Staff-less booths powered by tech like QR codes have been popping up at trade shows from Mobile World Congress to CES over the past few months and have been a way for exhibitors to maintain a presence at these events amid Covid concerns and restrictions.
LG’s booth at this year’s CES — which included a sea of QR codes for attendees to scan and take a self-guided tour — was perhaps one of the most talked about examples. The lack of onsite staff and the amount of empty space was jarring to many attendees.
Another company that opted to downsize its onsite presence at CES 2022 in light of the winter’s Omicron’s surge was beauty and fashion technology company Perfect Corp. In only a week’s time, the company developed a digital experience that both onsite and remote attendees could explore.
“The team pivoted quickly, identifying a digital solution that would allow virtual booth visitors to experience Perfect Corp.’s AI and AR solutions in an engaging, interactive way that mirrored a physical booth interaction,” says CEO and Founder Alice Chang. “Perfect Corp.’s metaverse virtual booth experience at CES re-imagined the physical booth experience in a digital setting.”
Remote participants could access the booth via Perfect Corp.’s website, while in-person attendees could scan a QR code on the onsite booth. The virtual booth included video content and interactive demos showcasing Perfect Corp.’s AR (augmented reality) and AI technologies as well as the opportunity for visitors to schedule virtual guided tours with a team member.
With its physical booth having been converted into a virtual experience, Perfect Corp.’s only staff onsite at the event was Chief Growth Officer Wayne Liu, who participated in two panel sessions. When it comes to the success of this setup, “our CES 2022 virtual booth experience saw thousands of visitors throughout the event,” shares Chang. “With this experience, we achieved our goal to create an innovative Covid-safe space for our team to engage with attendees and exhibitors.”
So, are staff-less, QR-code laden booths going to be the norm moving forward? No, probably not. After all, if onsite booths simply became vehicles to lead attendees into virtual experiences, much of the value of traveling to a trade show would be lost. Covid has forced the hands of many exhibitors, and these booth setups were clearly not their first plan.
However, we can expect to see more QR codes and blending of digital and physical experiences moving forward — and perhaps even fewer booth staff at events at organizations become ever more conscious of their carbon footprint. This will be especially true for companies whose offerings are tech-focused and lend themselves particularly well to the metaverse.
“As the world moves past the pandemic, companies will need to create strong physical and virtual experiences to effectively connect with consumers,” notes Chang. “With the widespread adoption of Perfect Corp.’s AI and AR technologies, we have seen first-hand the consumer shift to phygital experiences that combine physical products with virtual elements and experiences.
“Moving into 2022 and beyond, as consumers embrace contactless experiences and the virtual world of the metaverse, virtual experiences will be crucial to reach new audiences. As a leader in providing immersive shopping experiences with AI and AR-powered technology, we look to host similar booth experiences at future events as well.”