4/23/2025
One huge determinant to a successful event are your exhibitors. Whova supports a wide range of events—from academic research conferences and industry trade shows to career fairs, nonprofit summits, community events, and government summits. And just like the events themselves, the goals of their exhibitors vary widely. Some exhibitors aim to generate business leads, while others such as business schools or colleges, may aim to attract students to their programs. Ensuring the exhibitor experience supports these different objectives makes events more appealing to exhibitors.
Here at Whova, we recognize the need for providing your exhibitors with the tools they need to succeed so you can draw in and maintain a steady stream of exhibitors. Whova has been at the forefront of helping organizers attract and manage their exhibitors with our Exhibitor Registration, Exhibitor Passport Contest, and Exhibitor Booth Selection.
With our new enhancement, exhibitors now have more flexibility than ever to customize their digital booth format in Whova to align with their specific goals—whether that’s raising awareness for a cause, seeking donations, attracting job applicants, or encouraging newsletter sign-ups.
The customization options include changing the call to action button name, changing giveaway options, and changing the title for the video sections of their profiles. With these customization options, exhibitors can tailor their profiles to match their organizations’ unique goals and reasoning for attending the event.
Now, let’s dive into the new customization options for exhibitors with diverse goals beyond product sales!
What Can Be Customized?
Exhibitors now have more control than ever over how they present themselves in their virtual booths. These new customization options allow them to better align their messaging with their specific goals, whether that’s increasing email list subscribers, growing their audience, or raising awareness.
Here’s what they can now customize:
“Deals and Offers” Field
This is the main call-to-action button on an exhibitor’s booth. But, not all exhibitors are selling something. Some want newsletter signups, others are recruiting, and many are promoting a cause or program. Now, exhibitors can rename this button to fit their own goals. For example, they can change “Deals and Offers” to “Subscribe,” “Apply Now,” or “Join Us.” This ensures the call-to-action is relevant and encourages more engagement.
“Swag” Giveaway Option
Giveaways are a popular way for exhibitors to create a memorable connection with attendees. Previously, Whova offered options for raffles, giveaways, and coupons. The new “Swag” option makes it easier for exhibitors to highlight branded merchandise like tote bags, water bottles, t-shirts, or other promo items.
Description of Informational Videos
Videos are a powerful storytelling tool, especially for exhibitors with goals beyond selling a product. For example, recruiters can use video to showcase company culture and nonprofits can share their mission in action. With this new feature, exhibitors can now replace the generic video label with a custom description, such as “Program Video,” “Our Mission,” “Career Opportunities,” or “Watch Our Story.”
Let’s dive into each of these changes in more detail and show you how they can be used to enhance exhibitor booth profiles.
Rename the “Deals and Offers” Call-to-Action
Many event organizers host a wide variety of exhibitors outside of those trying to sell a product. For example, organizers might host nonprofits promoting their mission or recruiting teams trying to hire new people. These exhibitors know what they need best, and now, you can give them the flexibility to reach their audience more effectively.
With this update, exhibitors can customize the call-to-action button in their booth — changing the label from “Deals and Offers” to something that aligns with their goals, such as:
- Subscribe
- Apply Now
- Join Our Cause
- Learn More
Previously, this customization was only available at the organizer level and any change applied to all exhibitor booths. Now, you can enable the option for exhibitors to rename this field individually, giving them more control while keeping the overall experience organized and professional.
This small change can make a big impact. When exhibitors can tailor their booth to match their goals, they’re more likely to engage attendees meaningfully and walk away from the event obtaining success. That satisfaction and ROI brings them back year after year, and that’s a win for both you and your event. The renaming option is on by default, but can be turned off in the advanced settings of the exhibitor settings if needed.
Allow exhibitors to showcase their unique goals by renaming the deals and offers button.
New Giveaway “Swag” Option
Giveaways are a great way to make exhibitor booths more memorable for attendees, especially when those giveaway items are something people can wear, carry, or keep.
In addition to raffles, coupons, and general giveaways, Whova now offers a dedicated “Swag” option, which is perfect for:
- Branded backpacks
- Tote bags
- Water bottles
- T-shirts and hoodies
- And more
This new option helps exhibitors stand out, and when attendees walk away with branded items, they carry that positive memory of the event with them (literally).
Unlike the customizable “Deals and Offers” field, this “Swag” giveaway option has been added directly to the Whova platform for Exhibitor use with no setup required.
The new “swag” giveaway option allows exhibitors to promote branded items.
Change Description of Informational Video
Video is one of the most engaging elements of any virtual booth. It’s a chance for exhibitors to tell their story — whether that’s promoting a cause, introducing a product, or showcasing company culture.
Previously, Whova labeled all booth videos as “Product,” “Program,” or “Company Video.” Now, exhibitors can enter their own custom label (up to 20 characters) to better reflect their message. Some examples:
- Our Mission for nonprofits
- Career Opportunities for recruiters
- What We Do for service providers
- Introduction to Our Program for universities
This small change makes the video feel more relevant and aligned with the exhibitor’s goals, which encourages more views and more meaningful engagement from attendees.
For organizers, this means exhibitors are more likely to fully utilize their digital profile, resulting in a richer and more dynamic exhibitor presence at your event.
Exhibitors can specify their type of video to showcase their unique goals.
Tailoring Exhibitor Profiles to Fit Exhibitor Goals
Every exhibitor wants to create an experience that aligns with their company’s mission and goals. With these changes, including more flexible calls to action, customized swag options, and more specific info for company videos, you as an organizer, are sure to create an event that exhibitors will want to attend year after year.
As an organizer, that means stronger exhibitor satisfaction and long-term retention, all without adding more work to your plate.
Explore how custom exhibitor profiles boost exhibitor engagement today!