By now most businesses realize the value in offering promotional items at trade shows, but many do not put in much time or effort into selecting their trade show promotional items. Spending just a little time reviewing the options and considering the following tips your business’ promotional items can have much more impact.

First, you want to choose items that complement your image. For example, you probably wouldn’t hand out disposable bottles of water if you are a “green” company. The item you choose needs to reflect the values of your company.

Next, keep your budget in mind. While high value promotional items will likely garner a more positive response from visitors, it doesn’t help much if they don’t directly boost your sales. Look for items that are sturdy, long-lasting, yet also affordable.

The item you choose needs to have room on it for branding. A name and phone number or website should be included at the least, but preferably the item should also have room for a logo and tagline. The more information you can convey about your business, the more likely they are going to remember you when the time comes.

Trade show promotional items do best when they are innovative or stand out amongst the crowd. Remember that people are going to be receiving many items at a trade show, so yours needs to stick out somehow. Bold colors or patterns are good, having an item that no one else has thought of is better.

Finally, the item should be useful. Items that are useful as opposed to gimmicky tend to stick around longer – so there’s more chance that a) the visitor will remember your booth, business, or service, and b) the item will be exposed to others who will want to learn more. It can really pay to put some serious thought into your next choice of trade show promotional item.