Get in the Game to Get Sales from Your Next Trade Show Booth

In one of my previous blog posts I talked about using games as a unique, fun and effective way to drive traffic to your trade show booth and score big at your next conference or event. Between the interactivity and the chance to win a cool prize, setting up a game is a great way to stand out among the sea of other booths as well as encourage attendees to engage with your booth staff rather than do a quick look and pass.

Here are four ideas to up your game at your next trade show.

Pull Out a Classic with Cornhole

This Regulation Cornhole Game requires a bit of space, which makes it a great game to set up at an outdoor event where you have a booth set up. One way to set the stakes is if contestants make 3 of 5 throws they win a small prize, and if a player makes all 5 shots they win a grand prize, but of course, you can run the game in any number of ways.

Just make sure your cornhole boards are on brand with your logo and colors. Our cornhole boards feature two sets of four bean toss bags and a 4-color process vinyl logo on a two sturdy 2 ft. x 4 ft. frames, which also come in a variety of colors to fit your brand. You'll be taking this game to every trade show and corporate event for years to come.

Spin the Wheel - The Micro Prize Wheel

Easy and fun for everyone to try, ask trade show attendees to spin the wheel for a chance to win a number of prizes. For those who maybe aren’t as coordinated as a skilled cornhole player, spinning the prize wheel is a good way to keep the winning barrier low if you’ve got some crafty prize ideas that are great for generating leads.

Our Micro Prize Wheel is also ideal if you want a game, but don’t have a ton of real estate at your booth. Our wheel only takes up 14” of space on your table, but at 20” tall, it’s something you know attendees will see and want to spin!

Drop a Puck to Win a Prize

Similar to one of the most popular games on The Price is Right T.V. game show, the Puck Drop Game is sure to get people on board with participating and engaging with your team at your trade show booth.

Set the prize for one or more of the slots at the bottom of the game board and let luck and gravity do the rest. The Micro Prize Drop game includes 3 mini pucks as well as printable templates for adding your company logo to the title insert and your specific prizes to the inserts in the bottom of the board.

Everyone’s a Winner with Prize Toss

With eight customizable prize slots, think of Prize Toss as the game where everyone wins! Since some shots are more difficult to make, those slots should be your high-prized items with the easier shots being your more general giveaways. Our Prize Toss game features a large header area for you to promote your brand, logo, or special event messaging.


Have you ever used a game to draw people in to your trade show booth? What was the basis of the game and were you happy with the results?

If you are looking to drive traffic to your upcoming trade show booth, or see how promotional products can help you meet your marketing goals, give me a call at 847-398-5500 or shoot me an email at dona.blunt@newportpros.com. I'd be happy to consult on a unique promotion for your business.

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Three Ways to Drive More Traffic and Spur More Engagement at Your Trade Show Booth

Trade show freebies are a sure fire way to draw someone into your booth, but coming up with an item that will keep attendees around a little longer and get them to engage more than they would with a quick grab-and-go item is harder to accomplish.

By putting forth some extra creative juice in coming up with an interesting twist on a promotional item you can drive more traffic and spur more engagement with your trade show booth, which can only lead to a higher probability of gaining a new prospect or customer.

Here are three ideas to get you started:

Make Your Item Interactive

When you interact with an exhibit or presentation, you're more likely to remember it because you weren’t watching or listening as a bystander. This is why many presenters at a conference will ask audience members to do something like close their eyes, write down the answer to a question or stand to complete a task.

Because interactivity breeds permanence whether that means remembering the experience or establishing a new habit, building interactivity in to your trade show booth is a solid practice for having attendees remember your name and what your business does.

One company that exhibited at the National Restaurant Trade Show in Chicago put this idea to the test with their trade show item of a LEGO piece. This company specialized in building restaurants, so to bring the trade show community in to the main activity of their business, they sent out a unique mailer with their logo stamped on a canvas bag that contained a LEGO brick.

The recipients were then asked via a custom printed card in the bag to visit the company’s booth and bring their LEGO to the trade show. In the booth, the attendees helped the company build a unique structure. Not only was it a fun, memorable and interactive experience, but this promotion drove home the point that their business BUILDS restaurants.

Provide an Incentive

Building off the idea of interactivity, don't just hand someone a promotional product with your company logo on it. Combine the promotional product with an incentive to win more if attendees get involved with your booth and products. A prize for participating and engaging with your company is a powerful win for both you and the attendees.

The National Association of Home Builders used this tactic to encourage rebuilders/remodelers to sign up for their certification program at the National Home Builders Show with a Puzzle Traffic Builder promotional item. In partnership with six other companies on the Remodelers Strategic Council, they gave registered attendees a puzzle tray with instructions on how to gather pieces from the six participating businesses exhibiting at the trade show. The incentive to paricipate was that the first 50 attendees to complete the puzzle and deliver it to the Remodelers Council booth could take their certification test (a $195 value) at no charge.

