Trade shows provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase their products and services, meet with potential clients, and build brand awareness. However, with so many booths competing for attention, it can be challenging to stand out and attract attendees without unique trade show giveaways.
Offering high-quality promotional giveaways is a highly effective way to drive more traffic to your trade show booth. People are much more likely to stop and talk to your sales staff if they’re getting something tangible and valuable in return.
Unique trade show giveaways can also help drive more traffic to your trade show booth. Unique giveaways stand out from the usual pens, drink koozies, phone grips, and keychains available on the exhibit floor. This helps grab the attention of potential customers.
Unique giveaways often generate buzz on the trade show floor. Attendees who receive them may tell others about your booth, which can lead to more traffic and potential leads.
Because unique trade show giveaways are more memorable than other promotional items, they also help create a lasting impression. When trade show attendees remember your brand, they are more likely to consider using your products or services in the future.
Unique Trade Show Giveaways Seen at Recent Events & Conferences
Some unique giveaways that recently generated plenty of exhibit floor buzz and viral publicity include:
- Free skateboards given away by Element Case at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2023
- Lemon-scented socks (packed in a cat food style can) handed out by Klaus at Web Summit
- Keshigomu (collectable Japanese erasers shaped like sushi and other objects) from Taiyo Yuden at CES 2023
- Boxes of gourmet almond milk cheese from Google (also spotted at CES 2023)
- Catnip-filled soft toy shaped like a PB&J sandwich distributed by Jeli.io at SREcon 2023
ok the catnip pb&j sandwich toy I picked up from @jeli_io at SREcon may be the best swag I’ve ever received.
— Kelly Shortridge (@swagitda_) March 27, 2023
Geralt is obsessed with it to a degree surpassing any other toy in recent memory.
other vendors, take note. pic.twitter.com/h2iA0wwXsC
Other fun and unique giveaway ideas spotted at trade shows and conferences over the years include:
- Free mohawk haircuts – “At one car show in particular, Pirelli was giving out free haircuts. Buzzed mohawk with shaved sides, and their tire tread pattern etched into the mohawk.”
- Wood branch pens (pens made from real wood twig branches)
- Free professional headshots
- Dell EMC PowerEdge Server Lego kit
- Mini kettle BBQ grills
- Mechanical keyboard switches
- PWNMEAL (packets of instant oatmeal with Cards Against Humanity cards hidden inside)
- Free crab bisque prepared by a robot chef
- 3D printed head busts
- “Security blankets” handed out by Microsoft at various cybersecurity industry events
He slept as I worked … stole my MIcrosoft security blanket – which seems appropriate pic.twitter.com/agdE4TONE1
— Ann Johnson (@ajohnsocyber) March 7, 2020
Fun & Unique Trade Show Giveaways Ideas for 2023
When it comes to unique trade show giveaways that stand out, consider unique items that light up:
Music Beat Activated String Lights
LitUp Lighted Micro USB Charging Cable
Some trendy and unique high-tech giveaway ideas for trade shows:
Portable Solar Power Bank with Built-In Flashlight
Additional fun and unique trade show giveaways ideas for 2023 include:
Gourmet Ready-to-Eat S’mores & S’mores Kits
For more unique giveaway ideas for trade shows in 2023, check out our guide to Unique Promotional Items for Creative Giveaways.
How to Promote Unique Trade Show Giveaways
When it comes to using unique giveaways to attract more booth traffic and generate more sales leads, always make sure to promote your booth giveaways on social media before (and during) the trade show to get your audience excited and encourage them to seek out your booth.
Distributing trade show swag in a unique way can also help attract more attention and increase booth traffic. Offering swag and gift cards as incentives for attendees who play a booth game (or spin a prize wheel) is one option. So is setting up a fun swag vending machine - or a photo booth that prints out branded flipbooks.
Brands that get creative with how they dispense swag and booth game prizes can earn valuable press. Google, for example, once earned tons of publicity by setting up a giant voice-activated gumball machine to dispense prizes at a consumer electronics trade show.
Handing out vouchers for free custom swag is another unique way to attract more booth traffic. Attendees can select the swag they want and have it delivered directly to their office or home after a trade show or other event. Utilizing an online company store to distribute your trade show swag is a smart way to capture contact information for more sales leads (while also reducing environmental waste)!
For more tips on using unique trade show giveaways to drive booth traffic, check out our guide to Trade Show Swag.
Or contact Metron Branding for assistance with selecting the best unique giveaways for trade shows, conferences, and other business events in 2023!