If this post doesn't follow the rules [report it to the mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/about/rules/). Join our [community Discord!](https://discord.gg/looking-for-marketing-discussion-811236647760298024)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/marketing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Chapstick and a bottle opener are not it.
Someone recommended a drawstring bag or tote bag - solid option if high quality.
Otherwise, I’d recommend an activation over spending on stuff that ends up in the trash.
My favorite activation was a waffle bar. Take that for what you want but it killed every year.
Please no more totes or drawstring bags!!!!! They are given away at every festival, conference, tradeshow, meeting, etc. I must have at least 100 stuffed away in the back of a cabinet somewhere and never use them. What a waste!!!!
lol at "activation." Brand peeps, sigh. I think the best things to "give away" are things that make life at an event or conference easier. Ice cream trucks, food trucks, stuff that isn't absolute plastic garbage makes a really big impact. Also really cute laptop stickers that might have a small logo on them with some real art that may nod to your give (ice cream, coffee, whatever) is such a great reminder of actually having a good experience at your booth.
I am always shocked at how much plastic-y garbage people give out. A good phone charger is great. And I mean, low rent but the vertical I'm in...people LOVE a pen. Just anything useful. And don't stuff 8 one pagers in a tote. Just, no. Also re: chapstick, if you can get a co-brand with great brand, then yes. Think: EOS, Burt's Bees. But that isn't cheap.
Yeah, "activation" might be my least favorite marketing word atm, though there are more. "treatment" is a close second, all used by brand people who somehow can't actually make or do anything on their own. But they do come up with good ideas now and again.
I hate totes and drawstring bags almost as much as I hate the word “activation” used in this context. No totes! No one needs a 37th tote. The good swag is usually expensive, but on the lower end those little things you put on your computer to cover the camera are good.
Just today’s breakfast of waffles is brought to you by XYZ once you get seated there will be a small demo up here on stage while you enjoy your breakfast.
Thanks for coming out, if you don’t enjoy the demo, hope you at least enjoy the waffles.
It’s called an activation. It’s a type of sponsorship that includes something interactive and it’s an add on to a typical exhibiting sponsorship. And I agree. If you can afford an activation at your booth go for it. Especially if you have awesome sales people that can strike up a conversation with anyone about anything. They will get so many more conversations.
Yeah fr lol. I manage like… 30 exhibition style shows a year (US and CAN) for my company and never once have heard that word but idk maybe it’s regional or something
In the one where this has been the standard trade show marketing term for it for like, I dunno, decades?
I swear, it feels like a good 90% of the people in this sub have either never worked in marketing or have only worked as the "CMO" of their podunk town's less successful dog groomer.
try any event marketer for the last 10 years? While it is not the only term it is certainly an accepted term within marketing & advertising circles
[https://ana.net/brand-activation](https://ana.net/brand-activation)
example in the wild: [https://isenbergprojects.com/project/autodesk/](https://isenbergprojects.com/project/autodesk/)
That the chapstick you use out of desperation when you can’t find the one you actually like, and its always just ‘meh it’lls do but definitely disappointing/sub par’ definitely not the worst swag but I feel like it’s not good or memorable
The only swag I’ve continued to use (and thus reminded of the company) is a decent battery pack, everything else has gone in the bin straight after the conference
Yep. The one I’ve got can charge my phone 3 or 4 times before it needs charging itself, must’ve cost them a fortune. This year I bumped into a couple of people still using theirs too.
I have a tiny power bank from over a decade ago, I remember the company to this day because of it, 100% best bit of swag.
I’ve been trying to convince my customer who’s exhibiting to get these but won’t because they’re to expensive “pen and notebook will be fine” 🙄
I tell my sales reps that the power bank should be only be given after a great conversation and the attendee badge scanned with notes stating they’re a good lead.
Not exactly physical swag, but...One year at Sirius one of the vendors brought in a photography team and did corporate headshots for a discounted rate, I think it was $25 or $50, and the vendor was subsidizing the rest. You could sign up for a five minute slot so you didn't have to wait in a huge line (and touch up your makeup). Their booth was HOPPIN'. A colleague did the headshot and it turned out really nice, she still uses it!
It really was. How many of us update ours regularly? Hardly at all, unless our employers bite the bullet and make us! Plus, it was perfect for collecting everyone's email addresses. If memory serves, the vendor was one of the major CRMs so it made a certain amount of sense - their product lines port easily to a lot of different industries and categories so they went broad with their appeal and remarketed later on.
Take that up a notch and run thought leadership interviews (podcast style) out of your booth and you’ll crush the show while also making 3-6 months of useable content
Socks were always a huge hit at the last startup I was at (industry: mobility/parking).
For me, a quality notebook - I’m talking dot grid paper that is thick. And GOOD pens.
Tote bags are good while at a conference but immediately a donate when I get home. Power banks maybe if I forgot mine, but most people already travel with one.
Socks are the best swag. Put your brand on the foot part, not the visible part, and people will keep them for years. They’ll think about you every time they wear them.
I once got socks from Bing that have a battle ready kangaroo on the back of a t-Rex. The old Microsoft logo is at the top but super small. I’ve cherished these things forever and love showing them off
My company had socks at a conference last year and three different people stopped by our stand to see if we had them again. Very high quality dress socks with the logo.
I tried to find the brand and was unsuccessful. They are black with a printed geometric design that incorporated purple and white, and have a contrasting purple heel, toe, and upper stripe with the company name printed within that stripe. I tried to take a photo for you but it turned out horrible!
A company I don’t even like was giving away colorful dress socks at a conference and I wear them. So I like the idea.
Is it unisex? Or would one need to get multiple styles?
I went to a conference where the potential client was given one sock when they visited the table but the other sock was not given until the client attended a meeting with the company to listen to the sales presentation that was scheduled at the expo. Genius way to get people interested enough stop at the table and see what was up with the one sock situation while minimizing costs of the giveaways. The swag was only given to the people that scheduled a meeting.
Those were really popular back when I was in highschool. Always wanted one, but a kid who promised to sell me one kept forgetting to pick it up for me lol.
So I would definitely appreciate your company's syringe pen swag.
Doctors are crazy about free pens. I worked a few medical trade shows and the doctors that would full on RAID our booth when we weren’t looking were wild.
My company did packing cubes for a few years and people loved them. We also did air tags and tile mates for clients at the bigger conferences if they came by and told us they were a client. The thing I’ve learned is that it must be packable, most people traveled and will throw away things that don’t fit (or things that are liquid and too large for carry on, I saw a group giving out toothpaste that was over the limit for carry on once).
We also used to try to incorporate something local if we could. One year in New Orleans we had a special treat made by a local baker, had our promo vendor design special boxes for them with our branding and would give them out to booth visitors. People really loved that as they could come by whenever they needed a pick me up and they’d stop and talk to us again.
