Trade Show Booth Activation That Draws a Crowd and Keeps It
A trade show booth activation has one job: get people to stop. A beautiful, staffed beauty bar does that better than a bowl of pens. Attendees see the glow of glass bottles and color, step off the aisle, and stay long enough for your team to have a real conversation.
Then they carry a branded perfume, lip color, or candy box back to their hotel and office. Glitters & Grace brings booth-ready bars to convention floors across Chicagoland, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis, including McCormick Place.
- Trained perfumer & formulator
- Fully staffed & insured
- Chicagoland · Milwaukee · Indianapolis
- Proposals in 2 business days
Why a beauty bar makes a great trade show booth activation
An activation is a hands-on experience that lets people interact with your brand instead of walking past it. The measure that matters at a booth is dwell time, which simply means how long a visitor stays. A guided bar, in particular, adds minutes to every visit.
In addition, the line itself is marketing. After all, a small crowd around a pretty bar draws more people over. Meanwhile, your sales team can greet each guest, scan badges, and talk while the host does the making.
Trade show booth activation options
Signature Perfume Bar
Guests choose from up to 12 signature scents, with no blending step. It serves 85 to 100 guests an hour, so it handles busy show hours. See our corporate perfume bar.
Lip Lab
Guests mix a custom lip gloss or lip cream, and we can match a shade to your brand color. With two or three hosts, it serves about 100 guests over three hours. See our corporate lip gloss bar.
Luxury Candy Bar
Our fastest station, styled in your colors with branded boxes. It is ideal for very high traffic. See our corporate candy bar.
Custom brand scent
For a launch, our founder can create an original fragrance for your campaign. Guests then take home your brand's own scent. It begins with a fragrance consultation.
Your logo on every take-home
Bottles, tubes, and boxes carry our label as standard, or yours with your logo, booth number, or campaign line. Custom labels are ordered at booking and printed in advance, so allow about four weeks. We also brand station signage to match your booth.
Convention logistics, handled
Show floors have rules, so we work within them.
Certificate of insurance
We provide a COI, the proof of liability coverage show managers require, naming the venue and show.
Union labor
We coordinate where union rules govern setup or electrical at convention venues.
Dock and move-in times
We schedule our move-in window and arrive before the floor opens.
Small footprint
A station needs about 12 x 6 feet. Several stations run without power.
Full-day staffing
We staff from a 90-minute reception to full show days.
Made by a trained perfumer
Cheryl Gleason, our founder, is a trained perfumer and a cosmetic and skincare formulator. Our perfumes, cosmetics and skincare are formulated and hand crafted in our New Lenox, IL lab. When attendees ask what is in the bottle, our trained hosts and estheticians can answer.
Where we activate
- Trade shows and expos, including McCormick Place in Chicago
- Conferences in Schaumburg, Rosemont, and Oak Brook
- Downtown Indianapolis conventions and Milwaukee conferences
- Sponsor tables at women's leadership conferences
- Product launches and showroom events
Pricing
Every booth activation is quoted per event, so you pay only for what your event needs. Your quote reflects show days, hours, staffing, the bar you choose, and custom labels. Then we reply with an itemized proposal within two business days.
Trade show booth activation FAQs
How much space do you need inside our booth?
About 12 x 6 feet for one station, and often less for the Signature Perfume Bar. Send us your booth layout, and we will fit the bar to it.
Can you staff a multi-day show?
Yes. We also staff full show days and multi-day events.
Can attendees with sensitivities take part?
Yes. Guests can choose a bottle without applying anything to their skin. Ingredient and allergen disclosures are on our allergens and safety page.
Do you travel outside your three markets?
Yes, for larger activations. Travel is then quoted transparently in your proposal.
Let's plan your booth activation
Tell us the show, dates, booth size, and expected traffic. Then we will recommend the right bar and send an itemized proposal.
perfume@glittersandgrace.com · 815-418-6740
See every corporate experience.
With Grace,
Cheryl Gleason · Owner, Perfumer & Creative Director