The Color Lab at PCMA Convening Leaders: How We Built a Booth Experience Worth Waiting For
Katie Rose Crosswhite
Director, Creative Services
If you stopped by the District at PCMA Convening Leaders, the Color Lab was easy to spot. With four 12-foot-tall columns of neon fluff, a disco ball, three grey draped studios, and the line of folks waiting patiently for an appointment to discover their own personal color season, the booth attracted a lot of curious passersby. Part interactive experience, part social media trend brought-to-life, the Color Lab by Pinnacle Live proves that although we're known for our in-house A/V solutions, we're capable of creating activations that are as bold and memorable as the events we produce.
The results? Overwhelmingly positive. In the spirit of transparency, we're sharing how we brought the idea to life, lessons we learned during the show, and tips on how you can create memorable experiences of your own.
The Concept
A quick recap of the booth: Pinnacle Live created a color analysis studio for PCMA attendees to determine which color palette (or "season") is most complementary to their hair, eye, and skin tones. Color analysis is a premium service that normally costs $400-$500 for a full three-hour session, depending on market. Pinnacle Live provided free 15-minute consultations with trained color analysts throughout the conference.
The experience itself was a real, professional consultation that included:
- Draping and analysis to determine each guest's season
- Hair and makeup guidance specific to their coloring
- A color tutorial and personal pocket palette so they left empowered to use their results
The booth resonated across demographics because color analysis is universally useful. Much like the headshot lounges we're all familiar with seeing, color analysis is a tool for professionals at every stage of their career.
The rush we felt from seeing participants light up when they found their season was shared by the whole team, and hearing attendees shout their color seasons to our teammates at the Pitbull concert solidified that we'd made a lasting impression.
Here's how we approached it and how you can apply our learnings.
Don't Hard Sell. Serve Instead.
Here's the truth about trade show activations that most of us understand inherently: a great sales pitch is important, but people are increasingly tired of being "sold to" and the appetite for free "stuff" has waned significantly in recent years. We've found the antidote is to offer a service, a surprise, or savings instead of a sales pitch.
If you're going to offer swag or something free, make it a premium take-home gift and pair it with a memorable experience. Everyone who completed an appointment at the Color Lab went home with a wallet-sized color palette printed on durable canvas to refer to when shopping or optimizing their wardrobes.
For one of Pinnacle Live's activations at PCMA edUcon, we gave out high-end insoles that normally retail for $65 and cut them to size in our booth—because everyone, especially event professionals, can always use extra support!
Capitalize on Curiosity
Color analysis has exploded on social media over the past couple of years, but a full professional analysis typically costs hundreds of dollars and lasts for several hours. AI programs exist but can't replicate the value of a trained professional in a proper studio. This combination of factors has created significant curiosity about the experience.
By offering a true mini session for free, we gave attendees the chance to satisfy their curiosity without the heavy price tag or lengthy time commitment. Many participants came in with hunches about their season. Whether they were surprised or vindicated by their results, both outcomes created genuine delight. An experience that has the ability to validate one person and surprise another is going to be memorable.
Tap Into Culture, But Make It Relevant
Yes, color analysis is trending. But we didn't just slap a social media trend onto a booth and call it a day. The connection to our industry mattered.
Event professionals think constantly about color—in lighting, in scenic design, in branding, in wardrobe choices for speakers and executives. The Color Lab gave attendees a personal framework for understanding color that they can apply in both their professional and personal lives. It also gave our booth representatives a connection point and a conversation catalyst.
Visitors to our booth were able to scan a QR code and download an e-book from one of our color analysts, Rachel Nachmias, who shared tips for using color to increase confidence on stage. When an activation connects to something culturally resonant and professionally relevant, it cuts through the noise.
The Production Side
From a logistics standpoint, our booth needed to accomplish a lot within only a 20'x20' footprint. We needed:
- Private studios for distraction-free consultations
- Studio lighting providing even, neutral illumination
- A completely color-free environment (gray walls, capes, smocks) for analysis
- Eye-catching design to draw attendees in
- Reception area for check-in and waiting guests
- Digital signage showcasing our Creative Services content
- Session schedules that balanced analyst efficiency with a quality user experience
The environment itself was intentional: clean, fun, well-lit, noticeable, and visually cohesive.
Staying On Budget
Our creative team and production veterans found smart solutions that kept us on budget while maintaining an elevated, approachable feel. To create our stunning 12-foot-tall tulle columns, our Director of Creative Services, Katie Rose Crosswhite, and Project Manager, Jordin Taylor, worked with two artists, Delaney Smith-Vaughn and Anna Galluzzi, to hand-cut and hand-tie over 1,000 yards of tulle fabric. By keeping the booth production in-house, we saved a considerable amount of budget.
Worth Every Penny
So much of our activation's success hinged on the skill and demeanor of our vendor partners. Hiring kind, professional, and collaborative partners to handle the color analysis was one of the best decisions we made. We were fortunate to have found independent professional color analysts Rachel Nachmias, Kate Stoltzfus, and Shannon Keppy in the Philadelphia area. They represented our brand thoughtfully and treated each guest with genuine care.
Takeaways
We built the Color Lab to demonstrate something we believe deeply: the best activations give people an experience they value.
Whether you're planning a trade show booth, a client appreciation event, a product launch, or a full conference, here's what we've learned:
- Serve, don't sell - Tap into what your audience genuinely values. Make their lives less difficult and more interesting through service, savings, or surprises.
- Curiosity is your strongest hook - Meet people where their interest already exists or introduce them to something worth exploring. Get them talking.
- Give them something worth keeping - Useful beats memorable-for-the-moment.
- Make trends relevant - Cultural resonance works when it connects to professional life.
- Logistics make or break premium experiences - Design for the four-page waitlist scenario, not just the expected flow. If applicable, make sure you partner with vendors who will treat your brand as their own.
About Pinnacle Live
Pinnacle Live is a full-service event production company, and activations like the Color Lab are just one example of what we do. We partner with organizations on everything from corporate meetings and general sessions to large-scale conferences and trade show experiences—handling AV production, stage design, scenic builds, lighting, content development, and on-site execution.
Every brand has a different story. We'd love to help you tell yours.
Reach out for a no-obligation consultation to learn how Pinnacle Live can elevate your next event experience. And if you have questions about how to produce a Color Lab-style booth for your next event, we'd love to talk more.
