Promotional Products You Need to Bring to Conferences
Conferences offer the best networking opportunities. Not only are field experts gathered to learn about new and innovative trends in your industry, but they’re also there to broaden their digital Rolodex and meet new contacts. Bringing promotional products to your next conference ensures you don’t get left out. Create memorable promotional products to get your business name in the hands of new prospects and grow your enterprise.
Functional Office Items
Stay on top of your new prospect’s mind with functional office items such as custom notebooks and planners. Everyone needs to take notes at a conference, so custom logo pens are always a welcome freebie. Although this simple promotional product may seem like it’s been overdone, people need pens at conferences. The idea is to get your brand in front of new faces every day, and what better way to achieve this than by the company that provides useful tools for the conference?
Tech-Tastic
Another great promotional item for your next conference is branded tech gadgets. Branded charging banks and other office gifts are a must-have at any conference. People will be pouring in to snag their complimentary power banks to keep their electronics up and running. Alternatively, you can give away thumb drives with plenty of storage. Don't clutter the drive with marketing materials; instead, provide a blank one that people can actually use.
Put your logo and a fun quippy tagline on there to keep your company’s mission in front of conference attendees. Think outside the box with catchy phrases or a thought-provoking quote that grabs people’s attention. The result is a useful promotional item that keeps your brand in the limelight.
Swag Bags Galore
When it comes to conferences, everyone loves a good swag bag. Snag some custom work tote bags and fill them with a few key promotional items such as pens, hats, and mugs. At conferences with a lot of freebies, attendees will need bags to carry those extra items, so you’re sure to get your brand in front of plenty of eyes.
You can even raffle off bigger bags stuffed with branded items that fit a fun theme, such as a day at the beach, which is a great option for coastal conferences. Giving away bigger promotional items in a raffle has the added benefit of collecting emails and names for marketing purposes. It also drums up a buzz about your business. People will be stopping by your table to sign up, providing you with a great opportunity to chat about your company.
Cool Clothing
You may not have the budget to give everyone a promotional fleece jacket, but you can still give away some fun promotional clothing swag. If the conference you’re attending is at a sunny locale, sunglasses are always a hit item. Put your logo and a tag line on the sunglasses for some quick-and-easy marketing. For cooler-weather conferences, don’t forget to grab some custom company hats for extra-fuzzy warmth. Again, the key is providing functional items that attendees will use not only while they are in town for the show, but back at home, where your company’s logo will also be seen.
Keep It Fun
The hardest part of giving away promotional products at conferences is to choose something people won’t easily forget. You may be giving away simple items like pens and custom logo mugs, but if you make those items memorable, then you’ll have an easier time succeeding in your marketing efforts.
Think beyond just your logo and website, provide something of value to your prospects. Maybe it’s a funny industry joke, or perhaps you put an inspirational quote on there. Or you give away an item that’s useful and meaningful. Either of these tactics will work, not only as a conversation starter but as a memorable promotional product.
Follow up
So you’ve created the perfect promotional product and it was a huge success. You spoke with a lot of new people and even strengthened existing relationships. Now it’s time to follow up. Don’t forget to take quick notes about each meaningful connection you make and send a thoughtful follow-up. This is not the time for bulk emails; instead, personalize your message and follow up with your strongest leads in a thoughtful, personalized way. If you feel overwhelmed, pace yourself post-conference. Send a few follow-ups a day, starting with your strongest leads until you've made it through your list.
Promotional products are the key to successful in-person marketing, especially on the conference scene. Think about your industry and their needs to target your promotional efforts. The more thoughtful your promotional products, the more successful your campaign will be. Get your brand out there in a memorable, creative way and make the business connections you need with branded promotional products.