A Surefire Traffic Building Promotion for Your Next Trade Show

One of the things I get asked all the time is "How can I get more prospects into my trade show booth so I can tell them our story?" I've listed a few ideas on the blog here but I wanted to share another idea I came across in ASI's Advantage Magazine.

Jay Irby, the President of i-Mark, a pen manufacturer, suggests using personalized pens as a trade show traffic builder. Here's how it works. Personalize the cap or top half of a pen with your name or logo and phone number. Send only the personalized top half of the pen to important customers or prospects you know will be attending the trade show. Make sure it arrives a week before the show.

Include a short note about how to receive the bottom half of the pen, they need to visit your trade show booth. Don't forget to leave the booth number and a cell phone contact if they can't find you at the show. This will drive traffic to your booth! i-Mark's distributors claim  they've received an 85% response rate on this type of promotion.

Looking for other ideas on how to drive traffic to your trade show booth? Check out my post on using Matching Games to Drive Trade Show Booth Traffic and 4 Unique Promotional Ideas to Draw Traffic to Your Trade Show Booth. I've also got some great ideas on my Memorable Trade Show & Exhibit Promotions Board on Pinterest.

Ready to create a traffic building idea for your next trade show? Give me a call today at 847-398-5500 to get one of these promotions working for you. You can also contact me via email at dona.blunt@newportpros.com.

What is the best trade show traffic building promotion you've ever seen? 

Creating Trade Show Buzz

Want people to flock to your trade show booth and create so much buzz that they send other people there as well? You do, right? You just invested a lot of time and money to promote your business so now, bring on the people! We recently came across a unique idea and case study that you could use to drive traffic to your booth and create a buzz about your company.

Soren is a company that makes travel gear and accessories. At a recent trade show, they distributed tote bags at their booth with unique four digit numbers. The goal for the booth visitors was to find a matching number on a the bag that someone else had received.  Kind of like a party game where you need to find the other guest who has your name or number. Once they found their match while walking around the trade show, both parties would return to the Soren booth and claim their prizes.

Why is this such a great promotional idea?  First, each person receiving a tote made sure that their bag and tag number was prominently displayed while walking around the trade show. So, the Soren brand received a lot of exposure and was seen many times during the show by the attendees - from those who visited the booth and from those who didn't. The company created walking billboards. Secondly, since each participant in the promotional game was actively looking for their match, there was a tremendous amount of recognition and reinforcement for the sponsor's brand, Soren. Thirdly, it encouraged bag recipients to direct their fellow attendees to the Soren booth so that they too could receive a bag and be part of the quest. People were talking about the company and creating buzz. Fourth, by engaging and entertaining people at the trade show, the brand created a lot of goodwill and had an opportunity to introduce their products to a new audience. During the three day show, there was never a lack of traffic at Soren's booth!

This promotion was creative and engaging but more importantly it was effective in helping a company stand out and get more trade show booth traffic for their marketing investment. This type of promotion could also be done with cards, lanyards, or other creative options that would promote your business brand.

So, do you have a trade show coming up? If you'd like to make a similar splash promoting your business, please give us a call.  PromoDona can be reached at 847-398-5500 or at dona.blunt@newportpros.com.

Looking for even more unique ways to promote your business at trade shows? Check out my blog post on the Best New Promotional Products for 2013 or my Memorable Exhibit & Tradeshow Board on Pinterest. 

The Best New Promotional Products for 2013

I recently attended the largest show for our Promotional Products industry and I was struck with how times have changed so dramatically. Remember that old expression "The way to man's heart is through his stomach"?  Well today's update could be: "The way to your customers' and prospects' hearts is through their mobile devices."  Though not so succinct as the earlier maxim, based on what I saw at the trade show this new maxim is true in today's world. Our smartphones and tablets are with us all of the time, so it makes sense that advertisers want to be in front of people where they spend most of the waking hours.

In fact, many of my favorite new promotional products for 2013 are for use with mobile devices. Giving a client or an employee a gift that makes their life easier and that they will use for a long time will always make your company stand out from the competition.

I've listed some of my favorite new ideas for promoting your business below. If you want more info on these or other new items, please contact me at dona.blunt@newportpros.com or via phone at 847-398-5500.

Phone Frame



PHONE FRAME: A photo frame that also serves as a charger for your phone. Genius! What I like about this item is that when it is in use, it is a handy and practical way to store your phone on your desk when you're recharging or using it as a speaker phone.  However, when it is not in use, you are able to view your favorite 1-3/4 x 1-3/4" size photo.  The advertiser's logo is printed below the photo window, so it's a win-win for all parties!

PHONE STYLUS CHARM: More and more people are using a stylus when working with their smart phones or tablets. Why? They are frustrated with trying to type on a screen with their fingers. Whether you feel you have "fat" fingers or not it's so easy to end up with a mess of typos.  Likewise, it difficult to type while wearing gloves.  A stylus can rescue you from both of those scenarios.  You can get a variety of stylus styles with the most popular being a pen/ stylus combo. However, since it's not attached to your device, it's easy to lose or leave on your desk. Wouldn't it be nice to have a smaller size stylus that's easy to find?  This charm-size stylus plugs into the earphone plug on your device so it is always handy.  You can brand the stylus with either a digital insert or imprint. Best of all, at a little over $1.00 each, this stylus fits into almost everyone's promotional budget.

DRY CASE: Dry Case is a patented waterproof vacuum seal case for cell phones, digital cameras, mp3 players or tablets that allows for full functionality of the device while keeping it protected and dry in any environment. That means you can listen with you headsets while swimming and you can keep your phone dry while on a boat with your phone.This is a truly unique promotional item that would help your business and brand stand out at your next trade show.

PHONE DOT: The Dot is a handy little item to make the home button on on iPhone easier to find, especially in the dark. it gives your home button a more tactile grip so it's easy to find. This promotional item comes attached with a fold-over card that contains 2 dots. It adheres with a special adhesive and leaves no sticky residue when removed. Truly a useful promotional item to give to clients.

AUTO CUP HOLDER TISSUE PACK :  This item isn't designed for mobile devices but I liked it so much I had to add it to my list of Best New Promotional Items for 2013. Does it feel like you live in your car sometimes? Well, many people spend so much time in their car that any items to help make the ride more comfortable or convenient are truly appreciated. This cup holder tissue pack is so useful, I wish I had thought of it first. A tapered cup, printed with your logo fits into your auto's cup holder and holds 40 tissues. Not only does it put tissues right where you need them most, it is safer than having a traditional tissue box sitting on the seat in your car.  In case of a sudden stop, you don't have to worry about the box flying through the car and potentially hitting an occupant. The digital insert allows an unlimited number of colors for your design. and your choice of two lid colors makes this a winner for advertising your brand. Your customer will hold onto this item and see your logo every day!

If you have any questions about these items or how we can help you promote your business, please call us at 847-398-5500 or email me at dona.blunt@newportpros.com. You can also check out our full assortment of promotional items at http://newportpros.com/.

Here's to your business success in 2013!     


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