Robots for Events

Booking the right robot and act

Decide first what the robot is for at your event: drawing people to a stand, demonstrating a product, presenting on stage or posing for photographs. Each calls for different skills, and an expressive head that holds conversations is a different booking from a walking robot that performs a routine. Share the running order, audience size and languages with the provider early, since custom speech and movements take time to prepare and test. Ask whether a backup unit or a simpler fallback act is available if the robot develops a fault on the day. Popular event dates can be booked out early, so confirm availability as soon as your own dates are fixed.

Showing a machine at an exhibition

If the robot is a prototype or has not yet been through conformity assessment, the rules on displaying machinery matter. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery, which applies across the EU from 20 January 2027, says member states must not prevent a product that does not comply from being displayed at trade fairs, exhibitions and demonstrations, provided a visible sign states that it does not comply and will not be made available on the market until it does. Ask the provider whether the robot you are hiring complies or needs that sign, and agree who supplies it. Either way, the venue's own safety rules still apply to a moving machine on your stand.

Designing the stand around the robot

Give the robot a defined zone with a clear edge, such as a low barrier or floor marking, and leave room in front for a crowd to gather without spilling into the aisle. Exhibition halls are loud, so plan for speech recognition to struggle: a handheld microphone, a screen or a scripted show may work better than open conversation. Event Wi-Fi is often congested, so ask the venue for a wired or dedicated connection if the robot needs one. Build a lockable space behind the stand for charging, tools and the transport case, and check the venue's load-in times, floor loading limits and power allocation before you order the stand build.

Managing crowds around the robot

A robot can create a small crowd in a confined space, which makes crowd safety part of your plan. The Health and Safety Executive's event guidance asks organisers to think about harm from crowd movement and behaviour as people arrive, move around, exit and disperse, and ISO 22353:2026 gives guidelines for crowd management at events and mass gatherings. Apply both at the scale of your stand. Put one person in charge of the audience, separate from the robot's operator, and agree a point at which the show pauses if people press too close. Plan how children will be kept at a safe distance while the robot moves, and brief neighbouring stands on your show times.

Sources and further reading

• Assess crowd safety risks and identify hazards — Health and Safety Executive.
  HSE event guidance on spotting crowd hazards, forecasting attendance and planning how people move.
• ISO 22353:2026 Security and resilience – Guidelines for crowd management — International Organization for Standardization.
  New international guidance on planning capacity, crowd flow and emergencies at events and mass gatherings.
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery — EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union.
  EU machinery law, including the rule for showing products that do not yet comply at trade fairs.

Common questions

Can a hired robot talk about my products?

Yes, if you give the provider your script, product names and pronunciations early enough to prepare and test them. Keep claims accurate and approved by your marketing or legal team, because whatever the robot says on your stand is your company speaking.

Can a rented robot film or photograph visitors at an event?

It may, if its cameras record, and then data protection rules apply. Ask the provider whether images are stored, put clear notices at the stand, and avoid recording unless you have a defined purpose and a lawful basis for it.