 Pandas and bamboo go together like trade shows and attendees. So to promote its eco-friendly bamboo Panda Banner Stand at TS², Go Green Displays planted 50 small plastic panda figurines around the exhibit hall. Each little panda wore a tag that read, “Please return me to booth #826 to claim your prize.” When attendees brought the pandas to the Go Green booth, staffers gave them an organic chocolate bar, put their name into a post-show drawing for a $599 Panda Banner Stand, and explained that for each panda returned, the company would donate $1 to the World Wildlife Federation. A booth staffer hid each returned panda again, keeping the fun going throughout the show. Though Go Green hoped all 50 pandas would be found, at least 150 attendees returned pandas to the booth, delivering staffers a ready audience to learn about the company’s products.
At a trade show brimming with coffee down every aisle, the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia wanted to show attendees what makes its coffee exceptional. So when attendees stopped by its booth at the 2008 Specialty Coffee Association of America show, booth staffers gave them a packet labeled “Postcards from Indonesia.” The seven postcards highlighted the island nations of Indonesia with photographs of coffee farmers and information about the different kinds of Indonesian coffees and the locations where they’re grown. While the postcards were basically a creative take on a product brochure, the unique format and beautiful design elevated them from conventional promotional literature to avant-garde giveaways.
Most companies would shy away from calling their customers stupid. But Iogear Inc. did just that at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show. To explain its complicated KVM switch device and how to use it, the Irvine, CA-based computer connectivity and peripheral manufacturer handed out pocket-sized booklets labeled “Iogear KVM Switches for Dummies.” The promotional pamphlets featured the same black-and-yellow color scheme and big-eyed fellow found on the popular “For Dummies” books, and included a coupon for 10 percent off attendees’ next Iogear purchase. Packed with information about the switches and laid out in an easy-to-follow format, the 28-page giveaway demonstrated the simplicity and relevance of Iogear’s switches to even the most novice techies. It just goes to show, sometimes calling your customers dummies can be a smart marketing move.
Skyline Exhibits served attendees a low-calorie treat at EXHIBITOR2008 and ended up with a tasty payoff. To explain how the company’s offerings can help clients decrease the weight of their shipments, exhibit staffers served up Weight Watchers ice-cream bars along with the tagline “Put your exhibit on a diet and still look delicious.” A pre-show e-mail blast introduced attendees to the tagline, while a 3-by-8-foot sign outside the exhibit hall repeated it and encouraged visitors to stop by the Skyline booth. Two crowd gatherers decked out as ’50s- style soda jerks told attendees about the ice cream bars as they walked by. Once visitors got their ice cream, Skyline staffers explained the company’s lightweight offerings. The ice cream ran out before the end of the show, proving that watching your weight can also expand your marketing message. |
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At the 2008 Pack Expo show, it’s all about the packaging. So every aisle delivers demo after demo of automated machinery going through the paces. To set itself apart from the mechanical masses, Par Systems Inc. added a touch of emotion — and memorability — to its robotic and otherwise inhuman demonstration. The pair of bright-yellow mechanical arms hovered over rows of colored bottles, demonstrating their abilities by swiftly sorting the bottles by color, and then shuffling them in a programmed dance of bottles and movement. At the end of the roughly 60-second demo, the two robotic arms rose up in the air and slapped a congratulatory high-five, eliciting grins from the mesmerized attendees and giving the mechanical muscle a decidedly human touch.
For many exhibitors, packing materials such as Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and cardboard boxes become nothing more than garbage after their first use. However, Decopots.com turns this trash into exhibit-marketing treasure. The company collects the packaging material it receives throughout the year and uses it to pack its fragile pottery products for shipment to trade shows and events. Thanks to the company’s continuous reuse, it rarely needs to buy additional packing materials, meaning its Green efforts also put some green back in its pockets.
Loads of exhibitors at the 2008 GlobalShop show offered alcoholic beverages to attendees, but what does a dry martini or a light beer say about your brand? Fleetwood Fixtures wanted to be hospitable and relevant. That’s why the Leesport, PA-based custom retail-fixture manufacturer served up cocktails that clearly communicated the company’s focus on sustainability. The “Ecotini” (vodka, ginger, lime, and wheat grass) represented the key message that Fleetwood uses reclaimed wood and powder coating, both environmentally friendly options, in making its products. The “Spiked Milk” cocktail (vanilla vodka and crème-de-cacao) referenced Fleetwood’s use of recycled milk bottles to make furniture. Not only did the clever cocktails quench attendees’ thirst, they helped tell Fleetwood’s eco-friendly story.
What's The Big Idea?
Do you have a clever exhibit-related tip? Did your last exhibit have an über-cool traffic builder?
Contact Janet Van Vleet jvanvleet@exhibitormagazine.com.
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