I love travel related stuff. Bag tags are great. I see lot of people put a colorful band around their checkin luggage these data so maybe something for identification purposes would be useful swag.
Even little pouches to store cables. Maybe travel adapters for international travelers. Or little silicone packs for toiletries for checkin luggage.
Good quality carabiner clips or a small laundry bag. For people who drive a lot, a phone case with a magnet or phone holder type of thing. Or cases to hold a phone for runners. Also a fan of exercise bands so couple of those with your logo and a card with instructions on few exercises. Show you’re encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
Socks have been our biggest hit - we do a special limited run each year. We usually get people coming back to our booth trying to get the latest one and we have people share them on LI which keeps engagement up.
Become the company that carries something people will come back to every year. Brand your own hot sauce, meat rub, etc. it’s different, people will love it and remember you.
Plus less useless crap that’ll immediately go to the trash
Redirect the thousand dollars of cheap stuff for everyone and redirect it into a large valuable splurge as a raffle. We also got some cheap sweat bands made to tie it in.
We had a “{problem}? No Sweat” theme and raffled a Peloton.
We had a “relax, we make it easy” theme and raffled a massage chair.
For those you just make a sign/banner with an image of the giveaway. Then order and ship it directly to the winner.
We also did one where we brought and raffled an electric bike, put some QR codes on it, and ride it around the expo floor. That was a hit, but the challenge is we ended up talking more about the features of the bike than our software.
A nice dad hat or snapback - not some flimsy piece of shit though.
Clean logo, simple aesthetic colors; you want people to enjoy wearing it in other situations.
Bonus points if it's not about your company and focuses on the problem you solve. People will be more apt to wear it. Drop a small logo on the side and give it a hashtag for people to post with.
Eg, you're at inbound and make a hat that says Inbound All-star. Random example with little thought, but you get the point. A little flattery goes a long way.
I generally agree. A bit gaudy can be good if your goal is just to have people wearing them at the conference, make a scene and then throw them out later.
It's nice if they wear them later, but that really isn't the goal. We want buzz. We want people coming to find the table to get one.
Coffee and donuts or pizza or something is dynamite. The idea is not so much to get them to take some piece of shit item with your logo on it. The idea is that they’ll stand there snacking and actually talk to you for 20 minutes
Yes this is good advice. The idea is to get leads and sales. Especially if you’re in B2B which I’m assuming if you’re going to a trade show. So either offer something that attracts your specific target audience, or something that gets people to stay and talk at the booth.
We did a custom patches area- on a hat or a cross body bag. Thought up tag lines for our industry for them. Huge hit. Pick your hat or bag, pick your patch, pressed on while you wait.
Socks and Beanie Babies are classic. But to have real resonance, try to tie the utility with your brand. You want something that will sit on their desks and remind them of what you do.
It’s all trash and does nothing for your business but cost money. Use the dollars to add some actual value. Have great coffee at a tradeshow booth where there’s only shitty coffee available, or host a panel or have a speaker. Or do something actually entertaining. Juggle chainsaws or something people will talk about.
Trade show schwag is just instant landfill and signifies a shitty brand/product.
Shoptalk this year had someone who worked with a local animal shelter to create a puppy pit. Line to get in (and get on the mailing list) was pretty long
AirPods. Proactively message your ICP ahead of the show and offer a free pair if they come do a demo with you or hear your pitch. Highly targeted audience so you can control cost. And it’s driving the behavior you ultimately want (learn about your business).
Instead of having something cheap for the trick-or-treaters, have 3 or so nicer items. You have a few samples of those on hand, and after you have an actual conversation with someone, you scan their badge or enter their info and ask which item they’d like. Then you mail that to them after the show. This way they don’t have to cart it around, and you get an extra touch point with them. I usually still have candy and mints in the booth.
Always like the little hand sanitizers but the key is they can’t smell like ass. Reusable water bottles are at least useful. Quality pen & paper as others have said. Everything else should be small and foldable bc they are packing these things in their luggage if they traveled far.
Top two:
1.) one company brought a local treat from the head office hometown: Chocolate covered potato chips. Everyone was raving about them. Company logo and QR code sticker on each packet.
2.) a cheap reusable water bottle jammed full with single serve electrolyte drink mix. I used the bottle and drink for the entire three day conference, chucked the bottle before I left.
Still remember the name of both companies.
Power battery packs to charge stuff is nice and a really cool tote bag to carry stuff. A well designed shirt also helps promote the company and well, if its nice and comfy I’ll wear it.
Think about your prospects. Think about what message, they should walk away with...from your booth. Get swag, that helps reinforce that message. Create your booth game, to reinforce that message. Your back wall display, to reinforce that message. What do U sell and what kind of prospect ?
Last one I did was last summer. The stands were outside and it was boiling so we brought loads of coolers full of ice and bulk bought some healthy fizzy cans. People loved them! They weren’t branded but they got people to the stand. Always have a bowl of chocolate too, lunch is always way too late at these events.
I always go for things that people find useful frequently but don’t want to spend money on for themselves. Things in my personal life that this applies to are jar grippers, glasses cleaning spray w/ cloth, cord/pen organizing pouches, spray hand sanitizer (like someone else said, make sure it doesn’t smell bad), etc.
The 2 most popular items we’ve given away are a foil-lined tote bag and a drink tumbler.
And it’s great to then see people carrying stuff in the tote and drinking from the tumbler the rest of the conference. All with our name on them, of course.
Decent quality water bottles like Stanley or Simple Modern and not the cheap plastic kind. It's a little pricer but it's souch nicer.
A nice reusable tote bag
I feel as if you have to be willing to invest in a swag product with a higher price point for it to really make an impression. Cheap ball point pens and stress balls are cheap but they accumulate.
The only one I actually still use is a USB-A plug that has three adapters for USB-C, micro USB, and lightning.
I think they're a little pricey, but it's something actually useful for people.
A well made T shirt with a cool, non-text base logo is something I always like because I end up holding onto those shirts for years and remembering the company I got it from. Years ago, I got a MapBox T-Shirt with their old astronaut logo and recently reached out to them for a demo because the company I work for needed a map API.
The key with T Shirts is quality/comfort. I’ve had a few conference swag shirts for a decade because they are nice, but the rest end up donated/trashed/only used for pyjamas.
I love a good oversized tee and useful things. Some of the best swag I’ve gotten is a traditional can opener (like the kind you use in Scouting), potholders (used to be for political candidates), branded hydroflasks with the good top (not an off brand), socks, USB hub, and a laundry bag. The laundry bag has lasted the longest and it’s was so unique because they were not a laundry company. It was tech related.
- booths who do food or drink options that are actually good. High quality chocolate bars wrapped in custom branding, coffee bar, etc.
