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TCHOTCHKE: Tchotchke \ chaat-ski \ A Yiddish slang term for the little giveaways at trade show booths or stands. Also refers to room amenities, gift bags, etc. Also spelled Tsatske

Also see:

• Trade Show Giveaways – Effective Marketing

PMSI is one of the few promotional distributors that recognized the importance of exhibiting and attending Exhibitor. / Photo by Melissa Hernandez

Finding promotional
items at Exhibitor

By Melissa Hernandez

Trade Show Expo Managing Editor

There is much more to the promotional product industry than just printing your information on the side of a pen; although research from Marketing Sherpa says that someone is 76 percent more likely to remember the company name from the side of the pen than the 53 percent that would remember a company name from a TV commercial.

At the Exhibitor show there were promotional product distributors looking to attract resellers. I talked to some of these companies only to find that they understood this particular trade show for the trade show industry was a valuable place to make contact with resellers. Yet, there were only a few exhibits that dealt with promotional products.  These booths were the most crowded with visitors as curious people snatched up samples.  Other exhibits had demonstrations, and print materials, but lacked the attractive promotional items that some distributors were displaying.  It just doesn’t matter how adult you are there is a strange satisfaction in receiving something for free.

For the distributor and the exhibitor the promotional item you slip in your show bag now and look at later isn’t free.  That item must be purchased in a great enough quantity to be given out the first day and act as a draw on every day there after.

More examples of promotional items on display at Exhibitor at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Photo by Melissa Hernandez

I have tested this concept as I wore a lanyard that lit up with neon looking colors. I noticed everyone looked at my lanyard and some asked where I acquired it. At Exhibitor 2006 rocks that made an electric sound were heard and sought after.  I heard them more the second day than the first.  Not only are promotional items more successful than print or visual ads they attract more contacts as the show continues.  Therefore, choosing the right promotional item in order to meet the traffic of the exhibit, shipping cost and reuse potential are all considerations that have to be made.

I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with many resellers, but have had ample opportunity to speak with distributors.  It seems that distributors are always sensitive to the need of the exhibitor to have an item that will attract a potential client to their booth on the show floor, remind them they were there after the show is over, and be economical in a variety of different ways.  How can a distributor determine whether a particular trade show is beneficial enough for their attendance?  I thought I would have seen many more promotional product booths at Exhibitor 2006, yet, there were just a few. 

I attempted to contact a few distributors that attended Exhibitor 2006 and asked why they attended.  Marty Bear of PMSI – Professional Marketing Services was the only distributor that responded, but his insight is valuable.  When asked why PMSI chose to attend Exhibitor he said, “I felt there would be some qualified end user new customer potential.”  This seems logical especially since 71.6 percent of attendees that receive a promotional product remember the name of the company that gave it to them. (Georgia Southern University Study, 2003.)

When asked how he chose which shows to attend he said, “Basically, I try to find a large group of niche industry end users that might buy promo items.”  According to the L.J. Market Research, DFW Airport Study done in 2004, 52 percent of promotional item recipients did business with the advertisers after receiving the promotional product.

The final question I asked Mr. Bear was what he thought others should know about the effectiveness of the promotional items at trade shows to which he responded, “Promotional items are valuable at shows especially if you tier the items with basic giveaways and higher quality items for premier level potential and existing customers.”  His comment is supported with research that states if a request for referral is accompanied by an offer of a promotional product or a promotional product incentive and/or eligibility in a sweepstakes it draws as much as 500 percent more referrals than just sending an appeal letter (Louisianna State University and Glenrich Business Study, 2005).

Trade show managers understand that exhibit space, number of working hours and qualified leads are second only to the objective of the show.  Promotional items can assist in the identification of qualified leads and open a dialogue that will help exhibit staff identify them.  However, not everyone that is attracted to the promotional item will be classified as a qualified lead, but according to the research they will most likely keep the promotional item for six months, have it on their person at the airport where they may use it and at the very least may contact the company or refer someone else to the company at a later time. 

The need to walk away with something free, which can be shown off or used to enhance show floor anecdotes, may be much more valuable than imagined.

How does your company spread its message? Tell us about your promotional techniques. Melissa Hernandez can be reached at melissa@trade-show-expo.com.