SBC Booth Battle

Booth Battle Returns at SBC 2025

Think your booth has what it takes to stand out? The SAME Small Business Conference Booth Battle is back for 2025, celebrating exhibitors who bring creativity, energy, and genuine connection to the exhibit hall. This competition is not about who spends the most money; it is about who delivers the most engaging and memorable experience for attendees.

Four awards will be presented: Small Business, Medium Business, Large Business, and this year’s Feature Award, which will spotlight the conference theme, Accelerate Readiness, through a social media-based challenge. Exhibitors will compete online and on-site to showcase how their booth brings the theme to life.

Winners will earn national recognition in The Military Engineer, complimentary conference registration, early booth selection for 2026, and year-long bragging rights as the top exhibitors of SBC 2025. Judging happens live on the exhibit floor, with winners announced Thursday afternoon.

You’re already entered, now bring your best! Read the full competition overview and rules HERE.

Quick Breakdown

Judging

• Exhibitor Advisory Council Judges: Judges will walk the hall and score exhibitors in engagement and interaction, creativity and design, relevance and storytelling, and memorability and impact. Feature awards will be judged base don alignment with the event's theme (Accelerate Readiness), creativity and innovation, and attendee response. 
• Attendee Votes: Attendees can download the SAME Events App and vote from the mobile app, or scan one of the many QR codes on signage throughout the conference. You must enter your email to vote and can only vote once. Voting will close at 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, November 20. 

Categories

• Small Business
• Medium Business
• Large Business
• Feature Award: Readiness Rally
  • Best Pre-Conference Booth Promotion 
  • Did you send an email using the attendee list to promote your booth?
  • Did you promote your booth on social media?

Need inspiration? Check out SAME's Flickr account to view past exhibit halls and booths.

HALL OF FAME ALBUM COMING SOON!

History

At the 2024 Small Business Conference, the Small Business Council's Exhibitor Advisory Council launched the first ever SBC Best Booth Contest. Judges on the Exhibitor Advisory Council selected the best booth for three categories: Small, Medium, and Large business. In 2025, the contest rebranded as the "SBC Booth Battle".