If you’re a trade show or conference attendee, event swag bags are the adult versions of the treat bags handed out for a kid’s birthday party. They’re eagerly anticipated, but unless the event organizer has put some thought into what goes into them, often a bit of a letdown. Many a conference swag bag has been left in a hotel room’s trash bin because it contained nothing the recipient wanted.
From the point of view of an event organizer, this is a serious problem. You want to get the maximum ROI from your swag budget, and you won’t get that if the swag heads straight from the conference room to the landfill. Knowing what to put in a conference welcome bag can help you thank event attendees while improving your brand awareness.
What is Swag?
Swag is a catchall term for free promotional products given out by brands to customers, partners, prospects, and event attendees. Swag is used to grab people’s attention, thank them, and generate as many brand impressions as possible (each time someone sees your name or logo on an item of swag counts as one brand impression).
Setting a Swag Budget
Your swag bag ideas will be limited by two important factors: The number of people attending your event, and your swag budget. Both are important: it’s possible to provide high-quality swag to a small group on a limited budget, while even the best budgets can be tested when providing swag for really large events.
While you might have a dedicated budget for swag, more often a swag product marketing budget is part of the larger event budget. In either case, your budget plus the number of attendees will determine the following:
- The number of items in the swag bag.
- The price of the swag bag’s “anchor piece” (the main, attention-grabbing gift in the bag).
- How much you can spend to customize each item in the bag (and the bag itself.)
- How much you can spend on logistics (deliver costs, storage, etc).
- How many extra bags you can have on hand for unexpected events.
Understand the Goal of Your Swag Bags
Promotional spending should always have a goal in mind that is in alignment with your organization’s objectives. Swag bags are no different from any other marketing campaign in this regard. For a charity run, for instance, your goal may be to thank participants and encourage future participation (while raising your brand’s reputation for charity work). For a conference, your goal might be to increase buzz about an upcoming product launch. On the other hand, if you’re working a trade show, your swag might be part of a strategy to draw prospects to your booth rather than the competition’s. Understanding your goals will help you decide how to present your swag bags and what goes into them.
Think Outside the Bag
The bag is just as important as what goes into the bag. Ideally, a swag bag reflects the theme of an event while hinting at what’s inside. Reusable tote bags are popular for tradeshows, as they can be used to carry swag from other booths (thereby obscuring your competitor’s logo while promoting your brand). For small, high-value swag, consider a well-designed box with custom artwork and a logo on the outside and inside. Such boxes have the possibility of cropping up on online unboxing videos, furthering your brand awareness.
Choosing Event Swag
Swag bags for events should contain items that are relevant to the event. What will attendees want? What swag will they use immediately? For conferences, trade shows, and the like, remember that a large, bulky swag bag may not be something attendees want to haul around all day. Smaller bags are often the better choice, as is opting for one or two conversation-starting, high-value gifts over multiple low-quality items.
Swag Bag Ideas
So what do you put in a conference welcome bag? The following event swag offers high ROI and inspires word-of-mouth referrals.
Eco-Friendly Swag
Environmental concerns are a hot-button topic, with people across multiple industries working to improve their impact on the planet. If your company has a commitment to sustainability, reflect that goal in your swag bags with bamboo clothing, reusable straws, bottle brushes, and products made from recyclable or sustainable materials.
Water Bottles and Mugs
Rather than give out single-use plastic water bottles to thirsty conference or tradeshow attendees, add customized stainless steelwater bottles to swag bags and provide refilling stations. Take the same approach to hot drinks by providing a coffee refill area and giving out customized travel mugs or office mugs at your next event.
Wireless Chargers
Many conference attendees travel to attend events, and as anyone who travels frequently knows, charging cords have a habit of going missing. Make your attendees' lives easier with a Qi-compatible wireless charger or car charger that uses magnetic induction to charge device batteries (Qi is an open, universal charging standard that works across devices).
Toiletry Kits
Toiletry kits, also known as Dopp bags, are useful, easily customized gifts that make travel a little easier. Look for bags which are lined with waterproof material, and kit them out with shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, and hand towels.
Bluetooth speakers and earbuds
If your product marketing budget allows for it, consider adding a Bluetooth speaker or earbuds to your event swag. Small and high-value, these powerful little devices are perfect for travelers and much sought-after at events.
Notebooks and Pens
Sometimes the most popular event swag is the swag attendees put to use immediately. Notebooks and pens are prime examples of items that will be used right on the conference floor. You can customize notebooks and pens separately, or wow attendees with a notebook and pen combo gift.
Event apparel
Event clothing is always popular, but comes with some challenges. Your attendees are unlikely to all take the same size shirt, so you either have to estimate what sizes to order or, in the case of smaller events, ask attendees to give you their sizes. When a wearable like a well-made t-shirt, jacket, or hoodie fits, however, it makes a memorable anchor piece for your swag bags.
PPE
As people begin to attend large events again in the aftermath of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, anxiety about infection and personal health remain high. Let your attendees know you’re concerned with their well-being by including masks and hand sanitizer in their swag bags.
Need help choosing event swag or picking the right type of customization for your promotional gifts? Contact Triple Crown Products and we’ll help you make the most of your swag budget!