The Power of Event Marketing with Tchotchkes [Infographic]

I’ve been to a lot of marketing conferences in the past several years, and I have a house full of tchotchkes to prove it.  These items have been useful as toys for my kids, tools for the kitchen or chew toys for my dog; and everytime I see these items, I’m reminded of the vendors who gave them to me. (e.g., a shark from Brainshark or the bunny suit guy from Intel) As a marketer, I can’t help but wonder what goes through the minds of event planners as they’re selecting the best tchotchkes to give to their audience?

First of all, the definition of a tchotchke, according to Wikipedia, is as follows:

tchotchke [choch’-key] noun
“A small bauble or miscellaneous item. The word may also refer to free promotional items dispensed at trade shows, conventions, and similar large events. They can also be sold as cheap souvenirs in tourist areas, which are sometimes called tchotchke shops.” (A.K.A. swag)

Tchotchkes range from the simplest and cheapest of gifts to high-end giveaways that will even entice the nearby concession stand worker to sit through one of your demos.  Everyone wants to stand out from the crowd at events, and having the best tchotchke can make a huge difference.  It’s even better if you can select a tchotchke that helps to support your brand.

In the spirit of content marketing, I’ve put together the following infographic with 7 attributes and 8 categories of tchotchkes. Use this as a guide the next time you’re brainstorming what items to give away at a conference.

For additional assistance planning your next conference, be sure to check out our ultimate list of marketing conferences.