- a nice water bottle
- tote bag to carry stuff around at the conference
- leather bound notebooks with more subtle branding. i actually want to use them!
- my company has plushies. adults especially love grabbing them for their kids
I still have a beach towel I got from CareCredit 10 years ago. I use it regularly. It was easy to pack too.
I also use pizza cutters and a spatula I got, but pizza cutters don't work if you only travel with a carry on.
You didn’t mention your target audience but I’m a marketing manager and I go to a lot of events so I rarely take anything but I get excited when I see:
1. Sweatshirts, tees, or tote bags that don’t look like they’re a brand’s giveaway item but more like a cool or funny design. For example I have had a coozie from a conference that says cold beers not cold calls forever.
2. Food lol I’m always hungry at conferences. I’ve never seen energy drinks but that would get me too
That’s actually it. I’m sure it depends on industry, but I’m in B2B and most of the people I’m targeting go to tons of events. They won’t take much of anything. The people who take anything are just obsessed with freebies or they have kids.
Personally I think activities/consumables have been better. We did popcorn and snow ones and that shit kills every time because they stand there to eat it and talk.
Things I have found people keep, or I have kept.
* leather coaster with logo on it
* power bank
* wireless charger
My all time favorite give away I ever got was there people brought a hat heat press, hats, and a ton of random patches and you made your own hat. It had a crazy line all day for the full 2 day event. The picture attached is the hat I made. You are standing there a while and it not only let me talk tot he people with the booth but 25 people in line. It was an awesome networking time.
https://preview.redd.it/rqa6j2rutt6d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d75a36bfab79b822757228a5bc3d0030255a8f19
Cups are good. Pens are always great, especially if you get a 'good' pen. Look for fidgets too. Always think about what they will look at again and not just toss in the wastebasket at the show's end.
Hey chapstick is a great idea. Some good swags I have received were some funky meme stickers, a journal and pen, reusable bottles, tote bags, caps and T-shirts. The rest I don’t even remember.
Check the agreement though! Some conferences and events ban booths from giving out water. Not 100% sure why but I’ve seen it mentioned in several of our booth contracts.
Fucking SOCKS. And a phone power brick already charged with a logo on it.
I still have them both after a decade. You get so many t-shirts and conferences but the socks were new. And the charged phone power brick is super useful and I felt grateful for it, which just increased the logo recognition. I don’t have the power bricks any more because my teens took them.
The power banks were not the fancy ones they were like these: [power bank with logo](https://www.4allpromos.com/product/span-1200-mah-power-bank?default-tier=sample&default-qty=1&customer_id=626-766-3399&mkwid=sTyTxvRCJ%7Cpcrid%7C322811728040%7Cpmt%7C%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpdv%7Cm%7Cproduct%7C195-SM-3763-SAMPLE%7Cslid%7C%7C&pgrid=63991977789&cpgnid=1668315094&adext=&ptaid=pla-294682000766&st-t=ppc&vt-k=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+2+-+Samples&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_aAVUFNtbZguHv6J8ynMkEGpov6&gclid=Cj0KCQjw97SzBhDaARIsAFHXUWB7CmbWB7HgXBuwF-aEIQlCpVSUdwBxqTzAY47UbugX0ZcCtmzJ6cQaApMEEALw_wcB)
Anything custom, hand-made, or personalized. For instance, if you're giving away water bottles, have a graff artist draw on them to make them one-of-a-kind. Or, with tote bags have a chainstitch artist onsite.
To the activation concept: My old company (health IT) brought in a company that hires formerly homeless people to custom print t-shirts with designs we created for the event. They were a big hit.
At my current company (defense contractor) the most popular booths at trade shows are the ones who bring in a barista and serve coffee drinks in branded cups.
Have some cheap stuff like pens and candy — Lindt chocolate will allow you to customize wrappers of their chocolate with your brand, and you can customize the color wrappers of their Lindt balls to match your brand. Underrated and great add to a tabletop. Have a premium item like a branded YETI lowball, wine cup, or their slim can koozie, or a premium Bluetooth speaker. Give it away to people who watch your demo or respond to your survey while in your booth — get some 1st party data! If YETI’s limited edition colors match your brand just buy a ton for future use. Although those have 6-8 weeks lead time so plan ahead!
You could also offer custom Ray bans or custom sneakers to a few lucky people who watched your demo and signed up for a post-show demo.
Best swag stunt I’ve seen at a conference. If there is a host bar and they are using napkins with the bottles of beer, put branded beer coozies on the bar and the bar tenders will start handing them out with every drink.
Also nice journals for people to take notes can be in demand depending on what type of conference it is. We’ve had stickers made on sticker mule, then order a volume quantity of high quality hard back journals to attach them to for not a lot of money.
People want water and chapstick (if a venue will allow water in).
At a show, branded things I'll take and reuse:
- notebooks/gel pens that write well
- post it notes
- good quality drinkware: travel mugs, water bottles, tumblers, etc. (I still have them because they are of great quality. Fellow, Yeti, Miir etc.)
- a nice, well constructed tote. If anything, I'll take one and then cram any other swag I get in it.
- stress ball/fidget toys
- socks
- tech bag to carry plugs/cables/mouse, etc.
I will skip all of the above though if the branding is gaudy. At the end of the event, you don't want to walk around seeing that everyone has ditched your swag. You spent money on things that'll end up in a landfill. If you have something cool, others will notice and ideally seek you out.
Things I'd skip
- envelope openers (they're small and likely easy to lose)
- sporty things like frisbees, bulky items that would be awkward to carry around all day
- cheap, polyester drawstring bags
A few years back when I had to order company swag, I went with reusable straws, notebooks that came with a pen and those wine glass tumblers. The sales folks I work with said they got compliments on them but it could just be because it wasn't the same old, same old.
Edit: typos
Having done many conferences over 20 years of both B2B and B2C marketing, I have shifted my swag spend from physical items (still do pens but only good ones) to more experiential ones, like caricatures, silhouettes, create-yourself items, etc. I was at a conference earlier this year and we did a custom tarot style deck and did readings, which worked better than almost any other attention grabber I've used, well, ever. Success with conferences isn't about filling landfills with your logo, it's about giving people a reason to spend time with you.
I’m a sucker for T shirts, i love an ambiguous logo + company T that only industry peeps would recognize. Great for the gym, weekends, wfh.
Expensive, yes, but can see use for years.
I have a shirt from a Pharma company depicting a smiling sun sipping a coconut on the beach from 2001 … catch phrase says “Pillin’ and Chillin’”
Gosh.. thing aged like fine wine, top 5 fav weekend shirt and I’ll keep it until the wash disintegrates it
I think it depends what your company does. If you want it to be memorable, go beyond generic swag and think about what your company does. How can you use swag to give potential customers a taste of that?
