Trade shows and exhibitions — booth apparel, giveaways, lead-capture and lead magnets

What the trade show and exhibition workstream covers

The trade show and exhibition workstream takes a buyer's brief — usually a list of booth items, a quantity per booth tier, a delivery address at the exhibition centre, a delivery window, a lead-capture kit for the lead desk and a post-show lead magnet for the follow-up dispatch — and turns it into a kit that lands at the booth at the agreed load-in hour, replenishes across the show days, and lands in the follow-up box for the post-show dispatch. In the Czech Republic this workstream typically runs against the calendar of Czech and international trade shows at PVA EXPO PRAHA (For Arch, For Fashion, For Industry, For Energy, Aqua-Therm Prague, Pragotherm, Future Forces, Transport Logistic, Wine Prague, GO Prague) and BVV Brno Exhibition Centre (MSV, Autotec, Amper, For Industry, Motosalon, Transport Logistic Brno, REX Ped Praha, IDET, PYROS).

The brief captures the trade show name, the dates, the exhibition centre, the booth number, the hall, the booth item matrix, the per-tier decoration plan, the per-recipient personalisation rule, the lead-capture kit and the post-show lead magnet. The supplier runs a venue survey at first-time venues and a venue profile at recurring venues — measuring the loading dock, the loading hours, the lift dimensions, the staging area, the booth access path and the security protocol. The supplier builds a kit map per show day and a kit manifest per booth tier.

Pre-show kitting runs in the Prague Hostivař warehouse. Items are pulled, counted, quality-checked and packed into per-booth kits. Personalised items (booth apparel, name badges, lead-desk kits, post-show lead magnets) are matched against a controlled spreadsheet and packed into named cartons. The kit is staged for dispatch and the manifest is shared with the booth team 24-48 hours before the dispatch window. Dispatch runs on a contracted carrier with appointment-window delivery and a confirmation call to the exhibition centre's loading dock.

Booth item tiers and per-tier kit

Trade show booths typically have four item tiers with distinct kit compositions. The booth apparel tier (worn by the booth team) receives branded apparel — polo shirts, T-shirts, hoodies, caps, hi-vis vests for the build-up days — with the buyer's brand book on the front and the booth team name on the back. The booth apparel is the visual identity of the booth and the supplier recommends a 7-10 working day dispatch window before the load-in date.

The giveaway tier (the items the visitor takes home from the booth) receives branded items across the price ladder — branded pens, branded notebooks, branded mugs, branded drawstring bags, branded stickers, branded keychains (the low-tier giveaway), branded T-shirts, branded caps, branded insulated bottles, branded power banks, branded portable speakers (the mid-tier giveaway), branded leather folders, branded glassware, branded travel accessories (the premium giveaway). The giveaway tier is the touch the visitor remembers and the supplier recommends a tiered mix across the booth.

The lead-capture tier (the items used at the lead desk) receives branded items designed for the lead moment — a branded lead card, a branded sticker pack, a branded small giveaway that travels with the visitor into the show. The lead-capture tier is the supplier's specialty and the supplier recommends a category mix that supports the buyer's lead qualification logic.

The post-show lead magnet tier (the items dispatched to the visitor after the show) receives branded items designed for the follow-up moment — a branded premium giveaway, a branded catalogue, a branded sample pack, a personalised thank-you card. The post-show lead magnet tier is dispatched from the Hostivař warehouse after the show closes and is the supplier's specialty for the post-show qualification phase.

Venue-specific hand-over

PVA EXPO PRAHA in Letňany is the largest exhibition complex in the Czech Republic and the most common venue for the trade show programme. Load-in is via the Beranových service road with appointment windows booked 72 hours before the load-in date. The supplier holds a permanent PVA EXPO PRAHA delivery account with a digital appointment board. The supplier delivers the kit to the loading dock and a Czech-speaking logistics coordinator hands it over to the booth builder.

