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The days of in-booth demos and glassy-eyed product presentations are quickly going the way of the fax machine. In their place are trade show programs that are heavy on pre-show promotion, in-booth technology and laser-focused lead qualification strategies. Maybe the biggest shift changing the face of the trade show landscape is the consumer-generated experience. No longer are your prospects and customers content to merely pass by and act as receptacles of information.

Courvoisier is using an Augmented Reality app-based photo activation to drive viral buzz for the launch of the newest addition to its line of cognacs, C by Courvoisier, at clubs, bars and restaurants in seven markets. On-site, brand ambassadors approach consumers with iPads to demonstrate how the app works and encourage them to download it. Then they snap the consumer’s picture using the app, which adds all sorts of fun elements to the photo, such as branded hats or an image of NBA star Shaquille O’Neal who partnered with the brand for the campaign.

The American Dietetic Association’s annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, which gathers more than 8,000 registered dietitians, nutrition science researchers, policy-makers and healthcare providers, is a big deal for Nestlé.

A trade show typically is a launch pad for new products. Attendees troll the show floor seeking the latest and greatest, and exhibitors gladly oblige with displays, interactive exhibits and eye-catching graphics that tout their products’ features and benefits. But a trade show also can be a platform to unveil a marketing campaign that will endure long after the booth is packed up and the attendees go back home. The campaign may live on in the form of a contest, a website or a social community that continues to engage the target audience.