Best Photo Booth Idea for Sports, Gaming, and Fandom Events: Custom Trading Cards
When it comes to sports games, fandom festivals, and gaming conventions, your audience expects more than a photo op. They want to be part of the action.
Enter the custom trading card photo booth, one of the most engaging, personalized, and collectible activations you can bring to your event.
Whether your crowd is full of superfans, die-hard gamers, or sports loyalists, this booth turns every guest into a branded hero. It combines nostalgia, creativity, and personalization to deliver a photo experience they’ll keep and share and your brand stays right in the spotlight.
Let’s break down why this booth is the go-to solution for fan-driven events and how MDRN Activations helps brands execute it seamlessly across the U.S. and Canada.
Why Trading Cards Hit Hard With Fan Audiences
Fandom culture thrives on ownership and identity. Fans love showing off what they’re into and they love being seen as part of a larger tribe. A trading card booth does exactly that. It celebrates individuality while placing the guest inside the brand world.
Whether they become a “Starting Goalie,” “Level 99 Mage,” or “Head of House XYZ,” each card turns your guest into a character in your story. And they get to take it home.
What makes trading cards so effective?
They’re interactive: Guests create something unique, not generic
They’re personalized: Names, roles, and stats reflect the guest’s identity
They’re collectible: Cards are printed on-site and look like real merch
They’re shareable: Social media loves this kind of content
From NHL fan nights to Comic-Con style pop-ups to eSports tournament booths, this activation consistently ranks among the most talked-about at any event.
What the Experience Looks Like
MDRN builds the custom trading card booth with both user experience and brand goals in mind. Here's how it flows:
Guests approach the booth and are welcomed by MDRN Brand Ambassadors
On-screen or via an online form on their phone,, they enter their name, select a character type or player position, and add custom stats or attributes. You decide what you want on the card.
A professional-grade photo is taken on the spot
MDRN’s system applies a fully branded design to create a custom trading card layout and can even run it through custom AI prompts.
Guests receive a printed version instantly and a digital version if needed
Everything from the design, icons, fonts, and backgrounds can be matched to your campaign or IP. Want retro 90s hockey cards? Anime-style power-ups? Stadium team intros? We’ve built them all.
And it’s not just a novelty, it’s an experience guests talk about.
Where This Activation Shines
Sports Events
Pre-game or in-concourse fan zones
Team launch parties or press days
Fan appreciation events
Meet-the-player activations
Guests walk away with cards that make them feel like a pro athlete complete with position, team colors, and stats.
Gaming Conventions and eSports Tournaments
Tournament fan zones
Livestream influencer meet-ups
Brand collabs and product demos
Merch tie-ins
Fans can select roles like “Healer,” “Tank,” “Sniper,” or “Boss Slayer,” with power bars and XP stats styled to fit your game’s world.
Comic Cons, Cosplay Events, and Fandom Festivals
Brand-sponsored fan activations
Creator or IP partnerships
Cosplay capture experiences
Launch events for entertainment brands
Guests create cards that celebrate their fandom from character classes to fan-club stats. We’ve even added QR codes linking to exclusive digital content or sweepstakes.
Built for Shareability and Impact
Trading card photo booths are perfect for user-generated content. These moments almost always get shared online not because you ask, but because fans want to show them off.
To enhance this, MDRN can:
Add your event hashtag on the card design
Include a QR code that links to a product, campaign page, or recap video
Offer incentives for guests who post their card to social media
Best of all, each card doubles as a take-home souvenir that fans will keep on their desks, fridges, and feeds.
Optional Add-Ons: Data Capture and Custom Reporting
Need more than content? MDRN’s trading card activation can also double as a lead capture tool.
We can include optional fields for:
Name and email
Opt-in for newsletters or giveaways
Favorite team, product, or character selection
All data is collected securely and delivered post-event in a simple CSV file complete with timestamped interactions, opt-ins, and preferences. It’s a powerful mix of branding and measurable marketing ROI.
Where Can MDRN Activate?
We deliver immersive trading card activations in most major cities in the U.S. and Canada, including:
Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Miami, Orlando
Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver
London, Paris
And more cities across North America through our trusted partner network.
No matter where your fanbase gathers, MDRN can bring the experience to life with consistency, creativity, and top-tier service.
If you're hosting a sports, gaming, or fandom-focused event, a trading card photo booth is the perfect blend of fun, customization, and marketing ROI. It turns guests into characters, fans into heroes, and your event into a collectible experience.
MDRN handles everything from creative development to on-site production — with flexible formats, data capture options, and activation support across North America.
Ready to create a buzz-worthy fan moment? Let’s talk.