Marketing ideas for small local trade shows

Trade show giveaways are useful at any trade shows.

As a company that sells trade show displays and exhibit booths, I get to attend a lot of trade shows. Consequently, many are general, non-industry specific business to business trade shows. Also, these smaller shows are typically put on by a local chamber of commerce. However, I still expected to see professional displays.

It often surprises me at how little thought other exhibitors put into the trade show.  For instance, they spend money to go to a trade show yet, they do nothing to impress people. For example, sometimes it looks like they thought about what to bring to the trade show when they arrived there.

I have seen people with a 6-foot table, two chairs, and some flyers on the table. Plus, they look like they “designed” them on their own.  Additionally, I’ve also seen people with very professional looking displays, great looking brochures and some trade show giveaways.

What impressed you the last time you attended a trade show?

My best advice on marketing ideas for a trade show is to think about what impresses you when you attend a trade show. For instance, maybe you noticed that a certain company may have had great giveaway items. Also, maybe they had a professionally designed booth. Plus, everyone working the booth was wearing custom embroidered polo shirts.  Consequently, it made you feel that you were seeing a top-notch, very professional company.

Be THAT company!

You can be a well-dressed company that offers great trade show giveaways. Additionally, you can have a spectacular trade show display. Alternatively, you could just show up at the event after spending the required fee. Also, you could just hope for the best. However, once you’ve already paid the price of admission, you may as well do your best. For example, pretend to be even more successful than you already are. In other words, fake it until you make it!

Today trade show displays for a 10-foot space are very affordable. In fact, the materials used are very different from what was on the market 5 or 10 years ago.  Also, the cost to print out large format graphics has also fallen over the past few years.  For that reason, there is no excuse for showing up, even at a small local event unprepared. For instance, don’t walk in with just some flyers to throw on the 6-foot table the venue gives you.

Trade Show Displays

Notice in the picture above how the vendor on the left has a professional trade show display. Conversely, notice how most of the other exhibitors have a cheap looking sign on an easel. In fact, some just had a banner draped over the table.  Which one looks more professional to you?

Once you’ve purchased a trade show display then you can use it over and over at exhibits for years to come.  Additionally, most trade show displays have graphics that can be removed. Consequently, you can keep the hardware and just replace the graphics. For instance, if your business product line or services change.

Some vendors even offer a lifetime guarantee on the hardware of their trade show displays. For that reason, you really can keep the trade show display forever. Of course, you’d just change out the graphics over time as your business may evolve.

Even if your company only has 2-3 employees it is still worth the minimal investment to have some embroidered polo shirts.  Also, just two people in matching polo shirts embroidered with your logo will look like a professional team.  Plus, most vendors will embroider as few as one dozen polo shirts with your logo for a small fee.

Trade Show Giveaways

What type of trade show giveaways is the best? There are two schools of thought on this.

1. I want as many trade show giveaways as I can get for as little as possible.
2. I want good quality trade show giveaways that people will keep.

Maybe there should be a third option which would be somewhere in-between the two above.  For example, consider the trade show giveaways from the point of view of the recipient.  The owner of the company giving away the promotional products has a different goal. For example, they want their logo, slogan, phone number and website address printed as big as possible.

Practical Giveaways

The recipient of the trade show giveaway items wants something practical that they can use and keep. Additionally, they don’t want to look like they are a commercial for YOUR business. Consequently, does this mean you should give away something expensive with your logo imprinted as small as possible?

You only have to consider the various trade show giveaways that people have given you.  For instance, remember that company that gave you a cheap t-shirt with their logo printed on the front?  Naturally, you used it to wash your car, didn’t you?  You don’t want to be a walking billboard for someone else. Likewise, they don’t want to be a walking billboard for you either.

In the example above the website address at the bottom of the notepad is so small and such a light gray that it is hard to see.  Of course, the logo is more obvious but it remains at the top and out of the way.  Plus, the pen has the phone number. Consequently, the recipient has your company name, phone number, and website address.  Best of all, the total cost is less than a dollar for each set that you hand out.

The number one reason to use promotional products at a trade show is NOT to put your contact information on things you give away.  In fact, the purpose is simply to attract visitors to your exhibit booth space.  Also, it is OK if they see some free stuff at your booth and walk in and take a peek.

Giveaways are People Bait

When people see others at your booth they assume you have something interesting going on. Consequently, they walk over to see what all the commotion is about. Another way to think about it is when you go to a restaurant and nobody else is there. Naturally, you may wonder why you are the only one.  Additionally,, you may start to think that if the food was any good others would be there too.  You’d be correct in that assumption.

Now imagine that restaurant giving away a little sample of an appetizer and you see a lot of people there.  In that case, you might assume that the food must be very good because the place appears crowded. In fact, the food may be horrible but people are there to try the free sample. Consequently, you see a crowd and assume it must be good.  Likewise, promotional products are like that too!  Therefore, use them to draw people in to get a free whatever and they help to attract others to your booth.

Give People Useful Gifts

The picture here shows a calculator made of flexible material with big raised buttons.  Why is it that only accounting firms and C.P.A. firms think this is a great promotional product to use at trade shows?  Isn’t this one of the worst trade show giveaways for an accounting firm?  The last thing the accounting firm wants to do is to encourage their potential clients to start using a calculator and doing their own accounting.

So who should give away calculators?  Everyone!  For example, suppose you are a dentist and you give these away. Naturally, your patients need to use a calculator and that makes it a thoughtful gift.  Of course, a dentist can use toothbrushes and floss as giveaways too. However, those items get used and thrown out.  Also, the toothbrushes used as promotional products always seem to be the cheapest looking things. Consequently, you’d never want to put them in your mouth.

Everyone Needs Calculators

The point here is that if you are a baker, lawyer, roofer or bike shop owner you can give away calculators. Of course, people who eat bread use calculators.  Also, people who go to lawyers, have a roof or ride a bike all use calculators.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that we have picked calculators as the best trade show giveaway item in the world.  It is just the point that the giveaway items do not need to be related in some way to your business.

Trade show giveaway items do not need to be related to your business

Key chains with a tiny but very bright LED light would be a useful promotional product. Consequently, it has value to people.  Also, just because it is a key chain doesn’t mean that only locksmiths should be handing them out. After all, everyone carries keys and all of us have fumbled in the dark trying to unlock a door.  For that reason, if you give me a key chain with light and I’ll remember you forever.

Who should give away key chains with lights?  How about criminal defense attorneys?  For example, anyone could by mistake have one drink too many and go slightly over the limit and get arrested.  Consequently, it would be very handy to have that lawyer’s phone number handy.  Seriously, anyone could use these, roofers could give these away.  Companies that make industrial equipment could hand these out to clients because everyone has keys.

Bags are useful and available in a wide range of prices.

Here you see the basic grocery store style flat “Thank You” bag.  These are very inexpensive and can be used for psychological warfare against your competition at the trade show.  For example, think about how your competitors will feel when everyone at the show is walking around with your bag! Also, your shopping bag with your logo printed HUGE on the front. Of course, if I were your competitor and saw that I’d be feeling pretty discouraged.

Tote Bags

The middle bag is a better quality bag that will last long after the trade show is over. For that reason, it will have some lasting power.  Additionally, it is likely that it will go home in the attendee’s luggage.  Plus, this type of bag is affordable and can be screen printed with information. The tote bag on the right is a better quality bag. Consequently, it is not likely to ever get thrown away. Plus, it is still priced to make it a reasonable trade show giveaway item. Often companies will combine a bag with some other promotional products.