Are Your Convention Promotional Items Taken and Treasured?
This post may contain affiliate links or Google Ads and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no additional cost to you and helps with our website expenses.
Convention promotional items can be a big draw. Giving away free items helps attract people to your exhibit. They can also be items which are seen as junk, and quickly tossed away. Which of these categories do your promotional items fall into? Don’t lose money on tossed out promotional items. Here are some helpful ways you can be sure to draw customers into your booth, and send them away with items they will hang on to.
Why Are Convention Promotional Items Even Necessary?
You could go to a trade show or convention as an exhibitor and not hand out convention promotional items. However, your booth would probably be visited less than other booths, by people just stopping to see what you are all about. The items that you give out help to attract crowds to your area. They also help people remember your exhibit, company, and products.
What Items are the Most Popular at Conventions and Trade Shows?
You may be amazed at the large variety of items that can be ordered and handed out. Some of the most popular gifts in the past have included information that is specific for the attendees. Items of clothing are attractive, electronics and accessories for electronics, and items that are intended for children. Usually these gifts are treasured, and not tossed.
Which Promotional Items are Usually Tossed?
Some types of convention promotional items are tossed quickly. Items that are excessively branded are usually not taken home. Items that seem extremely cheap and that have very low quality are thrown away. Printed collateral, convention bags, and things that would cause a security problem at airports are usually left behind by attendees.
Consider Airport Security When You Choose Items to Hand Out
Sometimes vendors and exhibitors at conventions do not consider airport security when they choose promotional items. Many of the attendees at the event probably flew on an airplane to get to the destination. They will have to take another flight to get back home. If your items don’t pass airport security, then they will end up in the airport trash cans.
Should You Hand Out a Single Item or Entire Swag Bag?
One consideration is whether to hand out one item, or to create a convention swag bag. A swag bag can be very impressive, but only if the recipient feels that it is full of things that are useful and have value. A bag full of junk is still just junk. It may be better to hand out a single item that has value, rather than many cheap items stuffed together in a bag.
Is Your Budget Reasonable and Large Enough to Have an Impact?
Cheap convention promotional items are a running joke at trade shows and conventions. Don’t become the receiver of these comments. Make sure that your promotion budget will cover items that attendees actually want to receive. If you attend many conventions, take advantage of purchasing promotional items in bulk to save money.
Are Your Handouts Similar to Your Competitors?
Try to find out what convention promotional items your competitors are handing out, then avoid the same or similar items at your booth. You want to stand out from your competitors. If it is not possible to know this information until the event starts, then try to find promotional items that are unusual and can be used long after the convention has ended.
Make an Impression With Unusual and Unexpected Promotional Items
Look for items that will be unusual and unexpected on the convention floor. This will help your booth get noticed quickly. When you do something unique and surprising, it will create buzz about your company and products. Other attendees will stop by to see what all the buzz is about, and to get their own unique item.
Spend a Little More Money to Generate a Lot More Interest
It may be a good idea to spend a little more money on convention promotional items. Sometimes spending a little more, to push the interest up a notch, can generate a lot more attention. Check into activities designed to promote your attendance at the convention. This will encourage more people to stop by and check out what your exhibit and company can offer them.
What convention promotional items have you used before? Why?
