The Hottest Photo & Experiential Activation Trends for Corporate Events This Summer
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Did you know that 72% of consumers say they view a brand more positively after participating in a live event or brand activation they enjoyed?
That's why experiential marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways for brands to build awareness, create emotional connections, and generate social sharing.
As we step into summer event season, event planners, marketers, and brand teams across Ontario are looking for fresh ways to engage attendees beyond traditional entertainment.
To help inspire your next event, we recently put together our Summer 2026 Experience Guide, featuring some of the photo guest experiences generating the most excitement right now. Here's a look at what's trending, what's working, and some of the experiences we're most excited to bring to events this season.
AI Portrait Studio
Personalized Content at Scale
Artificial intelligence is transforming the event industry, and guests can't get enough of it.
Our AI Portrait Studio turns attendees into the stars of their own custom artwork, generating branded, share-worthy portraits in seconds. Whether it's a futuristic concept, editorial fashion aesthetic, sports-inspired design, or campaign-specific creative direction, every guest receives a personalized experience aligned with your brand.
Beyond the wow factor, AI experiences create highly shareable content that extends the life of your event long after guests leave.
Perfect for: product launches, conferences, trade shows, technology companies, employee events, and experiential marketing activations.
The Glitter Station
The Keepsake Everyone Talks About
If you're looking for a moment that stops guests in their tracks, few activations deliver like glitter prints.
Guests receive a professionally captured portrait that is hand-finished with glitter by our glitter artists, creating a one-of-a-kind keepsake that feels equal parts luxury and nostalgia.
What we love most about this activation is how often it becomes the centrepiece of an event rather than simply another activity. Guests gather around, watch the magic happen, and leave with something they'll genuinely want to keep.
It's tactile, interactive, and impossible to replicate digitally.
Perfect for: Beauty brand activations, summer galas, influencer events, luxury events, product launches, and experiential pop-ups.
Sports Trading Cards
The Ultimate Fan Engagement Experience
Collectible. Personalized. Impossible to throw away.
Guests step into the spotlight and become the star of their own professionally designed trading card, complete with custom stats, branded graphics, sponsor logos, and a high-quality portrait.
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to Canada and sports fandom at an all-time high, trading card activations are becoming one of the most effective ways to combine fan engagement with sponsor visibility.
Unlike traditional giveaways, guests actively participate in creating their keepsake, making the experience more memorable and the branded takeaway more valuable.
Perfect for: sports sponsorship activations, fan zones, youth sports organizations, university athletics, tournaments, team celebrations, and community events.
Photo Keychain Station
Branded Merchandise Guests Actually Keep
Keepsakes are making a major comeback, and photo keychains are leading the way.
Guests leave with a personalized photo keychain featuring a moment from your event. It's practical, memorable, and continues to travel with them long after the event ends.
For brands, this creates a unique opportunity to turn a guest experience into a lasting touchpoint. Unlike many promotional items that end up forgotten in a drawer, keychains become part of guests' everyday lives.
The activation can also be customized to incorporate product tie-ins, branded charms, sponsor messaging, or themed accessories.
Perfect for: Brand activations, client appreciation events, retail experiences, product launches, lifestyle brands, and community events.
Why Experiential Marketing Works
Experiential marketing creates something traditional advertising cannot: participation.
When guests interact with an activation, create personalized content, or leave with a custom keepsake, they become active participants rather than passive observers.
Benefits include:
Increased attendee engagement
Higher social media sharing
Stronger brand recall
More meaningful sponsor visibility
Valuable user-generated content
Memorable guest experiences
Whether you're planning a corporate event, festival, conference, product launch, or community activation, interactive experiences help transform attendees into brand advocates.
Ready to Elevate Your Summer Event?
Novel Photo Booth creates interactive photo, video, and AI-powered experiences for corporate events, brand activations, conferences, festivals, and weddings across Ontario.
From AI Portrait Studios and Sports Trading Cards to Glitter Prints and Photo Keychains, we help brands create memorable moments that drive engagement and leave a lasting impression.
Download our Summer Experience Guide to explore all of our trending activations for Summer 2026, or reach out to our team at hello@novelphotobooth.ca to discuss a custom experience for your next event.
Let's build something novel this summer. 🖤
Serving Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara, Waterloo Region, and communities across Ontario.
Follow us on Instagram | Connect on LinkedIn | Visit novelphotobooth.ca
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