How Brand Strategists Are Using Multi-Sensory Experience Examples to Win Big at Trade Shows
Picture this: You walk into a booth at a bustling expo. You’re met with the comforting scent of cinnamon, a soft jazz soundtrack in the background, a velvet-textured wall display under your fingertips, and a warm, plant-based cookie sample melting in your mouth—all while a digital screen personalizes product suggestions based on your mood.
That’s not a food court or boutique pop-up—it’s the next-gen trade show booth. And in 2025, it’s what will set standout exhibitors apart at the Global Products Expo, happening June 26–28 at the New Jersey Expo Center.
This is the power of multi-sensory booth design—and why brand strategists and designers need to stop thinking about displays and start thinking about immersive experiences.
In this how-to post, we explore high-impact multi-sensory experience examples, why they matter, and how to integrate them into your booth strategy to drive attention, engagement, and conversions.
Why Multi-Sensory Booths Work in 2025
We’re in the age of experience-driven marketing. Customers don’t just want to see products—they want to feel them, taste them, and be emotionally moved by them. That’s especially true at massive expos where brands are competing for seconds of attention.
Multi-sensory booths:
- Increase visitor dwell time
- Drive higher brand recall
- Engage emotion and memory
- Boost content sharing
- Encourage purchase decisions
This is especially relevant at events like the food and beverage expo USA, where taste, smell, and personalization naturally intersect.
The Five Senses: Examples That Work at Trade Shows
Let’s break down the top multi-sensory experience examples and how to use each sense to activate deeper customer connections at the Global Products Expo.
1. Sight – The Anchor of Engagement
Visual design is where it starts, but it’s not just about looking good—it’s about looking different.
Ideas to try:
- LED walls with dynamic storytelling
- Mood-based lighting that changes based on time of day
- AR overlays showing “before and after” product usage
- Motion-triggered visuals that respond to movement
Expo Tip: Add personalized visuals that change as attendees interact with your space (e.g., their name on a product label or a digital avatar reacting to their choices).
2. Sound – The Emotional Trigger
Sound can build anticipation, relax visitors, or energize an experience. It helps shape the emotional tone of your booth.
Ideas to try:
- Soundscapes based on your product’s origin (rainforest, street market, ocean, etc.)
- Custom playlists curated by mood or product line
- ASMR-inspired demos (e.g., cracking open packaging, pouring liquids)
Multi-sensory pairing: Combine a soft instrumental background with touch stations to create a calming corner for high-end or wellness products.
3. Smell – The Memory Maker
👃 Smell is directly tied to memory and emotion, yet it’s underutilized in booth design. One distinct scent can define your brand experience.
Ideas to try:
- A branded scent diffuser (e.g., coconut-vanilla for tropical themes, cinnamon for nostalgic treats)
- Product-specific smells (coffee for coffee brands, herbs for organic snacks)
- Scent zoning: different aromas in different booth sections
Example from past expos: A bakery startup diffused warm bread scents throughout their booth—attendees followed their noses across the floor.
4. Touch – The Trust Builder
Tactile interaction isn’t just for physical products. It enhances trust and engagement across all industries.
Ideas to try:
- Textured product packaging walls (rough, soft, ridged, smooth)
- Interactive product assembly stations
- Fabric samples or “material feel” corners for fashion, home goods, or wellness brands
Bonus: Combine with tech. Use RFID wristbands that react to touchpoints with personalized info on nearby screens.
5. Taste – The Emotional Closer
Taste is king—especially at food-focused expos. But it can also be creatively applied in non-food contexts.
Ideas to try:
- Food sampling with brand storytelling (pair every bite with a value message)
- Taste-and-vote kiosks to collect real-time feedback
- Beverage pairings for fashion or tech brands (e.g., “sip our brand essence”)
Unexpected example: A beauty brand offers drinkable collagen shots with flavor profiles matching their skincare lines.
Multi-Sensory Experience Examples in Action
Let’s look at a few real-world (and expo-ready) examples of how multi-sensory design brings brands to life:
Plant-Based Tech Brand Booth
Theme: “The Future Tastes Better”
- Sight: Futuristic, silver-and-green minimalism
- Smell: Fresh basil and mint diffusers
- Taste: Samples of alt-dairy ice cream
- Touch: Sleek, soft-touch device prototypes
- Sound: Ambient “space garden” soundtrack
Result: Visitors lingered for 3x longer, shared content tagged with #FutureTastesBetter, and newsletter signups spiked 40%.
Fashion Label x Gourmet Snack Collab
Theme: “Wear What You Eat”
- Sight: Bold colors, photo backdrop with giant branded donut
- Smell: Vanilla frosting aroma
- Taste: Sweet-and-savory snacks in color-matched packaging
- Touch: Fabric swatches, tactile menu cards
- Sound: A curated Gen Z hits playlist
Result: Viral TikToks, 3 sold-out merch drops, 50K hashtag views in 48 hours.
How to Plan Your Multi-Sensory Booth Strategy
Ready to craft your own sensory-rich booth at the Global Products Expo 2025?
Here’s a simple framework:
| Step | Action |
| 1. Define Your Mood | What feeling should your brand evoke? Calm? Excitement? Curiosity? |
| 2. Map the Senses | Identify how each sense can reinforce your core message. |
| 3. Integrate Seamlessly | The experience should feel cohesive, not gimmicky. |
| 4. Test + Adjust | Try sensory elements on a focus group or with team members. |
| 5. Document for Social | Capture the experience in photo/video for post-expo promotion. |
Future-Proofing with Personalization + AI
At the intersection of sensory design and innovation lies AI-driven personalization.
Imagine:
- Scent diffusers changing based on visitor preferences
- Interactive screens that recommend products based on biometric input
- Digital tasting notes matched to your facial expressions
This is the future—and it’s closer than you think. Especially at an expo as forward-thinking as globalproductsexpo.com.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Exhibit—Immerse
The Global Products Expo 2025, happening June 26–28 at the New Jersey Expo Center, isn’t about showcasing products. It’s about creating immersive memories.
With the right mix of taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound, you can design a booth that goes beyond the visual—and into the emotional. One that people talk about, post about, and most importantly—remember.
Want Help Designing a Multi-Sensory Experience?
We help brands build booth environments that engage all five senses—and convert leads into loyal customers.
👉 Start your design journey now at globalproductsexpo.com
