Exhibition Hire at the National Conference Centre
The National Conference Centre gives exhibitors something valuable before the doors even open: a captive audience arriving for a defined event, conference or industry gathering. The next challenge is making sure some of that audience spends time with you.
Midlands Premier Events supplies exhibition hire for the National Conference Centre, with interactive games, arcade machines, photo experiences, promotional attractions and event catering that can help turn a static display into a busier, more sociable space.
Start With What You Want Visitors to Do
Before choosing an attraction, it helps to decide what success actually looks like.
Do you want more people approaching the stand? Longer conversations? A competition that gives attendees a reason to return? A giveaway mechanic? Or simply something enjoyable that makes your company easier to remember?
Different objectives suit different equipment, which is why our Exhibition Game & Snack Hire range includes everything from quick reaction challenges to food stations and arcade entertainment. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Scoreboards Can Change the Entire Mood of a Stand
One score is all it takes.
As soon as somebody records a time, a total or a personal best, the next visitor has something to beat. Colleagues challenge one another, spectators start watching and people who passed earlier may return later to see whether their result is still at the top.
Our Basketball Arcade Hire is ideal for this style of activity, while other reaction and skill-based games can be used to create equally simple exhibition competitions. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Retro Gaming Gives Visitors Permission to Stop
Trade events can involve hours of appointments, presentations and business conversations. A familiar arcade cabinet offers something completely different.
Our Retro Arcade Machine Hire, Guitar Hero Arcade Hire and Virtual Pinball Hire can create a casual gaming corner where delegates can switch out of conference mode for a few minutes. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
That relaxed pause can be particularly useful for exhibitors because conversations often begin more naturally when somebody has approached the stand for their own enjoyment.
Make Your Brand Part of the Fun
An exhibition activation works particularly well when entertainment and promotion aren't treated as two separate things.
Giveaways can be incorporated into games, challenges can be linked to campaign messaging and food displays can become branded hospitality points. Even something as straightforward as a Candy Claw Grabber can turn promotional items into something attendees have to play for rather than simply pick up.
The difference is participation. Visitors haven't merely seen your branding. They've done something while standing beside it.
Some Stands Need Hospitality More Than High Scores
Not every audience responds to flashing lights and competition. For some conferences, creating a comfortable stopping point is the better approach.
A refreshment station can give delegates somewhere to pause between sessions while simultaneously drawing attention towards your space. Midlands Premier Events can supply options ranging from Popcorn Machine Hire and Candy Floss Hire to Mocktail Bar Hire and Waffle Stick Hire. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Capture Something From the Day
Conference visitors take away brochures, business cards and tote bags. A photograph gives them something rather more personal.
Adding a Selfie Pod or choosing from our wider Photo Booth Hire collection can create an informal social point for delegates, teams and guests. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
This can be particularly effective when a daytime conference develops into an evening reception, dinner or awards programme.
Match the Attraction to the Footprint
Exhibition stands aren't infinitely expandable, and using the space well matters.
A compact booth may benefit from one high-impact attraction positioned near the front. A larger stand could have separate gaming, hospitality and meeting zones. Something positioned incorrectly can obstruct visitor flow, while the right product in the right place can encourage people to enter the stand rather than gather awkwardly in the aisle.
Our Exhibition Stand Hire Equipment is a useful starting point, and our team can work from your stand dimensions when discussing suitable options. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Close to the NEC, Ready for National Conference Centre Events
Midlands Premier Events has been established since 2010 and is based close to Birmingham's major exhibition district. We regularly provide entertainment and event equipment for corporate events, exhibitions, universities, weddings and major organisations throughout Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry and the wider Midlands. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Our previous client and event experience includes organisations and venues such as the NEC, BBC, Aston University, Oxford University, HSBC, Lloyds and major exhibition events, giving our team experience of the practical demands that come with professional event environments. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
What Could Your Stand Be Doing Differently?
Perhaps it needs a competition at the front. Maybe visitors need somewhere to sit, play or take a photograph. Perhaps the answer is simply the smell of fresh waffles drifting into the aisle.
There's no single formula for a successful exhibition stand, which is precisely why we offer such a broad selection of equipment.
Tell Midlands Premier Events about your exhibition at the National Conference Centre, your available space and the kind of visitors you're hoping to attract. We can help you create a setup designed around how you actually want people to interact with your stand.
FAQs About Exhibition Hire at the National Conference Centre
What exhibition games work well during short conference breaks?
When delegates only have a limited window between presentations, the best games are usually those that make sense immediately. Reaction and skill challenges such as Batak Hire or Catch the Stick allow somebody to walk up, play and record a result without committing much of their break. They are particularly useful when you expect sudden bursts of exhibition traffic as conference sessions finish.
We've only booked a modest stand at the National Conference Centre. Is a game still practical?