The incentive idea was successful and profitable. In addition to the 50 attendees who got their certification exam free of charge, 107 other builders/remodelers signed up for the test as well. 

Provide Something Useful for the Trade Show’s Activities

Everyone knows that the most valuable promotional items are the ones an attendee considers useful. If it is useful, people will hold onto it and use it thus seeing the brand time and time again. However, if you could provide a promotional item that was useful at the trade show or conference itself, every attendee might see it and will come flocking to your booth to get theirs. The key is making sure it’s heavy on the side of interactivity so attendees do in fact put it to use and remember your brand.

Popular fast food chain Jack in the Box, used this idea at a trade show where they wanted to stand out from the many other fast food restaurants exhibiting. The theme of the show was baseball and the trade show coordinators arranged for pro baseball players to show up to sign autographs. Jack in the Box capitalized on the opportunity by giving attendees a bag that contained a Jack in the Box branded baseball with a Sharpie pen so their trade show booth guests could immediately put their items to use and get a keepsake out of it as well. Every time guests took their baseball out to show people their autograph, they thought of Jack in the Box. This promotion was a hit!


If you need more ideas for a way to uniquely present your promotional products to drive traffic and spur engagement at your trade show booth, give us a call at 847-398-5500 or send an email to dona.blunt@newportpros.com. 

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Kick Off Your Summer Event in Style with Flip Flop Promotional Items

From “National Cherry Pie Day” to “National Have a Picnic Day”, it seems like everything under the sun has its own day of recognition, including our favorite summertime staple, the flip flop! National Flip Flop Day falls on June 19, so to celebrate we suggest not only implementing a casual flip flop Friday policy, but also handing out some flip flip promotional items to kick off your summer trade show or event in style!

Flip Flop Beach Towel

Everyone can use another beach towel! Between forgetting one at home or having to use the tiny hotel towels at the pool, this flip flop beach towel is an awesome welcome gift for any tropical locale conference or trade show your company may be attending. This towel is also made of 100% cotton, which means it’s ultra soft and absorbent.

Chocolate Flip Flop

We don’t know about you, but chocolate is the way to our hearts, and we can bet it’s the same for your customers, too! These chocolate flip flops are ideal for welcome and hospitality bags as well as favors for your next company event. This item also comes with a variety of colored ribbons to choose from to perfectly match your event theme or brand colors.

 

Flip Flop Stress Reliever

Stress balls are always a promotional item favorite, but this spin the traditional stress reliever shape makes this item fun for summer. The flip flop stress reliever is also a good fit for those with a tight budget that need a good bang for their buck.

Flip Flop Bottle Opener

Summertime is the season of beaches, BBQs and brews, so be sure your brand is always on hand when it’s time to pop the top with the flip flop bottle opener key chain. The bottle opener key chain is another budget-friendly option and comes in the colors black, green, purple, red, royal blue, and silver.

Nautical Flip Flop Frame

With navy and white stripes, rope detailing and a fire engine red anchor as the flip flop’s charm, this frame would work perfectly with any nautical or Americana themed event. Whether it’s a Fourth of July BBQ or your company’s annual picnic, this is a great event souvenir people can hang in their cubicle.

 

Flip Flops in Every Color

If your event involves breaking it down on the dance floor or a cocktail hour on the beach, you might want to consider getting actual flip flops as your promotional item of choice. Our flip flops come in a range of sizes and colors, and they also come in a mesh drawstring bag so guests can sanitarily fit them in their suitcase after your event.

 

Flip Flop Fan

We’ve already given you lots of examples of potential outside events your company could be partaking in this summer, and you can bet that at any one of these events, attendees are going to get hot. Keep guest feeling cool with our eco-friendly kraft paper fan that your customers will be clutching all day long.

If you need more ideas for flip flop themed or other summer-related promotional products for your trade shows or events, give us a call at 847-398-5500 or send an email to dona.blunt@newportpros.com.

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Perfect Patriotic Promotional Items to Show Your Pride This Summer

If you’ve got a Memorial Day or Fourth of July event on the calendar, give the people what they’ll want most, which is a cool red, white and blue product they can sport right away. These promotional items are sure to be fan favorites at any parade, festival or picnic, and they also happen to be a great bang for your buck.

Custom Printed Flag Shape Single Paper Hand Fan

Help keep guests cool at any outdoor event with our Custom Printed Hand Fan. Made from coated board stock with a basswood handle that is attached to the back, this fan provides a sturdy, yet affordable branded giveaway for a large quantity of guests or prospects. This promotional product is ideal for parades, corporate picnics, barbecues, sponsored concerts or patriotic festivals.

