It can be really difficult to get people to stop at you booth at an exhibition, especially if you don't have fun give-away items. This is where exhibition gifts come in. There are literally hundreds of different exhibition gifts that you can consider purchasing for your company to use, but in the end, none of these gifts matter much if you don't get the chance to talk to the exhibition-goers about your company's product or service. In order to draw people into your booth, consider giving away the exhibition gifts as prizes.

There are a number of ways in which you can have prizes are your exhibition booth or table. These games are fun, and as the person pauses to play, you can do your sales pitch. Wheels are common, easy to build, and work beautifully. With this type of game, you ask exhibition-goers to spin a wheel, which will then land on a prize. As the wheel is spinning, you can talk about your company. You can also have variations on other carnival games as well. Be creative!

Of course, never make your game too hard to win. Everyone should leave your booth with a prize, whether it be large or small, and every prize should have your company's name and logo printed on it. If your game is too hard, the people will walk away with nothing more than your business card (which will likely be thrown in the next trashcan) and a sense of disappointment.

However, give out exhibition gifts as prizes wisely. You could end up spending a lot of money on this if you don't think things through, or run out of the large prizes before the end of the day. In the wheel example, have the majority of the landing categories be small items, such as key rings, pens, and magnets. You can also give away coupons with your prizes to urge people to buy a product or try your service. Have one or two medium-sized gifts, like mugs, which can be given our sparingly. These will make people feel like more of a winner with your company, but if you give them out too often, you might find that you're spending too much money. Lastly, it's a good idea to have one grand prize, like a free sample of your product or an expensive exhibition gift, like a carrying case or a fleece jacket. If you are worried that there will be more than one grand prizewinner, have a drawing at the end of the day.

Don't forget to have other items available as well, for handing out. Some people simply don't have the time or energy to stop to play your game, even though they are interested in your product. Have smaller exhibition gifts and business cards or brochures ready to pass out to everyone who passes your table, whether they stop to play your game or not. Having a fun booth is great, but your sole purpose of any exhibition is to promote your company, so choose exhibition gifts that work with that need.

Tina Rinaudo is one of the leading lights in the UK exhibition gifts industry. Tina is a key member of YesGifts, the UK's fastest growing online exhibition gifts resource specialising in promotional pens, mugs, mouse mats, umbrellas, conference items and much more. For more information please visit www.yesgifts.co.uk.