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Is It Time to Re-Think Your Trade Show Giveaways?

 

We’ve touched on trade show giveaways in recent blogs but given the current times, we believe it’s time to dive deeper and offer new ideas! Simply handing out tangible giveaways such as water bottles, key chains and branded bags at your event may become obsolete, especially with the possibility of multiple people touching these items and spreading germs. While getting your branding out there is always beneficial for your business, it could be time to switch up your trade show giveaways. Here are a few ideas to consider:

Offering a discount on your product or service

Offering a discount on a product or service could possibly give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to giveaways. It allows your clients to purchase your products to try out at a lower price and if they are happy with the purchase, they will come back for more! When it comes to the percentage amount, a range of 15-25% off will generally catch the eye of attendees while still making it worth it for your business to offer the discount.

Offering one of your products completely free.

This option is better for businesses that offer products at a lower price point. This strategy is great to promote on social media so you aren’t simply giving away a free item to every single person that walks by your booth. Instead, create a pre-show promotion for attendees. For example, if they mention a certain product or use a keyword to a booth staffer, then they will receive the free product. If they don’t follow you on social media yet, have an option for those attendees to do so to receive the complimentary item. This will also help grow your following which will lead to more online engagement of your future posts. Remember to have a system in place to keep track of how many items you gave away, along with how many more “likes” your pages received to assist in your event ROI calculations. Much like with the discount offer, if they enjoy the product and have a good experience interacting in your booth space, they will likely come back to your business for more.

Collect contact info for one large prize/product – the “fishbowl” method.

Offer one (or two) large giveaway items if booth guests enter a drawing. Pricier electronics, luxury items, a vacation-type stay somewhere, the list goes on! With this giveaway method, you are getting the opportunity to at least introduce yourself to attendees, while also receiving their contact information if they are entering the giveaway – leaving the opportunity to reach out to them after the show. Not to mention one lucky winner will receive a great prize from your business, creating a strong association with your company and brand.

Offer a free class, seminar, or workshop for a future date.

If your business hosts or participates in seminars, classes, or workshops, give attendees an opportunity to sign up for a future event when they visit your exhibit. With this offering, it shows that the attendee has some sort of interest in your business, and also gives them free education relevant to the industry you are in.

Whichever giveaway you choose, if any, remember to make it useful to the attendee, while being specific to your business and brand. When done right it’s a great way for attendees to remember you! If you would like to learn more or need further assistance, Skyline is here to help.