Creating an exceptional event experience in 2024 will require more strategic planning and attention to detail than before. If you want to stand out at conferences, you must provide a memorable brand experience that begins at your booth and extends to the thoughtfully chosen conference swag you distribute.
To help you get started, we’ve broken these conference swag ideas into three categories: must-have booth essentials, popular conference giveaway items, and premium event gifts and raffle prizes. Whether you’re looking for budget-friendly or luxury conference giveaways, selecting the right options will be crucial for maximizing event ROI in 2024.
Must-Have Booth Essentials for Conferences
First impressions are everything at conferences. Your booth should act as a magnet, drawing attendees to learn more about your business and its products. Investing in creating a brand-led, professional-looking booth that catches the eye of every attendee is a tried-and-tested way to increase foot traffic and promote engagement.
1. Fitted Table Throw
This throw is designed to fit snugly around tables for a tailored look that lends a professional appearance at meetings, trade shows, career fairs, and more. Add your business’s branding, logos, or key message to boost visibility. It’s a simple yet highly effective way to level up your presence at events.
2. Indoor Pillow Kit Double-Sided
Inviting prospective customers into your booth for a chat? Make sure they’re comfortable with this custom-branded pillow. You can include your company’s branding on both sides with a full-color dye sublimation design and custom pillow colors. Whether attendees want to sit back and relax or get down to talking serious business, this pillow ensures they can do so in comfort and style.
3. Straight Fabric Backwall
Create an eye-catching display that brings your brand to life with this fabric backwall. The design is completely customizable, making it the perfect canvas to showcase your branding, specific products, or something else.
Options for single or double-sided graphic imprints ensure your booth will look good from every angle. This item even packs down into a portable carrying case, making it the perfect solution for event marketing teams that are always on the road.
Popular Conference Giveaway Items
Giving away conference swag is a tried-and-tested way to ensure higher levels of brand visibility and improve the perception of your brand. The key lies in giving away the best conference swag: items that are both practical and well-made. Why? Attendees will continue to use your promotional items long after the event has ended, plus they’ll associate your business with practical, high-quality solutions – a reputation no business would turn down.
1. Virtual Event & Conference Gift Boxes
Today, many conferences have a digital component, with attendees tuning in remotely from all over the country. While other brands might neglect these attendees, sending them a virtual event gift box gives your business an opportunity to distinguish itself from the competition and build new relationships.
You can even select the contents of your custom gift box, with options ranging from branded merchandise to tasty snacks attendees can enjoy as they virtually attend the event.
2. Recycled Cotton Convention Tote
We bet you’ve walked away from a conference with your arms overflowing with giveaway items. Having a tote bag to store your items in wouldn’t just have made life easier on the day, it would also have been a gift that keeps on giving.
This tote bag, made from recycled cotton and polyester, is just as well-suited to conferences as it is to everyday tasks. By adding your branding, you’re essentially creating a mini-billboard that attendees will carry around long after the conference has ended.
3. Custom Lanyards
These practical giveaways are ideal for conferences and events. Design a lanyard with custom branding and color schemes, then give them away to visitors to your booth. It’s a helpful gift, whether attendees use it to display their conference pass or take it home to attach their keys to.
4. Power Bank
Conferences can mean long days and lots of travel. Both of those things aren’t great for your attendees’ phone batteries, a problem you can solve by giving away these custom-branded power banks.
According to the latest ASI survey, 51% of consumers would keep and use a promo power bank for two years or longer. This means your brand will have long-term exposure and stay top-of-mind every time they need to charge their device.
Pro Tip:
Make sure you charge up these power banks before you give them out! This will ensure attendees can start using them right away. Plus, you’ll get some added brand exposure during the event. A win-win.
5. Notebook
Conferences are the perfect venue for learning about new topics and discovering innovative ideas. When attendees hear something important, they’ll want to jot it down. By giving them this custom-branded notebook, their biggest ideas will live right alongside your brand.
6. Pen
If a notebook is one of your conference giveaways, it almost goes without saying that a pen should be another! This pen comes with a sleek, modern design and a rubber grip for maximum writing control. There’s also a high-capacity ink cartridge, making this pen a gift that’s built to last.
7. T-Shirt
The classic conference giveaway items are classics for a reason: people love them. That’s certainly true of t-shirts: a tried-and-tested promotional giveaway item you know people will love. These unisex t-shirts come in a wide range of colors and sizes and feature silky-soft fabric for a comfortable, stylish fit.
8. Snacks
Everyone loves snacks: especially when they’re attending a conference all day long. These custom-branded snack cubes come filled with trail mix; the perfect conference gift for attendees to graze on between meetings and events.
9. Fidget Spinner Pen
If you’re looking for a pen that pairs fun with function, this fidget spinner pen is the perfect match. It comes in six colors and can be branded with your company’s logo. While conference attendees listen to speeches and roundtables, they’ll find themselves absent-mindedly fiddling with this pen, ensuring your brand stays top of mind.
Best Premium Conference Gifts & Raffle Prizes
Whether you want to gift premium conference swag to VIPs or run a raffle to drive higher levels of engagement, investing in high-end conference giveaways will have attendees flocking to your booth.
1. JBL Go3 Portable Waterproof Speaker
These portable waterproof speakers don’t just offer great audio – they also look great! With a compact, colorful design and waterproof, dust-proof casing, these speakers make a great gift for music lovers. Plus, they have a low Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), making them perfect for high-end gifts for those few especially important attendees.
2. Skullcandy Grind True Wireless Earbuds
Skullcandy is a well-known brand name in the audio industry. With these headphones, it’s easy to see why. Inside a sleek, brandable carrying case, you’ll find earbuds featuring all the latest and greatest audio technologies, from a built-in microphone to a noise-canceling design.
3. Osprey Arcane™ Roll Top Pack
Help your conference VIPs travel home in style with this backpack from leading brand Osprey. It’s made from recycled plastic bottles and features plenty of storage: from a 15” laptop compartment to a water bottle pocket. It’s a great everyday bag that you can make even better by opting to embroider your logo.
4. Apple™ AirTag Leatherette Case Gift Set
AirTags are one of the most popular accessories for 2024, helping people keep track of their belongings, pets, and children. This luxury gift set features a custom-branded AirTag complete with a leather holder and keyring that your recipients can use to attach their new AirTag to their most prized possessions.
5. The Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ Tumbler
After exploding in popularity in 2023, Stanley Cups remain the must-have drinkware of 2024. This 40 oz tumbler keeps drinks hot or cold for hours on end and fits in standard cup holders, making it the perfect travel (and fashion) companion for busy business professionals.
Maximize Event ROI with Unique Conference Giveaways
Ordering unique conference swag is a surefire way to distinguish your brand from competitors throughout your 2024 event schedule. Success starts by creating an eye-catching booth that draws people in. From there, conference giveaways and premium gifts and prizes play a key role in nurturing new relationships and strengthening existing ones.
Get in touch if you need guidance selecting the best conference swag for your brand. We’ll partner with you to identify your goals, design the perfect conference swag items, and bring your vision to life.
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