Event/Conference or Trade Show Promotion

Events, conferences and trade shows cost a lot of money. Clever companies seek to maximise the return on their investment. To do this they spend more money on ways which make people remember the message they are communicating.

Event example A Management Consultancy Company is holding a day at the races for 60 top clients, prospects and staff. The corporate hospitality bill will be large, indirect costs such as workers downtime will also run into the thousands. Clients will be entertained by staff, good business relationships will be strengthened, new ones will be formed. The opportunity to win new business will be substantial. They need this event to be remembered and for it to be a catalyst for new business.

Pro-motion Products are called and given the brief. After a meeting with the client we jointly decide that a product that can be used on the day and be valued enough by the recipient to be used in the future will be appropriate. The product will feature branding that is a call to action for prospects and clients. A quality set of binoculars is the final choice.

The race day is a resounding success. A spend of less than $1500 on binoculars has helped ensure that the message and day will be remembered for a long time. Four months later the client reports that four new contracts have been signed and that existing business is firmly ‘locked in’. Many clients have thanked them for the quality gift.

Promotional Product Lesson – select a quality product, remember that the product, its attributes and quality are a direct reflection of your company, your company’s attributes and your company’s ‘quality’.

Conference Example A client calls us five weeks before a conference they are holding. It will cover many issues over it’s two day period, they need to make sure that attendees remember the key communication points of the conference. Hundreds will be attending, it’s cost a fortune already and they tell us they can send no more $10 on our products per person.

Pro-motion Products has a telephone briefing with the client. Three key communication objectives are evident. (Very often when we discuss communication objectives with clients it helps them concentrate their mind and think of their conference in a long term and strategic sense). We need to know your communication objective for us to develop a promotional theme and message.

A matching set of three metal pens are selected as the promotional item. We arrange for a different message to be printed on each of the pens. Attractive packaging is selected to increase the perceived value of the product. The message on each pen is a device to make the attendees think of the key points and issues surrounding these points. As there is a set of products attendees will be more inclined to keep the pens together and think of the message on each one as part of an interconnected story. 8 months after the conference our client reports that these pens have helped reinforce the three central points of the conference beyond their expectation.

Promotional Product Lesson – think of our products as mini advertising boards. Ask yourself what are we trying to communicate?, - think of central messages or themes. Invest time in this process, you wouldn’t advertise or communicate a message on TV without identifying and investing in message development.

Trade Show Example Most companies attending trade shows waste a lot of money. A blind sense of “we’ve got to be there” usually prevails. Organisation and reinforcement of your promotional message must be your priority when organising your trade show. An existing client has an upcoming tradeshow and calls asking if we can help make the substantial spend be as effective as possible.

Three steps should be considered to make your trade show a success:-

1/ Visit Us. Draw up a list of people you know will be attending the show and who you want to target, write them a letter letting them know why it is essential that they seek out and visit your stand. Reinforce this message with a mailable Promotional Product like a mousemat, a seedstick or collapsible phone stand.

2/ Reinforcement of message at show. The prospect has arrived at your stand, you’ve told them all about your company and they like what they hear. Don’t let them walk away and forget all about it. Give them something like a notepad printed with your details (to take notes on during the show), or a low cost calico bag with your logo (to collect other material that interests them). Now is the time to organise the third and most important step – follow up. Ask them when it would suit them most to see your representative after the show.

3/ Follow Up. The show has been and gone, now is the time to visit the top prospects from your list. This a great time to acknowledge their interest in your company and reinforce that you are great people to do business with. Invest in a thank-you gift, it has cost hundreds of dollars to get this good prospect, it costs lots of money every time your rep opens his car door, don’t be frugal now! A good quality gift says thank you whilst further promoting your company.

Promotional Product Lesson – plan your tradeshow with military detail. Use Promotional Products as part of a structured plan to build interest in your company and it’s products, to reinforce your key message or presence during the show and to incentivate and thank top prospects.

Want to read more about how best to use branded products? – visit these other pages.

Six reasons why Promotional Product Marketing works

The seven steps of a Promotional Product Marketing Campaign

The Complete (10 minute read) to Promotional Product Marketing

© 2005 – Promotion Products Pty Ltd

(You are welcome to reproduce any part of this article but require that you reference it as our work. N.B Promotional Product Companies are not permitted to reproduce any section of this guide.)