The Importance of Trade Show Promotions!

From giveaways to contests, trade show promotions can drive traffic to your booth.

At your next trade show, count the number of booths on the trade show floor. How many are there? Regardless of the show, there are usually dozens if not hundreds of other vendors. What differentiates your booth from all the others?

Most often, nothing differentiates one booth from the next. They are basic, with a combination of products, messaging, and staff. The failure to communicate a unique message with your booth presence is a mistake most vendors make. Adding a promotion, or reason to visit, enhances your opportunity to attract booth visitors.

Promotions can range from raffles to giveaways to contests. The most successful promotions are those which are well thought out and announced before and during the trade show event. Let's discuss each type of promotion separately:

Raffles. If you are planning on giving away a product, make sure that it is something of value or thematic. A giveaway that has nothing to do with your core set of products or a new product you are offering doesn't position you or your booth presence appropriately. For example, if you are promoting bands, an ipod giveaway (with sample songs from the band) may make sense. If you are school desk company, giving away an ipod won't generated many solid leads or initiate conversations of substance.

If you are planning a raffle, be sure to send a post card to those who will be attending the show announcing your booth number and raffle details. Ask them to bring their card to the booth to enter. This helps you measure your return and helps you validate the accuracy of your contact list.
Giveaways. When offering a giveaway, spend some time thinking about the longevity of your freebie. For example, a nice coaster may sit on your prospects desk everyday whereas a beach towel may only get used once or twice during an entire year. Make sure that your giveaway is high visibility and something that sees constant use once its distributed. It should always contain your company name and website.

Contests. Used sparringly, contests can be an effective event at your booth. When involving more than one person, it can draw attention and create awareness. Be creative, think about how a contest could showcase your products, services, or brand.

Regardless of which technique you use to generate traffic at your booth, the key is to make it unique and interesting. By communicating the event prior to the start of the tradeshow by mail or email helps you create awareness and generated booth traffic.

Display the postcard, mailer, or email at your booth so that indivuals who received it make and instant connection. This alone provides something unique that can pull prospective customers into your booth.