February 25, 2026
How Garmin Captured 5,600+ Trade Show Leads with Remote-Managed Photo Booths
How Garmin captured 5,600+ qualified leads at CES, Outdoor Retailer, and more using Movebooth — managed remotely from their Kansas HQ.
How Garmin Captured 5,600+ Trade Show Leads with Remote-Managed Photo Booths
Garmin captured 5,600+ qualified leads across product launches at CES, Outdoor Retailer, and Interbike using Movebooth — with their Kansas-based marketing team managing every activation remotely.
Trade show marketing is the highest-stakes channel in B2B: a $50,000 booth investment, two days to make it count, and your entire product launch riding on execution. For Garmin — the global GPS and wearables leader — the stakes were even higher. They weren't just exhibiting. They were launching smartwatches, fitness trackers, and cycling computers to the exact buyers and press contacts who would make or break the launch.
And they needed every booth visitor to become a lead.
This is how Garmin solved the trade show lead problem with Movebooth, capturing 5,600+ qualified contacts across their entire event program — from CES in Las Vegas to Outdoor Retailer in Denver — while the marketing team managed everything from Kansas.
The Challenge: High-Stakes Launches Requiring Flawless Remote Execution
Garmin runs one of the most demanding event calendars in the wearables industry. Major product launches at CES (Las Vegas) and Outdoor Retailer (Denver/Salt Lake City), trade shows like Interbike, retail demo days at REI and Dick's Sporting Goods — plus an active schedule of internal HR events, university recruiting, and employee appreciation programs.
Each event type had its own requirements. But they all shared the same core problem.
The lead capture gap
Traditional trade show badge scanning captures a name and email — if booth staff remembers to scan, if the device works, if the attendee cooperates. In practice, capture rates hover between 15–20% of actual booth visitors. The rest walk away with a product brochure and zero follow-up path.
For a brand launching a $400 smartwatch to a room full of qualified retail buyers and tech media, losing 80% of booth visitors to no follow-up is a real business problem.
Remote management across multiple cities
Garmin's marketing team operates from Kansas. Their events happen in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, and beyond. Sending a dedicated tech team to every activation wasn't scalable. But leaving brand execution to local contractors without real-time control was a risk they couldn't take — not at CES, not at a Garmin product launch.
Dual audience complexity
Garmin needed one solution for two distinct use cases: external product marketing events (trade shows, retail demos) with CTA-driven lead capture, and internal HR events (employee appreciation, career fairs) with different branding and goals. Running separate vendor relationships for each was inefficient. Finding one platform that served both was the real ask.
The Solution: CTA-Driven Photo Booth with Remote Dashboard Control
Garmin deployed Movebooth across their full event portfolio. The same platform powered a CES product launch activation in January and an employee appreciation day in Olathe, Kansas — with different branding, different CTAs, and different data capture fields on each.
Product Launches: CES, Outdoor Retailer, Interbike
<!-- Schema: Organization --> <!-- @type: Organization --> <!-- name: Garmin --> <!-- url: https://www.garmin.com --> <!-- sameAs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin -->At major industry shows, Garmin positioned Movebooth as the centerpiece engagement mechanic in their booth. The setup was deliberately simple: attendees could try on new Garmin wearables — a Forerunner, a Fenix, a Venu — snap a photo with the device on their wrist, and receive the image instantly via text.
To receive the photo, they provided their phone number or email. The delivery message included a "Pre-Order Now" CTA button linking directly to the product page.
The result was a lead capture experience that felt natural to the attendee (they wanted the photo) and was highly optimized for Garmin's funnel (they captured a qualified contact who'd already handled the product).
Key configuration at trade shows:
- Custom branded overlays featuring the new product being launched
- CTA buttons in the delivery SMS driving to pre-order pages
- CSV export for immediate lead capture into any marketing platform
- Lead capture rate of 70–85% — far exceeding badge scanning's typical 15–20%
Retail Demo Days: REI, Dick's Sporting Goods, Specialty Running Stores
For retail partnerships, Garmin co-branded the activation with the retail partner. Customers trying on new gear captured photos with both Garmin and retailer logos, then received the image with links to purchase online — creating a measurable bridge between in-store trial and e-commerce conversion.
