BAMKO’s Post

The Quality of a Tradeshow Giveaway Is Important Trade shows are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to showcase their products or services, connect with potential customers, and network with industry professionals. One of the key aspects of a successful tradeshow presence is the selection of promotional giveaways. These freebies can leave a lasting impression on attendees and play a pivotal role in your marketing strategy. However, the quality of your tradeshow giveaway should never be underestimated. In this blog post, we'll explore why the quality of a tradeshow giveaway is crucial for your brand's success. POST: https://bit.ly/3PRx519 hashtag #tradeshow hashtag #giveaways hashtag #expo hashtag #booth hashtag #merch hashtag #promotionalproducts

The Quality of a Tradeshow Giveaway Is Important Trade shows are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to showcase their products or services, connect with potential customers, and network with industry professionals. One of the key aspects of a successful tradeshow presence is the selection of promotional giveaways. These freebies can leave a lasting impression on attendees and play a pivotal role in your marketing strategy. However, the quality of your tradeshow giveaway should never be underestimated. In this blog post, we'll explore why the quality of a tradeshow giveaway is crucial for your brand's success. POST: https://bit.ly/3PRx519 hashtag #tradeshow hashtag #giveaways hashtag #expo hashtag #booth hashtag #merch hashtag #promotionalproducts

As you gear up for a tradeshow season in 2024, the burning question is, "How do you make a lasting impact and ensure your business stays top of mind long after the events?" At the heart of every successful tradeshow strategy is the challenge of creating memorable engagements amidst the sea of stalls vying for attention. Picture this scenario: potential clients navigating through a myriad of offerings, and your goal is to not just attract, but to linger in their thoughts. 🎁 Enter Promotional Merchandise - Your Ticket to Recall! 🎁 Studies show that promotional merchandise boasts a remarkable 50.7% success rate, prompting individuals to visit your website or dial your number for more information. Now, let's delve into two real-world examples that underscore the impact of this powerful strategy. Meet Paul, a Telecommunications maestro, armed with an exceptional service. His first stance was that his service would speak for itself, rendering additional promotional items unnecessary. However, when presented with his banner artwork featuring only the company name and logo, sans contact details, doubts crept in. The result? A lacklustre tradeshow experience with minimal foot traffic. Contrast this with Peter, an aspiring photographer attending his first tradeshow. Recognising the need for a tangible giveaway, we equipped him with a charming white rubber duck and a hashtag for a competition. Attendees snapped pictures of the duck in various locales, sharing them with the hashtag and their contact details. The outcome? Peter's stand flourished with activity, proving that a well-thought-out giveaway could outshine even the most captivating presentations. The takeaway is clear: preparation is key! Ensure your banner is a beacon, drawing visitors to your stall. More importantly, gift your audience a token to remember you by. If you're gearing up for a tradeshow this year and wish to etch your brand into the minds of potential customers, reach out to us. Let's strategies, going that extra mile for your success, creating success for you, making you stand out from the rest! #lonov23 #marketing #tradeshows

Tradeshow 101 5 Ways to Measure Success at a Tradeshow Most people have heard of the term “ROI” (return on investment). ROI is something we all want to achieve when we exhibit at a tradeshow, but exactly how do you measure this? How do you really know if a show is paying off or if it is a drain on finances and resources? The truth is, there is no one answer to this question. Some companies feel it’s appropriate to measure this based on customer loyalty and brand impressions, while others want to contrast their tradeshow spending directly to the revenue that is created as a result of the event. Both are legitimate approaches and it’s really up to any exhibitor to decide how they want to measure ROI. The critical part of making this work is collecting lead data. If you are doing that well there some actual metrics you can record to help with quantifying your ROI. 2.     Cost Per Lead – By keeping careful track of all your tradeshow spending and also having a good lead management system in your booth to capture all the attendee data, you quickly figure out a cost per lead. Overall Tradeshow Cost ÷ Number of Leads = Cost Per Lead You can compare this to other shows you attend, track it year over year and monitor progress as you go. You may be able to see shows that do well, and others that don’t. And if you classify your leads as suggested in tip one, you can enhance this data further. Want to learn more about exhibiting? Check out our educational resources: https://lnkd.in/gq4aak2v

