Trade fair for promotional products and incentives produces good results

Hannover. After five days of business at PROMOTION WORLD 2009 the exhibitors have given a positive verdict. The event ran smoothly, and the demand for promotional products, especially high-quality products, gave the exhibiting companies every reason to be generally optimistic about future prospects.

According to Klaus Rosenberger, Chairman of the working group Arbeitskreis Werbemittel e.V., many companies recognize the need for anti-cyclic advertising. "They are also aware that using promotional products is a relatively low-priced form of marketing as a big effect can be achieved with a small budget." Rosenberger praised the quality of the clients at PROMOTION WORLD 2009: "The event attracted high-calibre people, and the number of visitors was also very pleasing."

Whether flashing neon-coloured beakers, toast embellished with a company logo or sophisticated wristwatches tested by astronauts, promotional products make an impact, are eye-catching, inspire trust and enhance customer loyalty. Fifty percent of all companies employ promotional products and incentives. But which products are right for which company? This is a question which PROMOTION WORLD 2009 helped to answer extensively. A total of 23,000 visitors in Hall 18 grasped the opportunity to find some answers. For the first time the event offered two days open exclusively to professional visitors. Although this led to a decrease in the total number of visitors, there were clear gains in terms of the quality of the visitors at the stands.

"Especially in times of crisis it is important to step up advertising and attract increased attention", said Dr. Wolfram von Fritsch, Chairman of the Board at Deutsche Messe AG, and added: "By organizing PROMOTION WORLD we can offer the sector a unique international platform within an industrial setting."

The International Trade Fair for Promotional Products and Incentives attracted some 150 exhibitors, who occupied a total display area of 3,700 square metres. In particular the two days of the event (Tuesday and Friday) which were open only to professional visitors provided exhibitors with an excellent basis for presenting their products effectively to the right people.

However, as Volker Riedle, managing director of Riedle Taschen, confirmed: "Even on the days it was open to the general public, we were impressed by the calibre of the visitors." His company had the biggest stand at PROMOTION WORLD. Volker Riedle added: "We made more than 500 new contacts and were able to raise the profile of our brand still further. We were very pleased with the way the trade show went."

Innovative and original products

Visitors were impressed by the vast number of products from endless categories, including toys, high-quality textiles and modern technology, food and cosmetics, to name but a few. The spectrum of products ranged from top-quality products for premium clients to low-priced give-aways for occasional customers.

Among the products tipped to be the season's "hottest" articles was a USB stick in the form of different plastic figures (the businessman, surgeon and doctor seem to be the favourites). The stick comes from the German company Profil in Paderborn, who offer the attractive option of printing the customer's company logo on the figure. The company also exhibited a new USB hub in the form of a Playmobil figure. Another original idea came from ari international Trading GmbH, who showcased a toaster that produces appetizing slices with a designated logo toasted into the bread. PROMOTION WORLD showed a whole feast of culinary delights ranging from chocolate, marzipan, pralines and peppermints to all sorts of confectionery - cleverly packed, individualized or with original packaging. In many of the giveaway products shown this year the manufacturers used light, luminescence and blinking effects. For example, lumitoys exhibited glow cups and flashing bottle openers, HAWEK showed metre rules with LED lights and Classic Line went one step further with mini-fans which displayed a programmed text as the fan rotated.

Flags, diaries and calendars remain the top runners

The innovative products shown at PROMOTION WORLD were impressive, but they did not distract from the continued demand for traditional products. "Especially in times of economic difficulty clients are prone to return to tried and trusted products", explains Anke Dreyer, sales manager of HanseFlag GmbH, a German company focussing on flags of every kind (flags account for 80 percent of its business). Günter Eisele from Baier & Schneider GmbH, which sells diaries and calendars made by Brunnen, confirms this view, stating: "Diaries and calendars are always popular". He reiterated that his company had been pleased by the many promising business contacts made at the trade show. 

Eisele reports that in response to the growing call for sustainability, which also extends to promotional products, the Brunnen brand ensures that "wherever the company uses paper, it now bears a label promising that it is  sourced only from sustainable forests. That's what customers want to see, and they repay us for our ecological commitment by ordering these products". The same sentiments have been adopted by porcelain manufacturer Kahla, whose new Tao series is produced using a new process which reduces the number of firings required. It is therefore more energy-efficient and produces fewer CO₂ emissions.

Facing the future with optimism - clever marketing people use promotions to beat the economic downturn

The vast majority of the exhibitors were optimistic about the future. For example, Ralph Schäflein from the design company DNS (Berlin/Stuttgart) disapproves of all the negative talk. His company was at PROMOTION WORLD 2009 to exhibit the trendy waterbelt (logos can be printed on the belt of the useful bottle holder) and the textile bag, which can be rolled up and stored in a small plexiglass container - a really innovative idea that will please shoppers. Jürgen Weber from Swiss watchmakers Fortis, who exhibited a chronograph which is being used by astronauts on the Mars 500 project, is also confident about business prospects: "The trade show was better for us than expected. We were able to repeat last year's successful performance."

Siegfried Jakobs, director of the Ideen + Marken group, drew a positive conclusion: "PROMOTION WORLD is going from strength to strength. There has been a clear upward trend over the past four years." Jakobs also praised the decision to stage PROMOTION WORLD in conjunction with HANNOVER MESSE: "The numerous representatives from industry who came to our stand in Hall 18 made the event an efficient means of making new contacts. PROMOTION WORLD gives us a platform for establishing valuable new contacts as well as for maintaining good relations with existing clients. We will definitely be back and are optimistic about future business trends."

This year saw 33 especially innovative products awarded the Promotional Gift Award. The winners included the ingenious Roll Soap from FranCos, which supplies soap on a strip from a roll dispenser.  Another winner was the space-saving Nautiloop bag from DNS - design team Neth Schäflein. This neat fold-away bag can be stored in a small transparent case. Director Kai-Uwe Neth explained: "We found the Award and the response that it evoked particularly gratifying."

Forum attracts the interest of numerous visitors

Held for the first time, the Forum in Hall 18 proved a real hit with both exhibitors and visitors. Three times a day representatives from the promotional products sector talked about their industry. Speakers included Patrick Politze, Chairman of the GWW (German Association of the Promotional Products Industry), and Christoph Baumann from Lufthansa Worldshop. The Forum looks set to become an important platform for exchanging know-how and ideas.

In addition, the Service and Ideas Park presented visitors with the opportunity to talk face to face with ten suppliers of advertising and promotional products.

PROMOTION WORLD 2010 takes place from 19 to 23 April.