Internal HR Events: Employee Appreciation, Career Fairs, University Recruiting
The same Movebooth platform handled Garmin's HR calendar with different branding and purpose. Career fair photos at campus recruiting events included Garmin's employer brand messaging. Employee appreciation events featured team and department overlays. The dashboard let Garmin's team swap branding between events without touching hardware.
Remote Management: Kansas → Las Vegas
The capability Garmin's marketing team valued most was dashboard-based remote control. From their Kansas HQ, they could:
- Update overlays and branding between activations without shipping or reconfiguring hardware
- Monitor live participation rates in real-time during shows
- Adjust CTA buttons and delivery message copy as needed
- Troubleshoot without sending tech staff on the road
When a Garmin product launch happened at CES, the Kansas team was in control. Local booth staff operated the physical activation; the marketing team managed the brand execution remotely. No tech staff travel required.
The Results: 5,600+ Leads Across the Full Event Program
By the Numbers
📊 5,600+ total recipients across product marketing and HR events
📊 5,600+ qualified contacts captured for marketing and recruiting follow-up
📊 70–85% lead capture rate vs. 15–20% for traditional badge scanning
📊 1,000+ leads per major trade show at CES, Outdoor Retailer, Interbike
📊 Multi-channel deployment across product launches, retail demos, and internal events
Business Impact
Qualified lead pipeline at scale
The 70–85% capture rate wasn't an accident of a particularly engaged audience. It was the natural result of a value exchange that actually worked: attendees wanted the photo of themselves with a new Garmin product on their wrist. Providing contact information to receive it was friction-free. Compare that to the awkwardness of asking trade show badge scanning — where attendees routinely give fake emails to avoid follow-up.
A trade show lead captured via Movebooth was typically better qualified than a badge scan: the person had physically tried the product, engaged with a brand experience, and opted in with real contact information.
Remote team efficiency
Running major activations at CES and Outdoor Retailer without sending tech staff to every show is a real operational win. For a marketing team managing a full annual event calendar across multiple cities, the ability to control brand execution from a central dashboard saves both budget and headcount.
Dual-purpose platform ROI
Using the same platform for trade show lead capture (external) and HR events (internal) compressed vendor overhead. One contract, one dashboard, two departments using it across dozens of events per year.
Product launch amplification
Photos taken at trade show activations didn't stay at the show. CES and Outdoor Retailer attendees posted their Garmin product photos on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram — with Garmin branding on every image. The photo booth created earned media that extended product launch reach beyond the show floor without additional paid distribution.
Key Takeaways for Trade Show Marketers
The Garmin case study demonstrates a repeatable playbook for tech and wearables companies with complex trade show programs.
1. Lead capture at trade shows should match digital advertising standards
You track cost-per-lead obsessively in paid search. Apply the same rigor to trade shows. Movebooth's 70–85% capture rate vs. badge scanning's 15–20% is the difference between 850 leads and 150 leads from the same booth traffic. The ROI math is immediate.
2. CTA-driven photo delivery closes the loop between trial and purchase
A lead who tried a product at CES and received a photo with a "Pre-Order Now" button is not a cold lead. They've touched the product, received brand-quality photography of themselves with it, and have a direct link to convert. That's a warmed, qualified prospect — not a badge scan from someone passing by.
3. Remote management is table stakes for distributed event programs
If your marketing team is in one city and your events are in five others, you can't afford to send tech staff to every activation. Remote dashboard control means brand consistency and real-time monitoring without travel overhead.
4. One platform for multiple use cases maximizes ROI
Trade shows and HR events have different branding and goals, but the same core mechanics: engage people, capture data, deliver branded content. Consolidating both on Movebooth eliminated a redundant vendor relationship and simplified vendor management across Garmin's full event calendar.
5. Photo quality matters for product marketing
Garmin's ring light-equipped Movebooth setup meant every photo was quality the marketing team could actually use — for social content, for internal communications, for partner activation recaps. Low-quality booth photos create liability; high-quality branded photos create assets.
