In short: choose two or three goals for the event, write exhibitor missions that lead to a useful conversation, keep every task free of any requirement to share personal details, and test the game on-site before launch. TurfHunt games are created in the Locatify Builder and published to the TurfHunt mobile app, in location-based or virtual formats.
A conference can bring hundreds of interesting people and useful ideas under one roof, yet attendees often leave having spoken to the colleagues they already knew. The exhibition hall is busy, the program is packed, and even someone eager to meet exhibitors may struggle to decide which booth to visit first. A conference scavenger hunt gives attendees a reason to explore with a little more curiosity. Done thoughtfully, it helps them discover unfamiliar work, ask better questions, and make connections without turning the day into an obstacle course.
The difference lies in the design. A hunt that asks people to collect random photos or rush from sponsor to sponsor can easily become one more task competing for their attention. A useful conference game starts with the event’s purpose, respects the rhythm of the program, and gives exhibitors clear roles. The challenges should feel connected to what people came to learn. Participants should also be able to join without surrendering contact details, interrupting a session, or navigating an inaccessible route simply to earn points.
Start with a reason to play
Before opening a game builder, decide what would make the conference easier or more rewarding to experience. The answer might be to help first-time visitors find their way around the venue, introduce attendees to specialists outside their usual professional circle, or encourage conversations at smaller exhibitor booths. Those are different objectives and lead to different missions. A navigation activity might ask attendees to discover a demonstration area and locate the information desk; a networking activity needs an actual question worth discussing with another person.
Choose two or three priorities and keep them visible as the missions take shape. For example, a professional association running a one-day industry event might want newcomers to meet peers, discover emerging suppliers, and explore one session track they would otherwise overlook. An exhibitor mission could then ask a participant to identify the practical problem a product solves, rather than merely scan a booth sign. An orientation task could introduce a quieter seating area or accessibility service without making visitors queue at the help desk.
It is worth agreeing early on what success can realistically mean. You may be able to assess participation, completed missions, or whether visitors discovered parts of the exhibition they had missed. None of those measures proves that a conversation became a sales opportunity or that relationships improved after the event. If those outcomes matter, they need their own follow-up questions and a sensible method of collecting feedback. The game should support the event’s goals, not be burdened with claims it cannot verify. Our team building scavenger hunt guide offers a broader introduction to challenge design and collaboration.
Choose an experience that fits the building and the audience
Some scavenger hunts depend on visiting physical points, while others make more sense when people can open a challenge wherever they happen to be. The distinction is particularly important at an indoor conference. Tall buildings, exhibition structures, and crowded halls make assumptions about outdoor GPS activation risky; meanwhile, delegates may be attending a session, using a mobility aid, or joining remotely. A sensible design considers the action required to complete each task before it decides how the app should trigger it.
Games for TurfHunt are created in the Locatify Builder and published to the TurfHunt mobile app. For a one-off indoor event, participants can activate stations by scanning a QR code or entering a four-digit code on the app’s number pad. A virtual game is another option: participants open challenges manually without relying on GPS. Locatify also offers real-time locating system (RTLS) solutions, including Bluetooth beacons and ultra-wideband (UWB), for projects with the necessary hardware and setup. These advanced options should be assessed separately from a temporary conference game. Whatever the format, organizers should follow Locatify’s mobile testing guidance, try it on a real device, and verify the published version at the venue before inviting attendees.
Make room for people who cannot visit every stop
The ability to play from anywhere can be useful for a remote attendee answering a question about a published exhibitor resource, or for someone on-site who cannot reach a particular part of the venue. It does not make a face-to-face networking task remotely accessible by itself. If a mission requires a conversation with booth staff, arrange a remote alternative, such as a scheduled online exchange or a short recorded demonstration followed by a question. The alternative should deliver something comparable to the original task, not simply award points for skipping it.
The same principle applies to photographs and multimedia. A participant should not be required to photograph another person, perform for a camera, or share personal details to finish a professional learning activity. A written reflection, observation question, or short quiz may achieve the same purpose with less friction. Decide which activities genuinely require physical attendance, identify those that can be completed in the virtual format, and make the distinction clear in the event instructions. Testing these variations is part of accessibility planning, not an optional final polish.
Give exhibitors missions worth answering
Exhibitor engagement works when the mission leads to a useful exchange. Imagine a cybersecurity conference where a booth is demonstrating a monitoring dashboard. Asking players to photograph the company logo tells them little; asking which type of alert deserves a human review gives the exhibitor a natural opening to explain a real decision. The player can then complete a multiple-choice or short-answer challenge based on what they learned. A good question does not require a sales pitch, and it should still be answerable when the booth is busy.
