So you've purchased booth space at the next fashion trade show, and you desperately want to make an impact and stick out from the rest of your competitors. Last time you went to this show, booths were giving away promotional items. You like the idea, but it's all the same stuff: shirts, tote-bags, and countless pens.

If you're going to give something away, it needs to make an impact. It needs to be remembered...and used.

Compliment your products
If you are clothes designer, giving away t-shirts with your logo on it might not even be appropriate. Remember: you want customers to buy YOUR shirt or blouse designs! Thinking outside the box, however, doesn't mean giving away items that have nothing to do with what you sell. Try to find something that compliments your products or services.

For example: a tailoring service may give away a travel sewing kit. Sell hair products? How about a travel hair brush? In the off chance you happen to do both, you can even give away a travel brush and sewing kit combination. The point is, there's something for every business, and providing something useful and relevant to your targeted customers will be what gets you noticed at the next trade show.

Achieve your goals
Focus on your target audience and get them to take the actions you want. The most obvious example of this is getting people to visit a website. Giving away computer related items (like a mouse pad), or something that will end up on their desk (like one of these cleverly shaped stress balls) with the included web address is going to achieve the best results. If you sell shoes, a shoe shine kit may be a nice give-away, but if your store is online, you probably won't get as many customers as you'd hoped.

Make sure it looks good
Tote bags do make a great give-aways, but at a fashion show, it's got to look GREAT to be a successful promotional item. Not that the fashion industry needs to be told to look good, but take care to make sure your logo will look right and that the colors you choose match your company's style.

You don't have to make the logo huge for it to be effective, either. Legibility certainly helps, but subtle logos can actually be more effective for branding than in-your-face marketing. Know the printable space the item you chose has and make it look good. That last part is up to you.

Promotional products are a great way to be remembered from trade shows long after their over. In the fashion industry, standing out is one of the toughest things to do, and yet, so vital. The most effective items are usually useful and relevant to your business and offer something to your customers that nobody else does.

Always remember: at a trade show, it's YOU you're selling. After: what you offer is going to be what people are interested in.