Trade shows are an excellent way to get you business recognized and to build a bigger customer base. They are also very intense and you have to be on your feet for hours. During the entire time the trade show is on you have to appear to be enthusiastic and full of energy. This is easy to do the first couple of hours until the newness wears off and it can quickly turn into as chore if you are not prepared.

Below you will find some tips to help you stay comfortable during the time you are at the trade show.

You have to stay attentive at all times and a person working a trade show exhibit has to have plenty of physical and mental stamina. The clothes you wear should be appropriate but also comfortable to move around in.

Your shoes should be very comfortable and it is never a good idea to wear new shoes when you are doing a trade show exhibit. To keep your energy level up it is a good idea to arrange it so your staff gets to take a break every couple of hours.

You should make sure you eat something throughout the day to keep a high energy level. Short breaks throughout the event will keep you and your staff on their toes. It is also important to stay hydrated during a show. Make sure plenty of water is available to you and your staff. Plan ahead and be prepared by bring along a survival kit. You should include items like, eye drops, Band-Aids, antacids, and safety pins. Trade shows can be rewarding, on the other hand, they can also be grueling if you are not prepared.

The key to success it to plan ahead and to make sure you are ready to spend hours working the trade show floor.

First of all, make sure your company name and logo are prominent on your gift – the larger the better.

In this instance, big is definitely GOOD.

Choose colors which stand out and get noticed.  I like big, vibrant colors such as red, yellow and metallic tints and hues.  The whole point is to get the gift noticed when you are displaying what you have on offer at your booth and when the gift is being carried around by a happy attendee who has already visited you so other people at the show see what they have and inquire where to go get one themselves; trust me they do this all the time!

The gift should satisfy some practical function for the recipient; corkscrews for opening wine are great; multi tools are a favorite; baseball caps and t-shirts are always on offer – the simple fact is you are looking for something that will carry on gaining the attention of your recipient.

Make sure the gift has sufficiently high perceived value; by perceived value I mean, how much the attendee is going to value the gift and in this I remember something my grandmother told me about giving presents.  The ideal present is something someone wants but will not necessarily go out and buy for themselves; I follow this when it comes to choosing gifts for attendees; I constantly strive to think of something that my prospects are going to want but they will not particularly think of making a trip to the store to get it for themselves.

Underlining everything is your ROI; your Return On Investment.

Promotional gifts cost you money, they are therefore not “free” in the sense that you simply are not going to empty the company bank account and stand on the street corner giving dollar bills away.  You buy in promotional gifts and hand them out in expectation of a return; in the case of attendees, you are looking for interest leading on to discussion about your product or service and follow up calls and orders; in simple terms, SALES!

If the promotional gift cost does not add up, don’t buy it but you will need to monitor carefully how your giveaways are performing in their role in order to assess what they are worth to you.