Checkr
The Opportunity
UNLEASH America 2025 represented a critical moment for Checkr: their first time scaling up from a 10×10 to a 10×20 footprint at one of the industry’s most selective shows.
UNLEASH is small by design—a quality-over-quantity event where exhibiting is an expensive investment before you even build a booth. With a limited number of exhibitors and relatively modest floor plans, the show cultivates an environment where attendees expect polish and sophistication. There are no pop-up displays or retractable banners; just meticulously executed booths competing for attention from a concentrated, high-value audience.
Checkr needed to meet that elevated standard while working within budget constraints that couldn’t match the six-figure investments surrounding them.
The Challenge
- Stand out through restraint in a high-stakes environment. At UNLEASH, even 10×20 booths routinely exceed $100K in investment. Checkr needed to look like they belonged among the most polished exhibitors on the floor—but couldn't deploy the same budget. The challenge was creating visual impact through thoughtful design choices rather than sheer spending power.
- Scale smartly by maximizing existing assets. Having invested in a 10×10 modular build for previous shows, Checkr wanted to leverage those pieces strategically while expanding the footprint. The design needed to feel cohesive and intentional, not like a 10×10 that simply got bigger.
- Support hospitality-driven engagement strategy. Checkr had learned that warm, hospitality-focused activations resonated better with their audience than tech-heavy demos. The expanded space needed to accommodate unique food and beverage programming while maintaining the elevated, professional aesthetic UNLEASH attendees expected.
Our Approach
We designed a 10×20 inline exhibit that strategically scaled Checkr’s existing modular build while introducing Scandinavian-inspired minimalism that set them apart on a crowded floor.
Checkr’s 10×10 modular exhibit. For UNLEASH 2025, they needed to scale strategically to a 10×20 footprint while maximizing the impact of existing modular components.
- Differentiation through understated sophistication. Rather than plastering turquoise branding everywhere, we concentrated Checkr's signature color in strategic moments, while letting natural woodgrain finishes and soft backlighting create the visual foundation. In an environment where every booth was fighting for attention through brightness and tech spectacle, the warm restraint made Checkr impossible to miss.
- Strategic asset reuse with intentional expansion. We incorporated key elements from Checkr's 10×10 build—the turquoise counter with white top, backlit logo on woodgrain wall panels, monitor for looping content, and white shelving with organic curves—and extended the layout to create a cohesive 10×20 presence.
- Hospitality bar infrastructure. We integrated a functional bar area with discreet storage to support Checkr's unique activation strategy—ginger turmeric immunity shots and breakfast burritos that felt both quirky and elevated. The setup encouraged lingering conversations while reinforcing Checkr's approachable, people-first brand positioning.
The Result
An exhibit that proved you don’t need the biggest budget to make the strongest impression.
The Scandi-inspired minimalism and warm hospitality approach resonated immediately. While surrounding booths competed with LED walls and flashy tech, Checkr’s understated sophistication drew attendees in and created the kind of comfortable environment where conversations flowed naturally.
The immunity shot and breakfast burrito activation became a memorable talking point, reinforcing Checkr’s positioning as both technically sophisticated and genuinely human-centered.
Most importantly, the strategic investment paid off: Checkr reported strong lead generation and immediately began negotiating to double their footprint to 20×20 for the following year—validation that the approach not only worked, but scaled their presence and impact at one of the industry’s most competitive shows.
