For three years, the irresistible aroma of New York bagels has drawn a massive line—and sideways glances from other exhibitors—straight to the Zipline booth at NRF.
“This year it got a lot of attention, and I think it’s because people are recognizing, three years in a row, ‘Oh, I want a bagel, I know who has a bagel,” said Jocelyn Gardner of Elevation3D, which helped Zipline design and manage their pop-up deli at last week’s conference.
Consistency is key in the labyrinthian world of trade shows, she says. Buzzy activations will get people talking, but committing to a unique idea year after year is crucial if you really want to forge long-lasting connections.
“People remember those things. They’ll remember the booths that give away things they really want,” she said.
Since 2023, the San Francisco-based company—which sells software that helps medium and large retail brands coordinate promotions, sales and deliveries with their different stores—has served up custom Tompkins Square Bagels to anyone clamoring for a quick breakfast.
And they were a hit right from the start.
“People noticed right away,” said Chelsea Mentado, an event marketing manager at Zipline. “It was hard not to, especially since, in addition to being a unique food offering, it made our booth smell really good!”
This year was no different. The lines for those pillowy rings formed almost immediately, drawing a crowd that followed their noses all the way to Zipline’s booth. In the end, the brand drew 600 people over three days.
“I haven’t had a decent bagel since I moved from NY but Zipline and Buzz Impressions came in clutch,” wrote Rich Rodrigues in a LinkedIn dispatch from the floor that garnered 128 likes. “If you’re at #NRF, swing by and grab one.”
Growing With the Space
Zipline started at NRF with a smaller booth on the first floor. When they secured a bigger spot on the third floor three years ago, the event team started brainstorming ideas on how to fill up the space.
A previous event marketer brought up the concept of bagels.
“She wanted to do some type of food, and she was originally thinking coffee, but I said there are a ton of booths that serve coffee, and in fact, one of my other booths serves coffee and they’re well known for it, and you don’t work that far from each other,” Gardner explained to the marketer at the time.
They cycled through a few ideas, including cotton candy and doughnuts, before settling on New York’s favorite breakfast.
Tompkins Square Bagels, which opened its first location in the East Village in 2011, beat out the competition because they agreed to make custom bagels for the activation. Buzz Impressions helped Elevation3D with the logistics, including striking a final deal with Tompkins and scheduling deliveries.
This year’s bagels were pink to match the company’s magenta-hued branding.
“We even decided to brand the wrappers with our logo so that when people walked the show floor with their bagels, they would know it was us,” Mentado said.
The stunt has evolved as it’s gotten more popular.
“We’ve increased the size of the bagel bar, keeping in mind that we’re gonna need space for lines,” Gardner said.
Keeping it Local
Bringing a slice of New York into the cavernous Javits Center was important for Zipline.
“We wanted it to have a connection to New York City,” Mentado explains.
For brands thinking about a similar eye-catching moment, Gardner advises that you plan ahead and stick to your idea year after year. That, she says, is more likely to deliver results than a one-off thing.
“I would say think about it early, plan it into your booth design, and think local. You’re in Chicago, Chicago is known for popcorn. Maybe do something with a famous local vendor. People love that kind of stuff, and it doesn’t even have to be just food,” she said. “The most important thing is to think about it ahead and get that design into your booth layout, so it doesn’t feel like something that was thrown in at the last minute.”
