What to Give Away at a Tradeshow - Paybotic Dugout Case Study

By Samantha Sage

This year is jam-packed with cannabis industry tradeshows large and small – but coming up with unique tradeshow giveaway ideas that resonate with your clients, and knowing how many giveaways you should order for a trade show, can be a real challenge. 

Paybotic (a payment processor for the cannabis industry) reached out to us in need of new cannabis tradeshow giveaway ideas that would set them apart from the sea of booths and vendors at their first MJBizCon appearance in Las Vegas. 

We advised them of our 3 biggest tips when it comes to tradeshow giveaways:

1. Utility is Everything 
2. High Perceived Value is Key 
3. Trends are Your Friends
   
   

After exploring everything from custom banker’s bags to personalized grinder cards, Paybotic decided on the latest style of aluminum dugout with a built-in grinder that empties right into the storage area.
This item ticks all the boxes of the best tradeshow giveaways:

1. Utility: these dugouts are a perfect smoker’s companion – the built-in grinder and aluminum chillum are held inside a magnetic case for a fully self-contained, grab-and-go experience. The grinder top even has notches included to rest the chillum mid-session. A tradeshow giveaway that easily integrates into your client’s life in a useful way means your branding gets in front of their eyes more frequently – and your company becomes subconsciously associated with serving your clients’ needs effectively!
   
   
2. High Perceived Value: Swag that feels cheap and doesn’t serve a need can have the exact opposite of the desired impact by putting your business in a bad light. No tradeshow booth element is more off-putting than the giant pile of unwanted, useless promo items. A sleek, valuable promotional item given to a good lead will do more for your business than throwing low-cost pens at every booth visitor ever will! Don’t worry about ordering enough promos for every attendee – some scarcity of promos can help you be conscious of better qualifying your leads, and instantly increases the perceived value of your promos. Your decoration method can go a long way in increasing perceived value of your giveaways as well – these dugouts have high-quality laser engraving on both the grinder lid and the body, giving lots of available branding space with an elegant (and fade-proof) look that printing can’t replicate.
   
   
3. On-Trend Tradeshow Giveaways: When in doubt, listen to what’s hot in the streets! A business that can leverage trends in promoting themselves shows a commitment to staying relevant, modern, and giving the people what they truly want. For example, if people are willing to spend good money on a Lululemon fanny pack that’s trending, then they’re likely to get a real kick out of your custom-branded (and smell-proof!) fanny packs being given away at a tradeshow. In the era of “Tiktok hacks” and reboots of classic ideas, Paybotic’s dugouts are familiar enough that the user knows what they are & how to use them immediately, but innovative enough to feel unique, new, and give that “wow” factor you want from your custom tradeshow giveaways. 

So did Paybotic apply these tips to successfully find a tradeshow giveaway idea that people really want?

You bet - Paybotic’s dugouts were so popular at MJBizCon 2022, they gave them all out to their best new clients before noon on the first day of the show! 

If you’re looking for the best tradeshow giveaway ideas for your upcoming cannabis tradeshow schedule, we’re here to take the guesswork out of shopping for custom cannabis promos – let our sales team get to know your brand, and we’ll provide you with ideas of the newest and best promos that fit your business, your audience, and your budget. 

Samantha Sage is the Marketing Coordinator & Sales Assistant for Higher Promos. Sam has worked in many facets of the Oregon cannabis industry since 2018, and is now leveraging her years of multi-industry marketing experience to help cannabis businesses grow their brands with quality promotional products. When Sam isn't researching new & unique cannabis swag options, you can find her in the Oregon woods with her husband & senior rescue dog. 

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• Tags: Promotional Products, Tradeshow, Tactics, Sales, Branding, Attention