At The Meetings Show 2025, exhibitors proved that piquing interest can lead to powerful interactions. Photo Credit: Northstar Travel Group
Every square foot of exhibition space comes at a cost – but when it comes to trade show impact, bigger isn’t always better.
Just as hotels are reimagining event spaces to better meet the evolving needs of planners and attendees, trade show exhibitors are levelling up with creative activations and meaningful engagement strategies.
At The Meetings Show Asia Pacific 2025 in Singapore, creative activations and meaningful engagement strategies took centre stage, showing just how far the industry has come in redefining ROI beyond booth size.
Raise the bar and get conversations going
Sands Lifestyle brought back its living room-inspired booth at TMS APAC 2025, complete with a bar that turned casual drinks into meaningful business connections. Photo Credit: Northstar Travel GroupFor the second year running, Sands Lifestyle brought its signature living room-inspired booth – complete with a functioning bar – to TMS APAC, showing how venue spaces can be made more welcoming and experiential.
“Every trade show we go to, we aspire to be the bar of the event. That’s where meaningful connections are made and great conversations happen,” said Ong Wee Min, vice president of sales and MICE, Marina Bay Sands. The approach clearly worked, as the booth was often buzzing with people throughout the show. The drinks flowed – and so did the conversations.
Ong also revealed a recent policy change at Sands Convention & Exhibition Centre, now allowing trade show exhibitors to offer F&B on the floor, giving exhibitors more flexibility in curating experiences.
“Every trade show we go to, we aspire to be the bar of the event. That’s where meaningful connections are made and great conversations happen.”
Ong Wee Min, vice president of sales and MICE, Marina Bay Sands
Winning leads through the stomach
STB attracted visitors with local delights like Nonya kuehs, proving that food is still one of the best ways to spark curiosity and conversation. Photo Credit: Northstar Travel GroupPlaying to its home ground advantage, Singapore Tourism Board leaned into the city’s celebrated food culture and showcased it at TMS APAC. Attendees were treated to vibrant Nonya kuehs from Kueh Ho Jiak, steaming bowls of laksa by Qiji, and a tea-blending workshop by Antea Social – each drawing enthusiastic crowds.
Serving up its culinary heritage in equal flavours was BESarawak, offering Sarawakian laksa and tauk-inspired drinks during the two-day show, with "Have you tried the laksa yet?" becoming a recurring conversation starter on the floor.
Having food as “conversation starters” is one way exhibitors can garner attention from attendees, observed Fiona Marcus Raja, CEO of Arc Creators. “It gets people to stop even if they don’t have appointments,” said Raja. “Once they start asking questions, that’s when the team can talk to them. Everyone here is a buyer – they’re buying experiences. So anything that evokes curiosity makes a good conversation starter.”
“Everyone here is a buyer – they’re buying experiences. So anything that evokes curiosity makes a good conversation starter.”
Fiona Marcus Raja, CEO, Arc Creators
Small footprint, big impression
With a live bag printing machine, FCM Meetings & Events showed that interactivity is one way to stand out on the show floor. Photo Credit: Northstar Travel GroupWhile larger booths may command visual attention, FCM Meetings & Events proved that thoughtful engagement trumps scale. With just four chairs, two tables, a counter, and a panel, they stood out with one unusual hook – a live bag printing machine.
“We asked ourselves: how do you make a difference with a basic setup?” said Ian Tye, senior event manager, Southeast Asia. To participate, visitors had to scan a QR code and enter their details – which helped to generate leads before they even chose a design.
The activation also showcased FCM’s capability to deliver on-site experiences, while raising awareness for its events arm, launched just two years ago. Meanwhile, the personalised tote bag served as a post-show reminder of the brand, Tye added.
Say cheese – and collect leads
The AMEX booth drew lines with its portrait photo activation, capturing leads while giving attendees a fresh new headshot for LinkedIn. Photo Credit: Northstar Travel GroupElsewhere on the show floor, American Express also used an unconventional method to turn heads. Using free portrait shows as a carrot, attendees first needed to fill in their details before they could choose a swag item and wait in line for their portrait taken.
Throughout the two-day show, the AMEX booth was clearly frequented by many visitors, with lines often observed at the booth. Once the photo was taken, attendees can scan a QR code to download their portraits that came in different background colours. By the end of the event, it was noticeable that the LinkedIn profile pictures for many of the show attendees had a noticeable refresh.
One thing is clear: smart engagement, not just square footage, drives results. Whether through local flavours, interactive tech, or clever design, it goes to show that curiosity can be a crowd-puller – and potentially a door-opener for business leads.