A couple weeks ago, several of our team members flew from our headquarters in Omaha, NE, to Las Vegas, NV, for the International Roofing Expo 2024…or “IRE” if you’re in the industry.

We spent several days taking workshops and classes, touring the expo hall, and eating out with some of our vendors. (By the way, STK is a restaurant you should try!)

As a marketer, I couldn’t help but notice all the booths that clearly did their presentation the right way, so I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites:

1. Beacon

Remember the cowboy hats of the 2023 show in Dallas?

This year was all about the NFL Team Hard hats and the Beacon booth. While I didn’t wait in line to see what it took to score one of these hats, it was evident to all those touring the floor show that this was the booth to stop by for their swag. They also had several other areas with football tosses, corn hols, and miscellaneous freebies such as Gatorade bottles and their version of a blue Lego dog.

Every time I passed their booth, a crowd was waiting in line for a hat. Clearly, they knew how to draw people in.

 

 

2. JobNimbus

Hang on for 100 seconds and get $100 with no catch? Seems like an easy enough challenge, yet it was surprisingly hard. In fact, when I talked to the JobNimbus rep, he said only one or two people completed the challenge. That didn’t stop droves of people from trying. There were complaints that the bar rotated, and you weren’t allowed to do an alternate hand grip, making it even more challenging.

Nevertheless, I always saw a line or an audience crowded around their pull-up bar.

It also didn’t hurt that they were adjacent to the Beacon booth, capitalizing on the synergistic attraction. Was it intentional? I would guess so.

 

3. Atlas

In addition to having several giveaways and swag strewn across their table, Atlas also had a money tornado vault/machine for eligible participants. They were the only ones on the showroom floor with such an attraction. What was particularly clever about their strategy was that you had to register to be selected, and you had to be present during drawing times to win.

This f̶o̶r̶c̶e̶d̶ encouraged people to have to continually come back to select intervals to their booth for their chance to win money. The participants were given 20 seconds to collect as much fake money as possible and convert it into actual cash via Visa gift cards.

 

 

4. PM Silicone

A tailgate could not be a more appropriate setup when you have an audience of roofers that gather in the city where the Superbowl is held. This is precisely why the PM Silicone booth stood out. They offered adult beverages and an opportunity for tired expo-goers to sit, kick back, and relax. 

Not only was the tailgate used as a drawing point, but it was also something attendees could win! The booth was well done from a visually resonating standpoint, and the giveaway was proportional to the event.

 

 

5. Centerpoint Connect

Coffee is to hipsters as energy drinks are to roofers. Centerpoint clearly knew its audience and gave away energy drinks to prove it. Their booth and their team members were engaging.

Upon arrival, you were given a scratch ticket to see if you won a prize (gift cards, etc.), which was a clever tie-in with the Vegas vibe. They demonstrated that you could still draw people in, even with a booth tucked away from the center(point).

 

 

 

Summary

These were just some booths that caught my eye at IRE 2024 in Las Vegas.

Which ones stood out to you?

What do you hope to see next year in Dallas for IRE 2025?