Promotional items can be the cherry on the top of a great trade show or event. They will extend the life of the event and keep your company top of mind. The problem is getting the promotional items in the right hands and to keep the trick or treaters at bay.
Trick or treaters are the people that walk around with their giant bag or rolling cart and grab three of everything “for their grand kids”. They are the people that walk up and try to take items off your table that are not even promotional items. They are the life sucks that can walk away with $5 – $15 of items and never say hello or be qualified as a lead.
So how do we get items into the right hands and keep the trick or treaters at bay? Here are my top 3 tips.
1.Promotional items should have a purpose.
You can read my 5 “W”s of Promotional Items here. I do not advocate giving items away just for the sake of keeping the masses happy.
2. Make a game out of giving the items away.
A person must complete a set of actions to get specific items. For instance, if you are giving a pen away, they have to write down one thing they have learned at the show and their contact information – with the pen. You can ask people to take comment, post, like, or tag on your social media profiles. You can ask them to sing a song – whatever works with your goals for the trade show will work here.
3. Do not set them on the table at the front of the booth.
This allows people to do drive-by. They walk over, grab the item, and keep right on walking. Make attendees work for your give aways. Even if you are going for the shot gun approach of trying to hit everyone, a small interaction will make the item and your company more memorable. I will often buy big bags of candy to place out for the people just walking by to grab items. This keeps people happy and allows me to interact with the people who want to talk with me.
Every part of your booth needs to help drive your shows goals forward – especially your promotional items. These are items that people are taking with them and will be used to remember your company. Do not let it be a grab and go process – work on having an interaction and creating a memory to go with the item.