Dean Schwartz
Dean is CEO and SWAGmaster at SOBO Concepts, a promotional products company delivering "SWAG with Style".
Use Promotional Products to Differentiate Your Trade Show
September 14, 2013
If you’re an invested business owner, then you are constantly looking for every edge possible to help differentiate your products and services from the competition.
Well, trade show management companies are no different. With you folks in mind, we’ve developed some creative ideas for helping exhibitors to enhance their bottom line and show some personality – and some SWAG, too.
Ready for that? Good. The first idea is to develop unique, never-been-seen-before event materials and the second is giveaways, for both the show and its exhibitors.
The benefits of this approach are two-fold:
1. A show is the perfect opportunity for companies to use their own promotional products to add a sense of personality to their brand, promote a memorable theme, and stand out in a sea of boring, SWAG-less cookie-cutter conferences.
2. By offering exhibitors marketing services around the design and execution of unique SWAG, a show can earn a portion of the merchandise revenue while increasing exhibitors’ happiness and retention. It’s win-win to the max.
What’s the alternative? Well, you’ve seen it before. Merely slapping logos on pens and coffee mugs is not enough. And it sucks. To execute on this approach and do it well, most show management companies need to engage with a strategic promotional products company with vast creative experience and the ability to draw on a large network of suppliers.
This partner should act as a marketing agency that places an emphasis on using physical products to promote the message.
And guess what? Often times, that creative promotional products company can employ physical products as a gateway to the virtual world with something like augmented reality technology. In doing so, they take this idea of differentiating the trade show itself while also helping exhibitors stand out to another level.
The best part? Augmented reality is easier to deploy to an entire trade show than you might think. There is a branded augmented reality app available that integrates the technology into a company’s preexisting app. This sets the stage for promoting and gamifying the show in fun new ways, meaning that you’ll keep someone’s attention long after they’ve left your booth and moved on.
It also presents another opportunity for the show to help exhibitors by leveraging the same technology platform to integrate digital content with their promotional products, literally duplicating the efforts of something that does quite well on its own, and even better with the SWAG of augmented reality.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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