Promotional Products Work! Week

It's Promotional Products Work! Week again. I am a passionate believer that promotional products truly help companies and organizations build their brands, make sales promotions and trade show marketing more successful, and build relationships that lead to more sales.

But don't take my word for it. Here are some great facts with you on why promotional products are so effective in helping businesses create trade show buzz, generate referrals and repeat business, and boost response rates on your marketing investments.

Check out this fun video from PPAI that shares why promotional products have so much staying power.

Here's another one - Do Promotional Products Generate Response?

Download Free Ebook

To get you started, download my free ebook How to Choose the Right Promotional Products to Drive Trade Show Booth Traffic.

How do you use promotional products to help grow your business? What has worked best for you?

Tee Up at Your Next Trade Show with These Golf-Related Promotional Products

With the weather warming up and golf tournaments kicking off, now is an ideal time to include golf-related promotional items as giveaways or VIP customer gifts at your summer trade show or in golf event player grab-bags.

Better yet, if your event is happening at a hotel with a golf course nearby or you’re a sponsor at a golf tournament, there’s no better opportunity to have potential customers put your branded promotional items to use right away. Create some customer goodwill and get your brand on the green!

Oval Golf Tee Carrier

Ideal for trade show or golf tournament gift bags, this oval golf tee carrier can clip right on to your golf bag and comes in a variety of colors that you can match to your brand. At an extremely affordable price, these tee carriers are great to have on hand for any last-minute event that could pop up such as a corporate golf outing. Have some on hand to give to your salespeople for when they entertain customers on golf outings. Each golf carrier includes 2 ball markers and 8 plastic tees. You can print your logo on the carrier and the ball markers.

Keep It Cool Towel

The Keep It Cool Towel also keeps it dry with PVA material that retains water and leaves the towel dry to the touch yet cool for up to four hours. This golf-related promotional item is sure to be a hit at any outdoor event in a hot climate this summer and features your logo on the plastic towel container.

Promotional Shoe Bag

Everyone who attends your golf event is sure to have footwear, but this bag holds more than just golf shoes. This promotional shoe bag is multi-purpose, keeping golf balls or shoe spikes contained in a mesh side pocket. There’s also a separate compartment to accommodate polish, shoe mitt, etc. Golfers who travel with their crisp clothes for the course will also appreciate the quality feel of the 600 Denier PVC fabric. This is a promotional product that will be used and appreciated for many years to come.

Golf Tournament Gift Pack with 3 Wilson Ultra Golf Balls & Tees

This custom golf ball and tee set includes 18 golf tees and 3 Wilson Ultra golf balls in a clear kit to create the ultimate Golf Tournament Gift Pack. All items can be custom printed with your logo. The best thing about this gift pack is that the quality is premium yet it comes at a budget-friendly cost. It is ideal for a corporate gift bag, VIP golf tournament attendee, or customer trade show giveaway. Perfect for any event with a sports theme.

The Typhoon Tamer Vented Golf Umbrella

Don’t let spring and summer showers put a damper on your event. The Typhoon Tamer is a large, vented 62" canopy umbrella that is windproof and lightning resistant. In addition to your large branded image, this umbrella also comes with a matching fabric case with shoulder strap and would be perfect for VIPs or hospitality tent attendees at a corporate sponsored golf tournament.


If you need more ideas for golf-related promotional products for your next trade show or corporate sponsored golf event, give us a call at 847-398-5500 or send an email to dona.blunt@newportpros.com.

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How to Choose the Right Promotional Products to Drive Trade Show Booth Traffic – Free Ebook

You have a big trade show coming up. You've invested a lot of time and resources and you really want the investment to pay off big with new leads and new sales from existing clients. However, that can only happen if you drive traffic into your trade show booth. You need their attention so you can showcase your products and services, as well as get the opportunity to explain your unique value. So what can you do to make sure your key clients and prospects come see you at your next trade show or conference?

Believe it or not, promotional products can play a huge role in driving traffic to your booth. But I’m not talking about having the latest and greatest freebies or giveaways, although that is proven to get people to stop by your booth. I’m talking about thinking creatively and using promotional products to support a trade show marketing campaign that puts your booth on the “Must See” list for attendees.

To help you maximize the Return on Investment from your next trade show, feel free to download my ebook on “How to Choose the Right Promotional Products to Drive Trade Show Booth Traffic.” It’s designed to walk you through some essential questions to help you think creatively and be strategic about building your brand and business at your next trade show, conference, or event.

If you like this free resource, feel free to share it with your colleagues. 

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