Executive Summary
At Open Day 2025, Western Sydney University (WSU) faced a familiar challenge in student recruitment: how to stand out and convert in a crowded, competitive market.
Their answer? A bold, campaign-led call to action: Choose Western.
Expo Centric brought that vision to life with a high-impact, high-engagement experience. At the heart of the Parramatta campus stood a fully branded 10x20m marquee, a conversion-ready hub designed to stop traffic, ignite interest, and connect students directly to future pathways.
From the full-scale flight simulator and curved LED screen to interactive tech demos and a gamified prize zone, the space blurred the lines between education, innovation, and entertainment.
This wasn’t just another info booth; it was a campaign that moved.
The Brief
WSU needed a high-performance campus space designed to convert foot traffic into future degree directions.
Their brief called for an activation-led marquee that embedded the Choose Western campaign into every touchpoint and brought together five future-facing experiences under one branded roof.
The space had to engage thousands of students across diverse entry pathways, support live and digital content, and feel dynamic from entry to exit.
Key Requirements:
- Seamlessly integrate five high-tech, high-touch activation zones
- Support VR, robotics, simulators, and AI interaction
- Deliver full campaign branding across every surface
- Enable free-flowing visitor movement and high-visibility content areas
We delivered the experience end-to-end: on time, on brief, and on brand.
Our Campaign Rollout: Choose Western Comes to Life
We approached the marquee not as a static structure but as a live campaign platform.
Every detail served a purpose: from wide, open entries and curved LED walls to gamified touchpoints and intuitive traffic flow. The layout was designed for flexibility, allowing students to explore, dwell, and connect on their own terms. Faculty teams had the tools to engage. Students had the space to get inspired.
The result? A physical campaign with digital energy: bold, branded, and built for conversion.
Inside the Activation Zones
1. Fly Western Sydney XR
A full-scale Boeing simulator took centre stage, supported by a curved LED screen that gave students a thrilling, sky-high experience of WSU’s campuses and innovation hubs.
- Provided an immersive flight simulation across Western Sydney
- Drove nonstop foot traffic and became the marquee’s visual hero
- Reinforced WSU’s forward-looking tech capabilities
2. VR Career Experience
Students explored real-world careers in healthcare, aviation, and beyond through immersive XR simulations.
- Enabled headset-based career exploration without leaving campus
- Linked future-ready skills to tangible degree pathways
- Encouraged meaningful conversations between students and faculty
3. Social Science VR Zone
Using VR, students engaged in ethical urban planning with GenAI, bridging complex research and everyday impact.
- Translated advanced research into accessible, interactive learning
- Positioned WSU as a leader in socially responsible innovation
- Created structured dwell space for immersive discussion
4. AI Brainbot Station
At the AI zone, students answered a few fun prompts with the help of an AI chatbot that matched them to a best-fit WSU program. Then, using Adobe Firefly, they generated a personalised image of their future career—complete with a take-home sticker.
- Combined interactive AI career-matching with generative creativity
- Created takeaway outputs students could share and remember
- Reinforced WSU’s future-ready, student-centred positioning
5. ANYmal Autonomous Robotics Zone
This zone featured ANYmal, a cutting-edge inspection robot walking up and down a custom-built platform to demonstrate its ability to access hard-to-reach areas. Equipped with thermal imaging, sound analysis, and real-time data feedback, ANYmal showcased how automation reduces human error and improves safety in industrial environments.
- Demonstrated advanced inspection robotics in live action
- Highlighted real-time issue detection and safety benefits
- Boosted foot traffic with constant movement and buzz
Bonus Touchpoint: What’s Up for Grabs? Prize Zone
Gamified engagement met tangible rewards. Students followed interactive steps (stamp your map, insert token, choose your fate) to unlock mystery prizes from a custom vending machine.
- Increased participation through a guided, tactile experience
- Reinforced discovery and exploration across the marquee
- Delivered campaign-branded giveaways in a fun, memorable format
Immersive LED Content Zones
Beyond the simulator wall, the marquee featured a large LED screen broadcasting a combination of looped video content and a live stream of Open Day. This real-time content extended the experience, connected other parts of campus, and boosted dwell time.
Proof Points for Marketing Teams
For universities seeking more than foot traffic, this activation proved that smart exhibiting drives deeper connections and stronger conversions.
Client Wins:
- Higher ROI than static booths or flyers
- Increased dwell time across key touchpoints
- Mature-age and alt-pathway students engaged longer and more meaningfully
- Faculty-student interactions deepened through immersive storytelling
- Seamless brand continuity from entrance to exit
Let’s Make Your Next Activation Unforgettable
Skip the gimmicks. Deliver goosebumps.
Whether it’s outdoor builds, campus campaigns, or high-stakes showcases, Expo Centric builds spaces that move people to action.
Contact us today, and let’s strategise.