At another booth, participants could compare two ways of approaching the same industry problem. A sustainability event might invite visitors to notice one difference in how two exhibitors describe lifecycle impacts. A conference for healthcare technology could ask what each solution expects from the user at the point of adoption. These examples work best when the participating exhibitors have approved the wording, the answer is reasonably clear, and nobody is being asked to make a misleading ranking between competitors. Consider how much time the exchange takes and whether staff could repeat it comfortably throughout the day.
Networking challenges need similar care. Rather than telling participants to “meet three new people,” invite them to ask one peer from a different role what problem they would most like to solve this year. A brief anonymous takeaway is enough to mark the challenge complete. Another task might direct visitors to a poster session and ask them to record a question they would put to its presenter. These prompts leave room for genuine conversation, including a polite decision not to participate. They also avoid turning a professional interaction into forced contact collection.
Plan around sessions, queues, and accessible routes
Walk the exhibition floor with the conference schedule in hand. Mark major sessions, demonstration times, registration desks, quiet spaces, elevators, accessible entrances, and the corners where crowds tend to gather. Then look at your proposed missions as a visitor would. If three tasks send everyone through the same narrow aisle just after a keynote, spreading the pins across a map will not fix the queue. A less prominent exhibitor might actually make a better stop if there is room for a brief conversation and the mission supports the event’s objective.
Keep the playing window generous enough for attendees to fit tasks between other commitments. A few meaningful challenges available across the day are often better suited to a conference than a timed sprint. Where possible, let participants complete independent missions in a flexible order. Tell them which stations are open during particular sessions and which tasks can be completed using published materials. A route should also have a reasonable alternative if an exhibitor is temporarily absent or a space becomes unavailable.
A floor plan cannot tell you everything. Check the route at walking pace, including entrances, ramps, elevator wait times, and areas where people stop to read signs. Ask someone unfamiliar with the venue to follow the instructions; they will notice ambiguities that the planning team overlooks. If a challenge depends on an exhibitor’s attention, test how it works when two visitors arrive at once. This kind of rehearsal prevents far more frustration than adding another prize to the leaderboard.
Example: five missions for a professional conference
Consider a fictional technology conference with an exhibit hall, a demonstration area, and two themed presentation spaces. The organizer wants delegates to find practical information and make a few worthwhile connections, so the game contains five short missions rather than a long series of checkpoints. Each mission has an alternative route or way to complete it when a location is unavailable. The following example is a planning model, not a description of a TurfHunt customer event.
| Mission | What the attendee does | What the organizer prepares |
|---|---|---|
| Getting oriented | Finds the information area and identifies where to request assistance | Clear signage and an answer that does not require a queue |
| An exhibitor insight | Asks a participating exhibitor what problem a demonstration addresses | An agreed question, answer, and brief staff instructions |
| Comparing approaches | Visits a second demonstration and notes one practical difference | A neutral prompt that does not force a ranking |
| A professional perspective | Asks a peer from another discipline for a practical insight | An optional written takeaway without names or photos |
| Taking something home | Notes an idea or question worth following up after the event | A short reflection that can also be completed remotely |
The schedule should allow visitors to fit these encounters around the conference itself. For events with many teams, our large corporate scavenger hunt planning guide covers route capacity, staggered starts and realistic timing. A participant might complete one mission during a morning break, two during an exhibition period, and the final reflections while waiting for the closing session. Avoid announcing a universal completion time before testing the route: a five-minute conversation at one stand and a fifteen-minute wait at another can change the experience considerably. During a pilot, time each mission and account for travel, queues, language needs, and moments when someone simply wants to listen rather than compete.
Prepare people before you publish the game
Participating exhibitors need a short, practical briefing, preferably before the event day. Explain the purpose of the activity, show their exact mission, identify who can answer it, and agree on what happens if the booth is busy. A small sign may help participants recognize the right stand, but it should complement—not replace—clear in-app instructions. Give exhibitors a contact for last-minute corrections, and check whether their staff understand how the question will be marked complete. A complicated answer process will be repeated many times, so it is worth simplifying now.
Attendees need a different kind of briefing. Explain that the hunt is optional, how to join, the available playing window, which areas are involved, and where to get assistance. If they must download TurfHunt, say so plainly and allow time to install the app and retrieve the game over a reliable connection. Tell them whether tasks are individual or team-based and how the scoring works, rather than assuming the appeal of a prize will make every rule self-explanatory. People are more likely to try an activity when they understand the commitment it asks of them.
Be especially clear about data and consent. Completing a task should not require a participant to opt into marketing emails or hand over a business card. If a visitor chooses to request follow-up from an exhibitor, that exchange can take place through the exhibitor’s normal, transparently explained process. Keep photography optional when the task could include identifiable people. A challenge can encourage introductions without treating an attendee’s personal information as proof of success.
