TRADE SHOWS: "EXHIBIT MEMORABILITY".

If sports car raffles and booth bimbos seem like a dumb way to get attention at trade shows, here's good news: Serious product demos and good pre-show marketing really have a greater impact on show attendees than flashy gimmicks. That's the conclusion of a large-scale study of "factors affecting exhibit recall" conducted by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, a Chicago think tank funded by a group of industry associations.

Although attendees tend to remember large exhibits best, say the CEIR researchers, size alone doesn't guarantee post-show recall. Instead, six factors play a role in total "exhibit memorability":

* Interest in products: Not surprisingly, the single biggest recall factor (33%) is simply an attendee's personal interest in a company or product, which can be stimulated with a strong advance publicity campaign. "Without pre-show promotion, memorability will be based primarily on attendees' experiences in visiting the booth," says CEIR.

* Product demonstrations: Just showing up isn't enough, CEIR's researchers argue--attendees want live action, not "a static display," says CEIR. In fact, demonstrations and presentations are the second most important memorability factor (27%). Format isn't critical, CEIR adds; informal demos can be as effective as full-fledged stage productions. But frequency does matter: It's better to offer many small presentations than a few shows with big gaps in the schedule.

* Company identity: "Being a well-known company has increased its memorability influence from 4% in the 1980's to 11% in the 1990's," the CEIR researchers point out. While there's no quick fix for lack of a strong brand name, they add, little-known companies should include "ample corporate identification" in their exhibit and promotion plans.

* Exhibit design: It may be tough to create instant brand recognition, but CEIR says a well-designed exhibit space--which even obscure companies can usually create--affects memorability almost as much (10%) as brand identity. The biggest impact, CEIR adds, tends to come from "conspicuous signs that highlight broad product categories or specific applications."

* Product literature: "Informal surveys have suggested that up to 65% of all product literature distributed at a trade show is discarded by attendees before they return to their offices," says CEIR, so it's not surprising that brochures and other handouts contribute only 7% to an exhibitor's memorability.

* Giveaways: "Mugs, pens, bags, hats, and other items" contribute virtually nothing to attendee recall, says CEIR; such giveaways add only 2% to memorability, though they might have some impact on long-term brand- building.

"Most Remembered Exhibits," Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 2301 South Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, Ill. 60616; 312/808-2347. Web: www.ceir.org.