Selecting a Trade Show Item with
High Perceived Value

An imprinted trade show item can help your company’s booth stand out amid the stiff competition for visitors’ attention. Yet, sometimes exhibitors spend meaningful dollars on giveaways that draw visitors but make little or no impression on potential customers.

A high-impact giveaway conveys your brand's positioning message, helps educates your target audience about your company, and above all, promotes your business. Here are some helpful tips as you consider ordering your next supply of giveaways.

Every promotional item should prominently feature your company name, logo, website and contact information.
Select items that complement your product image and the theme of your booth. This will help draw interested attendees to your display.
Your giveaway should be viewed by prospects as an object of value... something people want to keep. For example, items that are reusable – like promotional mugs or USB jump drives – keep your company's name in front of your prospects over time.

Gift certificates or discount vouchers convey value and also serve as incentives for future contact with your business. Product demos or samples on USB Drives will have high appeal among your target audience.
Anything with utility and function such as a "how to" booklet or tip sheet will have a greater chance of being kept than something "gimmicky" that will likely get tossed into the circular file.

Imprinted promotional items can play a role in your brand-building strategies, but only if they reflect the quality and utility of your offerings.

Tips for Distributing Trade Show Items

Keep your promotional items in the back area of your booth so passersby cannot easily pick up a giveaway and then continue down the conference aisle without learning about your company.

Before you give a trade show item to a booth visitor, talk with the individual to ensure he or she is a viable prospect for your goods or services. This will give you the opportunity to begin building a relationship with the prospective buyer and assess whether the potential to buy is low, moderate or high.

As you give out your trade show item, be sure to collect lead information from the prospects for post-show follow-up.

For more on the effective selection and use of trade show items, please see the articles listed below.