Interactive installations: examples, technology and planning for trade fairs and exhibitions

Interactive installations bring products, data and stories to life in a spatial context. They respond to visitors, encourage exploration and link digital content with the physical space. This overview highlights which technologies are suitable for trade fairs and events, museums and exhibitions, corporate showrooms and other business premises – and what is important in terms of concept, implementation and operation.

What is an interactive installation?

An interactive installation is a spatially embedded system comprising content, software, hardware and sensors that responds to visitors’ actions. Interaction can take place via touch, movement, gestures or physical objects, and can trigger immediate visual, auditory or haptic feedback.

Unlike in a traditional presentation, visitors are not merely passive observers. They select content themselves, alter the way things are displayed, or trigger further information and experiences through their actions.

In a business context, interactive installations can, for example, explain complex products, visualise data, convey brand identities or facilitate conversations between visitors and advisory teams. Typical locations include trade fairs and events, museums and exhibitions, corporate showrooms, foyers and the point of sale.

It is not the most spectacular technology that matters. A good installation begins with the question of what message is to be conveyed and what form of interaction makes the most sense for the target audience and the context of use.

an interactive installation on the theme of marine life at the museum

What types of interactive installations are there?

Depending on the objective, content and physical setting, a range of technologies and forms of interaction may be considered. Often, several of these are combined to create a holistic experience.

Multitouch tables and interactive touch walls

Multitouch tables and large-format touch walls are particularly suitable when visitors are expected to explore extensive information at their own pace.

Images, text, videos, maps and 3D models can be moved, selected and linked together directly on the interface. Several people can interact at the same time, making multi-touch applications suitable for consultation scenarios and group work.

Additional object recognition expands the possibilities: physical products, patterns or specific markers are recognised on the surface and linked to the relevant digital information. This creates a direct link between the physical object and the digital content.

Interactive display cases can also combine physical products with digital interaction. Visitors view the real object whilst controlling supplementary content or functions via the glass surface.

Playful elements can also be incorporated. However, gamification is not an end in itself: it works particularly well when game mechanics and communication objectives are meaningfully linked.

Object recognition on a multi-touch table using capacitive markers

Interactive projections and projection mapping

With interactive projections, the room itself becomes a media surface. Walls, models or other three-dimensional surfaces can be used to display animations, videos and real-time graphics.

In projection mapping, the digital content is precisely adapted to the shape of the projection surface. This allows analogue design and digital animation to blend seamlessly together visually.

This type of installation is particularly well suited to large spaces and situations where the aim is to attract attention even from a distance. The projection can also respond to visitors via touch, motion or sensor detection.

Sensors, gesture control and object recognition

Not every installation requires a touchscreen. Cameras, LIDAR sensors, motion and proximity sensors, and RFID technologies enable interaction without traditional control elements.

For example, an installation can detect when someone is approaching, react to movements in the room, or display different states depending on a person’s position.

Gesture control is particularly well suited to interactive applications and large-format media surfaces. Object or RFID recognition, on the other hand, links physical products or exhibits to digital information.

This gives rise to interactions that integrate naturally into the space and do not feel like operating a traditional computer.

AR, VR and immersive experience spaces

Augmented reality, virtual reality and immersive spaces either enhance the real environment or partially replace it with digital scenarios.

VR is suitable, for example, for simulations, virtual product environments or places that are inaccessible in the real world. Augmented reality enhances real-world objects and spaces with digital information.

Immersive spaces often make use of large-format projections, real-time 3D graphics, tracking and spatial sound. Visitors do not simply move in front of a single media screen, but within a media-enhanced environment.

Object recognition using RFID technology on a multi-touch table at a trade fair

Format: Particularly suitable for: Interaction: Strength

Multitouch table / Touch wall

Product ranges, detailed content, multi-user applications

Touch, object marker

High level of detail

Interactive projection

Large areas, long-range impact, spatial presentation

Touch, gestures, movement

A striking spatial effect

Object / RFID detection

Linking physical products with content

Hanging up, approaching

Direct connection between analogue and digital

Sensor / Gesture Control

Touch-free and playful applications

A movement of the body or hand

Low barrier to entry

AR / VR / immersive spaces

Scenarios, simulations, spatial data

Gaze, Controller, Movement

High level of immersion

Multitouch wall with 12 screens at the exhibition stand

Areas of application and examples of interactive installations

Depending on where it is used, the same technology can perform completely different tasks.

Trade fairs and events

At a trade fair stand, an installation often has to fulfil several requirements at once. It should attract attention from a distance, offer visitors a quick introduction and then allow for a more in-depth presentation.