Configure and test the conference scavenger hunt in TurfHunt
Start with a small working version in the Locatify Builder: an orientation task, an exhibitor question, and a mission that does not depend on GPS. For a short-term indoor conference, QR-code scanning or the number pad can activate challenges at specific stations, while a virtual game lets attendees open stations manually. Reserve automatic indoor positioning with BLE beacons or UWB for projects that justify dedicated equipment and configuration. Test the chosen method in the actual conference space before adding more missions.
The TurfHunt feature overview describes the available game formats, while the official indoor game creation guide explains how to prepare an indoor game and choose QR-code, number-pad, or manual activation. Test the draft on the devices attendees are likely to use, then install the published version and verify that each station opens as expected at the venue. Check that instructions remain readable and that participants understand how to complete each task. A successful preview alone is not sufficient launch testing.
Connectivity also deserves a realistic check. TurfHunt can run downloaded game content offline in certain conditions, but participants need a connection to download the game first. Photo uploads, messaging, and some shared-game interactions need connectivity or synchronize when it returns. If the exhibition hall has patchy reception, test the particular mix of tasks you plan to use rather than advertising the game as completely offline. Finally, confirm player allowances and plan requirements for the expected attendance before sharing launch instructions.
Learn from participation without overclaiming
Once the conference is over, the most useful questions are often quite specific. Did newcomers discover stands they might otherwise have missed? Did staff find the prompts easy to answer during busy periods? Were any missions routinely skipped, or did participants run into awkward queues? Completion and scoring data, where available through the configured game, can identify tasks people used. They cannot tell you whether two people formed a valuable business relationship. A brief post-event check with attendees and exhibitors fills in some of that missing context.
For a broader view of how teams have used the platform outside conference halls, TurfHunt also publishes corporate event examples. A closer conference precedent appears in Locatify’s UTMessan conference case study. For that Icelandic technology event, Locatify produced a custom-branded conference app featuring an exhibition floor map, exhibitor information, beacon-triggered challenges, and a leaderboard displayed in the reception area. The beacons helped visitors access booth information as they moved through the venue. It shows how interactive tasks can sit alongside the practical business of navigating an exhibition, although the custom app and iBeacon installation should not be confused with TurfHunt’s standard virtual or GPS game setup.
For a repeat event, write down what actually happened: the missions that generated thoughtful exchanges, the stops that became too crowded, and any access needs the team had not anticipated. Those notes can improve the next edition more directly than an impressive but unsupported claim about engagement. They may also help exhibitors decide whether they want a shorter question, a different location, or a more flexible participation window next time.
Frequently asked questions
How many missions should a conference scavenger hunt include?
Five well-chosen missions may be enough for a short event, though there is no universal number: a half-day professional seminar and a three-day exhibition create very different opportunities to participate. Start with a small set of missions that serve different goals, then test how long the route and conversations take. If you add more, make them optional or spread them across the program so the hunt does not compete with the sessions people came to attend.
Can remote attendees participate in the same conference game?
Yes, in tasks written for virtual or manual activation, including questions about shared resources or recorded demonstrations. A remote player cannot necessarily complete a booth conversation on equal terms, however, unless the event provides a remote interaction or an equivalent task. Make clear which missions require physical presence and test how the alternatives appear in the app. The ability to open a challenge from anywhere solves only part of the participation problem.
Do exhibitors need to collect contact details for a challenge to count?
No. An attendee can complete a meaningful exhibitor task by answering a question, noting an insight, or reflecting on a demonstration. Lead collection is a separate interaction that should be voluntary and clearly explained. If the exhibitor wants to invite attendees to request a demo or sign up for information, it can do so through its normal process without making that decision a condition of scoring points.
Will GPS work reliably inside an exhibition hall?
Not reliably. GPS generally needs a clear view of satellites, so it should not be used to trigger challenges inside an exhibition hall. For a temporary indoor conference, choose QR-code scanning or four-digit number-pad entry, or manually activated virtual-game stations. Locatify also provides indoor positioning solutions using BLE beacons and UWB, but these require dedicated hardware and setup. Infrared positioning is offered for Locatify-managed custom installations rather than a standard TurfHunt conference game. Test the selected activation method on-site and confirm the published game’s settings before launch.
What makes a conference scavenger hunt work
A successful conference scavenger hunt is remembered for the conversations it helped start and the parts of the event it made easier to discover. Give visitors a clear reason to play, involve exhibitors in writing the missions, make participation flexible, and check the experience on the devices people will actually carry. TurfHunt provides practical ways to deliver the game; the quality of the conference experience still comes from the organizer’s questions, route design, and respect for the people taking part.
