Trade shows
How to Use Web AR at a Trade Show Booth With No App Download
Web AR at a trade show booth runs from a QR code in the phone browser, so attendees see the machine at true scale with no app download.
Mainstay Digital · · 5 min read
Short answer
Web AR at a trade show booth works through a QR code that opens the machine in a phone browser, at true scale, with no app download. The attendee scans, the page loads, and the machine appears in their own space. Mainstay Digital built it for Yaskawa's PL-Series robot, and Yaskawa saw 66% higher engagement than traditional methods.
Trade show attendees give a booth 5 to 15 minutes. A machine that doesn't fit in the booth still has to make its case in that window, and Web AR at a trade show booth does it from the phone in each attendee's pocket. The booth needs a QR code and a rep who knows what to say after the scan.
How do you use Web AR at a trade show booth with no app download?
5 moments make up the whole setup.
| Moment | What happens | What you set up |
|---|---|---|
| Before the show | Mainstay builds the Web AR from your STEP file, with a published turnaround of 3 to 4 weeks plus your review time | The STEP file and answers to 3 to 7 intake questions |
| At the booth | An attendee scans the QR code and the experience opens in the phone browser | A QR code at the booth, and an AR QR business card for each rep (Basic and up) |
| On the phone | The machine stands at true scale in the attendee's own space | Nothing; no app is involved |
| In the conversation | The rep talks while the attendee explores | A rep who has opened it on their own phone first |
| After the show | The same link goes out by email, and AR analytics are there to review | A follow-up email and a look at the analytics |
What makes a phone browser the right door for trade show attendees?
The browser is already on the phone. An install step would spend part of that 5 to 15 minute window before the machine appears.
The Web AR deliverable is built around 4 properties: browser AR, QR entry, true scale, and no install. The experience runs in the phone's own browser.
What does the attendee see first?
A full-size machine in their own space, at true scale. For Yaskawa, that was the PL-Series robot at full scale on attendees' own phones, and they explored it interactively.
MES Fire's RevolveAir fill station is trailer-sized, so prospects walk around it from a phone without a shipment.
Where does the QR code go, and what does the rep say?
A QR code into the experience can ride on 3 surfaces:
- The booth itself, where attendees are already looking.
- Each rep's AR QR business card, included from Basic up.
- The pre-show email to the people you hope will stop by.
Size, placement, and floor connectivity vary by show and booth, so they're your call. Open the link on your own phone from the booth space before doors open.
A rep who says "scan this and walk around it" is running the demo. Then the rep talks while the attendee explores, and answers the questions the machine raises.
How does a rep follow up after the scan?
Send the same link in an email while the conversation is fresh. MES Fire's prospects open the station from a QR code on a card, at an event, or in an email, so the same experience reaches them in all 3 places.
The link also travels past the floor. Mainstay built Yaskawa's Web AR to carry a robot conversation from the floor to the boardroom, and it put the demonstration in front of C-suite buyers who never walked the trade show floor.
For a wider look at remote use, read The Complete Guide to Remote Equipment Evaluation.
What do AR analytics show after the show?
AR analytics come with every Mainstay One plan, Basic included, so a team can review how buyers engaged once the show is over.
For reference, here's what the 2 Web AR case studies report. MES Fire: a 7+ minute average session, 3.15 views per user, 5 countries reached, 100+ cities engaged, and shipping costs eliminated. Yaskawa: 66% higher engagement than traditional methods, 30% better lead quality, and a 5:1 return on investment.
Both results came from real projects, and yours will vary with the machine and the show. Lead quality and return on investment come from your own sales numbers, so track them next to the analytics.
Frequently asked questions
Do trade show attendees need to install an app to open Web AR?
No. Web AR runs in a phone browser, and the attendee enters it by scanning a QR code. Most of the return on this work is web based: renders, interactive 3D on your site, and Web AR with no app.
Can attendees who never visit the booth still open it?
Yes. The link works from an email or a QR code on a card, so a prospect anywhere can open it. MES Fire reported engagement across 5 countries and 100+ cities.
How long does it take to build Web AR before a show?
Web AR takes 3 to 4 weeks. Your review time moves that date, so count the top of the range, and plan the rest of the schedule around it. On Basic and Immersive, it also waits behind any order already in production.
Do AR analytics and QR business cards cost extra?
AR analytics come with every plan. AR QR business cards come with Basic and up. Basic is $2,995 a month plus a one-time $2,500 onboarding fee, and the pricing section lists every plan.
Do attendees need a headset to see the machine in AR?
No. Web AR shows the machine on the attendee's own phone, in the browser, at true scale. A buyer who won't put on a headset can still walk around the machine in the aisle.
