With your first trade show just drawing near, you have so much to think about and it can be easy to forget about the little things like what promotional products you’re going to giveaway this year?
I guess you’re probably thinking; hang-on I’ve got way more important things to think about than promotional items, but when the trade show is all over and done with, it is the best promotional giveaways that your potential clients are left with and what better way to ensure a solid relationship is built from that moment than a memorable and amazing promotional giveaway.
No matter if your event is a industry specific exhibition, recruitment fair, or an internal networking day, our ideas for the best promotional giveaways for tradeshows and exhibitions, will help you find the right products to stand out from the crowd and help you secure those all-important leads.
The best promotional products for exhibitions are those that are useful for the end recipient, fully bespoke customized promotional gifts look great but if they don’t have a target for your customers they are not going to get used time and time again and your brand will be put to the back of their mind. So take a look at our Top 10 must have exhibition giveaway ideas below to make sure you’re not put at the bottom of the pile and your tradeshows and exhibitions in 2018 are successful. 
Whether you are at a careers fair or high-end business networking event, you will find a promotional stress shape will always catch the eyes of potential clients or recruits as they walk past your stand. Any shape, any size we’ve seen them all! Uniquely designed stress balls can be customized to whatever shape or size you need, the more innovative the better. A stress toy is a desk accessory which people didn’t know they needed but will appreciate when they’ve got it, so make sure it’s your brand that’s helping them to relax!
Again another classic, but in the UK trolley coin keyrings are used every day. Ensure that when your customer is next doing their weekly wholesale christmas gifts shop, they have your printed trolley coin to hand. With many different options available for branding our recycled plastic trolley coin keyring is one of the most popular, made in the UK this keyring is wonderful for those on a budget as you can buy large quantities for low prices.
The promotional pen has become a staple giveaway at any type of trade show or event where your brand is being showcased. Give your audience a pen that will stand out from a sea of promotional pens. These pens are not like other “free” pens you see at tradeshows and would be fit for your best customers, or hot prospects that you really want to impress with a quality promotional giveaway.
Promo Items News: New Storefront in Minnesota
While e-commerce is regarded as an essential aspect at promo companies, this distributor is bucking the trend by opening a physical location to complement its existing online business.
When Nate Baldry was a kid, his family would joke that he’d probably end up becoming the vice president of his uncle’s promotional merchandise company. And actually, as an adult, he did work for him for a stint. Then he pivoted slightly and took a job in the golf industry.
“I would source products for the promotional Products shop, and I got familiar with promo industry resources, built a network of contacts and begun bringing in more referrals,” says Baldry. “So I made up my mind to start a promo business, which I ran part-time for about five years. I went into it full-time four years ago.” 
Today, Baldry is the president of Branded Solutions based in Hutchinson, MN, a small Midwestern town of just 15,000 about 60 miles west of Minneapolis. The company was only e-commerce for 9 years, but Baldry and his team of two were able to serve a variety of clients and their imprinting needs solely over the web. The majority of the promotional business is local, while others are more far-flung and have never even met Baldry.
After a local search, Baldry found the perfect location: an empty corner storefront on Main Street in downtown “Hutch,” as the town is known to the public. They officially opened on Black Friday of this year.
“It’s an amazing location. Thousands of people drive by every day,” he says. “It’s been non-stop since we opened. We wanted the ability to enlarge and to offer good service, and we also wanted to be highly visible and to showcase our logo-imprinting capabilities and products. The walk-in business doesn’t always result in crazy-big orders, but it’s so good to get them to come in and satisfy us and touch and feel the items.” 
But they haven’t ended e-commerce operations. As a matter of fact, the virtual and physical storefronts are complementing each other and helping to drive even more business. “We like to have local clients who order from our e-commerce site to come in to the store to pick up their orders, so they can see what we offer,” he says. “Now as our volume increases, we’re going to have to manage our processes so we keep pace. That’s our challenge. But we’d love to face it.”