Trade show swag strategy — driving 3x booth traffic

Trade show swag is acquisition cost. Standards-cost swag (pens, totes, magnets): $1-3/unit, ~30% take rate, low memorability. Mid-tier (T-shirts, mugs, branded chargers): $8-25/unit, ~50% take rate, 30-day brand recall ~40%. Premium scavenger-hunt mechanics (must complete demo to get): $25-100/unit, 90% take rate among demo-completers, 90-day recall. Best ROI: distribute mid-tier free + premium gating. Example: 1000 T-shirts free + 100 wireless chargers gated. Booth traffic 3x vs no-swag, lead capture 50% higher.