Trade show products are important components of any successful promotional campaign
With the large numbers of people who attend trade shows each year, exhibitors should pull out all of the stops when choosing an item to attract potential customers to their booths. From business card coasters to backpacks and staple removers to notepads, a successful trade show promotion will draw in and hold the interest of even the most dubious prospects.
The word "innovation" is synonymous with the name Prime Resources when it comes to supplying items that provide effective trade show promotion. The Bridgeport, Connecticut-based supplier was recently approached by Cook Associates/ Your Company Store, a distributor based in Norwalk, Conn., whose client—ECI Conferencing Services, a provider of audio, Web and event conferencing services based in Wayne, N.J.—wanted a unique way to promote its Reservationless Audio/Web Conferencing and Event Calls services at trade shows. "ECI needed a trade show device that would demo its conferencing services, and our NoteNest Clip was able to help the company accomplish its goals," noted Jennifer Sheehan, assistant marketing manager at Prime Resources.
Sheehan said that ECI handed out the NoteNest Clip at trade shows, complete with the company's logo and a custom-printed note that reminded recipients to attend a demonstration that ECI would host the week following the show. "The NoteNest Clip promotion was directly responsible for an increase of more than 70 percent on trials of ECI's conferencing services over the past year," she said.
Making the Sale
Tom Miller, product manager at RCC Koozie/Norwood, Indianapolis, said that drinkware, backpacks and coolers are products that provide the best trade show promotion. He noted that RCC Koozie/Norwood's new Ultimate Dual-Wall Sports Bottle was the solution to a distributor's need for an innovative product. Made of top-quality gram-weight polycarbonate, the 20 oz. bottle features dual-wall insulation that keeps beverages hot or cold, as well as a pop-up, no-spill, drink-through lid. "The distributor needed an alternative to the traditional sports bottles that it had carried in the past," Miller explained. "The company had never seen the dual-wall insulation before and found it to be just the kind of product it was looking for." The end result: Miller said that the showing of the Ultimate Dual-Wall Sports Bottle resulted in multiple orders.
Miller also referenced an instance in which RCC Koozie/Norwood's Kooler Backpack provided a creative solution to a distributor's need. "The distributor's client wanted an item that would appeal to both younger and older customers, and having a backpack and cooler bag in one product was the right solution," he explained. Again, Miller said that the product solution resulted in multiple orders.
Stealing the Show
According to Paul Applefield, general manager at N&N Plastics, Largo, Fla., promotional items should not be viewed as mere afterthoughts when preparing for a trade show. Instead, he said that the items should be considered an integral part of the exhibitor's overall presentation.
Applefield said that N&N Plastics' business card coaster and staple remover are products that provide effective trade show promotion. "We are repeatedly asked by distributors for a trade show giveaway that can ship quickly without any rush charges," he noted. "The beauty of our business card coaster is that it does not require any imprinting, so it is usually immediately available for shipment." The product features a slot for a business card to be inserted into the side of the coaster, making the item ready to distribute at shows.
Applefield added that clients are both curious and intrigued by the design of N&N Plastics' staple remover, which uses lever action to extract staples without tearing the paper. "Clients seek a trade show item that will both attract booth traffic and give the sales staff a few minutes to talk with prospects," he explained. "In the past, our clients have given away popular items, such as candy, coffee cups, plastic bags and pens, but the staple remover provides a useful and unique alternative."
According to Applefield, a small tabletop display card that features an actual sample of the staple remover is used to grab buyers' attention. The sales staff then encourages prospects to take a sample of the product as they walk by. "Buyers walking the floor are generally fascinated by the product's design, and invariably stop and inquire about it," he said. "At this point, the sales staff engages the prospect with a brief explanation of the giveaway and offers him or her a sample, providing a good time to scan the prospect in as a lead and further discuss the company's main product line."
In the end, after the show's lights have dimmed and everyone has gone home, only the best of the best will be remembered. Using the right promotional item is a surefire way to be one of the show's most memorable suppliers.
By Cynthia T. Graham
- Companies:
- Prime Resources