Client
ILLUMINA
Location
Christchurch,
New Zealand
Activation Type
AI Photo Booth & Lead Generation Activation
Event
HGSA Conference
Features
AI Image Generation • Custom Genetic Superheroes • Lead Capture • Custom Branding • Personalised Digital Content • Interactive Guest Experience • Fully Managed Activation
Moment Booth NZ partnered with illumina at the HGSA Conference in Christchurch to create an interactive AI-powered brand activation designed to attract attendees, encourage meaningful conversations and generate valuable marketing leads.
Rather than simply placing a photo booth at the exhibition stand, we created a fully customised AI photo booth experience around illumina's genomics campaign.
Conference attendees could choose from six custom-designed Genetic Superheroes, have their photograph taken and then be transformed into their chosen superhero using AI image generation.
The experience combined AI technology, experiential marketing, lead generation and personalised content into one interactive activation.
The result was an experience that gave conference attendees a reason to stop, engage with the illumina team and provide valuable information before receiving their personalised AI image.
The Brief
Create an activation that makes people stop
Conferences and trade shows are highly competitive environments.
With exhibitors competing for attention across busy exhibition spaces, one of the biggest challenges for a brand is simply getting attendees to stop at the stand.
Illumina wanted to create something more engaging than traditional exhibition displays and promotional material.
The activation needed to:
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Attract attention within a busy conference environment
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Encourage attendees to interact with the illumina stand
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Create a memorable experience around the brand
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Generate personalised content that people would want to receive and share
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Capture valuable attendee information
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Support lead generation and post-event marketing
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Create opportunities for the illumina team to have meaningful conversations with attendees
The solution needed to be fun and engaging for the attendee while also delivering genuine marketing value for the brand.
Our Activation Solution
A photo booth experience with a purpose
Moment Booth NZ developed a custom AI photo booth activation specifically for Illumina's HGSA Conference presence.
Instead of simply taking a photograph and applying a generic filter, attendees became the hero of the experience.
Visitors were invited to choose from six custom-designed Genetic Superheroes, each inspired by Illumina's genomics campaign.
Once they selected their preferred character, they stepped in front of the camera and had their photograph captured.
The image was then processed using AI, transforming the attendee into their selected Genetic Superhero.
Within moments, they received a highly personalised image featuring themselves as the hero.
This created an immediate sense of curiosity and anticipation around the illumina stand.
From AI Photo Booth to Lead Generation Machine
Turning interaction into valuable data
The AI image was the attraction — but the lead capture process was where the activation delivered additional value for illumina.
Before receiving their personalised AI-generated image, attendees completed a customised digital form.
The form captured contact details along with information selected specifically around illumina's marketing objectives.
This meant the activation wasn't simply generating photographs.
It was creating opportunities for lead generation, audience insights and future customer engagement.
The illumina team could use the information collected to:
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Capture potential leads during the conference
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Understand attendee interests
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Identify relevant prospects
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Follow up with attendees after the event
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Provide targeted information and resources
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Continue conversations beyond the conference
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Instead of simply handing someone a business card or brochure, the activation created a natural reason for attendees to engage with the brand and provide their information.
Creating Conversations That Matter
Using technology to start the conversation
One of the biggest benefits of an interactive AI activation is the curiosity it creates.
As attendees waited for their AI image to be generated, it created a natural opportunity for the illumina team to talk with them.
Attendees could ask questions, discuss the technology, learn more about illumina's work and explore the company's products and services.
The AI technology attracted attention.
The personalised experience encouraged participation.
And the illumina team turned those interactions into meaningful conversations.
The technology was the conversation starter — the brand experience made the conversation possible.
Six Genetic Superheroes
A fully customised AI experience
The activation was built specifically around illumina's campaign rather than using a generic AI photo booth concept.
Attendees could choose between six Genetic Superheroes, giving them an element of control over their experience.
Once their character was selected, Moment Booth NZ's AI image generation workflow transformed their photograph into the chosen superhero.
