Trade Show Giveaways and Trade Show Marketing

The whole purpose of a trade show display is to attract attention to your booth. But, in order to attract the most attention possible you should consider the use of promotional items.
The primary use of promotional items is to draw attendees to your booth space and thereby transform them into active participants in your brand messaging.
So it makes sense that the more people you draw to your booth the more potential customers you can appropriate. With that said, think of promotional products as an extention of your booth. They are very much the bells and whistles needed to put you ahead of your competition. For it is not necessarily the best display that wins but the best prepared display. For the best prepared exhibitor engages their customers and delivers their memorable showcase of product or service.
Further, to be the best prepared, you must realize you have but 3 seconds to grab the attention of those potential customers. In order to best impact that audience you must bombard them with as much eye candy as possible. The promos/giveaways offer an irresistible selling point that a typical display can not offer. Your audience has to want, as well as, believe they 'need' your promotional items.
It's been proven that tradeshow exhibitors who provide attendees with those 'needed' promotional items are in fact the most successful. Why you ask?
Because those who have chosen to do their homework before the show are the most prepared and the most organized. They know what to expect at the show and how to attain a greater percentage of the customer base. That homework will propel them into the competitive driver's seat at the show.
The promotional item assists with that targeting by offering both universal appeal and a one-on-one interaction between your sales people and the customer. Remembering to add your company name and/or logo to the items will make them even more memorable.
For the fact is quite simple. If you didn't add the attendee as a customer at the show, your window of opportunity shrinks exponentially once it has concluded. So, whatever you can do to keep your company name and brand in their minds and on their short list longer would be in your best interest.
In closing, do your homework before your big engagement and make sure your promotional items have met the necessary criteria to make you more memorable and assist you in gaining potential customers. For the customer's attention span is short and you want to grab them as early as possible. By doing so, you allow yourself a greater probability of closing a higher percentage of future customers. In order to grab that attention you would be wise to utilize promotional items and target your customer appropriately.
Good luck in your future trade show endeavors.