A business associate frequently exhibits at county fairs and trade show events where there are plenty of kids, in fact where kids outnumber the adults.

Using giveaways is simpler and easier for kids but you still need to apply some thought to getting the most out of your budget when it comes to maximizing your ROI and overall results.

I asked him what was the best trade show display giveaway he had used in his experience and the answer was simple; helium balloons.

Helium balloons were simple and cheap plus they had two distinct advantages over most other promo freebies; firstly, every kid wanted one and he always had a queue at his booth with kids dragging mom and dad over to get a helium balloon which gave plenty of opportunity to attract their attention, promote and sell their offering.  The second major advantage was that the balloons effectively self-advertized across the venue attracting even more attention and more visitors to the booth.

Every time, simple helium balloons beat all.

Candy was obviously another giveaway but many parents are now shying away from force feeding junior 10,000 calories of sugar so he used a combination of alternates which provided a health option; I asked him which he preferred and he simply pated his stomach!

Kids also love clowns and entertainers; getting a finger on the youth pulse can get you noticed for a fraction of the price.  Two months ago we had a guy dress up in a Sponge Bob Squarepants outfit and the response we had was simply ridiculously high and from the adults not just the kids.  Juggling and conjuring are also firm favorites and anything that gets the audience to participate should be high on the list.

The basic elements still remain the same though; you are trying to attract attention, instill some curiosity and retain the attention of the attendees for as long as is possible after the show.  Any giveaway you come up with should have your contact information on it and best of all, the gift has some long lasting usefulness so it is kept around long after the show has ended.