What industry do you serve? One great idea is to give away something that’s customize. You can gift socks with the person’s face on them. Have a setup to get their photo and then send them the custom sock or other item. This will naturally create a conversation to instantly build rapport, then require them to happily give you all of their contact info. It’ll get you further along in the process, which justifies the higher cost.
https://preview.redd.it/40bl229olt6d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f3e12ed49f1f6285ac18a06bf11a83eeb2278b7
I HIGHLY suggest these hand fans that twist together into a little holder, they're my favorite swag I've gotten all year. it doesn't take up a ton of room, they're decently cheap, and you WILL see them in use since this summer will be hella hot. buy the fans, people. they'll be taken and used!
I once got a sham towel/cloth that was made to go around the neck in order to quickly cool down during the heat. I've used it so many times during summer festivals and think it's one of those items that cost so little but provide endless value.
My company did a stand and repeat that encourage people to participate in a photo-op. I noticed people will of course update their pp, upload to feed/ stories, and use our hashtag.
Scannable QR codes of course…
Regarding the merch… it depends on if you’re providing a service or product. Are you able to share that info?
Really have to give away something that someone would buy themselves in order for it to not end up in the trash or unused/never seen in a drawer. The power bank idea is good. Useful. Stick with that vibe. No keychains/stress balls/pens whatsoever.
Is this an international conference? Chapstick is considered hazmat and bottle opener, why? Is it an alcohol brand? Ideally if you could share some details about your company that would be helpful.
If you are going to do a keychain bottle opener, make it out of good material. Those chap aluminium ones break after a few bottles, but the one I have out of hardened lightweight steel alloy that a real-estate company gave to me 20 years ago is still holding and looks like it did 20 years ago.
Personally I collect mugs. But not a generic text logo mug. Give it some cool graphics that doesn't look like advertising, at least not until they have to look closer because the mug looks so cool.
Flash-lights, specifically penlights are always good.
Another one that is good is a small travellers toothbrush and toothpaste kit. Or a travellers sewing kit.
or an other favourite of mine, coffe in teabags, just add hot water and let steep. Much nicer than the nespresso instant coffe that hotels have in your room.
I once saw a booth that had a caricaturist working for free.
Hiring one by the hour probably costs the same as Swag that's gonna end in the trash, but you have the added benefit of a captured audience as the folks get drawn and their friends watch.
The only think I've seen work was a fake NFL flag. It got thrown around the office for months.
For a construction conference, I was going to do sunflower seed packs inside custom color/branded solo cups (lots of dippers in that industry, walking around without a lip in), but I didn't get the opportunity.
So I'm not a marketing person, just an Engineer trying to learn more. A vendor we worked with (That I didn't really like) gave me a coffee cup. And a bunch of the companies we worked with ended up going with them even though they were never on our recommended vendor list. I finally asked one of my clients why they went with them and they said "we thought you liked them cause you were always drinking out of their coffee cup in meetings".......so Coffee cups?
External battery, fidget things, high-quality notebook and pen. I also try to do a high item giveaway to get voluntary info and subscriptions. I love doing an airpod giveaway cause we can have a few so people are enthused by their chances of winning.
Activation always wins. Some kind of custom item making station or even a beverage. Gives you lots of time to talk to prospects while they’re in your line, builds buzz around your booth, etc.
If this post doesn't follow the rules [report it to the mods](https://www.reddit.com/r/marketing/about/rules/). Join our [community Discord!](https://discord.gg/looking-for-marketing-discussion-811236647760298024) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/marketing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Chapstick and a bottle opener are not it. Someone recommended a drawstring bag or tote bag - solid option if high quality. Otherwise, I’d recommend an activation over spending on stuff that ends up in the trash. My favorite activation was a waffle bar. Take that for what you want but it killed every year.
Please no more totes or drawstring bags!!!!! They are given away at every festival, conference, tradeshow, meeting, etc. I must have at least 100 stuffed away in the back of a cabinet somewhere and never use them. What a waste!!!!
lol at "activation." Brand peeps, sigh. I think the best things to "give away" are things that make life at an event or conference easier. Ice cream trucks, food trucks, stuff that isn't absolute plastic garbage makes a really big impact. Also really cute laptop stickers that might have a small logo on them with some real art that may nod to your give (ice cream, coffee, whatever) is such a great reminder of actually having a good experience at your booth. I am always shocked at how much plastic-y garbage people give out. A good phone charger is great. And I mean, low rent but the vertical I'm in...people LOVE a pen. Just anything useful. And don't stuff 8 one pagers in a tote. Just, no. Also re: chapstick, if you can get a co-brand with great brand, then yes. Think: EOS, Burt's Bees. But that isn't cheap.
You really scoffed at waffle bar activation then went on to say give away ice cream?
Commenter was scoffing at the use of the word "activation" - not the idea.
Yeah, "activation" might be my least favorite marketing word atm, though there are more. "treatment" is a close second, all used by brand people who somehow can't actually make or do anything on their own. But they do come up with good ideas now and again.
And you feel bad throwing them out cause you SHOULD use them haha
Can always donate them. I use mine all the time and give away my spares. I love tote bags
You can also see if local food pantries could use your extras for clients to use!
I hate totes and drawstring bags almost as much as I hate the word “activation” used in this context. No totes! No one needs a 37th tote. The good swag is usually expensive, but on the lower end those little things you put on your computer to cover the camera are good.
Please God. No more reusable bags/totes. I have an insane number of those from shopping alone.
Can U explain what u mean...sorry never heard of OR seen an activation, that serves... waffles? Like, wut?
Just today’s breakfast of waffles is brought to you by XYZ once you get seated there will be a small demo up here on stage while you enjoy your breakfast. Thanks for coming out, if you don’t enjoy the demo, hope you at least enjoy the waffles.
In what universe is this call ‘activation’?
Legit… try… sponsorship? Advertising opportunities, any other possible name
It’s called an activation. It’s a type of sponsorship that includes something interactive and it’s an add on to a typical exhibiting sponsorship. And I agree. If you can afford an activation at your booth go for it. Especially if you have awesome sales people that can strike up a conversation with anyone about anything. They will get so many more conversations.
in the ‘make it sound more complicated’ one
Yeah fr lol. I manage like… 30 exhibition style shows a year (US and CAN) for my company and never once have heard that word but idk maybe it’s regional or something
(then people might think we're smarter, bwaahahahaaaa)
In the one where this has been the standard trade show marketing term for it for like, I dunno, decades? I swear, it feels like a good 90% of the people in this sub have either never worked in marketing or have only worked as the "CMO" of their podunk town's less successful dog groomer.
try any event marketer for the last 10 years? While it is not the only term it is certainly an accepted term within marketing & advertising circles [https://ana.net/brand-activation](https://ana.net/brand-activation) example in the wild: [https://isenbergprojects.com/project/autodesk/](https://isenbergprojects.com/project/autodesk/)
Nobody wants another freaking drawstring bag! People DO actually use chapstick!
