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How to choose promotional merchandise for your next event

Event Swag

Kim Wagner

March 16, 2018

Conferences, trade shows, and events are a great way to meet your customers and prospects and spread the word about your products and services. What better way to increase engagement, advance your brand, and connect with your customers than with awesome event swag?!

We’ve pulled together a list of our top-selling items specifically designed to increase your reach at your next event.

  1. Essential Items for Every Conference Goer
  2. Attendee Favorites for $5 and $10
  3. High-End Event Swag for VIP Influencers and Brand Advocates

Essential Items for Every Conference Goer

Our favorite swag is something we can use immediately, while we’re are at the event. Think about items that make those long days on airplanes and in conference rooms more tolerable.

Lip BalmDry conference rooms and airplanes equal dry lips. People will run to your booth to pick up an extra lip balm.

Tide to Go Pen – Event attendees love to snag this helpful item in case of accidental spills and stains.

Water Bottles  Speaking of dehydration, water is usually offered in the back corner of the conference room via tiny disposable cups. Help attendees stay hydrated with a water bottle that they can carry throughout the event.

Tote Bags – Think about the last time you were at a conference. Juggling your notebook, snacks, swag, and jacket… wouldn’t you love a company who was giving out tote bags to help give you a hand? Bags are also highly visible, even in a sea of products and can increase your brand’s impressions over the course of the event. 

Power Banks – Nothing’s worse than having the opportunity to show a change-maker your new website and realizing that your phone is out of juice. Instead of crowding around outlets and charging stations, your attendees will love being able to charge their devices right from their seat.

Hand Sanitizer – Hand shakes, elevator buttons, airplane seats, and public restrooms are enough to make anyone squirm. Help everyone stay healthy by handing out hand sanitizer. 

essential event swag items: branded lip balm, totes, water bottles, and pens

Attendee Favorites

These are our best-selling swag items for conferences and trade shows. Surprise your community with a little something special!

Event Goodies for Under $5

Webcam Covers – Whether you believe your webcam can spy on you or not, this simple solution has been consistently popular with the rise of video conferencing. Never again be stuck wondering if you’re unintentionally broadcasting your video.

RuMe Tech Nacho – Do you know a single person that doesn’t have a tangled mess of cords at their desk? Help your tribe get organized with these Tech Nachos. 

Stickers – Give your tribe an easy way to promote your brand and decorate water bottles, notebooks, and more with stickers.

Sunglasses – Ever gone to a conference in sunny locations and forgotten your sunglasses? Your attendees will love you for saving them from squinting all week. 

event swag under $5 - sunglasses, lip balm, stickers

Five-Star Swag for Under $10

T-shirts T-shirts give your brand amazing visibility and give you a chance to really get creative. Click here to learn how to make your t-shirt stand out at your next event.

PopSockets If you haven’t been using a PopSocket, you don’t know what you’re missing. These popular gadgets make it extra easy to text, take photos, and host video calls. Attendees love them and your brand gets promoted every time someone whips out their phone. 

Journal Give people a stylish and functional place to write down their notes and contact information while keeping your brand in mind. 

SocksThis continues to be one of our most popular items! Socks are a way to express personal flair, even in a suit. Let your tribe flaunt their style and your brand.

event swag under $10 - t-shirts, water bottles, socks, notebooks

High-End Event Swag for VIP Influencers and Brand Advocates

Special customers, key prospects, and raffles all deserve more valuable products. Here are a few ideas for taking care of the people who take care of your brand:

Timbuk2 Backpack These stylish and effective backpacks are a great way to reward those key contacts. Let your community promote your brand on their daily commute! 

Bluetooth Speaker Make your best customers feel special with a cool tech item. This unique speaker upgrades a piece of technology that everyone loves into a stylish and functional representation of your brand.  

Vacuum Insulated Water Bottle – Keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold! Help your top influences promote your brand outdoors. 

Bluetooth Tracker This is a little handy device that you attach to any item to ensure you don’t lose it. Literally, everyone needs one. Or three.

Moleskine Journal Moleskine is the gold standard when it comes to notebooks. Let the Bullet Journalers and poets in your audience spread the word about your brand. 

high-end event swag: timbuk2 backpacks, bluethooth speakers, tile trackers

So what event swag are you going to bring to your next trade show? Pick your favorites from the list above and run them through the Printfection Swagolosophy, our easy checklist for choosing swag that your fans will love!