Interactive installations for trade fairs can explain products, organise extensive portfolios or serve as a collaborative presentation tool for visitors and stand staff.

They are usually most effective not as a substitute for face-to-face communication, but as conversation starters and tools for consultation and presentation.

Lead and follow-up processes can also be integrated – for example, via opt-in forms, QR codes or interfaces with existing CRM processes. Data protection and clear benefits for visitors should be taken into account from the outset.

Museums and exhibitions

In museums and interactive exhibitions,digital media provide personalised access to a wealth of content.

Visitors can explore exhibits in greater depth through digital means, investigate historical developments, visualise data or discover content in a playful way. Projection mapping, multi-touch technology, sensor systems and immersive media spaces can all be combined to achieve this.

However, the technology should always be subordinate to the curatorial concept. The focus is on the exhibit, the history and the educational aspect – not the display or the sensor.

Anyone developing a broader overall concept will find further guidance on dramaturgy, visitor flow and spatial planning in the Garamantis guide to planning interactive exhibitions.

Showrooms, foyers and points of sale

In corporate showrooms and company lobbies,interactive installations are often permanently integrated into the architecture and brand identity.

You can organise complex portfolios in a clear and accessible way, tell company stories, configure products or visualise up-to-date data. Unlike a trade fair installation, long-term operation, easy content management and integration into the interior design play a particularly important role here.

At the point of sale, physical products can be linked to digital information, variants, animations or configuration options.

Three case studies from Garamantis

Three projects from different fields demonstrate just how varied interactive installations can be.

Interactive trade fair exhibits for Diebold Nixdorf

Garamantis developed a trade fair exhibit for Diebold Nixdorf that combines a multi-touch table with a large-format screen wall.

The screen wall creates a sense of distance, whilst relevant topics are selected and explored in depth at the table together with the retail experts. Rather than a linear presentation, this gives rise to a conversation that can be flexibly adapted to suit different interests.

A central content management system enables the content to be maintained and displayed in multiple languages. The entire system has also been designed so that it can be transported, used at different exhibition stands and rolled out to other locations.

View project: Interactive exhibition displays for Diebold Nixdorf

Interactive projection-mapping wall for Bilfinger

A media wall approximately five metres wide was created for the entrance area at Bilfinger, combining printed graphics, projection mapping, multi-touch technology and sensors.

A LIDAR sensor detects when people enter the room and automatically switches the system from quiet idle mode to an active state.

The projection screen and an integrated touchscreen can then be used to explore different areas of the organisation and its content. The projection, animation and interaction all work together as a cohesive system.

The project demonstrates how an interactive installation can be integrated almost seamlessly into the architecture and corporate design.

View project: Interactive projection-mapping wall for Bilfinger

Interactive installations at the Samurai Museum in Berlin

At the Samurai Museum in Berlin, Garamantis worked with Ars Electronica Solutions to develop a wide range of interactive exhibition elements.

Projection mapping, multi-touch screens, sensor technology and gesture control convey history and culture in a variety of ways. For example, visitors can select content on screens, which is then displayed on large-format projections.

In addition to the individual interactive stations, Garamantis also developed the central content management system. This enables the digital content of a large-scale exhibition to be managed and updated centrally.

View more of Garamantis’s reference projects

Advantages of interactive installations

Well-designed installations combine the focus on physical spaces with the possibilities offered by digital media.

Visitors decide for themselves which content interests them and how deeply they wish to explore a topic. This means that both quick overviews and detailed content can be provided within the same space.

Interactive installations can also:

• Increase attention and dwell time
• structuring complex content in a way that is easy to understand
• Bringing products and data to life through spatial experiences
• offer different levels of detail
• Support through discussions and counselling
• combining physical exhibits with digital information
• Enable content to be updated centrally
• make the same application available for use at several locations or at different events

The impact depends more on the concept, content and usability than on the technology used alone.

Challenges and factors for success

An interactive installation is not an end in itself. A large screen or new sensor technology alone does not guarantee a good experience.

The most important prerequisite is a clear communication objective: what should visitors understand, experience or do afterwards?

Intuitive user guidance is just as important. Particularly at trade fairs or in exhibitions open to the public, it must be clear within a matter of seconds that an installation is interactive and how it is operated.

Differences in body size, languages, contrasts, the accessibility of control elements and alternative means of interaction should also be taken into account. For digital content, the W3C’s official WCAG guidelines provide important guidance on accessibility and usability.