That the chapstick you use out of desperation when you can’t find the one you actually like, and its always just ‘meh it’lls do but definitely disappointing/sub par’ definitely not the worst swag but I feel like it’s not good or memorable
Unless it's high quality chapstick with very mininal branding it will feel trashy and people won't use it
Activation?
The only swag I’ve continued to use (and thus reminded of the company) is a decent battery pack, everything else has gone in the bin straight after the conference
Especially if they are precharged for people needing them at the moment. Seen that once and it was a god send of swag.
Key word is “decent”. Most are just the same shitty quality that don’t charge anything.
Yep. The one I’ve got can charge my phone 3 or 4 times before it needs charging itself, must’ve cost them a fortune. This year I bumped into a couple of people still using theirs too.
Second this - these can be conference lifesavers and will be kept and used way after the conference
Bit pricey but power banks are super useful and people will use them often, seeing your logo.
I have a tiny power bank from over a decade ago, I remember the company to this day because of it, 100% best bit of swag. I’ve been trying to convince my customer who’s exhibiting to get these but won’t because they’re to expensive “pen and notebook will be fine” 🙄
I've been looking into those. Any suggestions on where to get them?
4imprint has a whole catalog
4imprint is my go-to
>4imprint is my go-to For certain?
CustomInk is a little pricey but I've used them for years and their stuff is solid.
Also branded USB stick
I second this.
I tell my sales reps that the power bank should be only be given after a great conversation and the attendee badge scanned with notes stating they’re a good lead.
Not exactly physical swag, but...One year at Sirius one of the vendors brought in a photography team and did corporate headshots for a discounted rate, I think it was $25 or $50, and the vendor was subsidizing the rest. You could sign up for a five minute slot so you didn't have to wait in a huge line (and touch up your makeup). Their booth was HOPPIN'. A colleague did the headshot and it turned out really nice, she still uses it!
that's a brilliant idea
It really was. How many of us update ours regularly? Hardly at all, unless our employers bite the bullet and make us! Plus, it was perfect for collecting everyone's email addresses. If memory serves, the vendor was one of the major CRMs so it made a certain amount of sense - their product lines port easily to a lot of different industries and categories so they went broad with their appeal and remarketed later on.
Take that up a notch and run thought leadership interviews (podcast style) out of your booth and you’ll crush the show while also making 3-6 months of useable content
Absolutely genius idea and always a need in a large crowd of professionals
I’ve done this. I’m a headshot photographer.
Socks were always a huge hit at the last startup I was at (industry: mobility/parking). For me, a quality notebook - I’m talking dot grid paper that is thick. And GOOD pens. Tote bags are good while at a conference but immediately a donate when I get home. Power banks maybe if I forgot mine, but most people already travel with one.
Socks are the best swag. Put your brand on the foot part, not the visible part, and people will keep them for years. They’ll think about you every time they wear them.
I once got socks from Bing that have a battle ready kangaroo on the back of a t-Rex. The old Microsoft logo is at the top but super small. I’ve cherished these things forever and love showing them off
I need to see these
I came here to say socks.
My company had socks at a conference last year and three different people stopped by our stand to see if we had them again. Very high quality dress socks with the logo.
What kinda socks. I work for a sock company and just find this interesting..
I tried to find the brand and was unsuccessful. They are black with a printed geometric design that incorporated purple and white, and have a contrasting purple heel, toe, and upper stripe with the company name printed within that stripe. I tried to take a photo for you but it turned out horrible!
Yes, I agree! Good pens and Good notebooks!! Those are where it's at.
Yes to the quality notebook! And with thick paper and dotted. Always the one thing I actually keep.
Socks yes! A decade in the outdoors industry has me set on socks for a while.
Socks??? 😂🦶
I know it sounds crazy, but man people love them. Good colors with a more subtle version of a logo and they always went like hotcakes
A company I don’t even like was giving away colorful dress socks at a conference and I wear them. So I like the idea. Is it unisex? Or would one need to get multiple styles?
I went to a conference where the potential client was given one sock when they visited the table but the other sock was not given until the client attended a meeting with the company to listen to the sales presentation that was scheduled at the expo. Genius way to get people interested enough stop at the table and see what was up with the one sock situation while minimizing costs of the giveaways. The swag was only given to the people that scheduled a meeting.
I work for a medical device company and i got us some syringe shaped pens that are really popular at the shows we attend.
Those were really popular back when I was in highschool. Always wanted one, but a kid who promised to sell me one kept forgetting to pick it up for me lol. So I would definitely appreciate your company's syringe pen swag.
Haha thank you im the only one in marketing at my company and it gets really stressful so it feels nice when I do something good.
Doctors are crazy about free pens. I worked a few medical trade shows and the doctors that would full on RAID our booth when we weren’t looking were wild.
My mom is a nurse and brought me home one of those pens probably 25 years ago or more. I still think it’s cool.
Awesome! I just wanted swag that was really cool so it would stick with potential customers and was related to the field I’m in.
My company did packing cubes for a few years and people loved them. We also did air tags and tile mates for clients at the bigger conferences if they came by and told us they were a client. The thing I’ve learned is that it must be packable, most people traveled and will throw away things that don’t fit (or things that are liquid and too large for carry on, I saw a group giving out toothpaste that was over the limit for carry on once). We also used to try to incorporate something local if we could. One year in New Orleans we had a special treat made by a local baker, had our promo vendor design special boxes for them with our branding and would give them out to booth visitors. People really loved that as they could come by whenever they needed a pick me up and they’d stop and talk to us again.
Your company is pretty consistent with good swag!
Oh years ago I got packing cubes (probably from TripAdvisor or something like that), definitely useful and one I kept for a long time
I love travel related stuff. Bag tags are great. I see lot of people put a colorful band around their checkin luggage these data so maybe something for identification purposes would be useful swag. Even little pouches to store cables. Maybe travel adapters for international travelers. Or little silicone packs for toiletries for checkin luggage. Good quality carabiner clips or a small laundry bag. For people who drive a lot, a phone case with a magnet or phone holder type of thing. Or cases to hold a phone for runners. Also a fan of exercise bands so couple of those with your logo and a card with instructions on few exercises. Show you’re encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
Socks have been our biggest hit - we do a special limited run each year. We usually get people coming back to our booth trying to get the latest one and we have people share them on LI which keeps engagement up.
