Seven Top Tips for Your Next Trade Show or Exhibition

Seven top tips for your next trade shows or exhibitions

We know that many of the products we sell will be used as promotional giveaways at trade shows, conferences and exhibitions. Through this we have learnt a few things that will help you market your brand at these events.

We’ve got a mixture of advice and potential promotional products.

Here are seven top tips:

1. If the customer is going to say no to you, make sure “no” the answer you want to hear. Instead of asking if they would like some free promotional products, ask them “have you seen our free merchandise”. It’s far more difficult to say no to somebody when a simple “no thanks” will get the job done.

2. Make one of your handouts pre-charged power banks. These make a fantastic promotional product in their own right, but the added practicality of being pre-charged, your printed product has gone from being a useful item to have in the future to being a lifesaver there and then.

It may take a bit of time charging the power banks before the event but it will be worth it. Your company’s message and logo will be on the product which saved the day.

3. On the topic of taking time before the event, social media is a great tool to use to promote your brand. Making sure your customers and clients know you’re at an event is important, but equally important is the need to use social media during the event.

It’s often said that content is king and this is the case here. Use Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook during the event. Take pictures, engage with other companies who are at the event too. Create content will you are promoting your brand. At these events your digital communications can be as important as chatting face to face.

4. Pre-loaded USB sticks, memory sticks or flash drives can be a great way to promote your brand at trade shows. Memory sticks are practical products which are used frequently in all areas of industry. Such as the pre-loaded power banks, the USB flash drives make an excellent promotional product in their own right, however, why not load your companies contact details on or host a PDF version of your catalogue on there?

Your customers and clients can then browse a digital version of your catalogue at their own pace. They are also free to delete it and use the memory stick for its intended purpose. Your printed branding will still be loud and clear to see.

5. Get something in return for your promotional merchandise. Whether you’re giving away mugs, pens or pre-loaded flash drives and pre-charged power banks, try and make sure you get something in return for your products.

It doesn’t have to be a like for like swap. Ask for an email address, a follow or a like on social media or even a business card. These events are just as much about branching out and creating small leads for the future than selling your product on the spot.

6. Promotional bags can be a memorable product at any trade show. Branded bags, whether drawstring, jute or backpacks can be a great way to market your brand. However, these products do come with a slight issue. Promotional bags are consistently a top selling promotional merchandise item in the UK so it’s likely other stalls and tables are going to be giving bags away.

The plus side is that these products are practical, long lasting and have an excellent print area for your brand to take advantage of.

7. The final point echoes a comment from legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi. “When you get in the endzone, act like you’ve been there before.” Lombardi may have been talking about not over celebrating after scoring a touchdown but at trade shows the sentiment is the same.

If a potential customer seems interested in your product and what you have to say, whether or not you have, act like you’ve been there before. Sell your product in a friendly and confident way.

Trade shows and exhibitions can be a great way to promote your brand if you approach it with an open minded and positive way.

For more information and tips, head to EverythingBranded’s blog site.