Why This Works for Tech and Wearables Brands
Garmin's use of Movebooth isn't just a trade show tactic — it's a template for how tech brands should approach event marketing.
The wearables and tech trade show circuit (CES, Outdoor Retailer, Interbike, CES Unveiled, SHOT Show) is expensive and competitive. Every brand at the show is competing for the same buyer and media attention. The brands that win aren't just the ones with the biggest booths — they're the ones who leave with the most qualified contacts and the best post-show follow-up.
A 70–85% lead capture rate at your trade show booth turns a $50,000 exhibit investment into a measurable pipeline input. That's the case Garmin made internally, and it's the case you can make to your marketing leadership.
For a deeper breakdown of trade show photo booth strategy — including placement, staffing, and ROI calculation — see the Trade Show Photo Booth Guide.
If you're evaluating photo booth platforms for your event program, the How to Choose a Photo Booth guide covers hardware specs, software tiers, and the rental vs. buy decision in detail. And for a full comparison of Movebooth against Simple Booth, Touchpix, and Photo Booth Supply Co's Fiesta software, see Best Photo Booth Software 2026.
Getting Started with Trade Show Lead Capture
Garmin's results — 5,600+ leads, 70–85% capture rates, remote management from Kansas — are achievable for any brand with a trade show program and a clear lead capture goal.
The setup is straightforward. Movebooth ships to your event location, sets up in 5 minutes (tool-free), and exports leads as CSV for immediate import into your CRM. Your team manages branding and monitoring from your home office dashboard.
If you have one major trade show on the calendar this year, rent first. At $399, you'll prove the concept before any capital investment. If you're running multiple shows, the purchase + software subscription math makes more sense — contact our team for a custom quote.
Rent for Your Next Trade Show ($399) → | Talk to Our B2B Team →
FAQ: Trade Show Lead Capture with Photo Booths
<!-- Schema: FAQPage -->1. How do photo booths improve lead capture at trade shows?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: How do photo booths improve lead capture at trade shows? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: Photo booths improve trade show lead capture by creating a compelling value exchange: attendees receive a branded photo of themselves with your product in exchange for their contact information. Movebooth achieves 70–85% capture rates at trade show activations vs. 15–20% for traditional badge scanning, because attendees actively want the photo and voluntarily provide accurate contact info to receive it. Garmin captured 5,600+ qualified leads across their full event program using this model. -->Photo booths improve trade show lead capture by creating a compelling value exchange: attendees receive a professional, branded photo of themselves interacting with your product, in exchange for their contact information. Because attendees actively want the photo, they voluntarily provide accurate contact information — not the fake emails that badge-scanning frustrations often produce.
Movebooth achieves 70–85% capture rates at trade show activations, compared to 15–20% for traditional badge scanning. Garmin captured 5,600+ qualified leads across their full trade show and event program using this model, including 1,000+ leads per major show at CES, Outdoor Retailer, and Interbike.
2. Can a photo booth be managed remotely for events in different cities?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: Can a photo booth be managed remotely for events in different cities? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: Yes — Movebooth's cloud dashboard lets marketing teams update branding, overlays, CTA buttons, and delivery messages from any device, without touching the hardware. Garmin's Kansas-based marketing team managed trade show activations in Las Vegas, Denver, and Chicago entirely remotely. Local booth staff operated the physical activation; the marketing team controlled brand execution from HQ in real-time. -->Yes. Movebooth's cloud dashboard lets your marketing team update branding, overlays, CTA buttons, and delivery messages from any device — without physical access to the hardware.
Garmin's Kansas-based marketing team managed activations in Las Vegas (CES), Denver (Outdoor Retailer), and other cities entirely remotely. Local booth staff operated the physical setup; marketing HQ controlled brand execution, monitored participation rates, and adjusted CTAs in real-time. No tech staff travel required.
3. How does Movebooth export lead data for CRM use?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: How does Movebooth export lead data for CRM use? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: Movebooth captures contact data (name, email, phone, ZIP, date of birth) and exports via CSV for import into any CRM or marketing automation platform. There is no native CRM integration — leads are exported as CSV from the dashboard. Garmin used Movebooth's CSV export to feed trade show leads from CES and Outdoor Retailer into their post-show product launch campaigns. -->Movebooth captures contact data including name, email, phone number, ZIP code, and date of birth, then exports via CSV for import into any CRM or marketing automation platform. Garmin used Movebooth's CSV export to feed trade show leads from CES and Outdoor Retailer directly into their post-show product launch campaigns.