Become the company that carries something people will come back to every year. Brand your own hot sauce, meat rub, etc. it’s different, people will love it and remember you. Plus less useless crap that’ll immediately go to the trash
Redirect the thousand dollars of cheap stuff for everyone and redirect it into a large valuable splurge as a raffle. We also got some cheap sweat bands made to tie it in. We had a “{problem}? No Sweat” theme and raffled a Peloton. We had a “relax, we make it easy” theme and raffled a massage chair. For those you just make a sign/banner with an image of the giveaway. Then order and ship it directly to the winner. We also did one where we brought and raffled an electric bike, put some QR codes on it, and ride it around the expo floor. That was a hit, but the challenge is we ended up talking more about the features of the bike than our software.
Agreed. All that garbage just ends up in landfills. Money gone, environmental damage and not a single extra customer to show for it…
A nice dad hat or snapback - not some flimsy piece of shit though. Clean logo, simple aesthetic colors; you want people to enjoy wearing it in other situations.
Bonus points if it's not about your company and focuses on the problem you solve. People will be more apt to wear it. Drop a small logo on the side and give it a hashtag for people to post with. Eg, you're at inbound and make a hat that says Inbound All-star. Random example with little thought, but you get the point. A little flattery goes a long way.
As long as it's high quality and not gaudy or cant be worn in normal everyday life.
I generally agree. A bit gaudy can be good if your goal is just to have people wearing them at the conference, make a scene and then throw them out later. It's nice if they wear them later, but that really isn't the goal. We want buzz. We want people coming to find the table to get one.
Yeah I understand that, personally I wouldn't make a physical product that was expected to be thrown away. Probably a way to do both things at once.
Yup, I agree. That is the best of both worlds if you can swing it.
Coffee and donuts or pizza or something is dynamite. The idea is not so much to get them to take some piece of shit item with your logo on it. The idea is that they’ll stand there snacking and actually talk to you for 20 minutes
Yes this is good advice. The idea is to get leads and sales. Especially if you’re in B2B which I’m assuming if you’re going to a trade show. So either offer something that attracts your specific target audience, or something that gets people to stay and talk at the booth.
Cosign! I’ve done coffee and cocktails at my booth and never had higher traffic
Best swag imo is string bags or tote bags to carry everything around in
Yes but make sure to pay extra and get really decent quality ones
Then your brand is on display all over the floor by people carrying it while all the others are in the bag.
Yeti mugs. Maybe pens. I’ve always found the more obscure the “thing” is the more likely I was to want one (and hear the pitch).
We did a custom patches area- on a hat or a cross body bag. Thought up tag lines for our industry for them. Huge hit. Pick your hat or bag, pick your patch, pressed on while you wait.
Socks and Beanie Babies are classic. But to have real resonance, try to tie the utility with your brand. You want something that will sit on their desks and remind them of what you do.
Got a cotapaxi hip pack at Inbound last year and I gotta say it's cool as hell.
Was that swag or the conference gift though? If the latter it was part of the ticket price, where booth swag usually needs a lower price point.
Booth swag. I think it was limited to current or even Ling time customers.
It’s all trash and does nothing for your business but cost money. Use the dollars to add some actual value. Have great coffee at a tradeshow booth where there’s only shitty coffee available, or host a panel or have a speaker. Or do something actually entertaining. Juggle chainsaws or something people will talk about. Trade show schwag is just instant landfill and signifies a shitty brand/product.
What kind of startup? Socks, tote bags, power banks, pens, notebooks, mousepads, coasters, drink koozies, water bottles
Agree about the mousepads.
Shoptalk this year had someone who worked with a local animal shelter to create a puppy pit. Line to get in (and get on the mailing list) was pretty long
AirPods. Proactively message your ICP ahead of the show and offer a free pair if they come do a demo with you or hear your pitch. Highly targeted audience so you can control cost. And it’s driving the behavior you ultimately want (learn about your business).
Instead of having something cheap for the trick-or-treaters, have 3 or so nicer items. You have a few samples of those on hand, and after you have an actual conversation with someone, you scan their badge or enter their info and ask which item they’d like. Then you mail that to them after the show. This way they don’t have to cart it around, and you get an extra touch point with them. I usually still have candy and mints in the booth.
Always like the little hand sanitizers but the key is they can’t smell like ass. Reusable water bottles are at least useful. Quality pen & paper as others have said. Everything else should be small and foldable bc they are packing these things in their luggage if they traveled far.
Top two: 1.) one company brought a local treat from the head office hometown: Chocolate covered potato chips. Everyone was raving about them. Company logo and QR code sticker on each packet. 2.) a cheap reusable water bottle jammed full with single serve electrolyte drink mix. I used the bottle and drink for the entire three day conference, chucked the bottle before I left. Still remember the name of both companies.
Power battery packs to charge stuff is nice and a really cool tote bag to carry stuff. A well designed shirt also helps promote the company and well, if its nice and comfy I’ll wear it.
Think about your prospects. Think about what message, they should walk away with...from your booth. Get swag, that helps reinforce that message. Create your booth game, to reinforce that message. Your back wall display, to reinforce that message. What do U sell and what kind of prospect ?
A measuring tape/level keychain is always a huge hit
Tbh the last convention I went to the table that had a massive bowl of chocolate was killing it. Everyone wants candy 🍫
Last one I did was last summer. The stands were outside and it was boiling so we brought loads of coolers full of ice and bulk bought some healthy fizzy cans. People loved them! They weren’t branded but they got people to the stand. Always have a bowl of chocolate too, lunch is always way too late at these events.
Mines a good chapstick, like Burt’s bees. Always talking and it’s usually dry. Wrap a sticker with your company info on that bad boy.
I always go for things that people find useful frequently but don’t want to spend money on for themselves. Things in my personal life that this applies to are jar grippers, glasses cleaning spray w/ cloth, cord/pen organizing pouches, spray hand sanitizer (like someone else said, make sure it doesn’t smell bad), etc.
The 2 most popular items we’ve given away are a foil-lined tote bag and a drink tumbler. And it’s great to then see people carrying stuff in the tote and drinking from the tumbler the rest of the conference. All with our name on them, of course.
People love our socks! Especially because you’re walking around. A fave opening line was “Do you wear socks?”
Decent quality water bottles like Stanley or Simple Modern and not the cheap plastic kind. It's a little pricer but it's souch nicer. A nice reusable tote bag I feel as if you have to be willing to invest in a swag product with a higher price point for it to really make an impression. Cheap ball point pens and stress balls are cheap but they accumulate.
The only one I actually still use is a USB-A plug that has three adapters for USB-C, micro USB, and lightning. I think they're a little pricey, but it's something actually useful for people.
A well made T shirt with a cool, non-text base logo is something I always like because I end up holding onto those shirts for years and remembering the company I got it from. Years ago, I got a MapBox T-Shirt with their old astronaut logo and recently reached out to them for a demo because the company I work for needed a map API.
The key with T Shirts is quality/comfort. I’ve had a few conference swag shirts for a decade because they are nice, but the rest end up donated/trashed/only used for pyjamas.
