Trade Show Giveaways
& Trade Show Promotional Products
Get More Attention at Your Next Trade Show
A trade show gives your business a valuable opportunity to meet prospects face-to-face, introduce your company to new audiences and build relationships with potential customers. But when dozens, or hundreds, of exhibitors compete for attention, simply having a booth is not enough.
The right trade show giveaways can give people a reason to stop, start a conversation and remember your company after the event.
At A Better Idea!, we help businesses find creative and practical trade show promotional products that can be customized with a company logo, message or artwork. From economical giveaways for large crowds to higher-quality products for qualified prospects and VIP attendees, the right promotional item can become an extension of your trade show marketing strategy.
A Better Idea's current trade show category specifically features promotional products for trade shows, conferences and events, with an emphasis on useful and appealing giveaways, competitive pricing and turnaround.
What Makes a Good Trade Show Giveaway?
The best trade show giveaway isn't necessarily the most unusual product.
It is the product that people want, use and remember.
When choosing a promotional item for a trade show, consider five important questions:
Will people actually want it?
Can they easily carry it?
Will they use it after the event?
Does it display our brand effectively?
Can we purchase enough for the number of attendees we expect?
A useful product can continue promoting your business long after the trade show ends.
A Better Idea describes promotional products as logo-printed giveaways designed to promote companies, conferences and trade show events, with products intended to provide repeated brand exposure.
Choose Your Giveaway Based on Your Trade Show Goal
Not every attendee should necessarily receive the same product.
Your giveaway strategy can change depending on what you want to accomplish.
Attract Visitors
If your goal is to bring people into the booth, choose an item that is visible, interesting or immediately useful.
Start Conversations
A giveaway can provide your staff with a natural reason to engage someone.
Instead of simply handing out a product, use it as part of a conversation about your company, service or solution.
Generate Leads
For lead generation, consider creating different levels of merchandise. A basic giveaway can be available to most visitors, while a more substantial product can be reserved for qualified prospects.
Stay Top-of-Mind
Products that continue to be used after the event can keep your company visible long after the trade show floor closes.
Trade Show Giveaways for Large Crowds
If your company expects hundreds or thousands of visitors, the economics of the giveaway become especially important.
You want a product that is:
- Affordable at your quantity
- Easy to distribute
- Easy to carry
- Useful
- Clearly branded
- Appropriate for your audience
Pens, key tags, magnets, lanyards, badge holders, small technology accessories and other compact promotional items can work well for large-scale distribution.
A Better Idea's current catalog includes pens, key tags, magnets, lanyards, badge holders, Post-it products, stress relievers and numerous other economical promotional categories.
The company's pen category specifically identifies pens and writing instruments as trade show and event giveaways and offers styles ranging from budget pens to executive writing instruments.
Trade Show Bags & Totes
One of the most practical trade show products is a branded bag or tote.
Attendees need something to carry brochures, catalogs, samples and other materials they collect throughout the event. A branded tote can therefore provide immediate usefulness while also giving your company additional visibility as attendees walk around the show.
A trade show bag can also become a reusable product after the event, extending your brand exposure beyond the convention center.
A Better Idea currently offers bags, totes and coolers, including canvas totes, grocery totes, insulated totes, drawstring bags and other bag categories.
Lanyards & Badge Holders
Custom lanyards and badge holders are particularly appropriate for conferences, conventions and professional trade shows because attendees are already wearing identification badges.
Instead of being another item that visitors must carry, a lanyard becomes part of the event experience itself.
Branded lanyards can also provide excellent visibility throughout a multi-day conference.
A Better Idea has a dedicated Badge Holders & Lanyards category, along with related promotional products suitable for conferences and trade shows.
Drinkware & Reusable Bottles
Branded drinkware can be especially effective when your event audience is likely to spend several hours at the venue.
Travel mugs, tumblers, stainless-steel bottles and sports bottles provide useful products that can continue to be used after the event.
A quality tumbler or bottle can also give your company a larger branding area than a small giveaway.
For higher-value prospects, consider upgrading from an inexpensive giveaway to a premium tumbler or bottle.
A Better Idea's current catalog includes Mugs & Drinkware as a dedicated product category as well as bottles and travel mugs/tumblers.
Technology Trade Show Giveaways
Technology products can create especially strong interest at business and technology-focused trade shows.
Charging accessories, portable power products, speakers, USB-related products, phone accessories and other technology merchandise can provide useful giveaways that recipients are likely to keep.
A Better Idea's technology category currently includes branded charging cables, Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, selfie sticks, phone accessories, power products and other technology promotional items.
Technology Promotional Products →
For technology companies, software companies, financial businesses and professional services firms, a useful tech giveaway can also reinforce the company's modern image.
Trade Show Giveaways for Qualified Prospects
Your most valuable trade show visitor may not be the person who simply walks past your booth.
They may be the prospect who spends 15 minutes talking with your sales team.
For those visitors, consider creating a tiered giveaway strategy.
For example:
Level 1: An economical giveaway for general booth traffic.
