DERSE EXHIBITORLIVE 2025

Award-winning campaign leaves lasting impression and drove measurable results

Client

Derse

Solution

Industry

Experiential Marketing

Project Brief

Event marketers today are under constant pressure to evolve their trade show and event programs, driving stronger engagement, efficiency, and results with fewer resources.

Budgetary pressures, scalability and flexibility demands, the need to prove value and ROI, limited resources, and the push for ongoing engagement and creativity often collide, leaving teams searching for the right remedy to move forward.

That’s where Derse comes in. By listening first and clearly identifying insights, Derse brings clarity to complex programs and delivers relief through the right blend of strategy, creativity, and execution.

Purposeful Creative

Customer Experience

Program Management

At EXHIBITORLIVE, the premier educational conference for trade show and event marketers, Derse introduced The Derse Apothecary – What’s Your Remedy? This theme unified all touch points, while inviting attendees to diagnose their challenges and discover personalized remedies that turn pressure points into opportunities.

PRE-SHOW

Derse’s pre-show marketing campaign built intrigue by hinting at the Apothecary theme and encouraging attendees to reflect on the challenges within their trade show and event programs ahead of the show. A mix of thought-leadership blog content, social media teasers across LinkedIn and Instagram, targeted email messaging, and a dedicated landing page reinforced Derse’s relevance, highlighted five common pain points, and invited attendees to discover their personalized remedy and schedule meetings once the show opened.

EXHIBIT

Derse transformed a 20’ x 40’ footprint into an immersive Apothecary-inspired environment, balancing storytelling and function to create a space that was both visually compelling and approachable.

Purposeful architecture guided visitors through distinct zones, reflecting the diagnostic, solution-driven nature of the Apothecary concept.

Key design elements included:

derse trade show exhibitorlive architecture

An 18-foot-tall architectural structure inspired by traditional storefronts, creating a commanding visual presence on the show floor

derse trade show exhibitorlive big metal

Derse’s proprietary 6” x 6’ modular metal frame system, eliminating the need for overhead rigging, reducing material handling and labor, and saving $40,000 in rigging costs alone

derse exhibitorlive trade show LED apothecary

Two 10’ tall by 5’ wide LED tile video walls along the main aisle, depicting storefront windows and establishing an inviting entryway

Interactive kiosks and clearly defined engagement zones that encouraged exploration without overwhelming visitors

Carefully selected furniture, décor, and thematic props that reinforced the Apothecary theme

ENGAGEMENT

Each attendee’s experience began with a diagnostic “intake” conversation led by an aisle engager using Derse iQ lead capture to uncover their event challenges and needs.

Attendees were then escorted to the storytelling area to meet with a Derse Alchemist, wearing apothecary-style aprons, who connected those challenges to Derse’s strategic capabilities, or remedies. A personalized prescription pad ensured a seamless handoff and guided tailored conversations.

Each diagnosis aligned with one of five predetermined pain points, guiding the conversation to relevant case studies, demonstrating how
Derse has solved similar challenges for other clients.

The experience concluded at the dispensary counter, where attendees received their personalized remedy.

IN-BOOTH GIVEAWAY

To extend the experience beyond the booth, Derse created a premium, multi-sensory giveaway that reinforced the Apothecary theme. Attendees received a branded gift box and bag featuring a remedy rollerball essential oil blend, luxury soap, and premium tea, while booth staff applied a sample of the oil during the interaction, creating a lasting sensory connection to the Derse brand.

CLIENT EVENT

Derse extended the Apothecary theme beyond the show floor with a client appreciation event at Carriqui, creating a relaxed setting for connection and conversation. Guests enjoyed a custom “remedy” cocktail and a Texas-inspired menu of regional favorites.

POST-SHOW

Following ExhibitorLIVE, Derse continued the Apothecary experience with a targeted post-show nurture campaign to stay top of mind. Attendees received a physical mailer featuring a custom deck of tarot cards offering trade show remedies aligned with the pain points discussed in the booth. Additional follow-up included personalized outreach, post-show blogs, targeted emails, hand-written letters, and sponsored LinkedIn and display ads.

THE RESULTS

Derse’s efforts and comprehensive campaign led to the following results:

Achieved 66 sales-qualified and 75 marketing-qualified leads, exceeding projections
Captured 24% audience share based on audited post-show attendance
Generated 14 new opportunities, exceeding projection