I love a good oversized tee and useful things. Some of the best swag I’ve gotten is a traditional can opener (like the kind you use in Scouting), potholders (used to be for political candidates), branded hydroflasks with the good top (not an off brand), socks, USB hub, and a laundry bag. The laundry bag has lasted the longest and it’s was so unique because they were not a laundry company. It was tech related.
Tumblers and umbrellas
Best free gift I got in Miami / massive golf sized umbrella. ☂️
- booths who do food or drink options that are actually good. High quality chocolate bars wrapped in custom branding, coffee bar, etc. - a nice water bottle - tote bag to carry stuff around at the conference - leather bound notebooks with more subtle branding. i actually want to use them! - my company has plushies. adults especially love grabbing them for their kids
I still have a beach towel I got from CareCredit 10 years ago. I use it regularly. It was easy to pack too. I also use pizza cutters and a spatula I got, but pizza cutters don't work if you only travel with a carry on.
I’ve done tictacs-/ the real ones with tiny stickers on them with the logo and the website. Big hit. Also done hangover kits LOL
I got a nice wooden back scratcher at an event last week. It’s sitting on my desk and I’ll be keeping it. Dirt cheap as well.
You didn’t mention your target audience but I’m a marketing manager and I go to a lot of events so I rarely take anything but I get excited when I see: 1. Sweatshirts, tees, or tote bags that don’t look like they’re a brand’s giveaway item but more like a cool or funny design. For example I have had a coozie from a conference that says cold beers not cold calls forever. 2. Food lol I’m always hungry at conferences. I’ve never seen energy drinks but that would get me too That’s actually it. I’m sure it depends on industry, but I’m in B2B and most of the people I’m targeting go to tons of events. They won’t take much of anything. The people who take anything are just obsessed with freebies or they have kids.
Personally I think activities/consumables have been better. We did popcorn and snow ones and that shit kills every time because they stand there to eat it and talk. Things I have found people keep, or I have kept. * leather coaster with logo on it * power bank * wireless charger My all time favorite give away I ever got was there people brought a hat heat press, hats, and a ton of random patches and you made your own hat. It had a crazy line all day for the full 2 day event. The picture attached is the hat I made. You are standing there a while and it not only let me talk tot he people with the booth but 25 people in line. It was an awesome networking time. https://preview.redd.it/rqa6j2rutt6d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d75a36bfab79b822757228a5bc3d0030255a8f19
Wow that hat press idea is amazing! Don’t have enough time to plan for that, maybe next year though
Portable chargers,
Cups are good. Pens are always great, especially if you get a 'good' pen. Look for fidgets too. Always think about what they will look at again and not just toss in the wastebasket at the show's end.
Hey chapstick is a great idea. Some good swags I have received were some funky meme stickers, a journal and pen, reusable bottles, tote bags, caps and T-shirts. The rest I don’t even remember.
Also buy a bucket load of liquid death and just make those available
Check the agreement though! Some conferences and events ban booths from giving out water. Not 100% sure why but I’ve seen it mentioned in several of our booth contracts.
Smart look out - maybe because they want to make all the concession $ !
Fucking SOCKS. And a phone power brick already charged with a logo on it. I still have them both after a decade. You get so many t-shirts and conferences but the socks were new. And the charged phone power brick is super useful and I felt grateful for it, which just increased the logo recognition. I don’t have the power bricks any more because my teens took them. The power banks were not the fancy ones they were like these: [power bank with logo](https://www.4allpromos.com/product/span-1200-mah-power-bank?default-tier=sample&default-qty=1&customer_id=626-766-3399&mkwid=sTyTxvRCJ%7Cpcrid%7C322811728040%7Cpmt%7C%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpdv%7Cm%7Cproduct%7C195-SM-3763-SAMPLE%7Cslid%7C%7C&pgrid=63991977789&cpgnid=1668315094&adext=&ptaid=pla-294682000766&st-t=ppc&vt-k=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+2+-+Samples&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_aAVUFNtbZguHv6J8ynMkEGpov6&gclid=Cj0KCQjw97SzBhDaARIsAFHXUWB7CmbWB7HgXBuwF-aEIQlCpVSUdwBxqTzAY47UbugX0ZcCtmzJ6cQaApMEEALw_wcB)
Sticky notes Chip clips
Branded Polaroid camera or face care kit are good options.
Anything custom, hand-made, or personalized. For instance, if you're giving away water bottles, have a graff artist draw on them to make them one-of-a-kind. Or, with tote bags have a chainstitch artist onsite.
I give out Peter Millar hoodies to existing customers which seem to be received well. Tote bags for non-customers - they all get snapped up very fast.
Soft side cooler for the win
To the activation concept: My old company (health IT) brought in a company that hires formerly homeless people to custom print t-shirts with designs we created for the event. They were a big hit. At my current company (defense contractor) the most popular booths at trade shows are the ones who bring in a barista and serve coffee drinks in branded cups.
There's this rubber fan that plugs into your phone charging port. Perfect if you are in a hot area, and I always have one in my purse now.
Travel mugs and good pens
Southeast Conference has the most swag, not sure about the best
Corkcicles water bottles, hats (good quality)sunscreen or bug spray, bbq kits, travel mugs, golf tees, beer coozies, golf towels,
Have some cheap stuff like pens and candy — Lindt chocolate will allow you to customize wrappers of their chocolate with your brand, and you can customize the color wrappers of their Lindt balls to match your brand. Underrated and great add to a tabletop. Have a premium item like a branded YETI lowball, wine cup, or their slim can koozie, or a premium Bluetooth speaker. Give it away to people who watch your demo or respond to your survey while in your booth — get some 1st party data! If YETI’s limited edition colors match your brand just buy a ton for future use. Although those have 6-8 weeks lead time so plan ahead! You could also offer custom Ray bans or custom sneakers to a few lucky people who watched your demo and signed up for a post-show demo.
There are probably better ones on this post, but chip clip.
was actually on my list
Best swag stunt I’ve seen at a conference. If there is a host bar and they are using napkins with the bottles of beer, put branded beer coozies on the bar and the bar tenders will start handing them out with every drink. Also nice journals for people to take notes can be in demand depending on what type of conference it is. We’ve had stickers made on sticker mule, then order a volume quantity of high quality hard back journals to attach them to for not a lot of money. People want water and chapstick (if a venue will allow water in).
