The name of the “game” at trade shows is to attract visitors and potential buyers to your booth. Contests and games can really do the trick and attract interested trade show attendees to come over to your booth. Once there for contests or games where they can win a prize, you have the chance to win them over too. Make sure that your quick elevator pitch is polished and ready to go. Also, if the display and support materials in your booth are descriptive enough, the potential buyers can learn about your company, what you do, and what you are selling just by standing there and looking around.
Here are some trade show booth contest and game ideas:
Prize Wheel: These can be big and colourful; some are even glitzy or have lights to attract even more attention. They spin the wheel and see where it lands. Make sure that you connect your company’s contact information, business card, or maybe a promotional pen. You can customize the prizes and some ideas for giveaways are:
- Promotional Merchandise: You can have different levels of prizes, for example, a lower level prize could be a promotional mug, while a higher end promotional gift prize could be clothing, or electronics accessories.
- Free consultation for your services: Giveaway a 15 minute, 30 minute, or 1 hour consultation of your services.
- Free Products or Services: If you have something to giveaway and then that is a great way to stir up buzz about your products.
- Percentage off Their Order: Encourage them to purchase by offering a discount. It can be a dollar amount off or a percentage off.
- Free lunch at the trade show: Who doesn’t love a free lunch?
- Snacks or Drinks: Candy, granola bars, colas, or water bottles make easy giveaways that are appreciated.
- Local Business Gift Certificates: Hit up a few businesses that are local to your trade show and see if they would be willing to offer a gift certificate in exchange for the exposure they will get being featured as a prize on your prize wheel. You could also organise gift certificates with other trade show exhibitors that do not have competing products.
Fish Bowl Drawing: This is a great way to collect business cards of attendees; and it is also an easy way to hold a contest. They will gladly give you their contact information for a chance to win a great prize.
Trivia Games: To attract more attention and create buzz, you can hold trivia contests daily where attendees can win prizes based on their knowledge of your products or your industry.
Interactive Games or Applications: If you are in a tech industry or tech savvy, having tablets with a game or interactive application on it can be a big draw and also get people talking about your booth.
