‘Tis the season for community days, festivals and fairs! What better time to consider event swag?
SWAG = “stuff we all get”
Event swag can be a great sponsor benefit. It can be a great way to build your business’ brand and good will with the community. If someone gives you something that you like and you see their name often, don’t you think they’ll be more likely to do business with you? It’s a hard thing to measure, and sometimes it is difficult to think of just the right item.
Keep the event’s purpose and theme in mind. For example, some of the Moraine State Park Regatta’s sponsors have taken advantage of the opportunity to provide branded swag to our attendees, but they have kept it on theme. One is giving out wildflower seeds, one is giving out chapstick, and one is giving out notebooks and pens at the education tent.
Consider something useful. For example, although everyone has multiple of them, I think you can never have too many reusable grocery bags. They are useful at conferences, trade shows, and vendor shows, and they are useful after the fact for just everyday use.
Try to get creative. How many branded coffee mugs do you have, and how many do you actually use? Consider something slightly different, like a branded reusable straw, a water bottle that can be condensed when empty, or a branded cookie to snack on later.
What’s your favorite event swag item? What kinds of things do you love to get, and which things go right to the trash?