It can be. Exhibition entertainment doesn't have to mean filling the floor with equipment. For a smaller footprint, we'd concentrate on one appropriately sized attraction and think carefully about where people will stand while playing and watching. Tell us your stand dimensions and we'll help you identify options that leave enough room for staff, displays and conversations.
Could we run an industry leaderboard throughout our event?
Absolutely. This is a particularly good format when the same delegates will be circulating around the National Conference Centre throughout the day. Pick a score-based challenge, record each attempt and promote the current leader on your stand. Visitors who were beaten in the morning then have an excuse to come back for another attempt later.
It can be a straight highest-score contest, a company-versus-company challenge or something more specific to your campaign. A prize at the end is optional. Competitive pride often does plenty of the work.
What could we hire instead of another screen-based attraction?
If your exhibition already contains plenty of presentations, monitors and digital displays, something physical can provide useful contrast. A Giant Buzzwire, sporting challenge or reaction game gets delegates moving and gives spectators something to watch.
This approach can work especially well for engineering, manufacturing, recruitment, automotive and other business events where you want the activation to feel hands-on.
Can an exhibition game be used for collecting leads?
The game can form part of a wider lead-generation mechanic. For example, entrants could register for a competition before playing, with the organiser deciding what information is collected and how it is handled. You could then announce a winner later in the conference or contact them after the event, subject to your own data-protection and marketing arrangements.
The important distinction is that visitors have approached because there's something they actively want to participate in, rather than being stopped in an aisle for a sales pitch.
We're exhibiting for two days. How do we stop the attraction becoming repetitive?
Change the challenge rather than necessarily changing the equipment. Day one might be an individual highest-score contest. On day two, divide entrants into teams, departments or industry sectors and compare their combined results.
Another option is to introduce timed competition periods so that particular breaks become qualifying sessions. It gives you fresh material to talk about on the stand without requiring an entirely different setup for the second morning.
Can you create something more relaxed for a networking area?
Yes. Not every part of a conference needs another competition. A Shuffleboard game or Foosball table can suit an informal networking space where people have longer to chat, particularly around refreshments or an evening element of the event.
These games have a different job from a fast exhibition challenge: they're there to encourage shared activity and give conversations somewhere to begin.
Could Midlands Premier Events supply several exhibitors at the same National Conference Centre event?
Potentially, subject to availability and the requirements of each booking. Different stands don't need identical equipment either. One exhibitor might want a reaction challenge, another an arcade attraction and another a promotional prize game. If you're an event organiser coordinating several sponsors or exhibitors, speak to us about the wider event rather than treating every stand as an isolated booking.
What can we use for promotional merchandise and branded prizes?
Rather than covering a counter with giveaways, make the prize part of the activity. A Candy Claw Grabber creates a game around the giveaway itself and can work with suitable promotional items as well as treats.
That changes the dynamic considerably: winning the item becomes part of the visitor's interaction with your stand.
Can you provide refreshments alongside our exhibition entertainment?
Games are only one side of our exhibition range. If you're creating a hospitality area, take a look at our sweet treat hire and savoury event catering. A food station can serve a very different purpose from a game, giving delegates somewhere to pause while your team hosts customers, prospects or partners.
How early should we arrange equipment for a National Conference Centre exhibition?
Once your stand dimensions, event date and exhibitor requirements are confirmed, it's worth discussing equipment rather than leaving entertainment until the final stages of planning. That gives us a clearer opportunity to match the attraction to your available footprint and avoids basing the decision solely on whatever remains available close to the event.
If you already know the date and stand size, send Midlands Premier Events the details and let us know what you want the exhibition attraction to achieve.
Selected Exhibition Hire Products
Looking for ideas for your stand at the National Conference Centre? These are just a few of the interactive games, arcade attractions and exhibition activities available from Midlands Premier Events. Choose one feature for your stand or combine several products to create a larger games area.
 Batak Reaction Game Put reaction speeds to the test with a fast challenge that's ideal for exhibition competitions and high-score contests. |  Basketball Arcade A quick shooting challenge with an easy-to-understand scoring format for delegates, colleagues and customers. |  Retro Arcade Machine Add some old-school gaming to your exhibition space and let delegates see whether those arcade skills have survived. |  Giant Buzzwire Steady hands required. This instantly recognisable challenge is particularly suited to quick exhibition attempts. |
 Virtual Pinball A modern take on classic pinball that can be enjoyed casually or incorporated into a high-score competition. |  Electronic Darts Bring darts to the exhibition floor with electronic scoring that makes friendly delegate competitions simple to organise. |  Grab a Light A colourful speed and reaction test that lends itself to short turns when several delegates want to have a go. |  Branded Selfie Pod Break up the competitive games with a photo experience that can also become part of your exhibition branding. |
These are only a small selection of the possibilities. Explore our exhibition game and snack hire range for more ideas, or talk to Midlands Premier Events about your National Conference Centre exhibition and we can help you select equipment suited to your stand, audience and available space.