BVV Brno Exhibition Centre is the heart of Czech industry fairs including MSV (International Engineering Fair), Autotec, Amper, For Industry, Motosalon, Transport Logistic Brno, IDET and PYROS. The supplier delivers the kit to the Hall P / F service yard on a 30-minute slot model with a digital appointment board. The supplier holds a permanent BVV Brno delivery account.

Výstaviště Černá Louka in Ostrava is the traditional exhibition grounds in the Moravian-Silesian capital. The supplier delivers the kit to the service yard with appointment-window delivery. Výstaviště Flora in Olomouc is the regional exhibition centre for the Moravian consumer shows. Výstaviště ČB in České Budějovice is the regional exhibition centre for the South Bohemian consumer shows. The supplier holds a permanent delivery account with each of these venues.

Lead-capture kit and post-show lead magnet

The lead-capture kit is the kit used at the booth's lead desk. It typically contains a branded lead card, a branded sticker pack, a branded small giveaway that travels with the visitor into the show and a branded follow-up card with the booth team's contact details. The lead-capture kit is dispatched to the booth with the bulk kit and is replenished by the on-site coordinator across the show days.

The post-show lead magnet is the kit dispatched to the visitor after the show closes. It typically contains a branded premium giveaway, a branded catalogue, a branded sample pack, a personalised thank-you card and a follow-up card with the booth team's contact details. The post-show lead magnet is dispatched from the Hostivař warehouse after the show closes with a 7-10 working day window.

For international exhibitors the supplier also handles the post-show international dispatch via DHL Česko, FedEx or UPS to the international visitor addresses. The supplier prepares the commercial invoice, the packing list and the certificate of origin for each international shipment. For EU destinations the supplier ships under the free-movement regime without customs clearance. For non-EU destinations the supplier ships under the destination country's import regime with the destination hotel acting as the importer of record or the supplier's nominated freight forwarder acting as the importer of record.

On-site replenishment and redistribution

On-site replenishment is the workstream that keeps the booth stocked across the show days. The supplier holds a buffer of items in a local storage locker (where the venue allows) or in the supplier's vehicle at the loading dock. The supplier's on-site coordinator walks the floor and reports the stock position to the supplier's logistics lead in Prague. When the stock drops below the agreed threshold the supplier pulls a replenishment shipment from the Hostivař warehouse and dispatches it to the loading dock with a 4-6 hour turnaround window.

Post-show redistribution follows three typical paths — return to the buyer's nominated address (Prague or Brno), return to the Hostivař warehouse for the next show, or return-and-recycle through a textile-recycling partner for textile off-cuts and end-of-life apparel. The supplier does not run discount codes or promo codes on leftover inventory; the buyer decides the redistribution path at the post-show debrief.

Booth dismantle and waste handling is part of the post-show workstream. The supplier removes the booth apparel, the personalised items, the point-of-sale materials and any merchandise that the buyer does not want to keep. The supplier separates cardboard, plastic and textile waste and routes each fraction to the appropriate recycling channel. The supplier issues a waste-handling certificate on request.

Czech and EU regulatory context

Czech and EU regulatory context is a core part of trade show merchandise. DPH 21% on the master invoice in CZK. EU reverse-charge under § 64 ZDPH for non-Czech recipients on the visitor list (international visitors, foreign press). Recapitulative EC Sales List filed by the supplier monthly with the Financial Authority of the Czech Republic. ISDOC format mandatory for Czech B2B invoices from January 2025.

GDPR compliance follows EU Regulation 2016/679 and Czech Personal Data Protection Act 110/2019 Coll. The visitor list (lead cards, post-show lead magnets) is captured for show delivery only, not marketing, and held for the legal retention window. The supplier signs a data processing agreement with the buyer and processes visitor data only on documented instructions.

