When organizing a raffle at a tradeshow, it’s important to offer items that not only attract attention but also align with the interests of your audience. High-quality, desirable prizes create excitement and drive traffic to your booth. Items like jet skis, coolers, and high-end outdoor gear are excellent choices because they appeal to a wide range of people and encourage participation.
High End Outdoor Equipment
Jet skis are a show-stopping prize that immediately grabs attention. They are ideal for events related to outdoor adventure, recreation, or water sports. Offering a jet ski can generate buzz, as it appeals to both thrill-seekers and those dreaming of a summer getaway. It’s a high-ticket item that can make your raffle stand out, especially if your audience includes water enthusiasts or people who enjoy boating and lakeside activities.
Similarly, coolers, especially premium brands like YETI or Pelican, are incredibly popular raffle items. Companies that are on a budget, offering one of the best budget coolers can work, but it needs to look and feel premium. Coolers are practical and versatile, appealing to outdoor lovers, campers, hunters, and tailgaters. A high-end cooler can be a big draw at a tradeshow because it’s a coveted item that people can use in a variety of settings, from picnics and beach days to camping trips or sports events. Their durability and reputation for performance make them a desirable prize that attracts people looking for long-lasting, quality gear.
Other great raffle items to consider include action cameras (like GoPro), portable speakers, smartwatches, gift cards to popular retailers or experiences, and even premium outdoor furniture. These prizes work well because they are not only highly desirable but also resonate with people who appreciate quality and are likely to use the items frequently. The key to a successful raffle is choosing prizes that are relevant to the audience, generate excitement, and reflect the values of your brand or the event itself.
Catchy Tech Gadgets
Tech gadgets make for excellent raffle prizes at trade shows, as they appeal to a broad range of attendees and often align with the innovation and cutting-edge themes of such events. Here are some top tech gadgets to consider for your raffle:
1. Smartphones or Tablets
A smartphone or tablet is a universally desirable prize, as these devices are integral to both personal and professional life. Offering the latest model from top brands like Apple, Samsung, or Google can generate excitement and draw large crowds to your booth.
2. Smartwatches
A smartwatch like an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin can be an appealing prize, especially for tech-savvy individuals interested in fitness, health tracking, and wearable technology. These devices also appeal to people looking for a stylish accessory that can sync with their smartphones for notifications, apps, and health monitoring.
3. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
High-quality noise-cancelling headphones from brands like Bose, Sony, or Sennheiser are always a popular tech prize. They’re perfect for trade show attendees who travel frequently or want to enhance their listening experience with superior sound quality and noise isolation.
4. Portable Bluetooth Speakers
A portable Bluetooth speaker from brands like JBL, Sonos, or Ultimate Ears is a highly practical and popular gadget that people use for parties, outdoor activities, or just enjoying music on the go. It appeals to a wide demographic and is something people will appreciate for years.
5. Smart Home Devices
Devices like Amazon Echo or Google Nest smart speakers make for fantastic raffle prizes, as they’re functional and can integrate with other smart home products. These devices appeal to people who want to streamline their daily lives with voice assistants, control smart devices, or simply enjoy music or podcasts hands-free.
6. Drones
Drones, especially entry-level models like the DJI Mini or other beginner-friendly brands, are an exciting and eye-catching raffle item. Drones have wide appeal, from hobbyists interested in aerial photography to those who enjoy technology for fun. They’re a prize that can spark interest and create buzz around your booth.
Keeping attendees entertained and engaged during a trade show function requires a thoughtful blend of interactive experiences, lively food and drink booths, and engaging activities throughout the venue. Start by designing a layout that encourages exploration, placing food and drink stations strategically to draw people in and create social hubs. Offering a diverse selection of refreshments, such as gourmet snacks, craft beverages, and themed cocktails, can entice attendees to take breaks and mingle, fostering networking opportunities. An easy way to incorporate drinks at a large venue is via walk in coolers. Not all venues have them, and those that do may need attention. For example 
In today’s world, no one wants to be confined to a specific place. They want to be able to move around. Could you imagine working in an office that moved from place to place? Would you want to attend a function if you were in a darkened building? Not many would feel it is okay. Hosting it is even worse. This makes the “pop up style” events a better choice for many. The problem comes up when you consider portable power at pop up functions.
With the idea of a pop-up event, people can host an event in virtually every area. These pop-up events can be hosted in the middle of a city square, out in a field, near a mall, or at a farm. They can be anywhere. No matter where they are, people will always “pop up” to attend them.
Think about a “pop up” fair or carnival. They are the most commonly seen transportable events. They travel from place to place and though there may be some power outlets around, they still rely on 
When talking about conferences and other “formal functions”, we often imagine sitting in a stuffy room. Trade show locations are the same. They are in dark spaces and have lightbulbs to highlight the people who are there to present stuff. What’s the fun in that? People dread going to these types of places because of the dreary atmosphere. You could make your next event more successful if you consider some off the beaten path ideas for function locations.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to go to a conference? You knew before you went that it would be a stuffy, boring event that would tie up your weekend and take you away from your family. Did you try to find a way to get out of it? Most people do. No one wants to be “stuck”.
To succeed with outdoor conferences, you have to pick the right season, first and foremost. After that, you need to pick the right venue. Some companies use golf outings, baseball or other sporting events, boating trips, and more. If none of those ideas meet the atmosphere that you are hoping for, you may also consider choosing to rent a cabin for your meeting space. It is less formal and if you choose wisely, adventures can often be had nearby. One perfect example is the 
When it is important to draw attention, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, at tradeshows and other functions around the world, providing people with small tokens has proven beneficial. It is the whole idea behind personalization in marketing. These gifts, however small, make it easy to connect with potential customers and clients that you want to establish a relationship with. Luckily, there are many popular items to present to function attendees if you want them to remember meeting you!
In marketing, gifting has always been a way to make an easy impression on others. It can work for selling your products in the future or ensuring that your business name is memorable. The more interesting the trinket, the more effective it will be.
Since you do not know these people that you are handing gifts to, most will be impersonal, but usable. For instance, if you want something your company name can be listed on, you may choose a canvas bag, personalized mugs, and other items. You can also do this with tee-shirts, pencils, keychains, and numerous other items. One thing to keep in mind is that the more outstanding your trinket is, the more impressive it will be. It will also be more effective. For instance, look at the average pen.
There are times when more space is a good thing. It may happen because you are a businessman who is hosting a conference, a person hosting a family reunion, or any number of other reasons. Most of us cannot host an event in a space that we already own. This is why we have event venues that we can rent for functions. We are here to help you with choosing the right one for your next big event. These are some of the things you need to ask about if you want to make sure its perfect!
Sometimes, choosing based on location is easy. Everyone that will attend may live in your local area or already be there for some other event. Other times, people may come in from all over the country or world. Is that venue in a location that has easy access to hotels? Dining establishments? Beyond that, you also have to make sure that the location is easily accessible and has plenty of parking. Do you have to pay for parking?
There are some venues that may limit what you are allowed to do while there. For instance, you may not be able to hang decorations on the wall or take videos in certain areas. You may not be able to drink alcohol or serve snacks. You will want to know about these things before your big day. Otherwise, you may end up with an event venue that does not meet your needs very well.