How many chargers should we budget as trade-show samples and demos?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Plan in three groups: demo units that stay on the booth, samples that you hand to qualified buyers, and spares for damage and replacements. A modest number of each is usually enough, because giving samples to every visitor wastes money. Track what you hand out so that follow-up is easy.

Three groups of units

1. Demo units. These stay on the booth for visitors to see and handle. They need one unit of each model you show, plus a spare for each.
2. Buyer samples. These are given to qualified visitors who have a real project. Keep the number small and record who got what.
3. Giveaways. Low-cost items for general visitors, if you choose to give any. They are marketing, not samples, and should have their own budget.

A simple way to estimate

• Count the models you will display and add a spare of each.
• Estimate how many serious buyer conversations you expect per day, and plan samples for a fraction of them, not all.
• Add a small buffer for damage, theft and last-minute requests.
• Decide whether giveaways are part of your plan, and cap them.

Keep control of the cost

• Ask the factory what the sample price is and whether any units can come from stock.
• Do not hand out samples without a business card or a note on the project.
• Offer to ship samples after the show to serious enquiries. It lets you collect details and saves carrying extra units.
• Plan a way to sell or reuse leftover demo units after the show.

Shipping and customs

Show shipments are often held up at customs. Ship early, use the organiser’s recommended forwarder where there is one, and prepare an itemised list marked as exhibition goods and samples. Do not include batteries or power banks in the shipment without the right documentation.

Track everything

Use a simple sheet: model, quantity out, who received it, what the follow-up is. After the show, send each recipient a message while they still remember you.

Review afterwards

Compare orders and quotes that came from the show with the samples given. This tells you how many samples to plan next time.

Where this answer says to confirm with Wecent, the detail is not published on the product page and has to come from the datasheet or the factory. General facts come from the regulators, standards bodies or device makers named in the text.