There are a number of different tactics that companies commonly employ in order to attract more attention and more attendees to their trade show booth. One of the more common ploys is to utilize a giveaway or a raffle of some sort. There are advantages and disadvantages of this type of tactic, but it remains one of the more commonly used trade show ideas and many companies continue to use this type of tactic to drive more attention to their exhibit. So, should you do it? Read on to find out.
The biggest negative of using a raffle or a giveaway to attract attendees to visit your trade show booth is that many times you are attracting the wrong kind of people, or attracting the right kind of people but for the wrong reason. In other words, you could be attracting those who have no interest in your products or your company and just want to get something for free.
At the same time, you could lure in some individuals who might have been legitimately interested in your products and services but who are now coming with only one thing on their minds: ‘I want to get me that iPad/TV/free tickets etc.’
Having said that, someone once said that there is no such thing as bad publicity. While there are a lot of people who might disagree with that statement, the point is that attention is attention and if you use it correctly a raffle or giveaway can allow you to turn that interest onto your company. One of the best ways to do this is to giveaway one of your products and demonstrate it to the winning attendee on the show floor.
This can turn a raffle or giveaway into one of the better trade show ideas instead of seeming like cheap ploy. Giving away unrelated items is often not worth it because it will distract from what you are actually trying to promote at your trade show booth.
Like many trade show ideas that are designed to attract attention, a raffle or giveaway can be done well or not so well. The success of this tactic depends on your own creativity and ability to connect the entire event with your company and align it with your goals at your next event.