CASE STUDY

Hayward’s Dual Technology Experience

Trade show exhibit

Atlantic City NJ
Custom Fabrication, Event Technology, Experiential Marketing, Trade Show Marketing

Executive Summary

Pumps, filters, and salt systems do important work, but they aren’t built to stop someone mid-stride on a show floor. That was Hayward’s challenge at the Pool & Spa Show: take a product line that’s about performance, not spectacle, and make it the thing everyone wanted to see.

NPARALLEL + Atomic Props answered with a dual technology experience that turned product advantages into play. Our team designed and fabricated two custom interactive games: a “Bet on Better” slot machine housed inside a swimming-pool structure, and a retro 8-bit arcade racer for two players. Each one took a real Hayward selling point and built it into something attendees could touch, play, and remember.

The result was the most engaging exhibit on the floor and a record 924 leads.

Business Challenge

Hayward needed to do three things at once. Stand out on a crowded floor. Teach attendees why their products are better. Generate leads that keep the business growing.

The hard part was the subject matter. Pool equipment is engineered to be reliable, not eye-catching, and at most pool and spa shows, that translates to exhibits full of static images and product displays. Spec sheets on a wall share information. They don’t draw a crowd, and they don’t make anyone feel anything about the brand.

Hayward wanted the opposite. An experience attendees would line up for. One that made the products’ real advantages land through play instead of a pitch, and turned a category most people walk past into one they couldn’t.

Goals & Objectives

Bring an inherently functional product line to life in a new, interactive way
Teach attendees about Hayward's product superiority through hands-on play
Generate qualified business leads to support Hayward's growth

Our Solution

"Bet on Better": A Slot Machine Built Into a Pool

We built a working slot machine and set it inside a large structure shaped like a swimming pool. Attendees pulled the lever, a custom video fired on the machine’s monitor, and they walked away with a prize.

The theme carried the message. Switching brands usually feels like a gamble. We designed the experience to flip that perception: choose Hayward and you win. The technology made the point land instantly, no spec sheet required.

8-Bit Arcade Racing, Two Players at a Time

The second experience was a custom-built arcade game styled after 80s 8-bit video games, complete with joysticks. It played like a blast from the past, and the retro feel got people excited to jump in.

The two-player race made a real product point along the way: with Hayward, you carry less salt to your pool. A benefit that would barely register on a brochure became the whole reason to play, and the head-to-head competition kept attendees at the exhibit and smiling.

Lead Capture, Built Into the Fun

Both experiences did more than entertain. As attendees played, we captured their contact information and connected Hayward with the pool builders and service pros they came to the show to meet. Every pull of the lever and every race fed Hayward’s pipeline.

Results

The dual technology experience proved the point: the right idea and the right build can make any product the star of the floor. While most exhibits relied on static images, Hayward drew crowds, long lines, and a record number of leads. Attendees stayed longer, played more, and walked away having had a real conversation with a brand they might otherwise have passed by.

Generated a record 924 leads
Drove a sharp increase in exhibit dwell time
Delivered far more attendee interest than previous years
Created long lines of attendees waiting to play
Sparked countless meaningful business conversations with pool builders and service pros
Stood out as the only fully interactive experience on a floor of static displays

Ready To Make Your Product the One Everyone Remembers?

We take products that don’t naturally turn heads and build experiences people line up for. From custom interactive games to full trade show exhibits, our team designs, builds, and installs it all under one roof.

Whether your story needs a show-stopping activation, custom fabrication, or technology that captures leads while it entertains, we’ll help you make your brand the one nobody walks past.