Midpoint International Inc. takes the Green movement seriously. The company makes recycling containers for college campuses, auditoriums, and stadiums, which are made from 100-percent recycled materials. One of the smallest products Midpoint makes is the mini-bin, a 6-inch-tall garbage can with “This is all the garbage I make!” emblazoned on the side. That statement refers to the small amount of non-recyclable trash a person generates during a day in the office, if that company has a recycling program. The company’s name, phone number, and Web site are also printed on the can. Booth staffers hand out hundreds of the recycled-plastic bins at every trade show Midpoint attends, not only getting its name and product on desks around the country, but helping people become more proactive in their recycling efforts as well.

GoECart took typical bag giveaways one step further, not only giving away its own bags, but also eliminating the competitors’ bags. GoECart, which helps online retailers set up Web-based stores, created high-end shopping bags with woven-cord handles, and the company’s name and logo in bright white. At shows, attendees clamored for the classy bags, and booth staffers eagerly handed them out to bagless attendees. If attendees already had a bag, staffers pulled a switcheroo, helping attendees transfer the contents of their boring bags into GoECart’s ritzy red numbers. In a flash, the competition disappeared from view.

Attendees at the 2007 Electrical Apparatus Service As­sociation show found a plethora of exhibitors who handed out plenty of pens and candy in their booths, but those items got tossed right into attendees’ bags and forgotten. Plus, the sameness of all the different giveaways did little to communicate what each company had to offer. But GE Motors/General Electric Co. handed out something that showed exactly what it had to offer — motor-shaped stress balls that were miniature replicas of the fan-motor housings on display in the company’s booth. With the company logo on one side of the stress ball and the Web site address on the other, it made it easy for attendees to remember GE and its products long after the show.

Given the Internet’s incredible research capabilities, more and more people are researching their family trees, and for some, this interest in genealogy even extends to their four-footed friends. That’s why MMI Genomics Inc. offers a Canine Heritage service that uses DNA to identify a dog’s breed and/or breed combinations. At the 2007 American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Convention, MMI Genomics developed a Guess the Breed booth activity that demonstrated the inaccuracy of vets’ educated guesses — and provided proof of why they need the service. At the booth, staffers shepherded attendees to a laptop that displayed an image of a mutt surrounded by six recognizable breeds, such as a collie, Shetland sheep dog, and Bernese mountain dog. Using the laptop’s mouse, players chose two breeds they thought were in the dog’s bloodline. The computer played the sound of applause if they were right, or a loud buzz if they were wrong. Out of roughly 570 players, only about 120 made the right guesses, providing vets with a clear reason to offer the Canine Heritage service to their customers.