By Tom Gudekunst
I have attended a lot of trade shows and recruiting events over the years and I’ve developed somewhat of a reputation as such. Colleagues and networking partners know I love to share, so sometimes I get asked what the best ways to grab someone’s attention at a trade show are - and nothing stands out to me like the experience I had with a simple bouncy ball.
LED Bouncing Ball with Multi-Color Lights
I was in my booth at a local trade show with a dreadful concrete floor, feeling bored and lonely. It was close to lunch time so the show had thinned out a bit. As I stood near the walkway, I noticed we’d brought a light up bouncy ball to show as an example of a unique trade show giveaway - so I grabbed it and started bouncing to pass the time.
Immediately my blinking light was getting noticed by the more playfully-inclined tradeshow attendees and some even came over to chat. I bounced the ball back and forth with one person for a few minutes while we talked about promotional products that work in busy tradeshow environments and how swag could improve her Recruiting. Then something amazing happened…
As I went for a bounce, the ball hit my toe and skittered away quickly across the tradeshow, under a booth and into the next aisle over.
I had to finish my conversation - but right as I was about to leave the booth to go find my ball, someone brought it back! They came from a whole row over to visit my booth!
We talked for a while about interesting tradeshow tips and tricks, and I had another new client. The simple and rather not-professional bouncy ball toy made my day!
The time-tested use of something flashy and interactive had worked in this case, and has on several orders I’ve sold since. We purchased our own imprinted light up bouncy balls and distributed them to our friends and clients to use at trade shows, and the clients I’ve sold these to have not been disappointed in their performance.
Next time you’ve got a trade show to attend, don’t waste your valuable time brainstorming swag ideas that might not work - call us up to discuss options that will drive traffic and conversations. Our knowledgeable and experienced staff is sure to have ideas to fit your budget and target audience.
Give us a call at 503-620-0770 or shoot us an email to make your next tradeshow really count!
Tom Gudekunst has helped organizations purchase promotional products since 2005. He achieved his Certified Advertising Specialist designation in 2012. He enjoys spending time with his family, including two cats, two chickens, two children, and his wife.