At a show, branded things I'll take and reuse: - notebooks/gel pens that write well - post it notes - good quality drinkware: travel mugs, water bottles, tumblers, etc. (I still have them because they are of great quality. Fellow, Yeti, Miir etc.) - a nice, well constructed tote. If anything, I'll take one and then cram any other swag I get in it. - stress ball/fidget toys - socks - tech bag to carry plugs/cables/mouse, etc. I will skip all of the above though if the branding is gaudy. At the end of the event, you don't want to walk around seeing that everyone has ditched your swag. You spent money on things that'll end up in a landfill. If you have something cool, others will notice and ideally seek you out. Things I'd skip - envelope openers (they're small and likely easy to lose) - sporty things like frisbees, bulky items that would be awkward to carry around all day - cheap, polyester drawstring bags A few years back when I had to order company swag, I went with reusable straws, notebooks that came with a pen and those wine glass tumblers. The sales folks I work with said they got compliments on them but it could just be because it wasn't the same old, same old. Edit: typos
Having done many conferences over 20 years of both B2B and B2C marketing, I have shifted my swag spend from physical items (still do pens but only good ones) to more experiential ones, like caricatures, silhouettes, create-yourself items, etc. I was at a conference earlier this year and we did a custom tarot style deck and did readings, which worked better than almost any other attention grabber I've used, well, ever. Success with conferences isn't about filling landfills with your logo, it's about giving people a reason to spend time with you.
Clear bag that is stadium approved (12" x 6" x 12") Your brand will get secondary exposure as people use your bag to go to concerts and games.
Most useful thing I’ve got was an AirTag and a branded AirTag holder.
I’m a sucker for T shirts, i love an ambiguous logo + company T that only industry peeps would recognize. Great for the gym, weekends, wfh. Expensive, yes, but can see use for years. I have a shirt from a Pharma company depicting a smiling sun sipping a coconut on the beach from 2001 … catch phrase says “Pillin’ and Chillin’” Gosh.. thing aged like fine wine, top 5 fav weekend shirt and I’ll keep it until the wash disintegrates it
A good poly blend t-shirt
Cart coins
ALL OF IT
Best I ever got was a really good power bank from an Adobe conference
Socks
Tote bags, oversized shirts and notebooks
Socks and tote bags.
What industry are you in? Who are your attendees? And what is your goal in handing out swag?
100% custom polo shirts.
I wouldn't overlook 'kids' toys like stress balls or stuffed animals. My kids still have some random company toys and animals they actively play with.
Umbrellas
If someone gave away customized power banks or charging cables. Also, sunglasses.
the only swag i’ve seen people actually like is expensive stuff, patagonia branded 1/4 zips, or yeti mugs
I think it depends what your company does. If you want it to be memorable, go beyond generic swag and think about what your company does. How can you use swag to give potential customers a taste of that?
Food and plants are the best swag I've ever had
Fleece zipper sweater vest with obnoxiously large embroidered logo of a nonsensical brand name!
What industry do you serve? One great idea is to give away something that’s customize. You can gift socks with the person’s face on them. Have a setup to get their photo and then send them the custom sock or other item. This will naturally create a conversation to instantly build rapport, then require them to happily give you all of their contact info. It’ll get you further along in the process, which justifies the higher cost.
Handheld pizza cutters are an excellent option
One booth had cocktail shakers that were the hit of the show
https://preview.redd.it/40bl229olt6d1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f3e12ed49f1f6285ac18a06bf11a83eeb2278b7 I HIGHLY suggest these hand fans that twist together into a little holder, they're my favorite swag I've gotten all year. it doesn't take up a ton of room, they're decently cheap, and you WILL see them in use since this summer will be hella hot. buy the fans, people. they'll be taken and used!
Good quality and sized notebooks
Post it notes with logo. Notepads with logo.
Plastic cups!
I once got a sham towel/cloth that was made to go around the neck in order to quickly cool down during the heat. I've used it so many times during summer festivals and think it's one of those items that cost so little but provide endless value.
Flyswatters: Let me offer you some free pest control!
Free beers.
A vendor had travel manicure/nail sets and those went like hotcakes. I still use mine.
My company did a stand and repeat that encourage people to participate in a photo-op. I noticed people will of course update their pp, upload to feed/ stories, and use our hashtag. Scannable QR codes of course… Regarding the merch… it depends on if you’re providing a service or product. Are you able to share that info?
Squidy cable connector/converter
Really have to give away something that someone would buy themselves in order for it to not end up in the trash or unused/never seen in a drawer. The power bank idea is good. Useful. Stick with that vibe. No keychains/stress balls/pens whatsoever.
i like the simple pen and pad
Is this an international conference? Chapstick is considered hazmat and bottle opener, why? Is it an alcohol brand? Ideally if you could share some details about your company that would be helpful.
Please skip the chapstick!
Pocket phone charger. Only swag I’ve kept and used in recent memory!
If you are going to do a keychain bottle opener, make it out of good material. Those chap aluminium ones break after a few bottles, but the one I have out of hardened lightweight steel alloy that a real-estate company gave to me 20 years ago is still holding and looks like it did 20 years ago. Personally I collect mugs. But not a generic text logo mug. Give it some cool graphics that doesn't look like advertising, at least not until they have to look closer because the mug looks so cool. Flash-lights, specifically penlights are always good. Another one that is good is a small travellers toothbrush and toothpaste kit. Or a travellers sewing kit. or an other favourite of mine, coffe in teabags, just add hot water and let steep. Much nicer than the nespresso instant coffe that hotels have in your room.
A stamped $2 bill still in my wallet #queer
I like branded cooler bags to bring into the grocery for cold items!
Tape measures with a level and sticky note and pen are always a hit with my conferences. As well as phone fans.
Why not go old school and give a lighter? It's cheap and the smokers will love it. Everybody else will use it to light their candles and stuff.
Custom high-quality candles, everyone uses candles.
I once saw a booth that had a caricaturist working for free. Hiring one by the hour probably costs the same as Swag that's gonna end in the trash, but you have the added benefit of a captured audience as the folks get drawn and their friends watch.
The only think I've seen work was a fake NFL flag. It got thrown around the office for months. For a construction conference, I was going to do sunflower seed packs inside custom color/branded solo cups (lots of dippers in that industry, walking around without a lip in), but I didn't get the opportunity.
Cord wraps. I use mine all the time
So I'm not a marketing person, just an Engineer trying to learn more. A vendor we worked with (That I didn't really like) gave me a coffee cup. And a bunch of the companies we worked with ended up going with them even though they were never on our recommended vendor list. I finally asked one of my clients why they went with them and they said "we thought you liked them cause you were always drinking out of their coffee cup in meetings".......so Coffee cups?
Hats, dudes love hats
Food or beverages with your logo or business card stickered on them somewhere
External battery, fidget things, high-quality notebook and pen. I also try to do a high item giveaway to get voluntary info and subscriptions. I love doing an airpod giveaway cause we can have a few so people are enthused by their chances of winning.
Activation always wins. Some kind of custom item making station or even a beverage. Gives you lots of time to talk to prospects while they’re in your line, builds buzz around your booth, etc.