subject: Make Trade Show Giveaways Into Trade Show Takeaways [print this page] Make Trade Show Giveaways Into Trade Show Takeaways
There is a fine line between an advertising tool that gets given to tradeshow attendees and an advertising tool that becomes sought after by attendees. How many times have you been to a show, walking the floor, when a representative at a booth forces a promotion into your hand, urging you to listen to their pitch? While other booths have people flocking to them, jockeying for a rep to distribute the hot tradeshow tote bags or mugs , the one featuring that new design or function. What distinguishes one from the other, and how can we as advertisers anticipate what will work.
The easy answer is that nobody knows, you can't time the market, there are no sure things, and the dealer always wins. Well its not that simple, research can give you an idea of what to invest your promotional advertising budget into. There is no magic formula and no guarantees, but you can hedge your bets and improve your chances of having a successful booth.
Take notes. At this year's trade show, take notes of what items are hot. Are attendees buzzing about the reversible tote at booth number 129? Are they writing with pens from a particular vendor? In addition to the product form, are there any bells and whistles that differentiate the hot giveaways from the also-rans? Next years planning should take the notes into consideration. Try finding a similar item distribute, a similar mug, perhaps with a new twist.
Read into retail. Cross-reference your promotional ideas with retail items that are trending high. Look at advertisements for womens bags and the gadget catalogs. Are there any designs that are hot, have polka dots made a comeback? Get your logo printed on a popular pattern and see your booth burst with activity. Color trends are also good to key on. The gadget catalogs are full of ideas as well, we all may not be able to hand out mp3 players, but accessories like cell phone holders or travel speakers are perfect promotions to boost interest.
Try these techniques and see if it helps make your booth a sought after one rather than a passerby. A little effort can go a long way to spread your companies message and make the trade show a success.