Level 2: A better product for visitors who engage with your staff.
Level 3: A premium branded gift for qualified prospects, customers or VIP attendees.
This approach allows you to control your promotional budget while giving your sales team another tool for identifying and rewarding meaningful engagement.
Make Your Trade Show Giveaway Part of the Conversation
A giveaway is more effective when it supports your marketing message.
Instead of simply placing a basket of products on the table, consider connecting the item to your company.
For example, a technology company might offer a useful charging accessory.
A construction company might select a practical tool or keylight.
A financial company might choose a premium pen or notebook.
A healthcare organization might select a wellness-related product.
A company promoting sustainability might select an eco-friendly product.
The giveaway should make sense for the audience and reinforce what your company does.
Put Your Logo Where It Will Be Seen
Trade show merchandise needs effective branding.
Your logo should be large enough to be recognized but appropriate for the product.
Consider:
- Logo size
- Imprint location
- Product color
- Imprint color
- Number of imprint locations
- Decoration method
- Artwork requirements
A simple logo may work beautifully on a pen or tumbler. A more complicated graphic may require a larger decoration area.
For trade show merchandise, visibility matters, but professional appearance matters too.
Your giveaway represents your company.
Make Your Booth Look Coordinated
Your promotional products should work with the rest of your trade show presentation.
If your booth uses a particular color palette, consider choosing products that complement those colors.
For example, a company with a blue-and-white brand might use blue drinkware, white bags and coordinated pens.
The goal is to make the entire booth feel like one unified brand experience.
Your merchandise, booth graphics, employee apparel, literature and signage should reinforce the same visual identity.
This is where the Branded Merchandise strategy from Page 3 connects naturally with the trade show page.
Trade Show Giveaways on a Budget
You don't need an enormous budget to create effective trade show merchandise.
The key is matching the product to the number of attendees and the value of the marketing opportunity.
If you expect 2,000 visitors, a $10 product may not be realistic for every attendee.
If you expect 100 carefully selected prospects, however, a premium product may make much more sense.
Think about your cost per impression, not simply your cost per item.
An inexpensive product that someone uses for months may provide more long-term brand exposure than an expensive product that is quickly discarded.
A Better Idea also maintains promotional specials and products offered at sale pricing, which can be useful when planning a large event order.
Promotional Product Specials →
Don't Forget the Trade Show Deadline
Timing is one of the most important considerations when ordering trade show merchandise.
You need to allow time for:
- Product selection
- Pricing
- Artwork submission
- Proof approval
- Production
- Shipping
- Delivery to the event
If your event is approaching quickly, ask about Quick Ship / Rush options before selecting the product.
A Better Idea's current catalog includes a Quick Ship/Rush category, making turnaround time an important product-selection consideration.
Quick Ship & Rush Promotional Products →
Popular Trade Show Product Categories
A Better Idea offers a wide range of categories that can be considered for trade show giveaways and conference promotions.
Depending on your audience and budget, possibilities include:
Pens & writing instruments, bags and totes, lanyards and badge holders, mugs and drinkware, technology products, key tags, magnets, Post-it notes, flashlights and keylights, sunglasses, stress relievers, apparel, bottles, and other promotional products.
Trade Shows & Conference Products →
Plan Your Trade Show Giveaway Strategy Before You Order
Before selecting a promotional product, determine:
- How many people will attend?
- How many visitors do you expect at your booth?
- Is the product for everyone or qualified prospects?
- What is your budget per item?
- How will people carry it?
- Will they use it after the event?
- How much space does your logo require?
- When must the products arrive?
Answering these questions first can dramatically narrow your choices.
Instead of searching through thousands of products and trying to decide what looks interesting, you can select merchandise based on a clear trade show objective.
Let A Better Idea Help You Choose
With hundreds of thousands of customizable promotional products available, finding the right trade show giveaway can be overwhelming.
A Better Idea! is a full-service promotional products agency offering a large selection of customizable products, factory-direct pricing and experienced product specialists. The company says it has more than 30 years of promotional product industry experience and works with businesses nationwide.
Our experienced team can help you compare products based on quantity, budget, audience, branding requirements and delivery schedule.
Whether you need an economical giveaway for thousands of attendees or a premium branded product for a smaller group of important prospects, we can help you find a product that makes sense for your event.
Make Your Next Trade Show More Memorable
The best trade show giveaways don't simply leave your booth with a visitor.
They leave the trade show with them.
A useful pen may end up on a prospect's desk. A branded tote may travel through the convention center and then become an everyday shopping bag. A tumbler may sit beside a customer's computer every morning. A technology product may remain in someone's travel bag for months.
Every one of those products creates another opportunity for your company to be remembered.
Choose a product that fits your audience.
Brand it professionally.
Use it as part of your booth strategy.
And make your giveaway something people actually want to keep.
A Better Idea! can help you find creative, useful and cost-effective trade show promotional products that put your company in the hands of potential customers.
Planning an upcoming trade show or conference? Contact A Better Idea! for help selecting the right giveaways, quantities, branding and budget.
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