When choosing the best swag for trade shows and conferences, keep in mind that your goal is not necessarily to maximize sales, but to maximize cost per impression. You never know which contacts you meet could connect you to a lead, so your goal should be to reach as many people as possible with things they can use.
Here’s a handy guide to the best swag for trade shows, whether you’re giving out goodie bags or trying to drive traffic to your trade show booth.
Best Swag for Trade Shows
Bags
Make your attendee’s day by giving them a tote bag to hold all their free swag in. You can easily slip business cards or other marketing collateral inside.
T-shirts
With the right type of audience, you can turn your happy attendees into walking billboards. This can be a great way for smaller companies to spread awareness.
During registration, you can ask for t-shirt size to get a gauge of what sizes you need to order. Also consider your audience, i.e. young/old, male/female.
Themed swag
If your conference has a theme, play along. For example, you can give out reusable water bottles for an event focus around sustainability, or slinky’s for a 90’s theme event.
Something for the kids
Not only will an item like an iPhone horn draw attention from many crowd goers, but it’s a great gift for smartphone users or their kids.
Digital materials
It’s true; a lot of swag gets thrown out right after the event. Giving out a free whitepaper or ebook can establish you as a thought leader and reduce waste. You can distribute these via cards with a QR code, or ask for business cards and send a follow-up email after the event.
Energy bars & mobile chargers
Anticipating your attendee’s needs and solving them will make everyone love you. Since conferences and trade shows mean long days and depleted energy, pick-me-ups work well. Chances are, attendees will need to plug in by the afternoon. Mini energy bars can also be a lifesaver.
What are some of your best swag ideas for trade shows?