Pantone Coated / Uncoated matching is the standard colour reference. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (class I or II) on skin-contact textiles. GOTS on organic cotton. GRS on recycled polyester with minimum 20% recycled content. FSC on paper and packaging. Pantone Delta-E tolerance ≤ 2.5 on cotton via reactive dye is a typical specification. Anti-bribery compliance under Czech Act 139/2023 Coll. and EU Anti-Corruption Directive applies to the supplier's procurement of high-value items and to the supplier's relationships with exhibition centre staff.

Logistics and distribution

The Prague Hostivař warehouse is the hub for trade show merchandise. Items are pulled from stock or produced to order, packed into the kit, staged for dispatch and shipped on the agreed carrier with appointment-window delivery. PPL, Zásilkovna, Česká pošta, GLS Česko and DHL Česko are the contracted domestic carriers. PPL and DHL are the contracted EU carriers. The supplier holds daily carrier windows with each contracted carrier.

Multi-address delivery is standard on the trade show programme — a 5,000-visitor show typically goes to 30-50 unique addresses (the booth, the lead desk, the press room, the sponsor lounge, the VIP dining room, the post-show lead magnet addresses). The supplier holds the address master in a controlled spreadsheet and updates it before each show with the booth team's input.

Carrier selection depends on the venue, the delivery window and the budget envelope. PPL is the workhorse carrier for domestic delivery with daily pickup from Hostivař and a 24-48 hour delivery window. Zásilkovna is the pickup-point carrier with 5,000+ pickup points across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. GLS Česko is the B2B carrier with a tracked signature service. DHL Česko is the express carrier with a 24-hour window to Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw.

Pricing and MOQ

Trade show merchandise is priced per show with a tier structure that reflects the kit complexity, the decoration technique and the dispatch window. Tier 1 (500-1,999 units per show) is priced at the standard per-unit rate with no show-volume discount. Tier 2 (2,000-9,999 units per show) earns a 5% show-volume discount on the per-unit rate. Tier 3 (10,000+ units per show) earns a 10% show-volume discount on the per-unit rate and includes a free on-site coordinator for the load-in and dismantle days.

MOQ depends on the decoration technique and the product — 25 units for engraved glassware and laser-engraved drinkware, 50 units for embroidered apparel, 100 units for screen-printed apparel, 250 units for custom-mixed stationery items. The supplier does not have an MOQ on the venue-related services — kit assembly, dispatch, on-site replenishment and post-show redistribution are quoted per service per pack.

Payment terms are 30 days from invoice date for buyers with an established credit history. New buyers are asked for a 50% deposit on order confirmation and the 50% balance before dispatch. EUR / CZK dual invoicing is available for buyers that have both CZK and EUR bank accounts. The supplier does not run discount codes or promo codes; show-volume discounts are negotiated at the brief level and reflected in the unit price.

Roles and responsibilities

The supplier-side team is built around four named owners — show manager, on-site coordinator, production lead and logistics lead. The show manager owns the master brief, the change-control log, the master schedule and the post-show debrief. The on-site coordinator walks the floor during the show and reports the stock position to the show manager in Prague. The production lead owns AQL inspection, kit assembly, dispatch and customs documentation. The logistics lead owns carrier selection, appointment-window delivery and reverse-charge paper trail.

The buyer-side team usually has three named owners — show lead, brand lead and finance lead. The show lead owns the supplier relationship, the master brief and the change-control approval. The brand lead owns the brand book, the artwork approval and the sample sign-off. The finance lead owns the ERP integration, the cost-centre mapping and the invoice approval. The supplier runs a kickoff workshop with all buyer-side owners at the brief stage and a recurring check-in with the show lead before each show.

