EZ Brandsite

Not sure what it was about my first visit to Comic Con that had me singing The Faint’s “The Geeks Were Right” in my head as I approached the San Diego Convention Center. Probably because it looked like Comic-Con was going to be everything the geeks told me it was – they were right. And they would know because they were out in force. Crowding the sidewalks and crosswalks, sitting on the steps, resting on the lawn, Spiderman walking hand in hand with Black Cat. But as amazing as it was to see grown men and women in every type of costume from Star War Stormtroopers to cigarette smoking Ghost Busters, I wasn’t there to people watch.

My mission was to assess Comic-Con from a Trade Show/Event marketing strategist viewpoint. Sure it was hard to stay focused when you are being trampled by Trekkies and squashed by Super Heroes but what really made it tough to concentrate was the overwhelming visual and audio stimulation. There was in-your-face video and in-you-ears audio everywhere you turned. Floor to ceiling graphics, carnies on microphones shouting at you from their booths, the most enormous video screens everywhere and everywhere people. In a word, it was overwhelming.

Trade shows in general are known for the challenge of trying to stand out from all the other booths that surround you. But when the trade show is Comic-Con and the products are movies, video games and action heroes, well every booth was trying to drown out the others. And stuffed into every available space of every aisle were the geeks.

After and hour or so of wandering, of playing human bumper pool, of drowning in the over-stimulation, I did reach some less than startling conclusions. The busiest booths were giving away the coolest stuff. Whether it was an autograph from a comic book artist I never heard of or any of a number of promotional products, everyone lined up for the goodies. And the crowds attracted more crowds. Yes, startling conclusion; promotional products play an important role in bringing traffic to your booth.

But the biggest thing I brought away was the hottest (and smartest) giveaway. The gigantic tote bag. Tote bags have always been popular at trade shows but these things were enormous and enormously popular. And the appeal wasn’t just for the geeks, but everyone.

And the best part about the bags? They literally converted people into walking billboards. So for your next trade show, event or convention, don’t just think promotions. Think big promotions. Trust me, the geeks are right on this one.