Like special holidays, business events can be quite a big deal for many entrepreneurs. It’s one of the best methods to improve your business’s network, source new clients, and meet potential partners.
That’s why you must find a way to stand out from the crowd in a good way, especially if it’s your first time.
You’re bound to sell some merchandise at a business event, so try starting from there. The more eye-catching your merchandise is, the more people will flock to you. If it’s that interesting, your competitors might even check you out to see what all the fuss is about.
Read on to learn some tips and tricks on creating event merchandise to impress the crowd.
Think Of Practicality
Not everyone enjoys a trinket with no purpose. As a business owner, you don’t want people looking at your merchandise, scoffing, then passing on. Think about an everyday item that best fits your business, then think about how often that item is used.
Event merchandise can be anything from the ever-popular t-shirt or mugs to something less common yet useful like wholesale towels. You can customise these products to bear your business’s logo and name. People tend to use items like these regularly, so your brand will find a way to enter their minds subconsciously until it’s forever etched in their memory.
Every business yearns to become a household name eventually. Take a small step in that direction by selling customised merchandise clients will gladly use every day.
Ask Around
If you already have a loyal crowd of customers, use the opportunity to ask them what they’d like to buy from you before the event. Do they want notepads? Hats? Tote bags to stuff your other merchandise in? Customers are a great way to know what the current market wants and expects from you.
Your team members might suggest products from past business events, too. Be sure to collect as many ideas as possible. When you’ve gathered enough, you can make mock designs and allow everyone to vote on which ones they want. By doing this, you may also know how many people are willing to buy a particular product. And the potential sales might even double or triple during the event.
Focus On The Design
Since the merchandise will bear your brand name and logo, the product’s design matters a lot. Always consider the colours, typography, and slogan used for it.
Choose tried-and-tested colour combinations and contrasts that work well with event merchandise such as:
Blue and yellow
Red and white
Light blue and dark blue
Black and orange
Maroon and peach
If your brand already has a striking colour palette, incorporate this into the products. Potential and existing customers will instantly connect the merchandise with your business without even looking at the name.
When picking fonts for typography, choose easily readable ones even from a distance. Don’t go over three different fonts, and be free to experiment with font size, letter casing, bolding, and italicisation. To start you off, Serif fonts that have little flourishes at the ends or tips of letters pair well with Sans Serif fonts that don’t have these flicks. Also, remember colour contrast when colouring the letters.
And if you want to create packaging for your merchandise, don’t skip the planning process for these either. Packaging can spell the difference between selling a lot and selling only one or two pieces. So, check these common product packaging mistakes to avoid being the laughingstock of the event.
Pick A Design And Production Team
Once you’ve finalised your merchandise design, it’s time to create it! There’s no need to worry if you and your team members can’t do this on your own. Partner with a reputable team outside your business that can make your visions come to life in excellent quality.
If you choose to sell products made out of fabric like wholesale towels, you don’t want the threads to unravel the day after people buy them. Cheap or poorly-made products will let people see you in a bad light. Top-grade merchandise may come with a high cost, but if you’re lucky, you can find a team that offers quality production services for less.
Promote And Give Extra Offers
Days before the event, try to promote your new merchandise as much as possible and as early as you can. Raising awareness helps you gain more public attention and might interest a few people to attend the event when they initially didn’t want to.
There are a few effective ways to promote your business and products, but the easiest one should be through social media. Post some sneak peek photos of your merchandise to get people excited. And always respond sincerely to users who interact with your posts so they feel you’re not just some troll on the Internet.
People also love free stuff. During the event, offer a small free item to attendees who buy your merchandise. These can be pens, memo pads, or stickers. They may or may not use it, but for them, it’s fun to get something extra. Customers might even remember you better and will come to you again in the future.
Get Ready For Your Next Business Event
There are three reasons you should create and sell your merchandise at a business event. The first is to promote your image and brand. The second is to raise money by attracting new and current customers alike. And the third is to appeal to the event’s attendees and show them that you can offer something new. If you firmly believe your merchandise can do all these things, then, by all means, sell away!