You spent a great deal of time, money and hard work into preparing to exhibit in your upcoming industry trade show. Now you need to promote it. What you do prior to the show, is just as important as what happens at the show. Send invitations to a targeted group prior to the show. That would include your “A” list of existing customers, and most desired customers.  Make that list, and send an impressive invitation. Make it unique and memorable.

For example, one company which manufacturers buckets for construction equipment sent an invitation to their booth in a small gold-colored box. The outside of the box had a sticker on it that read, “Get a Bucket of Gold with Acme.”  Inside it something rattled. The recipient couldn’t help but be curious and open it immediately.  Inside, there were little gold nuggets, chocolate gold coins and a gold-trimmed invitation. The header said “You Can Dig Faster for the Gold with Acme Full Size Excavator Buckets” There is a special “Gift of Gold” with your name on it waiting in our booth.” This was a highly successful campaign. Gifts were given that kept with the “gold” theme.

Here’s an idea recommended to an importer and supplier of beautiful granite and marble in the kitchen and bath industry. It came from one of the smartest national sales managers I know. He suggested they think of the Top Ten potential customers they wanted to see at the show, and their best customers.  He recommended that they make a paperweight of beautiful granite with the customer’s initials inscribed. Then, they sent a letter with a photo of the paperweight that says, “This personalized gift is in a box with your name on it in our booth at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. The number is 2702.  We will look forward to seeing you there.”

Here’s yet another idea.  I have seen people flock into booths to obtain a funny tee shirt.  If you send a photo of the tee shirt in advance, and let them know there is one in a bag with their name on it, they will surely come. The funnier the better.  People need a few laughs these days.

Swiss Army knives make great promotional products for tradeshows. One company used them in an elaborate giveaway in a first-class promotional campaign aimed at presidents of companies. Here’s what they did: They sent out a mailing two months prior to the show in an envelope that had a photo of a Swiss Army knife on the envelope with text that read, “One of these has your name engraved on it and is waiting for you at our exhibit.” Inside, there was a letter asking them for an appointment to visit their exhibit to pick up their gift. It worked. Almost everyone who received the letter arrived at the exhibit. You can do the same with whatever gift you choose for your trade show promotion.  Don’t forget to have your sales people talk with those people before they receive their gift.

Some companies will give away jackets—another desirable item.  And depending on your industry, golf clubs are great!  (Usually they will have one at the show, and ship to the customer after the show so they don’t have to take it on the plane.) Toys also work great.  Everyone who has a kid needs to bring something back for them. Or, they knows a kid who would like to have a dinosaur or dragon toy.  Even a simple tee shirt will bring people in, as long as you promote it before the show. As previously stated, funny tee shirts work well if you send customers a photo of it before the show with the promise of one waiting. Many of the most sophisticated executives and even doctors will stand in line for a Harley-Davidson tee shirt. If you think it will work as an effective trade show promotion, do it; you won’t know unless you try.

An even more creative way for trade show promotion is to  purchase a gift that you can send in two parts. For example, send the earphones to an iPod with a photo of the iPod and a note that says, “What goes with this is in a personally addressed box in Exhibit Number 108.” (You will want to be sure these gifts are discreetly wrapped, so as not to offend anyone who may not have received one.) A sales manager purchased 25 iPods for the most important 25 prospects he wanted to bring into the exhibit. The long-term result? New representation, new customers and increased sales. That’s the name of the game, right?

Perhaps you might send them a single ticket to a sporting or entertainment event that is in their city with a note, “Another ticket to this event is waiting for you in an envelope at our exhibit. We will contact you to arrange an appointment to pick it up.”

Establish a giveaway or “gift” budget for your trade show promotion. Then, tap into your creativity to think of what gift would draw your VIPs into your exhibit. You could consider a “sneak-preview” to a new product. There are drawings for big prizes, which work for some exhibitors. How about purchasing five or ten specialty items and reserving them for the people you most want to see, or are most likely to do business with you. Even a gift card works!  Think of something they might really want to have, and go for it.

Studies have revealed that, on average, show attendees receive twenty to thirty invitations to a single show. Whatever you decide to do, make sure your invitation is special, unique, and most important, entices the customer to want to visit your exhibit!  Don’t forget those specialty items too for trade show promotion.  Everyone loves those.