Drive Traffic to Your Tradeshow Booth with Eye-Catching Promotional Products! 🚀✨ Are you gearing up for an upcoming tradeshow and looking to make a lasting impression? Promotional products are your secret weapon to attract and engage visitors to your booth! Here’s why they’re essential: 1. Attract Attention: Promotional items, especially those that are unique and useful, draw people in. Imagine the buzz around your booth when attendees see others carrying your branded tote bags, wearing your custom t-shirts, or using your fun, logo-imprinted gadgets. 2. Create Memorable Experiences: Giveaways that are thoughtful and high-quality create a positive association with your brand. Think beyond pens and notepads – consider tech gadgets, eco-friendly products, or even interactive items that make your booth the talk of the tradeshow. 3. Enhance Brand Visibility: Every item you give out is a mini billboard for your brand. When your promotional products are used during and after the event, they keep your brand top of mind. It's continuous advertising that extends well beyond the tradeshow floor. 4. Encourage Engagement: Interactive promotional items can encourage attendees to visit your booth and spend time learning about your products or services. Think games, raffles, or activities that require participation and leave them with a memorable branded item. 5. Build Relationships: Promotional products can serve as great conversation starters. They provide a perfect opportunity to engage with potential clients, answer their questions, and build meaningful connections that can lead to future business opportunities. 6. Show Appreciation: Giving away promotional items is a simple yet effective way to show appreciation to those who visit your booth. A small token of thanks can go a long way in building goodwill and fostering positive relationships. Ready to make your next tradeshow a success? Let’s talk about how we can create custom promotional products that will not only attract visitors to your booth but also leave a lasting impression. Reach out today and let’s get started! 🎉 #TradeshowSuccess #PromotionalProducts #BrandVisibility #EngageWithUs #TradeShowMarketing #PromoItems #BusinessGrowth

Turning pancakes into showstoppers! Picture this: I am walking through a trade show,  each booth blurring into the next. I have goals in my mind and I am on my  way somewhere in the tradeshow jungle  and my guard is definitely up. As I walk through I pass dozens of motivated  salespeople and feel their eyes wanting  to speak to me. I know they also want to scan my badge and likely  enter me into several marketing processes. Then... something different catches my eye. A booth has a small sign  'We can make anything'  and I see a few pancake artists working on hot  griddles with pancake batter like paint. I hadn’t seen this before.  Ever curious, I challenged, 'Really? You can make Anything? "How about a rainbow unicorn for my daughter?" I ask. The artist nods, “Of course, that’s my specialty”  with confidence in her eyes. And just like that a few minutes later my  understanding of an ordinary pancake is  transformed into an extraordinary piece of edible art— a fabulous rainbow unicorn. This moment transcended the cooking and  the tradeshow; it was a spectacle of creativity  and engagement. I reflected on what worked: 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Tradeshows are bustling environments filled with  distraction. Most booths blend into the background as attendees seek specific destinations. Occasionally, people stop for an opportunistic chat,  but the unique pancake art made me pause  and think, 'What is pancake art?' 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:  The booth was simple yet the pancake art part was  captivating. While multi-million dollar booths nearby  drew little attention, a modest investment in pancake  artists created a buzz. As attendees engaged and saw their pancake art  requests take shape—in just a few minutes— the crowd grew, quickly making this  booth an attraction. And more people were intrigued. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲  While the pancakes were crafted, a friendly  salesperson could chat with visitors whose  guards were down. They could conquer the audience one impressive  pancake at a time and prime them for follow up  at a convenient time. 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Long after the trade show ends, what will  people remember? Definitely not the sales pitches, but the  moments of delight. This pancake unicorn created a memorable story  that transcended beyond the conference. Look, I’m even writing a post about it! So, think about the last time you truly engaged  with a tradeshow booth opportunistically. What made you engage with that booth? ____ #business #creativity #entrepreneurship

Most exhibit houses are "booth builders," and most agencies who handle tradeshows for a client, don't know tradeshow strategy or execution. This is a problem... If you are an exhibitor, I want you to ask yourself, are you contacting an exhibit house directly for your tradeshow booth and execution? Or are you going through your agency of record or an agency? Lets start with the agency. If you have an agency of record or if you found an agency to help you, do they know tradeshow strategy and execution? What makes you think they do or don't? Have you asked them? Ask, what makes good tradeshow execution and what makes a good tradeshow booth? Last, ask how do you do it? If you are going to to through an agency, only for them to go to an exhibit house, they should know what they are doing and drive some real value to the process. Now to exhibit houses. Is your exhibit house taking you through an extensive discovery process to understand your goals, audience, product, service, brand, value proposition, etc. Or are they rushing to design and sketching you something that looks nice and trying to sell it to you? Are they invested in you, your goals, and high level execution on the tradeshow floor? 7/10 exhibit houses can design you something nice and execute the build and logistics. 7/10 agencies can 3rd party broker your tradeshow booth to an exhibit house whether they know what they are doing or not. You will get some good experiences and some bad experiences. But who will be your partner that helps drives an outcome and not just deliverables? Who will you grow your event program with? Who will help you map out a strategy, a plan for engagement, and a plan for show floor execution? Who will help you tier your tradeshow program? Who will help you develop themes and narratives that tie into your brand, and value proposition? Who will introduce new technologies, ideas, activations, software's? Who will help you plan your event portfolio year to year and be honest about what shows are good/bad and THEN, how to adjust for more efficient results? Who will help you review sponsorships and decide how to activate both on site and offsite at your conferences? Who will push you, help you and support you in measuring your results? Aaron Kaufman said on my show, "Tradeshows, events, product launches, galas, those are just the vehicle. No marketing company or ad company produces award winning work, without having been contracted first." What does this mean to me? Corporate event marketing programs, if you want award winning work for your tradeshows... select an agency or exhibit house, doesn't matter which route you go. What does matter is that you contract them in some form of SOW or AOR for tradeshows specifically, second, can they help you do all the things I listed above? Great work takes partnership, expertise, intimate knowledge of each other and goal alignment.

