Choosing the right promotional product can attract buzz – and the right prospects –
to your trade show booth. These hot items and strategies will ensure a packed crowd.
 “Promotional items are actually the cheapest way to advertise,” says Melissa Anunson, marketing manager at Verona, WI-based pc/nametag, a company that provides meeting supplies. “You can get small premiums with your organization’s logo imprinted on them for less than a dollar a piece.”

While it is possible to plan a “merchandise-less” trade show, these items are one of the most cost-effective ways to add value to the attendee’s overall experience. “It’s part of the sizzle of the program, the feel-good attitude that brings it all together,” says Peer. “People look forward to receiving these gifts.”

As the popularity of trade show giveaways has grown, so too has the challenge of finding gifts that are memorable and unique enough to market your company effectively and to be appreciated by the recipient. Here’s a primer on issues to consider when developing a merchandise strategy for a trade show or similar event.

Make a Plan
It’s important to have a gift-giving strategy when it comes to using promotional products. This is particularly true when employing the practice at trade shows. There are basically two schools of thought when it comes to choosing a promotional product strategy – the open house theory and the more selective, invitation-only approach.

The open house style entails offering attendees inexpensive but useful items (think pens, Post-it notes, candy, key chains and buttons). Often they’re displayed at the booth in a manner similar to the complimentary bowls of peanuts you’ll find in some bars. “This will get your message to many more people,” says Anunson.

The invitation-only approach will target prospects before the show and notify them that a premium with a higher perceived value will be available to those who visit the booth. Of course, to receive the item, more is expected of an attendee. Common requirements include meeting with a salesperson or filling out a questionnaire. “Your up-front expense is greater, but by pre-qualifying leads and gaining more information about their needs, the ROI probably won’t differ much from the open house theory,” says Anunson. “If you’re going to offer a nice premium, pre-mail the attendees to make sure you get on their very full to-do list.”

Most popular and appreciated items are utilitarian and unisex, small and packable.

Making it Count
There are a few rules to follow when selecting a promotional product that will resonate with your target audience. In broad strokes, a product needs to be attractive, appropriate, thought-provoking, and current.

When speaking of her clients’ requirements for promotional gifts, Anunson says, “Utility is always number one.” In the past, the typical trade show giveaways were work- related items, such as pens, notepads and bags. But these days, as Anunson puts it, “Those are sort of generic; everyone’s done that already.” The current trend gravitates more toward home and personal items that help the recipients define their lifestyles. “There are just so many pens you can give someone before they begin to lose their impact on the recipient. People are always impressed by things that they don’t have that will help them get the most out of life,” says Anunson.

Instead of giving away a simple pen, now exhibitors will offer attendees a pen with a USB drive for storing data on the other end. “Basically anything that plugs into a USB port is very popular right now,” says Anunson.

As an example, the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB often gives meeting planners the gift of a plush spa robe or bath towel. “We’ve had planners request replacement robes and towels when the ones that we have given them in the past wear out,” says Edwards. It happens so often that now the Fort Lauderdale CVB has a page on its Web site where planners can go to order and customize any item they’ve been given in the past.

Tami Muller, director of marketing for DECON Environmental, a company in Fort Lauderdale that specializes in mold remediation, recently used high-end flasks with the company’s logo urging attendees who have a mold problem to “first call DECON,” and then “sit back and take a sip” from the flask, knowing that their problem had been solved. The promotion was successful, Muller says, because the flasks had high perceived value. “When people are getting a nice flask, they think, ‘This company spent money on me,’” she says. “They love the attention.”

Know Your Audience
It’s important to know as much as you can about the recipient of a promotional item or corporate gift. If you give one group an iPod they will be motivated by it, while another group will see it as something they can use to re-gift to someone else. And unless your product ends up in the hands of the person you intended, the influence over their behavior you were hoping to leverage is completely lost. “It’s got to have lasting value and that doesn’t necessarily mean high cost,” says Peer. “I’ve got a flashlight at home that I use every time the power goes out and it’s still got the name of the company that gave it to me on it.”

Size is also a factor. If most of your attendees are within driving distance of your event then you can give them something big because it’s not going to be a problem to take home. But if the majority of attendees have flown in, then a smaller, more portable item would be a better bet.

High-quality T-shirts, the latest high-tech mousepad or a few high-end golf balls may fit the bill. “It doesn’t matter how great a promotional item or pillow gift is if it gets left behind in the hotel room for the maid to enjoy,” says Peer. “I’d love to see hotels track the number of room drops that are left behind. I’ll bet it’s a lot higher than most people think.”

Source: asicentral.com

By Vincent Alonzo,  a New York-based writer.

A USB stick is an ideal gift for attendees at a tech, data management or sales convention – who doesn’t appreciate handy data these days?

handy ball retrieverThick, plush and thirsty, a robe will be treasured – and used – by any trade show attendee lucky enough to receive it.

flashlight One of the most cost-effective means of spreading your promotional message as a trade show giveaway, a combination keytag and bottle opener is as useful as it is popular.