Corporate events are great places for achieving greater brand exposure, showing off your wares and services to potential clients and retaining the loyalty and favour of existing ones. While these affairs provide a superb platform for networking and relationship-building, the marketing opportunities offered at corporate events should not be forgotten or underestimated, either.
In particular, promotional items for businesses at events are a highly effective way of getting your name out there and ensuring it is remembered. A two-day conference might afford you a couple of days of important publicity; an item which is taken home and used on a regular basis offers far greater brand exposure. As such, a range of promotional items for corporate events should comprise an integral part of any company’s marketing strategy.
The Best Promotional Items
That being said, there are some products which lend themselves to occasions such as these better than others. By capitalising on the busy and tiring nature of corporate events and tailoring your corporate promotional items to match the environment, you can really add value to your campaign. Here are a handful of ideas on which products to plump for to ensure you gain maximum visibility and brand recognition when attending corporate events.
1) Water bottles
Business conferences are often all-day affairs, starting at 8am or 9am and running well into the evening. As such, it’s important for everyone in attendance to stay well hydrated and a portable, reusable water bottle (with your company name emblazoned on the side of it) makes that easier for event-goers to do. An added bonus is the environmental aspect of the product; those of an eco-friendly persuasion can eschew single-use plastic bottles, all thanks to your thoughtful giveaway.
2) Travel mugs
On a similar theme, hot drinks are another staple of lengthy corporate events – especially those containing caffeine. As such, a travel mug can be a great way to give a prospective customer exactly what they need in that moment, perhaps without them even realising that they did. With ample space on the side of the receptacle to print your company’s name, logo or any other design you desire, you can also take advantage of the free advertising every time they use it in the future.
3) Notebooks
If there was ever a place where note-taking facilities are in high demand, it’s at a corporate event. Jotting down the name of a new business contact, brainstorming ideas gained from inspirational talks or listing companies which show promise are all regular occurrences at such occasions, so providing attendees with the means of doing so through a branded notebook is a sure-fire way of catching their attention and maximising brand exposure. As with most of the other products on the list, it’s also one that will continue to be useful in plenty of other situations, as well.
4) Electric fans
Corporate events are chock-full of talks and workshops, which often take place in overcrowded and under-ventilated lecture halls. In tandem with the water bottles mentioned above, equipping attendees with the means of keeping themselves cool is another gesture of which they’re likely to be highly appreciative. Some fan designs even have the ability to clip onto your Smartphone and take power from its charging port, dispensing with the need for troublesome batteries altogether.
5) Power banks
At a corporate conference, the Smartphone reigns supreme. It allows people to take down each other’s details, find out more information about an interesting concept at the drop of a hat and document the event in digital form. However, such intensive use of the technology can quickly deplete its batteries, leaving the person in question at a significant disadvantage. Swoop to their rescue with a personalised power bank bearing the name of your company and they’re unlikely to forget either you or the favour you did them any time soon.
6) Food
People love to eat, regardless of their location, but at a trade event, keeping energy levels up by consuming adequate sustenance is paramount. Unfortunately, the food stalls at such shows often verge on the extortionate, and attendees can quickly become exasperated with the extravagant prices they’re forced to pay for fairly run-of-the-mill fare. Take advantage of this situation by giving away branded foodstuffs (think protein bars or baked goods) for free; while it won’t have a long marketing life, it will at least be a product that you’re guaranteed will be put to good use.