The companies that win on the tradeshow floor are the ones who show up and do one of few things... Theme their booth Deliver a big "aha" idea Tell a story If you've ever walked a tradeshow floor, you know it becomes a sea of parody. Booths begin to blend, hanging signs get lost, and many exhibits look similar just with different branding. In any marketplace, you must stand out. Tradeshows are no different. The best utilize theme, story, and aha ideas to stand out. But how do you do this? Lot's of ways... Lets start with exhibit design. Here are two simple questions we love asking and involving in the exhibit design process for better results... 1. What do you want people to walk away knowing whether after an engagement or simply walking by? Make a list, then get down to a top 3. This gets tough. Typically companies want people to know 30 things about them, and end up putting copy on their booth for all 30 things in list format. This question and exercise can help get you dialed into what's important. People don't absorb 30 things they don't even absorb 5 things. 2. How do you want people to feel about your company after they have engaged or even simply walked by? This question is really more geared toward "after they have engaged and experienced," being at your booth. The answer could be as simple as, "we want them to be happy." It doesn't have to be complex but you should know the outcome you are seeking. Why? Because we are emotional creatures. People will feel one way or another. Why not try and map how you would want them to feel and set yourself up for success. People buy emotionally not objectively. Once you have gone through these two exercises, use the info to have a more specific conversation about... - Themes that make sense? - What kind of story would resonate with your audience? - Do you have some big "aha" idea that will wow your audience and connect the dots for them? Get creative. Help your customers connect the dots on who you are and the problem you solve for them. No one remembers boring. Our brains are trained to remember different. So if you want them to absorb the message, give them different, unique, catchy. Other ways to standout on the show floor that companies miss on... - Really good booth staff. What does that mean? It means they are engaging, educated on the companies tradeshow objectives, as well as fluent in understanding the audience. - Carrying the theme, aha idea, or story throughout the event into sponsorships, activations, attire, raffles, parties. - In your booth... Host panel discussions, run a podcast, create a webinar series. Construct really good industry conversations and put a spotlight on them.

5 years ago we were designing tradeshow booths the wrong way. In 2019 we started changing that. Here are the changes we made... Our mindset shifted. Tradeshows and events are a sales and marketing strategy for the exhibitor. If we are designing the tradeshow booth them, we better design it from a sales and marketing perspective to directly contribute to their goals and objectives. What does that really mean? Well, in sales and marketing, understanding your value proposition and the problem you solve for your customer is key. You can make your life a whole lot easier by understanding your customers. Good sales people have skills, they know their customer, the problems they are having and how their product or service relieves that. Effective marketing is one in the same with the addition of having a firm grasp on your brands identity, and the POV it stands for or has on the industry/world. If we are designing a tradeshow booth, or essentially a "sales and marketing space," then the starting point and pre design conversations of design must change. When I started in this business (2011) the design conversation with clients was all about... 1. Their needs; such as conference rooms, demo stands, presentation areas, storage space etc. 2. What they visually gravitated to, what style they liked, what look they were going for. Honesty its beyond stupid and I'm embarrassed it took me 7ish years to recognize. So how should the process go? (somewhat in order) - Understanding the WHY. Why want new tradeshow booth designed? Why exhibiting, why getting face to face? Whats the purpose of exhibiting for you? - Who is the customer/customers/audience. This is vital. Why are they there? What are they doing there? What are they seeking from you or in general? What value do you bring them or problem of theirs do you solve? - The brand. What makes your brand unique? What makes you you? What makes you different? What do you stand for and value? - Customer/Audience experience. What do you want their experience to be like? How do you want them to feel? What happens when someone comes over for an appointment or randomly? What do you think the customer wants or would appreciate? - Product / Service understanding. What nuances makes your product or service different? Better? Desirable? - Company campaigns to consider? Company initiatives? - Whether show specific or year specific, what are you goals and objectives? What are you hoping to achieve? What metrics being held accountable to? - Engagement. How are we going to meaningfully engage the customer/audience. Much of this stems from the questions and answers above. - Needs; what do you need to function and operate effectively? Following detailed conversations around the above. The next step is creating ideas, narrative, themes, concepts, sketches, engagement ideas, direction, NOT A DESIGN. Agree on these things first. Then begin designing. #exhibitdesign #creativity #tradeshowmarketing