The best corporate gifts for customers and employees are valuable, useful, and reflective of your company's brand. This is why it's important to have branded merchandise featuring your brand name or logo. Branded merchandise works effectively by showcasing your company's name, logo, or information to a broad audience.

Almost anything can be branded with your logo. Examples of branded merchandise include everything from promotional tech accessories, drinkware, and apparel to snacks, awards, and office supplies. Popular promotional items include mugs, insulated cups, tote bags, and polo shirts. You can also choose more unexpected gifts, like kitchen tools, umbrellas, and self-care products such as spa kits.

Choosing merchandise for your brand is an important task. To help you choose the best promotional gifts for your customers and employees, we compiled a list of excellent branded merchandise ideas. Whether you're looking for items to give away at trade shows or conferences, ideas to recognize and celebrate your employees, or gifts for your most loyal customers, you'll find exactly what you need in this guide.

Chapter 1: The Best Conference Giveaways and Swag Bag Ideas

Conference swag is one of the most effective marketing strategies. It allows you to make a grand first impression, increase brand awareness, and build connections with your target audience. Conference and meeting swag provides attendees with functional items they can continue using after a conference ends, placing your brand name in their household for an extended time and increasing interest in your products or services.

Handing out branded merchandise and swag bags at your next conference could bring your marketing strategy to the next level. This chapter will teach you about some of the best conference swag bag ideas.

Why Are Conference Giveaways Important?

Conference giveaways are important because they increase brand awareness and companies' reputations. Today's messaging overload causes consumers to lose concentration quickly and dedicate only a few seconds of attention to each advertisement they see. However, you can catch and hold consumers' attention longer by giving them promotional products they can use daily.

If an individual views your products or talks to you about your services during a conference, you can provide them with a free product and spread your brand name or logo throughout the room. The more people who wear your T-shirts or carry a tote bag with your logo, the more individuals will become aware of your company.

You can also use conference giveaways to make an excellent first impression. Conference attendees are more likely to trust your products or services when you provide something appealing or practical. Handing out free items earns you some goodwill in potential customers and can heighten their opinion of your brand, increasing interest and potential conversions.

Build connections and relationships using conference giveaways. Branded merchandise allows you to connect with conference attendees and create memorable experiences. When an attendee walks up to you or your booth, you can offer a free product and use it to start a conversation.

What Are the Most Popular Giveaway Items?

Some of the best conference swag items include items that individuals find useful or entertaining. If you need some conference gift ideas, consider the following popular options:

Branded Apparel

Branded apparel is a common and popular giveaway at conferences. It's a simple piece of merchandise that can effectively advertise any brand. Be sure to choose trendy apparel options that your target audience will likely wear, and place your logo where it's easy to see. If you notice more people in your city wearing baseball caps than bucket hats, it's best to choose baseball caps for your promotional giveaway item and vice versa.

Before choosing a branded apparel item to give away at your next conference, consider your target audience's lifestyle and interests. If they are typically active or enjoy the outdoors, consider handing out promotional activewear items or outerwear items such as fleece jackets, ponchos, and scarves.

Reusable Bags

Reusable bags are incredibly useful, and you can fill them with more promotional items to create swag bags. If you choose to give away reusable bags, consider which type of bag your target audience may find most valuable and use regularly. For example, if your target demographic values travel, you can hand out branded toiletry bags, travel suitcases or duffel bags.

If your primary audience is high school or college students, you could hand out backpacks promoting your logo. Laptop bags and insulated lunch totes are great choices if you advertise mainly to young professionals. Simple branded tote bags and drawstring bags are also fantastic options that a wide variety of conference attendees can use for multiple purposes.

Notebooks and Pens

Almost any conference attendee will find a convenient branded notebook and pen incredibly helpful, especially during the conference. When you hand out branded ink pens, notebooks and notepads, individuals can use them to take notes during conference sessions and remember your company each time they return to the notebook to reference their notes.

Attendees can also use notebooks and pens for other purposes such as jotting notes down in the office or creating to-do lists at home. To make notebooks even more convenient, you can opt for notebooks with a phone and pen holder. Miniature pocket notebooks with pens are also excellent choices because conference attendees can conveniently carry them around with minimal effort.

Reusable Drinkware

Reusable drinkware is functional and durable, making it an incredible giveaway choice that conference attendees will find useful. You can consider the following reusable branded drinkware options:

Reusable drinkware is a fantastic conference giveaway item because it can be used in the home or office, for travel purposes, and during sporting or outdoor events.

