I have a confession to make. I hate tradeshows, like deep in my bones hate tradeshows. Thinking about them causes numbing anxiety, sweaty armpits, and red, splotchy skin. All those people walking by, avoiding eye contact, trying to avoid talking to vendors. The paralyzing fear of striking up a conversation with everyone doing their best to avoid eye contact with vendors. The pressure to stand out from the sea of booths and make a lasting impression. These are the situations panic attacks are made for! Am I alone here?

Drawing people into your booth without seeming like a slightly creepy stalker with an overbright smile and canned elevator speech is a challenge. The dream is people seeking you out, stopping voluntarily to engage you in conversation. One of the best ways to do this is with well-designed, innovative giveaways. Good giveaways can serve a lot of purposes. 

• Brand Visibility: Promotional products serve as tangible representations of your brand. When attendees use or display these items, they act as walking advertisements, increasing your brand's visibility at the event and beyond. Make sure that whatever you choose will actually last and be used well past the event. 
• Lead Generation: Giving away promotional products can be an effective way to attract visitors to your booth. In exchange for these items, attendees often provide contact information, helping you generate leads for potential future business.
• Brand Recognition: Promotional products help reinforce brand recognition. When attendees see your logo or brand name on the items you've distributed, they are more likely to remember your company long after the event.
• Engagement: Offering promotional products can be a conversation starter. Attendees are more likely to stop by your booth and engage in a conversation when they see cool free items offered. This interaction provides an opportunity to explain your products or services.
• Differentiation: Unique and high-quality promotional products can help your booth stand out in a sea of exhibitors. It can make attendees remember your brand over others.
• Promoting Specific Products or Services: If you want to highlight specific products or services at a trade show, promotional items related to those offerings can help draw attention to them.
• Market Research: By offering different promotional products and tracking which ones are most popular, you can gain insights into attendee preferences and interests. This data can be valuable for future marketing efforts.
• Memorability: Well-designed and functional promotional products can leave a lasting impression on attendees, ensuring they remember your brand long after the trade show.
• Supporting Marketing Campaigns: Promotional products can align with your broader marketing campaigns. For example, if you're running a "get fit" campaign, giving away branded fitness-related items at a trade show can reinforce your message.

When strategically chosen and distributed, these items can be powerful tools in your marketing arsenal and eliminate many of those pesky tradeshow anxieties. Let us help you leverage promotional products to draw people into your booth and escalate your tradeshow success. And we can both learn to enjoy tradeshows!