There are many things happening at any given time during a trade show. As such, it can be difficult to capture and keep the attention of an attendee who browses by your display, unless you can give him a reason to stay – a free gift.

However, there is a fine line between promotional products that may help you attract your business and just throwing money out the window. In the same vein you cannot expect to garner results by giving away something cheap or useless – in fact this may merely serve to turn customers off your product or service. So how do you decide?

In a nutshell you want your trade show giveaways to do some combination of the following:

- Increase awareness of your brand

- Introduce a new product or service

- Provide value (by being useful or giving useful information)

- Communicate contact information

In order to attract and keep the attention of bystanders your freebie should be unique (as in other booths aren’t given away the same thing), complement your business, and portray your business accurately. A graphic designer can help you brand your freebie with your logo and contact information as well.

One additional consideration is your budget. While you want your freebie to be “special” you also don’t want to spend your whole marketing budget on this one item. Something that is small, useful, and memorable usually works just fine; examples include notepads, stress balls, coffee mugs, and water bottles. Many specialty marketing companies can provide you with a variety of ideas, as wells as giving discounts for larger orders if you are planning several trade shows in a period of time.

In order for the giveaway to be effective (and affordable) consider selectively handing them out to attendees who look interested in your booth. Don’t forget to include a business card and some other promotional materials, such as a brochure, to increase awareness of your product.