attendees, significantly contributing to lead generation. The ping-pong ball client challenge tracking system provided valuable insights into attendee interests and needs, driving engagement and collecting useful data for future marketing efforts. The unique giveaways were an unexpected hit. They nearly ran out on the first day, clearly indicating the booth's popularity. Visitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees delighted by the calming and immersive portal experience. Some joked they could stay in the portal all day, highlighting its success in creating a serene oasis amidst the busy trade show floor.



BlueHive attributes its stellar performance to several key factors. First and foremost, balancing technology with sensory experiences was truly the nectar of the company's success. Early planning allowed ample time to build and refine the portal prototype, resulting in a polished final product. The design team's adaptability allowed them to refine design elements based on feedback, showcasing a commitment to comfort and accessibility.

Creating Buzz Above the Noise
BlueHive's exhibit at EXHIBITORLIVE 2024 was a triumph of creativity, innovation, and strategic thinking, offering attendees a unique opportunity to “Step Up” and explore the “curiosity portal.” By blending high-tech digital marvels with tactile, hands-on elements, BlueHive created an immersive experience that resulted in a booth that not only captivated attendees but also fostered meaningful, personalized engagement that gave visitors a deeper understanding of how BlueHive's services could address their challenges. E