Convention Checklist Part 5/5 - The Swagg!

I had to save the best for last... Checklist part 5 of 5 is the ever important Promotional Product! United was sporting 2 fan favorites; hand sanitizer and a crescent sling bag. People loved (LOVED!) the bag, and the hand sanitizer went over swimmingly since people spent all day shaking other people's hands.

Our swag was quite popular, but i have to give credit where credit is due. The New York Times and Con Ed held it down with some of my favorite items:

Compressed Sponge

Foldable Flying Disc

I really, really love the flying disc. I'm not sure why exactly, I think it just screams; "fun is about to take place". And the compressed sponge, well, I can explain that one even less, but I'll tell you this; it will remain on my desk/ in my kitchen/ on my mind for the next few months.

What is the lesson people? Just because you are one of the most respected, trusted, and stuffy-seeming news papers in the world, doesn't mean you can't give out frisbees at a trade show.

Come out and grab some schwag!

On march 24th I will be exhibiting at The Brooklyn Business Expo. Come out and see how I set up my booth. Come by and introduce yourself and grab some schwag. I will have convention checklist 1-5 all there (what is #5? If you haven't already figured it out, come to my booth and i will show you).

Either way, it's free to attend so stop on by.

Convention Checklist Part 4/5 - Floor Graphics

The coolest thing about Floor Graphics is that you have almost unlimited advertising space and very little competition. A lot of convention centers will allow you to put floor graphics in the aisles to drive traffic towards your booth, but not many people actually do. If you use the removable adhesive type, the floor can't be carpeted, so call the venue first and make sure that it's ok.

Another cool thing about the adhesive floor graphics, is that they can be die-cut into any shape. Think of the potential with this; arrows pointing towards your booth, or footprints leading the way. You could print in four color process on the graphics and showcase your product as people walk by. Imagine printing something that looks like a dollar bill on your graphic. Talk about getting attention, you will have people literally stopping and bending over to try and grab it. Yalk about having a potential consumer's complete attention!

A different type of 'floor graphics' that I love, that not many people think about, is the customized carpet. As a frequenter of conventions and trade shows as an attendee, walking on concrete for 8 hours can be hard on the feet, back, and knees. Having a nice, plushy carpet in your booth will encourage people to come back just so they can have a sigh of relief as thepressure is relieved on their feet. (Plus, you get to stand on comfy, plushy carpet for 8 hours too).

Check out our very self-explanatory (But effective) floor graphic:

Convention Checklist Part 3/5 - Table Cloth

Ok all of you booth jockeys out there, I've got 2 words for you; Brand Everything.

It is important that you send a consistent message to your prospective clients and convention attendees. One of the nicer ways to do this is with a customized table cloth. They typically come in 6' or 8' options, and can be 'fitted' or 'throw style'. whether you get one or the other should depend on your look and your budget. I find that the 8 Ft. throw style can be re used in multiple situations, but there is something sleek about a fitted table cloth. The smooth lines curving with and conforming to the table. It's just a sexier look.

There are also printing options. Spot color vs. 4 color process. Again, this will depend largely on your look and your budget. Call us, we will help you make the most of your marketing dollar.

Scavenger Hunt is on!!

I am pausing from the convention series for a moment to announce a new competition! A fan sent me these pics, they were covertly snapped on an NYC subway.

A random sighting of UPG's bag in a bag!

To help prove the efficacy of promotional products, United is announcing the 'See Our schwag, Win a Bag' competition!! (I know you are excited about this)

How it works:

-See any United Print Group promotion out in the world, take a picture, send it to me, win.

-It Cannot be your item that you asked someone else to hold while you take a picture. (no cheating)

-Send in a picture, and the location of the sighting.

-Make friends with the person holding the item, and thank them for helping you win a new CAR! (...shaped stress reliever), and a bag, tote, or backpack (or 2) of my choosing.

Thanks for playing, send in those pics!

Part 2: The Booth.

After noticing your lovely retractile banner, your perspective client will probably mosey on over to your booth. Now is when we get to the meat and potatoes; your booth display.

You have many options here. You could get a large background and podium:

Or how about one of my personal favorites, the mosaic display. This one is easily set up and taken down, is very transportable and very eye catching.

You can also use the 3 angle display. It's a very simple and effective way to get your message across:

Here I have only listed 3 of many, many options. These are all great options. You can call the experts here and we can discuss which one will best showcase your business.

Convention Checklist Part 1/5 - Banners

Today begins our five part series on convention planning and materials. I will talk about what you need in terms of marketing materials to get the attention you want from the attendees. And I will give you ideas that will help you achieve top-of-mind awareness. Heed my advice and you will get more new clients from every trade show that you do.

Let's get started by talking about the piece that is usually the largest and will help attract attention to your booth or table; the banner. Too many booth jockeys (just coined it) over look the importance of having a sign at eye level. Convention attendees walk by hundreds of smiling faces. (Don't get me wrong, having a smiling face is important.) However, you will not stand out if you simply sit there smiling. You must to have some signage. Take, for example, the United banner.

A few points about our banner;

-Vibrant colors that meet our branding guidelines.

-Taller than the average person, so that people can see the banner, even if they are in a crowd.

-LARGE lettering so people can read it from almost any distance.

-Convenient and east to open, close, carry around, and store.

-Comes with its own carrying bag, and the entire package is actually very light.

Although our banner just has our logo, many companies find it useful to have their banners display some of their products and services.

There are so many types of banners out there; we can always help you find the right banner for you. I think that the retractable banner is perfect for busy convention booth jockeys because it looks great, it's light, and it's easy to set up.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our series, coming next week!