When choosing a promotional item to give-away at tradeshows or conventions the first question you should ask yourself is “Does it add value?”, because the if the answer is no chances are that junk is going directly in the trash. So, consider your target market, “What types of items do they already use?”. It is likely that if they are already using it every day they could use another. The next question is “What do they spend most of their time doing?”. For example, a service professional may spend 80% of their day in the car so if you want them to keep your giveaway around, pick something they will use often their car.

Still stumped? Here are 10 ways to add value with promotional items this year:

1. Keep Them Safe

A first aid kit serves as a valuable resource both in the office, on the job site, at home or in the car, which makes it perfect for a wide range of audiences. Available in both mini key chain and convenient travel sizes many kits come stocked with all the first aid essentials. However, if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, add one or more industry specific items that you know your customer will enjoy. The branded first aid kit is a particularly smart item for health or auto insurance companies, auto dealerships or repair shops, pediatricians or childcare businesses, injury lawyers, physical therapy offices, hospitals, construction supply companies, and general practitioners.

2. Educate Them

Available in sleek, perfect to tuck in your bag designs, a book light is great for clients who love to read or have to read. A book light is a perfect companion for someone who travels for work so they can read on the plane without disturbing other passengers or those who spend a large portion of their day reading/reviewing paperwork or even those sharing a household with someone who likes to turn in early. These can be especially ideal for businesses who give their clients materials to read as part of a class or program. Branded book lights are a perfect give away for writers, business/life coaches, motivational speakers, business consultants, spiritual professionals, real-estate professionals, mortgage brokers, banks, book retailers, travel agents, and anyone in the education industry.

3. Support Sustainable Growth

If you’re planning to attend a tradeshow in the Winter/Spring a seed planter is a perfect solution. Not only do seed planters convey optimism, they also come with many different kinds of seeds. So you can choose herbs if your business is looking to market fresh food or a healthy lifestyle, or a flowering plant if you’d like to give your customers something to beautiful to improve their space at home or in the office. It’s also a great project for parents to work on with their kids or to let people know you care about the environment (especially if you’ve made a lot of progress toward sustainability this past year and would like to reinforce that message). The promotional seed planter is recommended for landscapers, florists, restaurants, lifestyle/health coaches, food co-ops, grocery stores, real estate agents, developers, and contractors (especially LEED certified) and produce suppliers.

4. Build a Strong Foundation

When you look for promotional ideas do you ever wonder why there are 300 different versions of the stress relievers? It’s because people love ‘em! So if you like to give people what they want, go with a stress reliever. Any stress reliever will do but we’ve chosen to highlight the handgrip. This item along with the right message will remind your clients to take time during their day to decompress, strengthen their business, keep their New Years resolutions, or work toward their goals. Because this item is something you can actively use it can be adapted for use in a classroom, and presentation environment allowing you as a speaker to further engage your audience and drive your message home. Ideal businesses for this item are motivational speakers, gyms, lifestyle/health coaches, business coaches/consultants, health insurance companies, and mental health professionals.

5. Have More Fun

Building blocks, wooden pyramids, Jenga — Branded games are a great way to ensure that business owners are keeping your name top of mind. In addition, if you happen to be at a trade show where a business is giving away one of these, you want to grab one! It’s a great way to keep clients engaged if they are waiting in your lobby, or conference area. Bonus: If a business owner has your promotional items in his conference area chances are his clients are seeing it too, which means your brand equity just went way up. This is a great idea for any business who markets to dentists/doctors offices, lawyers, insurance agents, pharmaceutical companies, IT companies, telecommunications companies, web developers, creative professionals, and business consultants. Looking for even more bonus points? Think about adding the Giant Jenga or Giant Connect Four when you sponsor your next beer tent and create a brand connection your customers will never forget.

6. Make Life More Convenient

Now, this may be one of the more unseemly tokens to grab at a convention and certainly captures a niche market, but as a dog owner myself I can guarantee that a doggie doodie baggie holder will be utilized. You can even take the convenience level up a notch by giving clients the keychain version, which allows them to attach the lovely contraption to their keys and pet leash. These convenient little contraptions are even available in standard containers which makes them also perfect for diaper disposal for new moms, and those who are looking to keep their car tidy. This item is a great promotional tool for dog walkers, trainers, pet supply companies, hiking or jogging companies, outdoor apparel companies, outfitters, veterinarians, animal hospitals, pet insurance companies, chiropractors, physical therapy offices, animal shelters, pediatricians, childcare companies, pharmaceutical companies or any business who markets to individuals who spend a large amount of time in their car.

7. Help Them Do More Business

Want to be seen and also heard? Go with the low cost, high tech give-away, a mobile speaker. With more and more meetings taking place over the phone these days, it’s a great way to get seen by the decision makers in a company. Not only will your customer feel valued but chances are they will break it out for every conference call they make which will ensure your name comes up when their client asks “Where did you get that?”. This item is a must-have for any business that is B2B or wants to get in front of decision makers, including consultants, non-profits, insurance agents lawyers, and IT Professionals.

8. Take Them to Lunch

One of the coolest things I’ve seen lately is the travel lunch containers. As the healthy lifestyle trends continue to grow, more and more professionals are bringing lunch from home, but it’s also a popular item among adolescents and children. Available in a wide variety of sizes shapes and colors, a travel lunch container giveaway allows you to market to working professionals, parents, and their kids, which makes it an excellent solution for insurance companies, day care centers, cleaning and organizing professionals, internet service providers, banks, IT professionals, healthcare professionals, business coaches, and consultants.

9. Keep Their Hands Clean

Due to the numbers of people who shake hands with each other at a convention or a trade show branded mini bottles of hand sanitizer tend to get scooped up immediately. If you combine that with the nasty flu season we’re experiencing this year, beware you may experience a frenzy at your booth if you choose sanitizer as your promotional item. Bottles of hand sanitizer in addition to keeping your potential clients’ germ-free are an item everyone will use, just be sure you choose a sanitizer without an offensive smell. Often stowed in a glove compartment, bag or purse the branded hand sanitizer makes an excellent give away for just about every industry.

10. Keep Them Fresh

Now, these are pretty rad! I’m sure eventually they will run out of smell over time but they’re so affordable you can allow people to take a few. The branded car air freshener is ideal for any professional who spends a lot of time in the car. So if your strategy includes marketing to IT professionals, electricians, plumbers, repairmen, contractors, sales reps, delivery drivers or any other individuals who drive from job to job. This is the perfect way to stay visible all year long.

If you need a quote on promotional items for your next convention or tradeshow or need further assistance in deciding which give-away best fits your messaging contact us. Intelativity is a highly motivated creative group that specializes in developing individualized creative solutions to achieve protein packed customer loyalty. Through design and art direction intelativity creates high-impact visual communication (i.e. websites, print collateral, corporate branding) to build the fan base you deserve.