Hosting a trade show sweepstakes offers an opportunity for you to not only get to know your existing B2B customers better, but reach a targeted audience of potential customers.

But what about the “no purchase required” sweepstakes rule? Not to worry. We’ve got a solution! Here is how to conduct a trade show sweepstakes at a trade show that requires an admission fee.

Why Offer a Sweepstakes At a Trade Show?

Before you launch a sweepstakes at a trade show, you should know you’ll automatically have a shot at a great ROI on your campaign due to the nature of this type of event. A trade show sweepstakes can help you to:

1. Reach a Motivated Audience

Most people who attend industry trade shows do so because they are on the lookout for something that they need in their business. Most want to find out about what is new and innovative or speak with experts one-on-one about problems that they are facing in their companies.

For you, this means that you will have direct access to an audience that wants to hear from you and can potentially benefit from your product or service.

2. Make Sales

Trade shows can be very lucrative when it comes to sales. By offering a sweepstakes, you give potential customers a reason to visit your booth, allowing you to advertise deals and discounts and lock in new business.

Trade shows are one of the rare opportunities to reach both existing and potential clients in person. A sweepstakes can help you to effortlessly tap into both audiences.

3. Find Valuable Partners

Offering a sweepstakes at a trade show not only gives you a way to connect customers, it also creates opportunities for you to connect with a variety of companies within complementary industries. A sweepstakes gives you a chance to find partners for further promotions and establish relationships that could improve your business and lead to further success.

How to Get Around the “No Purchase Necessary” Rule

If you know anything about sweepstakes law, you know that companies are required to have a “no purchase necessary” rule as a part of their sweepstakes official rules. So if trade show attendees have to pay to get into the trade show before they enter your sweepstakes, how can you make sure that your sweepstakes is legal?

The secret? Offer an alternate method of entry (AMOE).

The AMOE is a web form that anyone can go to in order to enter into your sweepstakes. While you provide a separate sweepstakes entry method to ticket holders for the event, the web form will serve as the means of entry to allow non-ticket holders to enter.

Limit Promotion of Your Trade Show Sweepstakes to These Marketing Channels

Now that you know how to launch a trade show sweepstakes, make sure that you limit your advertising of the trade-directed sweepstakes to channels that will likely be seen by the trade show attendees only, including the trade show’s website and social media pages.

In this way, you can make sure that your pool of sweepstakes entrants is limited to the professionals that will actually attend the trade show.

Need help with sweepstakes or contest management? Call 305-505-5393 or email us with your questions.

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In almost all sweepstakes rules, you’ll find a statement that says “NO PURCHASE REQUIRED.” in big bold letters. The no purchase laws are there to let entrants know that buying something from the company (Sweepstakes Sponsor) will not increase their chances of winning the sweepstakes and it’s not required to participate.

If you’re running a sweepstakes in order to attract new customers, you may be wondering how to get around this rule. Here is how no purchase rules actually work and what you can do if you want to require a purchase as part of entering your sweepstakes.

Why The “No Purchase Necessary” Rule?

No purchase rules are required to be in your sweepstakes if you want to ensure that your sweepstakes is legal. A sweepstakes is a promotion where the winner is selected by chance, at random. If you were to require a purchase in order to enter a sweepstakes, then the winner would be selected based on consideration (having completed the required purchase) rather than pure chance (selection of a winner from buyers and non-buyers). In essence, the participant must be allowed to enter for free.

Prize + consideration + chance = illegal lottery or gambling
Prize + consideration = legal contest (in most jurisdictions)
Prize + chance = legal sweepstakes

Why Is Requiring a Purchase With Your Sweepstakes Illegal?

According to the FTC, a sweepstakes promotion that requires a purchase is illegal in the United States and is considered as an illegal lottery. The law that requires companies to include the “no purchase necessary” rule in their sweepstakes rules is called Lottery Law and it is a federal law that is enforced by the FTC, FCC, and USPS. This rule came about as a means of protecting consumers from fraud and scams. 

The No Purchase Necessary law stems from a time when lotteries used to be a popular way to raise money back in the mid-1800s. As consumers increasingly began to hold anti-lottery sentiments due to scams, lawmakers decided to act. According to the law, non-government entities are not permitted to offer sweepstakes that require a purchase in exchange for a chance to win.

All Sweepstakes Must Have a Free Method of Entry

That said, you do not have to discourage your customers from making a purchase before entering your sweepstakes as long as you offer a free method of entry (Alternate Method of Entry) such as an SMS entry method, online web form or mail-in entry.

You can then advertise your sweepstakes on your product, with a package insert, or with in-store displays to encourage a purchase of your product while also letting your customers know about the promotion. If you’re not sure whether your advertising idea will create a grey area, make sure to run it by your sweepstakes administrator first.

How to Include a Purchase for Entry

If a purchased based entry method will be offered like this one:

1. Online Entry:  During the Promotion Period, go to the following websites:  [URL]  (“Website”) and purchase one or more products during the Promotion Period (“Purchase Entry”) and RECEIVE ONE ENTRY FOR EVERY $1 SPENT (not including shipping).

Then, a free method of entry must be included on the Official Rules and all promotional materials.

2. Mail-in Entry (Free method):  To obtain an entry without making a purchase, legibly handprint your name, street address, city, state or province, zip or postal code, country, telephone number, complete e-mail address on a standard 4” x 6” postcard (with no outer envelope) and mail to: [address].

The Bottom Line

The law is clear when it comes to requiring a purchase with your sweepstakes, its not possible unless there is a free method of entry.

As a Sweepstakes Company, we encourage our customers to leverage the sweepstakes promotion to create brand awareness and to offer your products or services to your participants after they have entered the sweepstakes.

See how companies do this at:

How to Use a Text-to-Win or Mobile Sweepstakes to Generate Sales

Boost Mobile’s Stretch Your Tax Dollars Giveaway – Case Study

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Need help with contest or sweepstakes management? Call +1 (888) 705-2049 or email us with your questions.

The post Want to Require a Purchase with Your Sweepstakes? Here’s How appeared first on Sweeppea Blog.