This customisation helped the activation feel like an extension of the illumina brand rather than an unrelated entertainment attraction.
Every part of the experience was considered, including:
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Six custom Genetic Superhero concepts
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AI image generation prompts
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Photography
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Digital lead capture
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Attendee questions
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Branded experience
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AI image delivery
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Guest interaction workflow
The result was a cohesive AI-powered brand activation designed around the client's campaign objectives.
Designed for Conference Engagement
Making a busy exhibition stand more interactive
A successful conference activation needs to work quickly.
Attendees are often moving between presentations, networking sessions, exhibition stands and meetings. An experience that takes too long or requires too much explanation can quickly lose its appeal.
The AI photo booth was designed to make participation simple.
Choose your hero.
Have your photo taken.
Complete the short form.
Receive your AI transformation.
This straightforward process created an easy entry point for attendees while giving the illumina team additional opportunities to engage with potential leads.
The Results
More than just an AI-generated photograph
The value of the activation extended beyond the finished images.
The experience created multiple points of engagement between attendees and the illumina brand.
AI-Powered Experience
6 Genetic Superheroes to choose from
Personalised Content
AI-generated transformation for each participant
Lead Generation
Custom Digital lead capture integrated into the experience
Brand Engagement
Interactive Experience designed to attract and engage conference attendees
Rather than measuring success solely through the number of photographs produced, the activation was designed around a broader objective:
Attract attention → Create engagement → Capture information → Start conversations → Continue the relationship.
Why AI Brand Activations Work
Combining entertainment with marketing
People naturally gravitate towards experiences that are interactive, personalised and different from what they normally encounter.
An AI photo booth brings those elements together.
For brands, this creates an opportunity to turn a traditionally passive exhibition stand into an interactive brand activation.
The attendee gets something they genuinely want — in this case, a personalised Genetic Superhero image.
The brand gets something valuable in return — attention, engagement, data and an opportunity to continue the conversation.
That makes AI activations particularly powerful for:
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Conferences
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Trade shows
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Industry expos
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Corporate events
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Product launches
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Brand activations
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Experiential marketing campaigns
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Exhibition stands
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Customer engagement campaigns
More Than a Photo Booth
Building experiences that deliver marketing value
This activation demonstrates how a photo booth can become much more than an entertainment feature at an event.
By combining AI image generation, interactive technology and lead capture, Moment Booth NZ created an experience that supported both the attendee and the brand.
For attendees, it was fun, personalised and shareable.
For illumina, it created a reason for people to stop, engage, provide information and have a conversation with the brand.
That's the difference between simply having a photo booth at an event and creating a strategic experiential marketing activation.
The Moment Booth NZ Approach
At Moment Booth NZ, we don't believe every brand activation should look the same.
We work with brands, agencies, event organisers and businesses to create custom interactive experiences built around their audience and campaign objectives.
That could mean:
AI Photo Booth Activations
Transform attendees into characters, heroes, celebrities or campaign-specific concepts using AI image generation.
Lead Generation Activations
Capture attendee information and campaign-specific data as part of the guest experience.
360 Video Activations
Create branded, social-ready video content that guests can instantly download and share.
Branded Photo Booth Experiences
Turn traditional photo booth technology into a fully customised brand experience.
Interactive Digital Activations
Combine photography, digital content, data capture and technology to create experiences designed around your campaign.
Planning an AI Brand Activation?
Whether you're exhibiting at a Christchurch conference, trade show, industry expo, corporate event or brand activation, Moment Booth NZ can create a customised AI photo booth experience designed around your objectives.
From AI-generated images and lead capture to branded digital experiences and interactive event activations, we help brands create experiences that attract attention, encourage engagement and deliver value beyond the event itself.
We're based in the South Island and deliver AI photo booth activations, brand activations and interactive event experiences across Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin, Wānaka and New Zealand.
Want to create an activation people actually remember?
Let's talk about your next event.