Case studies

Škoda Auto at MSV Brno — 12,000 hoodies and 8,000 T-shirts for the booth team and the visitor giveaway. The supplier ran the show from the Prague Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the BVV Hall P service yard on a 30-minute slot. The kit was assembled in three waves (load-in / mid-show / dismantle) with replacement from the Hostivař warehouse on a 4-6 hour turnaround. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS on the cotton mix, REACH SVHC declaration. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

ČEZ at PVA EXPO PRAHA — 5,000 insulated bottles and 4,000 notebooks for the visitor giveaway at the For Energy trade show. The supplier ran the show from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the Beranových service road on appointment-window delivery. The kit was assembled in two waves (load-in / mid-show) with branded apparel, branded glassware and a branded keepsake. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS on the cotton mix. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Kofola at the Prague Congress Centre — 1,500 branded beermats, 1,000 branded glasses and 800 brewer's aprons for the B2B partner evening at Wine Prague. The supplier ran the show from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the south-side service lift on a booked loading dock. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC on the carton. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Pilsner Urquell at Výstaviště Černá Louka — 3,500 premium gift sets for the partner recognition programme at the Ostrava regional consumer show. The supplier ran the show from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the Ostrava service yard. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC on the carton. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Risk and contingency planning

Trade show merchandise is exposed to venue, weather, carrier and supplier-side risks. The supplier's contingency plan covers the four risk families — venue risk (closure, restricted access, security incident), weather risk (snow, flood, heatwave), carrier risk (breakdown, industrial action, customs delay) and supplier-side risk (production delay, quality defect, stock-out). Each risk family has a pre-defined mitigation path with a named owner and a target resolution window.

Venue risk is mitigated by a permanent delivery account with the exhibition centre, an alternate loading dock (where the venue has one), and a pre-agreed escalation path to the exhibition centre's operations manager. Weather risk is mitigated by an indoor staging area at the Hostivař warehouse, a 4-6 hour dispatch buffer before each show window, and a 24-hour pre-show confirmation call with the exhibition centre. Carrier risk is mitigated by a multi-carrier strategy (PPL + DHL + GLS) and a pre-agreed escalation path with each carrier's operations manager. Supplier-side risk is mitigated by a 6-8 week pre-show production schedule and a physical sample sign-off at the brief stage.

For winter shows at PVA EXPO PRAHA the supplier pre-positions a small buffer in a heated staging area at the Beranových service road. For summer shows at BVV Brno Hall F (which is not air-conditioned) the supplier pre-positions a buffer of insulated bottles and drinkware in a cooled staging area. For shows at the Prague Congress Centre the supplier pre-positions a buffer in the south-side service lift. The supplier does not guarantee a particular contingency window; the actual window depends on the venue, the carrier and the time of day.

Multi-show portfolio

For buyers running a portfolio of trade shows across the calendar year (MSV Brno in October, For Arch in September, For Fashion in September, Amper in March, Autotec in June, Future Forces in October, Aqua-Therm Prague in September, Pragotherm in February, Motosalon in March, Transport Logistic in November, Wine Prague in May, REX Ped Praha in March, GO Prague in June) the supplier runs a portfolio view with consolidated pricing, consolidated dispatch and consolidated reporting. The portfolio view is a quarterly review with the buyer's procurement lead and the show lead.

The portfolio view captures the shows, the items, the volumes, the dispatch windows, the per-unit prices and the recurring certifications. The supplier issues a single portfolio-level framework agreement with annual volume tiers and a single recurring invoice. The supplier holds a portfolio-level dispatch buffer at the Hostivař warehouse (typically 10% of the annual volume) and a portfolio-level replenishment window with each contracted carrier.

Compliance and certificates

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate (class I or II) on skin-contact textiles. GOTS certification for organic cotton. GRS for recycled polyester with minimum 20% recycled content. FSC on paper, wood and packaging. REACH SVHC declaration on chemicals. RoHS on electronics. Pantone Coated / Uncoated matching with Delta-E tolerance ≤ 2.5 on cotton. AQL 1.0-2.5 inspection across the production cycles. GDPR compliance under EU Regulation 2016/679 and Czech Personal Data Protection Act 110/2019 Coll. Anti-bribery compliance under Czech Act 139/2023 Coll. and EU Anti-Corruption Directive.