Kamran Hatami of Exhibition Games offers some insight into the role of gamification in the events industry.
Gamification is the process of integrating game design elements and principles into non-game contexts to increase user engagement and motivation. When we talk about gamification in events, we’re not really talking about games – we’re talking about human behaviour. Every gamification project starts with one simple question around what we want people to do at the event followed by a conversation with the client so we can map out what’s realistically possible for a specific event, audience, and budget.
In our experience, most events are built around five key types of desired behavior…
• Attention
In exhibitions and large events, many brands compete for visibility. Gamification offers a non-advertising, experience-driven way to capture attention.
• Education
Many products and services are complex and difficult to explain with brochures or posters. A gamified experience allows people to actually interact with a product or process instead of just reading about it.
• Networking
In large venues, gamification can give people a natural reason to start conversations and interact with others they would not normally meet.
• Filtering
In highly specialised events, not every visitor is a potential customer. Games can quietly help identify people who are genuinely interested or active in a specific topic.
• Activation
In conferences and corporate events, the goal is often not just to inform, but to energise people, create emotional engagement, and motivate them to take action. Gamification turns passive audiences into active participants.
Gamification can be applied to almost any kind of event – conferences, training events, sales kickoffs, HR programmes, product launches, and even city-scale or sports events. The logic is simple: wherever people experience something, a well-designed gamified experience can create strong neural and emotional connections. These connections later show up as brand recall, longer dwell time, follow-ups after the event, and loyalty. In events, this usually translates into spending more time in one area or with one brand and completing activities that are linked to a company’s message.
There are three main levels of gamification solutions…
• Plug and play
Ready-made platforms offering quizzes, scavenger hunts, or digital challenges. They are fast and low-cost but offer limited customisation.
• Semi-custom/ready-to-go games
These are 80% to 90% ready and can be branded and adjusted with a company’s content. They balance speed, cost, and personalisation.
• Bespoke experience design
Everything here starts with the desired behavior and is designed around the event space, audience, brand goals, and technical setup. This creates a completely unique experience.
Most event professionals are already experts in their own field; they don’t need to read articles about gamification. What works is short, focused discovery sessions where they describe their event and challenges and we show them – in a personalised way – what kinds of experiences are possible for their situation. This approach is better for both sides as the client gets clarity quickly and we avoid offering generic solutions.
Innovation also requires trust. This is why we usually recommend starting with a small, low-risk experience and expanding once people see real results. For example, we now run experiences using breath sensors, where a player’s blowing power moves a digital character. We only deploy these more experimental formats with clients who already know us, because trust is built step-by-step.