Your ultimate objective at a trade show is to stand out from your friendly competition and make your brand one of the event’s highlights.
One unforgettable way to achieve that objective is to implement your twist on a trade show giveaway.
These tangible items serve as immediate attention-grabbers, drawing visitors to your booth and hopefully spark some brand-forward conversations. Beyond the initial attraction, a well-chosen giveaway gift can reinforce your brand message with the added goal that your prospective clients will remember your company long after the event is over.
Giveaways that are useful, innovative, or particularly memorable are more likely to be kept and used, providing ongoing exposure to your brand.
Another vitally important aspect is that giveaways can serve as a catalyst for deeper interactions by offering a conversational starter to discuss your products or services in greater detail.
In the busy world of a trade show environment, where numerous companies are vying for attention, giveaways provide a distinct edge, helping to differentiate your booth from the competition and leave a lasting impression on potential clients and partners.
Today, we will take a look at what works best with trade show giveaways.
It’s time for you to elevate your trade show experience to the next level and giveaways are the perfect start.
BE PRACTICAL
When selecting trade show giveaways for your next event, practicality should be at the forefront of your decision-making process.
By using your practical common sense, you’ll understand what could be effective on the trade show floor when it comes to a giveaway.
Your first question to yourself should be, “Well, I use this, or will I throw it away?”
The truth is that giveaways that attendees can use in their daily lives will keep your brand at the top of their minds long after the event has ended. These prospective clients should be willing to take your product back to their homes. Those are the type of giveaways we should be consciously aiming for when picking your next round of giveaways for your next event.
If you want to stick to the practical side, you should be thinking about products like reusable tote bags, portable chargers, and high-quality pens.
These items are not only useful in a practical sense but also offer important space on the product itself for your own creative branding.
For instance, a well-designed tote bag can be a walking advertisement for your company, seen by many beyond the trade show floor… Now imagine a high-quality branded pen in that tote bag, which could be the pen that signs an important deal.
You just never know.
HAVE QUALITY
What’s the saying? Quality over Quantity.
This couldn’t ring more true with our trade show giveaways. You would naturally assume that giving out as much branded stuff as possible on the trade show floor could be a huge benefit, while this COULD be true at times. Quality is what makes your branded product stick out.
While it might be tempting to order bulk quantities of cheaper branded items to distribute to the entire trade show floor, investing in higher-quality giveaways can be more beneficial for your reputation and more effective as a brand launcher.
The truth is high-quality items reflect positively on your brand, mirroring that your products or services are of equally high standards. This perspective is a huge step forward for your brand or service.
Some prime examples of a high quality items could be a durable water bottle, a stylish notebook, or even tech gadgets that can create a positive association with your brand.
This should go without saying but attendees are more likely to remember and appreciate a high-quality gift, making them more likely to engage with your company in the future.
As we are all well aware, future engagement is the key to a successful trade show or expo event.
STAY ON MESSAGE
As we’ve talked about quality and practicality, another aspect of your giveaway that is of vital importance should be staying with your brand’s message. Your giveaway items should perfectly align with your brand and the message you want to convey to prospective clients.
Here’s a perfect example: say your company is environmentally conscious and ecocentric. Products like bamboo utensils, reusable straws, or recycled notebooks can reinforce your commitment to sustainability for the entire trade show to see.
This not only attracts potential clients who share similar values but also strengthens your brand identity. Another easy example to understand is if you’re a tech company, you should be offering items like USB drives, Bluetooth speakers, or screen cleaners, which could showcase your brand in a positive light.
Staying on message with your giveaways could naturally put you in the driver’s seat for some productive conversations that could evolve your brand to that next pivotal step in your brand’s journey.
CREATE AN EXPERIENCE
It’s all good and well to give practical, high-quality, and on message gifts at your next trade show or expo event, but creating an experience around your giveaway could be a game changer.
Creating an engaging experience around your giveaways will naturally enhance the giveaways at the trade show venue.
Instead of simply handing out items, you should be incorporating a game or interactive activity at your booth which already makes you stand out amongst the hundred other set ups.
Another prime example of creating an experience could be Spin-the-wheel games, raffles, or trivia contests, which could attract more visitors, thus making your booth experience more memorable. Another incredibly important reason for you to create an experience is that these interactive elements could provide valuable data, such as collecting contact information for future follow-ups.
These follow-ups could be the difference between an average appearance on the trade show floor or a productive one.
By making your booth giveaway more than just a handout, this approach not only increases booth traffic but also fosters a fun and engaging atmosphere for potential clients to experience.
Plus, doesn’t everyone like a little friendly competition while your brand gets the necessary exposure it needs?
OUT-OF-THE-BOX ITEMS
Now, we aren’t talking literally about out-of-the-box items, but more about items that could be unique to the trade show floor.
The unmitigated truth is that standing out in a sea of giveaways requires a bold sense of creativity and uniqueness.
Potential clients often receive numerous items at trade shows and expo events, so choosing something that is not only useful and practical but also novel can make a significant impact on any trade showgoer.
Unique items like custom phone grips, multi-functional keychains, or branded apparel with a trendy design can differentiate your brand from competitors.
It can also be an incredibly cool keepsake, which we’ve said prior could be a brand forward move for you and your company.
These unique items spark curiosity and hopefully are conversation starters, which naturally could make attendees more likely to remember your brand.
Your job is to stick out in a sea worth of giveaways. Creating a unique giveaway could be that key to unlocking a potential client.
LET’S GET PERSONAL
We typically tell any exhibitors to stay away from being too personal with potential clients, but when it comes to your branded giveaways a personal touch could be the edge you need to stand out from your friendly competition.
Adding a personal touch to your branded giveaways could significantly enhance their impact on your potential client.
Personalized items, such as custom-engraved pens or notebooks, can make recipients feel valued and appreciated.
More importantly, it can make your potential client feel special.
Having a potential client feel “special” could be the bump you need to move your brand forward.
This level of creative customization shows that you have put thought into your giveaways by making them more meaningful to the recipients.
The thought of putting in that much effort to stand out will automatically resonate with your fellow trade show goers.
A lot of the mindset around this aspect of trade show giveaways is “It’s the thought that counts”. With this mindset, you can set the tone by reflecting on your creativity, passion, and thoughtfulness in a giveaway.
Personalization can also extend to the presentation of the giveaway, such as using branded packaging or including a handwritten thank-you note.
A thank you note could be the most memorable gift a patron gets on the trade show floor, thus making it impossible for them to forget about you.
By focusing on practicality, quality, brand message, uniqueness, and personalization, you can ultimately ensure that your giveaways are effective and memorable for the entire trade show floor to see.
The right giveaway can turn a fleeting interaction with a potential client into a lasting productive relationship, ultimately contributing to your trade show success thus evolving your brand to the next all important level.
Remember, the goal is not just to give away free items but to offer something that represents your brand well and leaves an undeniable impression.
People love free stuff, but this is your moment to make your mark on the trade show floor.
For more insights and award-winning event strategies, contact our team of event specialists to design the perfect exhibit to amplify your brand. Connect with a team member here or give us a call at (800) 343-2005.
