How Many Trade Show Giveaways Should I Order?

The big trade show is around the corner and you’re going absolutely crazy! You need to get polo shirts for your team to wear, figure out the logistics of how to set up those enormous displays, and manage to eat lunch along the way.

So here’s one thing you can take off your plate…knowing how much promotional swag to order.

There’s no “right” answer, but there are things you can do now to get a rough idea of the right quantity for you.

Start by asking yourself…”how am I using this stuff?”

What’s your plan? You aren’t just ordering swag to order it, so figure out exactly how you want to use those promotional items.

Handing Out Free Swag

You plan on giving away the swag for free. People will grab the freebies from your table if they want them, and drop them into a tote bag that they probably got at registration.

The quantity here depends on what items you plan on ordering. If you go with expensive crowd favorites like custom sweatshirts, they’re going to go a lot faster than cheap pens. Order based on the popularity of your items.

Giving Out Swag as a Prize

You’re setting up some kind of game for visitors and offering a prize to the winners. The prize is probably going to be something cool and branded with your logo. You want the item to generate excitement.

The game you plan on playing is going to determine how many promotional giveaways to order. If it’s something hard, like hitting a high score in ski-ball, you can predict that not as many people will win.

If you have a spinning wheel with a prize on each slot, you’re probably going to have more people that are victorious. Adjust based on your game.

Offering Swag to Prospective Clients

You want a nice “thank-you” gift for the people who book appointments or sit down and chat with you. The promotional gift will probably be some kind of premium item like a branded coffee mug or box of chocolates. 

You can assume that somewhere between 3% to 10% of the attendees at a trade show will actually book an appointment with you to sit down and chat. Order enough for that amount of people.

Why you’re ordering makes a huge difference. Do some brainstorming and then use that information to make an educated judgement on how many trade show giveaways to order.

Now pick the best giveaways

You know why you’re ordering. The next step is figuring out what to order. The answer ultimately depends on your budget.

Trade Show Swag (Large Quantity)

Promotional Pens

Keep it simple and choose a black ink pen with your company name printed on the barrel. Bonus points if your custom pens are in a cool eye-catching color, or if they have a unique feature like an oddly-shaped clip.

Stress Balls

Branded stress balls are fun freebies or prizes at a trade show because you can find a unique shape that fits your business. Let’s say you’re a bakery. You can give out cake stress balls with your logo printed on the top!

Water Bottles

Drinking water is super important, which means your logo water bottles won’t be ignored. If your budget allows, go with drinkware that’s bit trendier than your average plastic bottle.

Sunglasses

The classic rock band ZZ Top sang it best – you should “buy yourself some cheap sunglasses.” This is easy trade show swag to have on hand, and people will go nuts if you offer neon colors or retro frames.

Phone Chargers

These days you can’t get people away from their cell phones. You’re going to have everyone running toward your booth if you offer custom phone chargers that are compatible with both iPhones and Androids.

Trade Show Swag (Small Quantity)

Custom T-Shirts

Everyone loves free custom t-shirts! Make sure you have a variety of sizes, with the majority of the shirts being LARGE. You also want to go with a nice, soft, breathable material.

Branded Coffee Mugs

You can’t start the morning without coffee, which makes a mug printed with your logo an excellent giveaway. The best part is you can choose something for less than a $1 or spring for a trendier look and still make an impression!

Hardcover Notebooks

Our phones are pretty awesome, but that doesn’t mean we can resist an old-fashioned notebook. This is an especially great trade show swag if you choose journals that have a stylish hard cover.

Bluetooth Speakers

A nice Bluetooth speaker is sure to get the party started! Your visitors will use it after the trade show for dinner with friends or even for small moments like singing in the shower. That means a ton of exposure for your company!

Promotional Umbrellas

Custom umbrellas might seem like a random item to hand out for free, but don’t be so quick to judge! A person may not think to get an umbrella for themselves, but will be super happy to have yours every time it starts raining! This makes umbrellas unique trade show swag to have on hand!

Simply choose the promotional items that fit within the budget you’ve set. There are high-end promotional products that won’t cost you an arm and leg, and cheap promotional products that don’t look like junk.

The Final Verdict

83% of people are more likely to do business with a company in the future if they receive a free gift from them at a trade show. This is why you should hand out giveaways at your next expo.

Are you not sure how many trade show giveaways to order? Reflect on the following before you decide the quantity:

1. The projected number of attendees
2. The value of the swag you want to bring (is it really cool or kind of lame?)
3. Your plan of action (are you setting the items up at a table, playing a game, or giving them out as “thank you” gifts?)
4. Where your booth/display is located on the trade show floor
5. The number of appointments you plan to book with people

Self-reflection is key here. It’s up to you to really think about all of this before you go to a trade show. From there, you can make an educated guess on how many promotional items to order.

When in doubt, shoot high. You can always hold onto the swag for next year’s trade show.

At the end of the day, there really isn’t an exact science to figuring out how many promotional items to order. It’s really up to you to do your homework and come to the trade show with a plan.

And remember…your friends at Quality Logo Products are always available to help you make a decision!