THE BOOTH PLAYBOOK / 01

A better prize wheel starts before the first spin.

A prize wheel gives people a reason to pause at your booth. The useful part happens around it: a clear invitation, sensible prizes, a short visitor form, and a follow-up your team can actually use.

Here is a practical setup for exhibitors using a digital prize wheel on a tablet or a shared link.

1. Decide what makes a good booth conversation

Start with the people you want to meet. An exciting prize might attract a queue; a relevant prize can help your team start the right conversations. Pick something connected to what your business does: a useful accessory, a product sample, a consultation, or an event-specific offer.

Give booth staff a simple opening line: “Want to take a spin? We’re showing how our product helps with [specific problem].” Keep the product claim specific and true.

2. Set your prize budget before setting the odds

List each prize, its cost, and the stock you are willing to give away. Then set the relative weights. If a prize has weight 10 out of a total of 100, its chance is 10% while all those prizes remain eligible. As limited prizes run out, the available prize distribution changes.

Include a useful low-cost prize or a clear “try again” outcome. Explain any eligibility and redemption conditions at the booth before someone enters. Your team should decide the event’s rules and requirements before going live.

3. Keep the entry form short

A name and email are usually enough to identify a participant and start a follow-up. Make a phone number required only when your event needs it. Tell visitors how their details will be used, and obtain any permission needed for your follow-up.

A wheel entry is not a substitute for a qualified sales conversation. Staff can ask a relevant question while someone is waiting, then add useful context in the team’s CRM after the event.

4. Rehearse the tablet and redemption flow

Test your internet connection at the venue. Verify that the screen is readable, sound is appropriate for the booth, prizes are correct, and the tablet has power for the full event. Event Wheel requires internet access for live spins and verified results.

Run through the handoff: a visitor wins, shows the code, and a signed-in team member marks the prize as redeemed. Keep the prize stock and your redemption station close enough that a winner knows what to do next.

5. Follow up while the conversation is still fresh

Export your leads, remove test entries, and give your sales team the event name and relevant context. Lead with the topic you discussed at the booth. A useful answer or a promised resource is a better first message than a generic announcement.

Review which prizes started useful conversations and whether the visitor form asked for anything unnecessary. Use those observations to improve the next event.