by Danelle Dodds, Exhibit City News
In Las Vegas, it takes a lot to make an impression at your exhibits and events. With so many distractions, the ability for a booth or hospitality event to draw an organic crowd is getting harder and harder. And even if you get their attention, how do you make them stay? With more than 24,000 conventions bringing 6.5 million attendees to the city annually, you need a tasty traffic builder. Welcome to the world of Interactive Food Activations.
What are Interactive Food Activations?
Interactive food activations are multi-sensory experiences that include a food or beverage component. One part entertainment and one part gastronomy, they capture and hold a guest’s attention, creating an emotional takeaway for the attendee. When effective, it results in organic traffic, brand awareness, and additional sales. Given its razzle-dazzle, it makes sense that multiple interactive epicurean delights call the City of Entertainment home. And it’s no surprise that some headline names come with them.
Las Vegas Interactive Culinary Creators
When Heidi Cayn Friedman and Melanie Bash looked at the industry through their well-educated lenses, they knew something was missing. “There was a need to add something special to get people excited,” said Melanie. So, they co-founded FoodPopper, an interactive culinary experience in partnership with Buddy Valastro Restaurants.
Heidi, former head of production for Chopped and Chopped Junior, and Melanie, a multi-decade hospitality veteran, know their stuff. Harnessing the celeb flair of Buddy V and his band of talented chefs, they created an experience that is an event within an event. It was “an exciting and interactive way to join together and experience food,” they shared.
Their portfolio now includes a selection of sweet and savory food stations paired with chefs from the Buddy Valastro Restaurants’ team. Attendees will have their own Carlo’s Bake Shop, where they will learn how to fill and decorate cannoli. Or they’ll watch fresh mozzarella being pulled in front of their eyes before devouring it. And they’ve even developed an experience that can potentially include Buddy V himself. “It brings the excitement and celebrity factor to the event industry,” Melanie added.
Seth Bankier would agree. Founder and Chief Executive Spinner of Spin-Spun Cotton Candy, Seth 
regularly sees the power of interactive food experiences. His grown-up, all-natural cotton candy stations have drawn massive crowds at exhibits and events for over a decade. He believes a well-crafted culinary engagement generates rippling revenue by touching on all the senses.
And he might be on to something. His case studies include a dental supply company they first spun for at an industry trade show. “They saw such a large year-over-year increase in show attendee visits to their booth that they brought us back the following year,” Seth confided. The next event boasted even higher numbers, and now Seth’s team “continue to work with the same client, with continually increased attendee visits.”
What Makes a Successful Interactive Food Station
When it comes down to it, it isn’t rocket science. The art of powerful interactive food activations has a few key components. The activation should be “an elevated experience that the guests will remember,” states Seth.
First, it must be a draw and strike a nerve in the human experience. Spin-Spun captures the nostalgic charm of childhood and whimsy, while FoodPopper has a celebrity swagger. Both trigger an emotion in an attendee.
Then it needs to deliver the product in a way that no one else is doing it. For Spin-Spun, the magic is in its flavors and spinners. Bourbon Salted Caramel or Champagne replaces the dusty cotton candy flavors of yesteryear. They hire their team based on their engaging personalities and charisma. For FoodPopper, they understand the power of creating a moment that no one else can have.
And finally, the activation must be able to fold into the landscape of the event experience as a whole. Outside food and beverage can be a tricky taboo for Las Vegas venues and exhibit halls. The very best partners will help navigate those waters toward success.
Playing with your food is nothing new. But for a few clever suppliers, they’ve tapped into how to turn it into tasty traffic builders for your next event.
FoodPopper photo credit: Stardust Fallout. Learn more at www.FoodPopper.com .
Spin-Spun photo credit: Spin-Spun All Natural Confections
