exhibiting at trade show, what's a good giveaway?

[phatcat]

Hi all,
I'm a total newbie so I hope it's ok to post here and ask these questions.

My colleague is going to be exhibiting at an upcoming woodworking show (he manufactures custom cabinet doors, drawers fronts and moulding). My usual technique is to hold a giveaway at the show, where visitors to the booth can enter the drawing by leaving their business card. What type of giveaway would appeal to you folks, in the woodworking industry? gift certificate to a woodworking supply warehouse? or something totally different? any ideas, thoughts, suggestions?

Also, have any of you seen any unusual or unique freebies at trade shows that might be worth investigating? I don't want to hand out the usual key chain, flashlight or ruler.

Thanks in advance,
-pc

[Sir Stinkalot]

It would all depend on what type of business you are trying to attract from the show .....

If your friend is trying to interest from builders, architects and specifiers then good freebies would be scale rulers (I have a great metal one with a rotating scale) or usb flash memory sticks. These are necessary items that are too good to loose so you make sure that you hold onto them. I have had my scale ruler for 4 years and I make sure that I get it back if somebody takes it away, it has the logo of the company printed onto it. These are also items that would be used in the office where they are thinking about kitchens, unlike a shirt or hat which goes home and gets worn in the garden.

If the audience is the general public how about tape measurers ..... it can be worked into as an advertising gimic .... go home and measure your kitchen and give us a call. Magnets are also quite handy as they do get stuck onto the fridge and remain as a constant reminder. Drink bottles are good but they are quite removed from the purpose of the business.

As a giveaway how about a gift voucher for his own business? If this is the prize then the only people interested in entering would be people who could benefit from his product. This would reduce the amount of business cards he would receive from people only intested in a gift certificate to a wood shop and would reduce his overheads when using the business cards for marketing mailouts etc.

[echnidna]

Have seen a tape measure type of keyring

[Bleedin Thumb]

I'd like a green card thanks.

[Daddles]

Actually, the tape measure idea isn't a bad one. I recently bought a new push bike and the fit out process involved about an hour of measuring and fiddling. The tape measure the bloke used had a company logo on it and I was surprised at how often I caught myself noticing it.

Richard