Las Vegas, NV, is known to be the best destination in the U.S. for tradeshows and events, so thousands of brands set up stalls at these events in hopes of engaging with their target audiences.
Because of this, competition at these events is like no other. You have potentially thousands of brands fighting for the same attention. Therefore, if you attend, it’s best to have something at your stall to attract and retain attendees.
One way you can do this is by offering live customization. This is where goods can be personalized and created through methods such as screen printing, embroidery, and more.
What is Live Customization?
Live customization refers to creating bespoke event merchandise onsite at events. The process allows attendees to watch the customization and creation of products, creating a unique, interactive experience.
Types of Live Customization for Events
There are several types of methods to perform live customization. The main two are live printing and onsite embroidery.
Live Printing
There are three types of onsite printing: screen printing, heat transfers, and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing.
Onsite screen printing involves creating a stencil (or “screen”) for each color in the design. Ink is then pushed through the screen onto the fabric, one color at a time, to create a custom design.
Heat transfers, on the other hand, are a little different. Instead of applying ink to the fabric, a design is created on special transfer paper and then applied using a heat press.
DTG printing is similar to heat transfers; however, a specialized inkjet printer is used. Therefore, a design is created on a computer or laptop, etc., then printed onto the fabric from the printer.
Live Embroidery
Embroidery is more of a premium, high-end type of live customization. It takes a little longer to do and involves embroidery stations that use threads to stitch designs directly onto a fabric.
Other Customization Options
There’s a ton of other customization options for live events. However, these are usually rarer to see and are more expensive as they require bespoke machines.
Two other options could be laser engraving and monogram embroidery. For most events, though, you won’t see these, as the machines used are too specialized.
Popular Items for Live Customization, Printing, & Embroidery
There are thousands of different items that you can customize via printing or embroidery. Ideally, you want to use an item, however, that’s kept in possession for a while, as these will provide the longest brand recall.
Source: ASI
Any of the above are very good promotional items, as they’ve been kept for a long time. However, some cannot be printed or embroidered onsite.
Benefits of Live Customization at Las Vegas Events
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Enhanced Attendee Engagement
During CES 2023, one of Las Vegas’s largest trade shows, 3,200 exhibitors competed for the attention of 115,000 attendees.
Simply put, at trade shows, you need to stand out. Fail this, and your competition will quickly take the engagement from your target audience.
You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of attendees. They may only walk past your stand once, so you need something to pull them in instantly.
Live customization, whether it’s onsite screen printing or onsite embroidery, is perfect at exactly that, pulling in attendees.
Why? It’s unique, different, and interactive. It’ll be hard for anyone to walk past a stand offering live customization.
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Improved Brand Recall
You could capture the attention of attendees at a Las Vegas trade show with live customization. This is great, but it’s just the beginning.
Most profits from a tradeshow come after the tradeshow. The first interaction is like an introduction. It’s not the main part of the selling cycle; therefore, whoever you interact with needs to remember you after the event.
Apparel items from brands offer good brand recall. 85% of worldwide consumers remember advertisers when they give them a shirt or a hat. However, arguably, customized goods will increase this recall tenfold.
Customized items are hard to forget. Almost impossible. Not only this, but it’s something you keep. Possibly forever. It’s much harder to throw something away when it’s been personally customized just for you.
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Less Excess Inventory
When it comes to live events in Las Vegas, attendees numbers can massively vary.
A lot of shows next year are expecting over 100,000 attendees. But expected is a big word. Perhaps it’s significantly lower or higher. Nobody knows.
Not only this, but goods or designs that are trending now, might not trending when the event comes around.
Therefore, what do you order, and what design do you choose? It’s difficult to know, and if you get it wrong, you’ll have a huge excess of inventory you may never use.
When it comes to live customization, however, you just order the blanks. You can use these blanks year after year. Plus, it’s customized, which offers far better engagement and brand recall than standard, branded goods.
Choosing the Right Live Customization for Your Event
Live customization should be carefully thought about. Ideally, it should reflect your brand identity, goals, and audience for the greatest impact.
Step 1: Define Your Event Goals
Start by clearly outlining what you aim to achieve with live customization at the event.
All businesses are different. A fabric brand will have a completely different set of event goals than a construction brand.
For a fabric brand, the goal may be to showcase the quality of the fabrics, and to boost engagement and retention, offer live customization. This brand can show attendees the fabrics while giving them an item, such as a t-shirt, that they’ll remember.
In contrast, a construction brand selling ladders may only be focused on brand recall. They can’t customize ladders to boost recall, but they can customize hats, giving their attendees something to remember them by.
Try to align these event goals with your brand identity. This will help you create a type of live customization that reflects your brand’s image and message.
Step 2: Understand Your Audience
Once you know your event goals, you can then think about your audience. Ideally, you want live customization that doesn’t just look pretty but is practical in the everyday lives of your target audience.
Going back to the two brand examples above – the fabric and construction brands – both have widely different target audiences.
The audience for the fabric brand wants to feel the fabric, its durability, comfort, etc. Therefore, something like live embroidery on a t-shirt is a good idea, especially if it’s a tradeshow for fashion.
The construction brand, however, might not want to offer t-shirts. They sell ladders, so a t-shirt might not be the best offering. They could, as those in construction can use it as a work shirt; however, something like a bump cap may work better.
The best type of live customization, whether live printing or live embroidery, is when your target audience uses the item. Simply put, the more they use it, the more they’ll recall your brand.
Step 3: Choose a Customization Method
As mentioned above, you have a few different live customization methods. These being:
- Live Printing
- Onsite Embroidery
- Other Customization Methods (Laser Engraving, Monogram Embroidery, etc.)
All options offer customization. However, each option requires a different approach and budget.
Ideally, you need to choose a customization method that is one, in your budget, and two, able to be customized quickly at an event.
For example, a live printing method, like onsite screen printing, will take much longer than live embroidery. However, embroidery is of higher quality and more expensive than screen printing.
These are some things you need to think about. For help regarding this, consulting with a professional like us at Sunny Side Ink can be beneficial.
Step 4: Select Customization Items That Fit Your Goals
Based on your target audience and event goals, choose a customizable item that benefits both of them.
You have a ton of different options to choose between. Some popular options include:
| Category | Items |
| Clothing | T-shirts, Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Sweatpants, Hats, Performance wear, Aprons, Baby bibs, Jackets |
| Promotional Products | Corporate ID wear (polos, dress shirts), Backpacks, Beach chairs, Can coolers, Mousepads, Umbrellas |
| Pet Apparel & Accessories | Pet jackets, Pet bandanas, Pet coats, Dog backpacks, Leashes |
| Sports Accessories | Equipment bags, Baseball caps, Batting gloves, Cheerleading uniforms, Golf bags |
| Miscellaneous | Baby blankets, Stuffed animals, Bandanas, Pillowcases, Curtains, Tablecloths, Throw pillows |
You can find more items that can be customized in our extensive catalogs.
Step 5: Work with a Trust Customization Partner
Your brand’s image and first interactions are priceless. Therefore, only work with trusted customization partners that can ensure a quality and interactive experience. An experience that your audience will never forget.
Sunny Side Ink, Your Trusted Live Customization Partner
Stand out in the next tradeshow or event by creating a memorable experience your target audience cannot forget.
Work with us at Sunny Side Ink, your trusted partner when it comes to live customization in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about how we can help, contact a helpful representative today.
