Game On! Club Day goes full ‘RCADE’ with booth decorations

At the semesterly RMIT Vietnam Club Day, booth decoration has become much more than just setting up a table and hanging a banner. It's a canvas for student clubs to tell their story, showcase their personality, and create memorable first impressions for potential new members.  

With weeks of brainstorming, late-night crafting sessions, and collaborative planning, each club transforms their assigned space into a mini-world that reflects both the semester's theme and their unique identity. 

This semester's RCADE theme presented an exciting challenge: how do you blend the nostalgic charm of retro arcade games with your club's mission and values? The answer, as it turned out, was as diverse as the clubs themselves. From pixel art displays and neon lighting to interactive gaming stations and costume contests, student clubs embraced the theme with creativity that felt like stepping into a real-life video game, where every booth offered a new level of discovery and connection. 

Booth decoration of clubs at Hanoi Campus 

“Each semester, the booth designs get more impressive,” said Ai Linh, a second-year Professional Communication student. “Even newcomers can feel the welcoming energy, the decorations and atmosphere make Club Day truly special.” 

Behind each booth was more than cardboard, lights, and paint; it was a story of who the club is and what they stand for. Academic clubs showcased their flair with clever references to knowledge and challenge, while Creative Collective clubs infused traditional elements into modern designs. Social & Special Interest clubs turned their spaces into mini worlds, complete with themed costumes, photo spots, and interactive mini games.  

From quizzes to hands-on games, club booths invited students to play, connect, and experience each club’s creativity firsthand.

RMIT Business & Finance Club Hanoi put a smart spin on the assigned Coin Pusher machine. Drawing on the money motif, they introduced a bold, Monopoly-inspired mascot as the face of the booth, set against a striking yellow backdrop to project a “golden” BuFi aura. Shiny oversized coins and side drapes printed with cascading coins echoed the jackpot moment wealth, momentum, and luck, while playful, game-like details kept things interactive. The result was a clear, finance-forward identity that stood out on the floor and earned Best Booth at the Hanoi campus. 

RMIT Business & Finance Club Hanoi’s ‘Coin-pusher’-themed booth – Winner of Best Booth Decoration, Hanoi Campus

RMIT Cineverse Hanoi built their booth straight from their vision: an open community where anyone can explore film end-to-end. Every prop mapped to the club's core values: creativity in handmade details, curiosity in interactive elements, collaboration across teams, and passion tying it all together. The booth worked like a mini set, giving visitors a hands-on taste of the journey from idea and script to shot plans, editing, and color grading. Anchored by a giant clapperboard lit with LED letters spelling “CINE,” the booth radiated Cineverse’s identity, earning them a Best Booth award. 

RMIT Cineverse Hanoi Club’s Movie set-themed booth – Winner of Best Booth Decoration, Hanoi Campus

At Saigon South campus, where over 40 clubs reside, the atmosphere got even more exciting. RMIT Fashion Club brought creativity to life with their award-winning booth, “A Dimensional Journey in VR Space.” Blending fashion, technology, and storytelling, their booth transported visitors into a narrative-driven virtual adventure. With a futuristic setup and a striking life-sized robot mannequin, the experience began as a space expedition and ended in a photobooth moment, allowing visitors to capture memories from their voyage. 

RMIT Fashion Club’s VR-themed booth – Winner of Best Booth Award, Saigon South Campus

Meanwhile, RMIT Marketing and Communications Club presented a booth that went beyond visual appeal to tell a story of courage and connection. Inspired by their mascot, Tic-Tac-Toe, the concept reimagined the simple X and O as symbols of choice and new beginnings, encouraging visitors to take the first step into something exciting. Radiating openness and inclusivity, the booth perfectly captured the club’s essence while also earning them the Best Booth award. 

RMIT Marketing And Communications Club booth – Winner of Best Booth Award, Saigon South Campus

Whether it was Hanoi or Saigon South campus, every booth design reflected not only the theme but also the distinctive energy of RMIT’s diverse club community. 

For many students, booth decorating isn’t just about competing for the best design; it’s about building connections. Preparation starts weeks before Club Day, with teams brainstorming, gathering materials, and working late to bring their vision to life. These shared moments of creativity and laughter make the event memorable long before the big day arrives. 

Behind the awarded Sustainable Booth at Saigon South campus was Enactus Club’s teamwork in overdrive. From the outset, they collected used cartons from the canteen storage and made them the core material. This cut costs and build time, boosted creativity and sustainability, and produced something the whole team felt proud of. For five days, the team practically “lived” on campus, turning those cartons into sturdy panels, refining joins and layouts, and pressure-testing the frame. “We camped out for days, painting, testing, and building together,” one member recalled with a laugh. 

Behind-the-scenes of Enactus RMIT Vietnam booth making process, Saigon South Campus 

Given the broad “Folklore” theme, they anchored the concept in the childhood game Rồng Rắn Lên Mây. “The 3D dragon became our highlight, not just eye-catching but also carrying strong cultural meaning,” the team shared. What started as loose cardboard soon rose into a sculpted dragon centerpiece, a symbol of craft and culture built by many hands. “It was exhausting but iconic. The dragon mascot nearly defeated us but seeing it come to life made everything worth it.” 

With clearly divided shifts, constant communication, and plenty of late-night creativity, the team’s dedication paid off. Their booth not only captured the spirit of Vietnamese folklore but also earned Enactus the Sustainable Booth Award, recognizing their innovation, environmental responsibility, and collaborative effort. 

Enactus’ booth – Winner of Sustainable Booth Award, Saigon South Campus

Instead of formal recruitment pitches, students are invited to engage naturally through games, challenges, and conversations, discovering new communities in an atmosphere that was inclusive, playful, and genuinely welcoming. 

As Club Day 2025 wrapped up and students carefully dismantled the vibrant booths they had spent weeks building, the campuses buzzed with excitement and pride. With the RCADE theme, student clubs' efforts and dedication had successfully transformed what could have been a simple information fair into an immersive experience that celebrated both individual club identities and the collective creativity of RMIT's student community. 

Each booth told a unique story while contributing to a larger narrative about what makes RMIT Vietnam special: a place where innovation, inclusion, and community spirit come together to create experiences that are both meaningful and memorable. 

Story: Written by Hoang Ngoc Tram, Professional Communication student, with input from the student clubs. This article does not reflect the views of RMIT Vietnam as an institution.