When was the last time you heard ‘I can’t wait to go to an exhibition to get a useless promotional item’?

Nobody likes ridiculous items clearly only made so the company could fit the full-size version of its logo on it. They don’t want magnets that can’t travel without scrambling at least one important piece of electronic equipment, they don’t want balloons or promotional t-shirts that only come in starched orange cotton and size ‘extra extra small.’ What they want is for things to be useful.

So what can you give them?

Something fun

Pin badges inject a spirit of mischief into proceedings, possibly because badges remind you of being a kid and getting to wear things that came free with magazines. You can publicise your company on there, the exhibition you and the attendee are both at, or you can try a new slogan and design that matches with what your company sounds like in all your communications.

Badges are also useful for keeping things like lanyards and ties in place. Don’t underestimate the pin badge just because of its cost.

Something useful

Everything’s meant to be stored on the Cloud these days, but USB sticks are still a great invention. Not everyone has everything backed up to the Cloud, and if you’re stuck in a place without internet access—weirdly common, not that you’d know that from Cloud-based marketing—USB sticks are what will save the day.

Print them with your logo; the business card format means that they store easily in a pocket or jacket, and if your USB stick rescues a major presentation or helps someone out of a tight spot, they’ll look on your company logo—and by extension, your company—with fondness.

Something that saves their arms

Imagine the end of a long day traipsing around a convention centre. You started the day full of determination and hope, and then slowly got bogged down by endless brochures, leaflets, freebies and more. Your wrists are numb. Suddenly, you see your saviour: the Expobox.

The Expobox not only makes a lead look on you with fondness for saving their bacon in a tough time, it’s a sturdy piece of equipment that happens to advertise your company. As your lead wheels it around the centre, they advertise for you to all the other attendees.

Ditch the promotions that just don’t work, and start finding solutions that do.