4. What is the ROI of a photo booth at a trade show?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: What is the ROI of a photo booth at a trade show? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: Trade show photo booth ROI is calculated by comparing cost-per-lead to your standard lead acquisition costs. At $399 rental and 150–200 interactions per show, cost per lead runs $2–$2.65. Compare this to trade show badge scanning (often $10–$50 per useful contact after quality filtering) or digital advertising ($15–$75 per qualified B2B lead). For Garmin, capturing 1,000+ leads per major show at a 70–85% capture rate from motivated product trial participants represents a significant ROI vs. traditional badge-scanning programs. -->Trade show photo booth ROI is calculated by comparing cost-per-lead against your standard acquisition costs. At $399 rental and 150–200 qualified interactions per show, cost per lead runs $2.00–$2.65.
Compare that to trade show badge scanning — often $10–$50 per useful contact after quality filtering — or digital advertising ($15–$75 per qualified B2B lead). For Garmin, capturing 1,000+ leads per major show from attendees who'd already physically tried the product meant a lead quality advantage on top of the cost advantage.
5. How does a photo booth work at a CES or Outdoor Retailer booth?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: How does a photo booth work at a CES or Outdoor Retailer booth? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: At a trade show like CES or Outdoor Retailer, a Movebooth activation typically works as follows: the booth is positioned in a high-traffic area of your exhibit. Attendees can try your product (e.g., try on a Garmin smartwatch), step up to the booth, and take a photo or GIF. To receive the image via text, they enter their phone number. The delivery SMS includes your custom CTA — "Pre-Order Now," "Schedule a Demo," "Download the Spec Sheet" — driving the lead into the next step of your funnel. Garmin used this model to capture 1,000+ leads per major show at CES, Outdoor Retailer, and Interbike. -->At a trade show like CES or Outdoor Retailer, a Movebooth activation works as follows: the booth is positioned in a high-traffic area of your exhibit space. Attendees try your product — in Garmin's case, trying on a new smartwatch — then step up to the booth and capture a photo or animated GIF.
To receive the image via SMS, they enter their phone number. The delivery text includes your custom CTA button: "Pre-Order Now," "Schedule a Demo," "Download the Spec Sheet," or any link you choose. The lead enters your CRM immediately for post-show follow-up.
Garmin used this model at CES (Las Vegas), Outdoor Retailer (Denver), and Interbike, capturing 1,000+ qualified leads per major show.
6. Can one photo booth platform handle both trade shows and internal company events?
<!-- @type: Question --> <!-- name: Can one photo booth platform handle both trade shows and internal company events? --> <!-- acceptedAnswer: @type: Answer, text: Yes — Movebooth's remote dashboard lets you maintain different branding configurations for different event types without separate hardware. Garmin used the same Movebooth hardware for product launches (external, CTA-driven) and HR events including employee appreciation, wellness challenges, and university career fairs (internal, differently branded). Marketing and HR teams shared the platform with separate gallery configurations and branding setups, maximizing ROI from a single vendor investment. -->Yes. Movebooth's remote dashboard lets you maintain separate branding configurations for different event types without separate hardware.
Garmin used the same Movebooth setup for external product marketing events (CES, Outdoor Retailer, retail demos) and internal HR events (employee appreciation, wellness challenges, university career fairs). Marketing and HR teams each had their own gallery configurations and branding, sharing the hardware platform while maintaining distinct brand experiences. One vendor, two departments, maximum ROI.
Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. Movebooth is not affiliated with or endorsed by Garmin. Case study reflects Garmin's documented use of the Movebooth platform.
About Movebooth: Movebooth is an iPad-powered photo booth platform built for brand activations, trade shows, and event marketing. Used by brands including Garmin, Coca-Cola, NYX Professional Makeup, and AdventHealth. 97% customer satisfaction. Rental from $399. Learn more at movebooth.com.
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