You can always tell when times are good in the publishing industry. The give-a-ways at trade shows get more and more elaborate and expensive. And as more and more companies are exhibiting the competition for attendee's time and attention increases as well. But before you buy your next year's inventory of gimmicks, think about why you spend your marketing money on these items and how you might get the best bang for your buck.

There are three reasons to have a gimmick at your booth:

1) Draw traffic to your booth.
2) Increase your exposure throughout the exhibit floor.
3) Provide some lingering exposure once the attendee returns home.

The first reason is the one most people think of first. Obviously, if you can offer something so valuable that attendees will mark your booth as one of the first to visit, you will definitely increase your traffic. However, many times, you'll find your booth so crowded within the space of the first hour or so, that you won't have any time to engage important buyers in conversation about your products and services. And, once they "get the gimmick" they are on to visit the next booth that is giving away great "stuff". Maybe they will come back and maybe they won't. One example of a gimmick that people will visit your booth to get are the expensive canvas tote bags offered by many companies. Another example is the idea of offering $500 worth of free products to the first 100 visitors.

The second reason is more subtle but in many ways, more effective. By attaching your logo to something that is worn or carried around the hall by an attendee, you can extend your brand beyond the 20 foot space of your booth. An example of this type of gimmick is the lariats with logos that people can use to attach their badges without punching holes in their clothes.

The third type of gimmick is offering something that a person will use after they return home or to their office, classroom, or library. These type of gimmicks include posters, pens and highlighters, luggage tags, mouse pads, and post it notes.

The best gimmick I found at a recent exhibit was bottled water. The bottles were prominently labeled with the company's logo and not only were people walking around with the bottle, but they left the empty bottle in every conceivable area of the exhibit so no matter where you turned, there was the company logo. Not only does this gimmick extend the branding throughout the hall, but because the attendees kept getting thirsty, they returned to the booth time and time again to quench their thirst. They also thanked the company in person for the valuable service. This opened a dialog with the attendee and provided time for the sales person to introduce their new products.

Of course, if all booths offered a free bottle of water, this would end up as ineffective as any other strategy so put on your thinking caps and come up with something unique every year. Try to stay one step ahead of the crowd and your efforts will be rewarded!