The best tips for trade show giveaways can be divided into two categories, which are choosing the best items and making sure people know about them. Unique promotional items that no other booths have can drive up demand, as can items or devices that are actually useful. Prominent display racks, cases, and signs can help show people that a booth has good trade show giveaways, as can well prepared and outfitted staffers. If efforts are undertaken to ensure that people know about the giveaways at a particular booth, it can result in a marked upsurge in foot traffic. Special events can also be held at the booth during specific times of the day depending on the policies of the particular trade show.
One of the best ways to increase booth traffic is to have some good trade show giveaways, but these items can also help promote a particular message or general brand awareness. Choosing the right items can ensure that people not only stop by a booth but also remember the business later on. If possible, a promotional item should evoke the type of businesses or service rather than being branded merchandise.
In some cases, it can be a good idea to have several different tiers of trade show giveaways. Small items can be placed on a counter or display to catch people's eyes. These items can be free for anyone and may even generate some interest in the booth. Beyond that, it can be helpful to have more expensive trade show giveaways to provide to anyone that stops and shows actual interest.
Another way to pull people into a booth is to contact them ahead of time and promise a useful or fun giveaway if they stop by. Notes such as these can be sent to existing customers or clients, and the trade show may be able to provide a list of registered attendees. Anyone on this list that looks like a good prospect may be contacted in advance of the trade show. A coupon may be included with the note along with an encouragement to stop by the booth and redeem it for a promotional item.
If the trade show permits such activities, hourly or daily raffles and special giveaways can also be held. One idea is to have a fishbowl for people to drop business cards into with the promise that one will be drawn out and awarded a grand prize. This not only draws people in to the booth but also provides a wealth of potential contacts. Hourly or daily events where t-shirts or other promotional items are handed out can also be a good way to draw people in on a regular basis.