A recent survey of event industry professionals showed that many planners anticipate experiential learning—active participation through workshops, group problem-solving activities, and interactive content—to be the leading meeting trend in 2025.  When you consider that education is one of the driving reasons attendees participate in events, it’s no surprise that experiential learning continues to gain traction.  By making learning more hands-on, this approach transforms passive attendees into active participants and allows them to engage directly with your content—boosting retention, interaction, and overall event impact.  Research shows that this type of hands-on participation strengthens learning by making concepts more tangible and memorable.

Interactive or experiential graphics can enhance experiential learning and the attendee experience. Whether it’s a movable display, a writable surface, or a wayfinding system that adapts in real-time, incorporating visual and tactile elements into your workshops invites attendees to participate rather than just observe.  The best part?  Many of these solutions are versatile and reusable, making them a smart investment that can be used in multiple ways at the same event and across meetings throughout the year.  Below, we’ll explore some ideas on how to bring interactive graphics into your events to enhance experiential learning.  Let’s dive in!

Physical Engagement Signage
What better way to create engaging content than with some physical engagement? Interactive signage offers a simple yet effective way to boost participation. Picture attendees flipping panels, raising paddles, or spinning a wheel for a surprise—these hands-on tools encourage real-time interaction and keep your audience actively involved, whatever the content!

• Auction-style paddles -  Using a more structured approach, auction-style paddles can turn audience responses into an engaging, trackable experience.  Numbered paddles can be used for voting, answering quiz questions, or weighing in on discussion topics, making sessions feel more interactive and collaborative.
  
  
• Spin-to-Win Wheels and Flip Boards - Want to add an element of surprise?  Introduce a game-like experience that keeps attendees engaged and excited!  A spinning wheel can help randomly select discussion topics or quiz categories, while flip panels can reveal hidden challenges, fast facts, or prompts for small-group round tables or workshops.  These elements add an extra layer of excitement while reinforcing your meeting or breakout’s key learning objectives.
  
  
• Interchangeable content boards - For even more hands-on participation,  boards using magnetic, velcro, or adhesive decals as moveable pieces create an interactive experience that attendees can shape themselves.  Whether it’s building an idea bank with moveable word tiles, contributing to a group concept map, gamifying a team-building puzzle activity, or adding insights to a collaborative timeline, these elements invite continuous engagement and creativity. 
  
  
• Reveal Boards – Consider interactive reveal boards for a more targeted approach to your workshops.  Fun graphics like scratch-offs for prizes or conversation topics and signs with stackable, peel-away layers or lift-the-flap style elements that reveal deeper topics are a great way to engage your attendees and build a little anticipation at the same time!  These types of graphics are perfect for guiding attendees to predetermined content while keeping still keeping them immersed and involved.
  
  
• Gamification Graphics – Gamification was another trend that is poised to see growth in the 2025 event year.  Drive a little healthy competition while making learning more interactive with fun graphics like scavenger hunt maps that guide attendees through key experiences or sponsor booths, trivia or bingo cards that challenge participants to track industry trends or event content, and sticker or stamp passports attendees can collect from each other or areas of interest at your meeting space for great networking facilitation that encourages exploration.
  
  

No matter the format, interactive signage turns passive audiences into active participants, making sessions more engaging, memorable, and fun!

Writable and Reusable Signage
Sometimes, giving your attendees control is the best way to encourage engagement!  Writable signage transforms passive learning into collaborative, hands-on interaction, giving participants a space to brainstorm, share ideas, and contribute in real-time.

• Dry-erase signs -  Using the application of dry-erase-erase laminate, you can turn virtually any surface into an interactive graphic.  Used in conjunction with removable decals, you can turn your existing easel signs, walls, and even the venue’s tables into an interactive value add.  Attendees can jot down key takeaways, map out strategies, or collaborate on problem-solving exercises, making this a perfect tool for workshops, breakout sessions, and team challenges.  The ability to erase and rewrite allows for ongoing discussion and idea refinement—no wasted materials, just evolving insights!
  
  
• Dry-Erase Paddles - Blending writable surfaces with the physical engagement of our first section, paddles outfitted with dry-erase laminate are a great way to spark discussion, gauge audience sentiment, and let your attendees flex those creative muscles.  From simple "Agree/Disagree" paddles for quick opinion checks to write-on boards for attendees to jot down thoughts before holding them up, these tools create a dynamic, visual way to encourage participation that can even help curate your content to align more with what guests are actually interested in.
  
  
• Tabletop Engagement – Transform both your break time and breakout sessions into interactive learning moments with printed placemats or tabletop decals and wraps that feature engaging data, quizzes, and diagrams to build onto your content or even just simple puzzles and games that attendees can enjoy with a morning coffee.  These types of graphics encourage conversation, spark curiosity, and provide a hands-on way to absorb information during discussions and group activities or idle time.
  
  

With writable signage, you’re not just displaying information, you’re creating a living, evolving conversation that makes learning more engaging and interactive.  This means a more memorable workshop experience and, by extension, a more memorable event!  

Live Polls and Feedback Walls
Want to make your audience feel truly heard?  Real-time engagement tools like live polls, feedback walls, and user-generated content displays are a great way to create an interactive dialogue between attendees, speakers, and event organizers and allow your audience to help curate the type of material covered in your event’s experiential learning offerings.

