Define useful visitor groups, not arbitrary gift levels
Create a small number of groups based on the visit. General visitors may need a compact item that is easy to carry. Demonstration participants may benefit from a notebook for the session. A scheduled partner meeting may justify a set connected to the discussion. Explain those distinctions to the team in plain language. Avoid making staff improvise rules about who seems important, or offering a larger gift merely because a queue has formed.
Keep the groups manageable. Three clear distribution instructions are easier to follow than ten combinations of colours and contents. State whether one person can receive more than one item and how repeat visits are handled. If names or contact details are collected for follow-up, explain the purpose and obtain the appropriate permission through your normal process. Receiving a gift should not leave the visitor uncertain about what they have agreed to.
Work backwards from the handover space
Check where stock will sit, who will replenish it and how long each handover takes. A gift that needs several minutes of assembly at the counter may interrupt a short conversation. Preassemble where practical, keep loose components away from the visitor area and label cartons so a new team member can find the right version. Reserve enough clear space to show the actual product or service being promoted.
Consider what visitors will carry after leaving. A large rigid box can be inconvenient during a full exhibition visit, even when it looks attractive in a photograph. Compare a simple bag, a compact single product and a prepared set against the intended handover. Confirm the actual dimensions rather than judging scale from catalogue images. The best option for a meeting table is not automatically the best option for a busy booth counter.
Use an allocation example before ordering
For a hypothetical event plan, suppose the team expects 240 general handovers, 80 demonstration participants and 20 scheduled meetings. If each group has a different gift, the initial plan contains 340 gifts across three lines. If the demonstration notebook is an addition to the general item, it instead contains 320 general items, 80 notebooks and 20 meeting sets. The distinction must be written down before quantities are approved.
Divide the approved stock between the planned event sessions, then keep any agreed reserve separately. Record opening stock, replenishment and remaining items at each handover between staff. These counts help the team adjust distribution without guessing. They do not prove sales impact on their own. Review the useful conversations, demonstration attendance and agreed follow-up separately, using only information your team is entitled to collect and retain.
Prepare a booth-ready presentation and fallback
Use Brandkom’s catalogue to compare actual references for each visitor group. In the free gift design studio, build clearly named options such as “general visitor”, “demonstration” and “scheduled meeting”. Show the chosen contents and quantity for each. A reference image can help find similar catalogue alternatives, but keep the selected SKU and product differences visible so an approved option can be sourced and reviewed accurately.
Before the event, prepare one documented fallback for any essential product and confirm what changes if it is used. Check branding, packing, cost and the handover instructions together. Give staff the current presentation or a simple approved packing list rather than several old screenshots. After the exhibition, record what remained useful, what caused delays and which quantities should change next time. That review turns a one-off purchase into a more reliable booth process.
Examples from the Brandkom catalogue
- APO BAG for exhibition handouts (MO8959) At a Baghdad exhibition, pack one trial bag with the Arabic brochure and all planned inserts before you set the quantity per counter.
- AOSTA pen for a registration desk (MO8857) Have a colleague fill out the actual event form with the sample. Check writing comfort and logo legibility together.
Before you move forward
- Define the activity supported by each giveaway.
- Write a simple rule for repeat visits and combined items.
- Check counter space, packing and replenishment.
- Count sets separately from additional loose products.
- Approve the reserve and fallback explicitly.
- Brief staff using one current distribution sheet.
- Review remaining stock and useful follow-up separately.
Common questions
Should every Baghdad exhibition visitor receive the same giveaway?
A single useful item is often simplest, but different visit formats can justify different contents. Base the distinction on the activity, such as a demonstration or a scheduled meeting, and write a clear distribution rule. Avoid complicated levels that the booth team cannot explain consistently.
How many extra giveaways should I order?
There is no universal reserve percentage. Start with the planned handovers, existing usable stock and the consequences of running short. Agree any reserve as a separate quantity with its purpose and owner. Keep it distinguishable from the main allocation so the team can see when it is being used.
Can I use the same presentation for purchasing and booth staff?
Use the same approved product references, but give each audience the detail they need. Purchasing needs the complete commercial scope and approval record. Booth staff need the contents, visitor group, carton location and handover rule. Both should refer to the same current version.
Ready to turn the brief into a shortlist? Explore the catalogue or start a project in Brandkom’s free Gift Design Studio.