Trade show giveaways people actually drink
The Rial Rent case at Autoclassica: 20,000 packs in four daysWhere do you hand out water at a trade fair?
Wherever people pass and pause: the entrances, the junctions of the main aisles, the food court and the area around your stand. Before a single pack is made, we study the floor plan with you and pick the spots and the busiest hours.
- Distribution point
- Visitor flow
- Your stand
At the entrances
Everyone walks through here at least once a day. A pack picked up at the door goes round the whole show with the visitor, and your brand goes with it from hall to hall.
Along the main aisles
On the main routes the flow never stops. We place promoters where people slow down, at junctions and near the big attractions, not where they hurry towards the exit.
Where people wait
In the queue for food or between meetings, water is genuinely welcome, and there's time to look at the pack, scan the QR code and answer a quick question from our team.
All the way to your stand
The QR code on the side can open your show offer or your stand's page. The pack becomes an invitation: whoever took it at the entrance knows where to find you.
Case study
How did it go for Rial Rent at Autoclassica?
- packs handed out
- 20,000
- days at the fair
- 4
- packs a day, on average
- ≈5,000
Rial Rent, a Milan-based sports car hire company, brought 20,000 branded water packs to the Autoclassica fair and handed them out over four days. The goal was twofold: put its offers in front of visitors and raise brand awareness.
The pack was black, with the logo on the front, the website QR code on the side and the social handles: what people need to find the brand again after the show.
- Client
- Rial Rent, sports car hire, Milan
- Event
- Autoclassica fair, four days
- Goal
- Promote its offers and raise brand awareness
- On the pack
- Front logo, website QR code on the side, social handles
The campaign's commercial results belong to Rial Rent: here you'll find only the distribution figures, the ones we're free to share.
Download the company profile with the case studies (PDF, in Italian)Why does water work as a trade show giveaway?
Because people walk for hours at a fair and get thirsty: water is a gift everyone is glad to take and uses straight away, while still among the stands.
Used on the spot
Most freebies end up in a tote bag and get looked at back home, if at all. A pack of water gets opened and drunk right there, with your brand in the hand of the person using it.
It tours the halls
People carry the pack from stand to stand as they drink: your logo passes in front of visitors who haven't reached your stand yet.
It points somewhere
The QR code on the side opens your offer, your website or your stand's page. A giveaway that tells people where to go next, not just something to keep.
No plastic bottle left behind
FSC-certified carton and a plant-based cap: in a hall full of throwaway items, it's a choice people notice. More on our sustainable promotional products page.
Outside the halls, out on the street, we work with our cargo bike: that's street marketing with branded water.
What do you need to get started at a fair?
The show and its dates, one goal, your brand and the organiser's go-ahead. We handle the rest: consultation, picking the spots, artwork, production, distribution and the report. The full process is on our custom branded water page.
The show and its dates
Event name, days, hall and, if you have it, the floor plan. That's where the feasibility check and the choice of spots begin.
One clear goal
Raise awareness, push an offer, bring people to your stand or gather opinions. The goal decides what we print on the pack and what we measure.
Your brand
Logo, colours, a short message, the link for the QR code and your social handles. We design the artwork and you approve it before printing.
The show's rules
Every organiser has rules on handing out and sampling, both on and off the stand. Check them with the venue before locking anything in: we'll help you work out what to ask.
The proposal
Quantities, prices and production times change from event to event: you get them in our proposal, after the first consultation.
What do we measure after a trade fair?
We measure what your goal needs, and we agree it before we start: that way the final KPI report answers the right question.
| Goal | What we measure | Where the data comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Brand awareness | Social interactions and online engagement during the show | Your social accounts and surveys at the distribution points |
| Promoting an offer | Visits from the QR code and use of the offer | The QR code's tracked link and the sales data you share with us |
| Bringing people to your stand | Forms filled in and contacts left, with privacy consent | Forms collected on site by our team |
| Hearing what visitors think | Survey answers and short interviews | The Refreesh team at the distribution points |
It all goes into the final report: goals, data collected, KPIs and what to change next time.
Questions about water at trade fairs
How many packs do you need for a trade fair?
It depends on the number of days, footfall and distribution points. To give you a sense of scale, Rial Rent handed out 20,000 in four days at Autoclassica. We propose the right quantity for your event after the feasibility check.
Can you hand out water at any trade fair?
It depends on the organiser's rules: every show has its own policy on handing out and sampling away from your stand. Check with the venue before you lock in the campaign; we'll help you prepare the request.
What can be printed on the pack?
Usually your logo on the front, a QR code on the side and your social handles, plus a short message. The QR code can open your show offer, your website or your stand's page. We design the artwork; you approve it.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
We don't publish prices, minimum quantities or production times, because they change with every event. You get them in our proposal after a first consultation: write to us with the show's name and dates.
How do I know if the campaign worked?
We set the goal before we start and measure against it: social interactions, visits from the QR code, forms and surveys collected on site, and sales data if you share it. At the end you get a report with the KPIs.
Got a trade fair in the diary?
Send us the event name and dates. In the form, choose the branded water marketing topic.
Let's talk