• Real-Time Polls - Encourage audience participation by posing live questions during sessions, sparking discussion, and gathering instant feedback via your event app to broadcast to digital signage or good, old-fashioned Sharpies on a decal graffiti wall.  Displaying results in real time helps attendees see their input reflected in the event’s direction, making sessions feel more interactive and tailored to their interests.  Plus, the insights gathered from these polls provide valuable analytics to help you better understand attendee engagement on a deeper level and fine-tune content for future events.
  
  

• Feedback Walls - Feedback walls bring audience responses to life by displaying live comments, reactions, and insights.  Whether through a tweet wall, hashtag board, or open response display, these interactive elements foster a sense of community and keep conversations flowing.  While digital signage makes these types of interactive displays more streamlined, the same kind of graphic can be replicated utilizing the writable options we discussed earlier.  Encourage guests to share their thoughts and feedback by physically writing on a large-scale decal or fabric display.  The best part of these analog-type options is that they make for a colorful and unique backdrop to on-site photo ops as well as a space for attendees to connect, share ideas, and see their voices amplified.
  
  

Integrating polling and real-time feedback tools allows you to transform your on-site education into an ongoing conversation where attendees feel valued, engaged, and involved in the experience.

Large-Format Interactive Graphics
Sometimes, making a big impact requires big branding.  Large-scale displays and installations can not only help boost your brand’s visibility but can actually work to transform your event space into a hands-on learning environment.  

• Walkable Learning Paths - Guide attendees through a step-by-step journey with floor graphics designed to tell a story, present a problem-solving process, or reveal key insights as they move from one point to the next.  Whether used for educational workshops, brand storytelling, or interactive challenges, these paths make learning tangible and engaging, both physically and mentally!
  
  

• Step-by-Step Diagrams -  Similar to walkable learning paths, using large-scale displays to create step-by-step diagrams can easily convey complex ideas on a big scale.  Use wall and floor decals or AV projections to create visual breakdowns like flowcharts and exploded views for topics such as a product lifecycle, supply cycle ecosystems, customer journey, or innovation pipelines.  These displays can also be hands-on, allowing users to interact with, rearrange, or annotate key steps for more engagement and a deeper understanding!
  
  

• Interactive Backdrops -  In the age of social media, backdrops for photo ops are a must-have at any event. Why not add an interactive element to these graphic staples?  Incorporate fill-in-the-blank message boards where attendees can contribute their own insights or create “Before & After” walls where participants share thoughts on a topic at the start and end of a session.  This attendee-driven content makes for memorable photo moments to boost branding on social media while simultaneously reinforcing key takeaways from your content.

Large-format interactive graphics transform passive spaces into active experiences, making learning and networking more immersive while giving your attendees something shareable on their own social media platforms.

Interactive Tech
Interactive graphics aren’t limited to physical engagement, and digital enhancements can take on-site learning even further.  By incorporating interactive digital elements or integrating tech-compatible solutions like QR codes into your physical signage, you can transform standard event signage into a content-rich experience that keeps attendees engaged beyond what’s printed on a sign.

• Digital signage -  Digital signage creates dynamic, real-time engagement by displaying interactive content, live polls, and Q&A sessions, making experiential learning more immersive.  Easily update screens with tailored information, breakout session details, or speaker insights to keep attendees informed and engaged.  These signs are particularly helpful when it comes to the live feedback we discussed earlier, but can also help streamline gamification efforts or match attendees with meaningful networking opportunities or content relevant to their individual interests.
  
  
• Virtual and Augmented Reality - VR has quickly gone from a fun on-site novelty to a powerful marketing and education tool at many events.  Creating areas where attendees can plug into the metaverse via VR headsets can be a memorable and immersive way to engage in video tutorials and live demos or attend virtual classes with participants from around the world (making this a great way to engage your virtual attendees as well).   Alternatively, you or your sponsors can create interactive booths that incorporate scannable product displays where, by using augmented reality integrations, attendees can pull up informative and fun demos on their phones with a quick and simple scan.  Pair this with live audience polling that updates in real-time or a tweet wall showcasing event hashtags and attendee engagement, and you create a truly connected, participatory learning environment.
  
  
• QR codes - Using scannable QR codes to enhance your event graphics lets attendees unlock bonus content at key locations throughout your event.  Whether linking to videos, surveys, gamifying existing content, or providing access to extended reading materials, QR codes create interactive learning moments that encourage deeper exploration.  Be sure to check out our QR code blog for some creative tips and tricks to help get you started using this simple tech integration!
  
  

By blending physical and digital engagement, augmented learning tools extend the reach of your event signage, increase interaction, and keep attendees engaged long after the session ends.

Elevate Your Education
Simplicity and engagement are the two most significant factors in effective interactive signage for elevating education at an event.  And it’s not just education that can benefit from this type of immersion either!  In fact, we have an entire blog dedicated to exploring how using decals to overhaul your venue or meeting space can bring your event to life and make it more engaging and memorable for your attendees.  Whether it's your decor or your content, ensure your graphics are accessible and easy to use, encourage participation with gamification or incentives, and just generally cultivate an atmosphere that aligns with your event’s goals.  Don’t forget to track engagement through surveys, observations, or digital tools either, as this feedback can provide valuable insights to refine future events.

At its core, interactive signage transforms passive attendees into active participants, making learning more dynamic, memorable, and fun.  Whether through flip boards, writable surfaces, or digital enhancements, incorporating hands-on engagement tools can help your participants get more out of your event’s education content, retain more information, and just generally elevate the attendee experience.  Ready to make your event more interactive?  Contact us with your event’s goals, and let us get “hands-on” in creating custom signage solutions to bring your meeting’s experiential learning to life!