Everyone at SAPIEN’s getting geared up for Microsoft TechEd IT Forum in Barcelona (this November), and the discussion of what freebies to hand out at the booth came up.
Booth goodies have several goals: One, they must be desirable, so that people want them. That way, people will let you scan their badge in exchange for a freebie, thus giving you leads. Most of those leads will then go on to ignore everything you send to them (we don’t actually send much – we hate being annoyed as much as the next guy), but one or two will become lifelong friends. Er, customers.
Another goal is that that must get your brand and message in front of everyone at the conference, because the only other way to accomplish that is to give the GNP of a small country to Microsoft to become a “sponsor,” at which point they weave your logo into the expo floor’s carpeting. No kidding.
Anyway, we’re still hashing out the exact nature of goodies, but I thought it’d be fun to see what you like to get when you go to a conference. Is it still the classic t-shirt that you crave? Or do you yearn for toys with blinkenlights? Or do soda can “cozies” get you all covetous? Leave a comment. Tell me what show swag you live for.
T-shirts are the trade show staple for geeks and your success or failure at those shows is measured in the number of T-shirts you snatched up. However, it just occurred to me that the Sapien logo is perfect for frisbees (being round, and all). That’s a unique item that seems like it wouldn’t cost a fortune but would definitely get your logo in front of everyone. Just my 2 cents. Love your product(s) and want everyone to "drink the kool-aid", er, become customers.
T-shirt, of course!
And you’re welcome to send me one now. <grin> I’ll be your lifelong friend.
you didn’t mention the cost of the item.
i think something that could be usefull like a thumbDrive with posh scripts, the vbscript2posh converter and the eval of primalscripts
or if research shows that attendees have kids something for the kids
Goodies do in fact make the visit memorable. If it makes the grade, is a great talking point it get’s a spot on the wall (or desk) of infamy in my office. Being your product is catered to the techno-weenie, you need to stay away from the beer warmers and Frisbee’s. The key chains with laser pointers (nice for presentations) or the real eye catcher. A clock that tells time with binary led’s. Like this web site: http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/59e0/?cpg=froogle
I know you have to keep the cost down, but these things can’t cost but 2 bucks to manuf. If you buy in bulk you might be able to find them cheap!! OR THIS!!! http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/9573/
It’s a USB WebCAM in a FAN for 11.99!!! It keeps you cool while you browse. MAN I DESERVE a free 2007 Version for this feedback!!!
Mike Anyhow the thinkgeek website always has the need idea stimulators for this kinda stuff!
Personally, I like a white t-shirt (not black… please not black).
The thing I kept around the longest & was most visible to others, though, was one of those foam cube puzzles originally made by SnaFooz, only instead of the SnaFooz logo, they are branded by the promoter. Here’s a better version of that, though, since this pencil-holder idea is much more useful: http://www.branders.com/s/Promotional-Puzzle—Foam-Cube-40505.html
Anyway, good luck!
I used to visit many a trade show, in fact I was part of the company that produces the badges that get scanned!!
we used to find that anything that would impress a 7-10yr old will impress at 20-35yr old. So Yo-Yo’s would be good, frisbees (at mentioned above), led torch, pen knives, or any thing flammable 🙂
Andy
USB drives and stress balls. Oh, and anything from the ThinkGeek store.
Give away a 6-12 month version of PrimalScript 2007.
Then you chance of getting a life long friend grows!
Getting a T-Shirt or other "crap" is a waste of money from Sapien side and doesn’t provide any customers.
This is coming from somebody that’s an expert in running around and collecting "Crap" from the booths at e.i. TechEd.
I’m not becoming a customer because of the booth goodies… I became a VMWare customer when they gave me a free version 🙂
I have been a vendor at a few shows and given away USB Thumb drives. I have a feeling several others at the show do the same thing though.
The frisbee and yo-yo idea would certainly be appropriate for the Sapien logo. I’d stop for either.
I also like the 1 year software demo idea.
Which begs the question… if you got it for free, are you really a "customer?" Or are you suggesting some kind of "extended trial?" Me, I got hooked pretty quick – the 45-day trial was fine with me, and I hate collecting product CDs at the show. I never get around to installing anything from them.
Over the last several years, there are only a few goodies I have actually used from TechED. The Pen/Stylus and PicoPad I got from the Sapien booth are some of the best. Yes, T-Shirts are always good, however, packing the extra dozen shirts to get home is no fun. Good&strong mints would be great and probably appreciated by the folks working the booths. <grin> What would be really cool is if you had something separate for your current customers. Maybe that would trigger folks to buy new licenses… you know, some sort of "swag envy".