Beyond the Booth: Trade Shows That Keep Working After You Leave

Quick Take

Trade shows deliver access to key decision-makers, but they’re expensive and fleeting. Boon Edam, a global leader in secure entry solutions, partnered with Mainstay Digital to stretch the value of their exhibit.

The result: A year-round interactive ecosystem that reduces demo costs, boosts engagement, and shortens sales cycles.

When the Floor Closes, the Costs Don’t

Trade shows are high-stakes opportunities. They’re also high-cost commitments.
Booth space alone can range from $20 to $138 per square foot, and a full custom booth at a major international show often exceeds $100,000.

Add freight, labor, and logistics, and you're looking at a serious budget line item that evaporates once the show ends.

Boon Edam faced this exact dilemma. Their physical booths required shipping full-size security portals to every event.
Effective? Yes. Sustainable? No.
They needed a way to cut back on physical assets without cutting the story short.

From One Booth to a Living Digital Universe

That’s where Mainstay Digital stepped in.

We built a dynamic, semi-realistic 3D environment modeled after a modern distribution center. Visitors could:

• Fly through the facility
• Tap a checkpoint
• Instantly explore a photoreal entry product, complete with technical specs, animations, and demo videos

The activation’s success inspired expansion.

Boon Edam now has:

• Two more virtual distribution centers
• A data center
• A corporate HQ
• A healthcare facility

All unified in a browser-based ecosystem, accessible across devices, from anywhere.

One Experience, Many Uses

Website:
Visitors explore real-world scenes without a plugin, increasing dwell time.

Sales Meetings:
Reps guide buyers through facilities in minutes instead of hours.

Virtual Events:
The same scenes power Zoom or Teams demos, cutting hardware and shipping costs.

Results You Can Take to the Bank

35% reduction in cost-per-demo by shipping only key product units

3–4x session durations on interactive pages compared to site averages

2–3 weeks shaved off sales cycles as reps tell the full story in one meeting

52% engagement rates for interactive content, versus 36% for static content

43% faster close rate on deals when using interactive tools

Why Interactive is the New Default

The shift Boon Edam made reflects a broader trend:

88% of marketers say interactive content helps them stand out from competitors

93% agree it's more effective at educating buyers than static alternatives

Companies using 10+ interactive assets see a 33% lift in revenue

Trade shows may last days, but interactive ecosystems keep selling for months.

Turn a Booth Into a Growth Engine

With Mainstay’s approach, exhibit investments become evergreen tools for web, sales, and virtual events.

For companies selling complex products, it's the smartest way to scale your story without scaling costs.

Build your interactive ecosystem →