All the Communication Tools you may need for a Trade Show
Exhibiting at a trade show? We listed all the printing products you may need for your communication and marketing to stand out during the event!
Each company has its own motivations when participating in a trade show. It can be to advertise its products and services, meet new prospects or better suppliers, establish partnerships, retain customers, or gain visibility. No matter what your goals are, you will need marketing and communication supports. We listed the main ones for you, and classified them in three categories: communication supports, merchandising, and large format printing.
Communication supports
Flyers
Flyers often contain essential information gathered on a single sheet. Space is limited because of the format, they’re more suitable for advertising or communicating simple messages. They can be used to promote the company in general, to promote a particular event or to communicate on a specific theme. They’re a great advertising medium thanks to their format and weight. A flyer is not bulky, your potential customers and partners can easily keep it. But in general, it’s more easily thrown away than a business card or a catalog. It has a more ephemeral side, probably due to its size and the quality of the paper used. People tend to respect it less.
Business cards
Business cards are essential for sharing contact information. We remember you thanks to them. An original design and finish will allow you to stand out from your competitors (UV varnish, creative papers, white ink printing…). If your business cannot constantly be in people’s minds, your business card, on the contrary, can be kept on desks or in wallets. We will not expand on the subject, as everyone knows, business cards are a must in communication.
Promo posters
Their purpose is to announce an event, to inform or to advertise. But they can also be used as signs, to guide an audience in a certain direction for example.
Catalogues
They allow you to go more into details about your products and services as they can display more information, whether it be text or images. They can impact the public more than other supports.
They give you the opportunity to showcase pictures of your products, add as much details as you want and convincing arguments in the descriptions while demonstrating your expertise. For all these reasons they are an efficient marketing medium and have a high conversion power. Printed catalogues can be used as a complement to digital ones, with the advantage of allowing you to bring it everywhere, consult it at any time, mark pages and make annotations.
Folders
Folders can be used to gather other documents, they can be very useful at trade shows.
Flyers for example can get damaged in bags, business cards get lost, but folders cannot. They are usually made of thick cardboard paper, customized with the logo and the colors of your company. They can be laminated to protect the printing as well as the documents placed inside.
Calendars and diaries
Sharing or offering items displaying your logo and the name of your company is an excellent marketing strategy. Your audience appreciates the gesture, but most of all remembers you.
Calendars and diaries are useful objects, you can be sure that they will be kept for a long time, and even consulted daily by your customers or potential customers. They are not only advertising supports, they will be present in the people’s environment throughout the year, whether in the office or at home.
Merchandising
Stickers
Stickers can represent your business in a more informal way. For instance, you can print them with your logo or images related to your activity. But it’s not necessary, you can also express your creativity when designing them or attach them to other media, such as calendars for example.
Keychains
Keys are an everyday object. Once again the advantage of keychains and this type of objects that we see every day, is that it helps make customers or potential customers remember you.
It also represents a less aggressive type of marketing, like inbound marketing.
Magnets
You can use them in the office on all metallic surfaces or at home on the fridge. They’re comparable to post-it with the name of your company, the only difference being that they are usually kept longer. There are many types, such as flexible magnets, domed magnets for a more elegant effect, magnetic boards, and so on.
Pens, pencils, etc.
A free pen or pencil is always appreciated. It’s about linking the useful to your communication and your marketing. But remember that once the ink is finished, your pen will go to the trash.
Tote bags
Tote bags are useful during shows, they allow you to store other documents.
But why would a customer choose yours rather than another? Try to create a beautiful design, make it look nice! You want your clients to keep it after the show. Think about the material you print them on, if it can serve as a grocery bag after the event for instance, it’s better. It will give you more exposure, as long as your company name or logo is visible.
Coasters
If your business is related to catering for example, offering coasters at a trade show can be a good strategy. For more visibility, you can even suggest the trade show’s bar or restaurant to use them.
Large format and cardboard furniture
Furniture and cardboard cubes
Custom furniture is always interesting to draw attention to your booth and stand out. The advantage of ecological cardboard furniture is that it’s lightweight and easy to assemble. The fact that you can choose between different designs and print whatever you want allows you to express your creativity to attract the public’s attention. Your cardboard furniture can even be laminated, which allows you to clean them, and be re-used for other events. The cardboard cubes are interesting because they can be modulated. You can arrange them in small stools, or stack them to create a counter. You can use them to display your products, or overlay them to create an original totem and be seen from a distance.
Roll-up
It may serve as an advertising or an informative medium. It allows you to have more visibility than with other communication supports, and to transmit key information.
Roll-ups have a broad printing area and are visually attractive so they can capture the attention of people passing by your booth.
They’re practical because they’re easy to transport, set-up and store, and also reusable.
Adhesive Vinyls
They’re big stickers. There’s a multitude of varieties, but two main types: removable and permanent. Use them to decorate your booth or as advertising material. They’re interesting products because they can also be used outdoor or to decorate floors.
Foam
Foam boards are rigid economical printing supports, perfect for trade show communication. They can be used to decorate the walls of your booth. You can also print smaller ones, for advertising or information, and display them on your counter.
Textile Printing
It’s the latest trend regarding commercial spaces and booth decoration. Light, recyclable, reusable: textile prints replace regular canvas banners and adhesive vinyls more and more. You can fix them to the wall thanks to Velcro and store them for the next event or use them to decorate your office.
Photocall
It’s a marketing tool that works wonders because it creates engagement with your audience. This giant display, that you can place at the entrance of your event, has many advantages. It allows you to gain visibility, online and offline. It will make trade show participants curious, they will want to take a picture in front of it, to say “I was here!”. If you create a contest among visitors, for example whoever has the most “likes” on Instagram wins, you will multiply your exposure online. It’s a more informal communication support: whether it be glamour or fun. You can print the logos of your sponsors, to thank them. In addition, its self-mounting structure allows you to store it in a small suitcase and carry it easily.
Contact with PCG
If you need a personalised quotation or would like our team to provide you with assessment for your projects, please feel free to contact us. We are a team of professionals from the sector that will look after your project from beginning to end.