Case Study: VisitPITTSBURGH AI Trading Card Activation at IMEX America, Las Vegas 2025
Client: VisitPITTSBURGH
Event: IMEX America 2025
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Date: October 2025
The Challenge: Standing Out in a Sea of Booths
IMEX America is one of the largest trade shows for the meetings and events industry held in Las Vegas, filled with hundreds of destination booths competing for attention. VisitPITTSBURGH wanted something fresh - an activation that would stop people in their tracks and be different from everyone else.
Their goal was to create a unique, interactive, and proudly local experience that celebrated Pittsburgh’s story while giving visitors a personal takeaway they’d actually want to keep.
The activation needed to:
- Reflect the city’s creative and forward-thinking spirit.
- Integrate VisitPITTSBURGH’s key campaign messaging and relevant stats for event planners.
- Deliver shareable branded content instantly.
- Link back to the NFL Draft, being held in Pittsburgh April 23-25 2026
With IMEX fast approaching, there wasn’t time for trial and error - everything had to work perfectly from day one.
The Solution: AI Trading Cards by Snapmatic
Snapmatic developed a custom AI Trading Card activation designed specifically for VisitPITTSBURGH’s booth at IMEX in Las Vegas. Each guest could step up, have their photo taken, and receive a collectible trading card featuring their AI-generated portrait styled in the VisitPITTSBURGH brand look.
Every card included:
- A personalized AI-generated image created on the spot.
- A custom trading card template with campaign messaging, to showcase the benefits of what the city had to offer event planners and conference organizers.
- On-site printing, giving guests a physical card to take home within minutes.
The setup had a small footprint with HIGH impact!
The Snapmatic team worked directly with VisitPITTSBURGH to tweak design elements in record time, building a custom theme to link to the cities sponsorship of the NFL Draft in 2026. We supported this activation with our local Las Vegas crew.
The Results: A Memorable Brand Message - for months to come.
The activation quickly became one of the most talked-about experiences on the IMEX show floor. Attendees lined up to create their own trading cards and proudly shared them with colleagues and on social media.
Results included:
- Hundreds of trading cards created and shared during the event.
- Steady booth traffic across the event
- High engagement online, extending the campaign reach beyond IMEX.
- Long term retention High value trading cards will sit on the desks and mantels for MONTHS to come
Why It Worked
- It was personal. Each card was unique - no two were alike.
- It told a story. The design tied directly to what Pittsburgh has to offer event planners, the background of the 'city of bridges' AND the strong link to the NFL draft.
- It was easy. Quick setup, minimal tech, and fast generation times.
- It left a mark. Guests left with a keepsake they were proud to show off.
Conclusion
The VisitPITTSBURGH AI Trading Card activation showed how smart technology and creative storytelling can work hand in hand to make a destination brand unforgettable.
By blending personalization, key brand messages and relevant information for Event planners, Snapmatic helped VisitPITTSBURGH turn trade show traffic into genuine engagement - turning every attendee into a brand ambassador who brings their trading card keepsake back to the office or home, helping the message live on.
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