Buttons Get Engagement at Trade Shows | MacEwan University Design at Skills Canada Alberta May 15 2019

Over 700 high school and post-secondary students from 50 communities across Alberta showed up in Edmonton to learn about skilled trades and technology careers while also taking part in the Provincial Skills Canada Alberta competition. The province's new premier Jason Kenney was also there to try his hand at a few trades. 

Edmonton's MacEwan University's School of Design was also on hand to greet the students - with button makers. 

MacEwan Design wanted to be at the event to show visiting students what a career in multi-disciplinary field of design could look like. And they used button making to get the students engaged in thinking about design and what it means to them. 

Students were given pre-cut paper with different black and white designs that they could bring to life with their own colours and drawings and words. They also had other materials to cut out words and designs to make a varying array of buttons showing love for design. 

Looking at MacEwan Design's Instagram and Facebook pages, you can see that the buttons were a hit and students were very engaged in making loads of great-looking buttons. 

MacEwan University is located in Edmonton and offers a variety of programs, which you can find out more about here. 

Skills Canada Alberta is the provincial arm of Skills Canada, which was created to promote skilled trades and technologies among youth across Canada. 

How to Get Engagement at Trade Shows with Button Making

If you are tasked with running a booth at a trade show or conference or any kind of event, you want to attract attention and invite people into your space. 

Popular ideas include giveaways, draws for big prizes, promotional freebies like pens and some good candy. 

But if you really want to give people a reason to stay at your booth so that you can talk to them, button making is a great idea just as MacEwan Design discovered at the recent Skills Canada Alberta event.

Button making booths drive engagement for a number of great reasons. 

1. Button Making Gives People Something To Do

Inviting students and others to engage through a fun and easy activity is less awkward than saying hi and hoping attendees will engage that way. 

2. Making Buttons is Accessible for Most Ages and Abilities

Button making is a simple activity that most can take part in, in some way. The process is simple and fun and can be done hand-over-hand so no one is left out and there is no large learning curve.  

3. Button Making is Fun and Different From the Usual 

Stand out with a button maker! Making buttons is different from free pens and other giveaways typical of trade shows and events. Many people have never made a button and there is a lot of satisfaction in pressing that button, as simple as it is to do. 

4. Lets Customer Create Their Own Freebie

Use branded black and white templates with your own logo or message so that even if attendees get to decorate by adding text, colours and their own images just as MacEwan University did, they are still walking away with a promotional item. 

Contact us today if you are ready to add button making to your next event. You can purchase your own machine or rent one of our machines. We can work with you to find a solution that fits your budget!