There are also technical requirements for continuous operation. These include robust hardware, automatic start-up and shutdown processes, offline scenarios, monitoring, maintenance and the ability to update content without the need for software development.

How to plan an interactive installation

1. Define objectives, target audiences and usage scenarios

Do not start straight away with the device. First, clarify who is intended to use the installation, what message needs to be conveyed, and what action or insight should result from it.

An installation for a busy exhibition stand requires a different approach to that of an exhibit which museum visitors spend several minutes looking at.

2. Develop the story and content

The content structure is determined by the objective and the target audience. What information needs to be clear at a glance? Which content is optional? What narrative links the individual topics?

A clear information architecture prevents digital possibilities from turning into a confusing jumble of videos, text and animations.

3. Designing Interaction and UX

It is only now that we are determining how visitors will interact with the content. Touch, gestures, movement and physical objects are not interchangeable effects. Each form of interaction has its own strengths and must be suited to the specific context of use.

Prototypes and early testing can help identify usability issues before the hardware and the room are finally built.

4. Select hardware and software

Displays, projectors, sensors and computers are selected on the basis of the concept.

In addition to the visible hardware, this includes bespoke software, interfaces, control systems and, where applicable, a content management system for interactive installations. This enables content to be updated centrally and displayed across different stations.

In the case of more complex projects, interior design, audiovisual technology, electrical planning and other trades must also be co-ordinated at an early stage.

5. Test under real-world conditions

An installation shouldn’t just work on paper.

Lighting conditions, ambient noise, visitor numbers, viewing angles, network conditions and actual usage have a significant impact on the effect.

That is why testing under conditions that are as realistic as possible is an important part of the project.

6. Take into account operation and further development

The project is not yet complete with the opening or the first day of the trade fair.

The following questions should be clarified as early as the planning stage: Who will update the content? How will technical problems be identified? What support is required?

A content management system (CMS) is particularly useful where content changes frequently or there are multiple locations. Temporary exhibition stands should also be designed to make transport, assembly and reuse as straightforward as possible.

How much does an interactive installation cost?

It is hardly possible to give a flat-rate price, as the scope and technical structure can vary considerably.

Key cost factors include:

• Size and spatial integration
• Display, projection and sensor technology
• custom software development
• UX and Interface Design
• Production of animations, videos and 3D content
• Content management and interfaces
• Design and structural integration
• Transport and assembly
• Maintenance, Monitoring and Support

An installation becomes particularly cost-effective when the hardware, software and content can be used over the long term or across multiple locations. A modular technical architecture and a dedicated content management system can significantly extend the system’s useful life.

Developing an interactive installation together

A successful interactive installation is the result of the interplay between space, content, design and technology.

Garamantis has been developing interactive media installations for trade fairs, museums, exhibitions, showrooms and corporate premises for many years. We support projects from the initial idea through to design, UX and bespoke software development, right through to hardware integration, installation, content management and technical operation.

You can find further examples in our portfolio of interactive installations.

Are you planning an interactive installation for a trade fair, exhibition or showroom? Let’s work together to see which type of interaction best suits your objectives, content and spatial requirements.

Discuss the project without obligation

Frequently asked questions about interactive installations

What is an interactive installation?

An interactive installation is a spatially embedded digital system that responds to inputs such as touch, movement, gestures or physical objects and provides users with immediate feedback.

What technologies are used in interactive installations?

Depending on the application, touchscreens, multi-touch tables, projections, cameras, LIDAR and motion sensors, RFID, object and gesture recognition, augmented reality, virtual reality or immersive media rooms are used.

Where are interactive installations used?

Typical venues include trade fairs and events, museums and exhibitions, corporate showrooms, company lobbies and points of sale.

How do you choose the right technology?

The starting points are the target audience, the communication objective, the space, the duration of use, visitor numbers and the desired form of interaction. The technology is then determined on the basis of these requirements.

What factors determine the costs?

The most important factors include space and integration, hardware, the degree of customisation, software, media production, logistics, as well as operation, maintenance and support.

Can content be updated at a later date?

Yes. A content management system allows you to manage and update text, images, videos, languages and other content centrally, without having to redevelop the actual application.

Can an interactive installation be used at several trade fairs or in several locations?

Yes. This is provided that modularity, transport, different room sizes, variable content and a standardised technical setup are taken into account right from the planning stage.

What makes an interactive installation accessible?

Key factors include clear language, sufficient contrast, accessible controls, clear visual and auditory feedback, and alternative ways of interacting. Testing with different user groups should form part of the development process.