Tech Gear

Tech gear is an excellent choice for conference giveaways and swag bags. Tech gear provides conference attendees with tools they can use to manage their technology and remember your brand each time they do so. Consider the following branded tech gear items for your next conference:

Phone chargers and power banks are incredibly helpful when individuals need an extra power boost. If their phone dies while traveling or attending an event, a portable power bank or car charger can save the day and make them think of your company when they see your logo. Webcam covers are also useful and can place your logo at the top of conference attendees' laptops long after they leave the conference. Any type of tech accessory that individuals use often can increase your brand awareness.

Snacks and Water

Snacks and water can provide a little boost or enjoyment for conference attendees, especially during long events or lectures. Hand out some branded snacks and water bottles attendees can enjoy during the conference, and send some home with them to share with their loved ones. Consider the following snack options for your next conference:

Swag Bag Ideas for Conferences and Events

Conference swag bags can delight conference attendees and increase brand awareness. You can hand out company swag bags at your next conference to delight attendees and ensure they remember your brand for days, weeks, and even years to come.

Self-Care Swag

Self-care is important, and conference attendees will appreciate items that show you care about their well-being. From branded first-aid kits to pampering spa kits, your target audience can think of your brand each time they care for their health or well-being. Other self-care swag ideas include the following:

Specific gear related to a conference theme is a fantastic choice if the conference is for a niche demographic or event. For example, you could hand out a branded pedometer, reusable water bottle, a strength resistance band set, and a drawstring backpack to each conference attendee if the conference is for a fitness event or a new fitness trend. Themed gear can help you promote your brand while increasing attendees' excitement about the conference's theme.

Cocktail Kit

A cocktail kit is an excellent way to help conference attendees unwind and enjoy time with friends, family, or coworkers. Whether attendees enjoy a drink during the conference or take their kit home to share with others, it's a creative type of promotional kit they can keep and reuse. A cocktail happy-hour kit can include the following items:

If your target audience is environmentally conscious and values conservation efforts, they will appreciate environmentally-friendly swag. You can create an environmentally-friendly swag bag by filling a tote bag with eco-friendly branded items such as reusable water bottles, eco-inspired notebooks, reusable lunchboxes, and eco-friendly bento boxes.

Snack Bag

Snacks are the perfect choice to fill event swag bags for companies. Fill a branded tote bag or promotional drawstring bag with delicious snacks to satisfy attendees throughout the day. Include enough snacks that attendees can enjoy bites throughout the entire conference, and try to include various snack items to delight individuals with different preferences.

Virtual Swag Bag Ideas

Many conferences are held virtually. However, a virtual conference is also a fantastic opportunity to provide your target audience with some branded merchandise. When a conference is virtual, you can choose virtual swag items that are easy to package and ship to conference attendees. Consider the following ideas for your next virtual event:

Reusable Tumbler or Water Bottle

A reusable tumbler or water bottle is a great easy-to-ship giveaway for virtual conference attendees. They can receive the water bottle or tumbler in the mail and keep it at their desk or remote workspace during the conference. Following the virtual conference, participants can continue using their tumbler or water bottle and think of your brand each time.

Tote Bag

A tote bag is another virtual swag idea that's easy to ship and incredibly practical. Virtual conference attendees will appreciate receiving a branded reusable tote bag in the mail and can use it frequently. Reusable tote bags are reliable and can remind your target audience that your company is also reliable. To make a tote bag even more useful, fill it with snacks, pens, a T-shirt and a tumbler.

Stationery and Office Supplies

Virtual conference attendees will appreciate fun stationery and office supplies for their remote conference space. Fill tote bags with office supplies such as branded writing tools, promotional stress balls, organizational tools, and convenient desk accessories.

Mouse Pad

Since most virtual conference attendees will use their personal laptops or remote workspaces to attend the conference, you can ship a branded mouse pad to each attendee. A promotional mouse pad will give them an attractive and practical desk accessory they can use both during and after the virtual conference. Give attendees extra special swag by choosing mouse pads with antimicrobial additives, wireless chargers, photo frames, or calendar surfaces they can write on.

Laptop Stand

A promotional laptop stand is another excellent item to add to a swag bag. Sending a laptop stand to virtual conference attendees gives them an item to safely store their laptops on their desks, which can prove incredibly helpful. They can keep this valuable storage item on their desks and think of your brand each time they tuck their laptop away.

Create the Ultimate Swag Bags With SourcePromo

Promotional giveaways can increase brand awareness and lead to more conversions. Live and virtual conferences are fantastic events to hand out promotional giveaways because you can reach so many individuals at once. Handing out promotional merchandise provides conference attendees with useful items they can continue to use long after the conference ends and think of your brand each time they do so. To choose the best event swag for your next conference, consider the event's theme and your target audience's interests.

Create the ultimate swag bags with SourcePromo. SourcePromo can provide your company with high-quality promotional merchandise to make your brand stand out from the crowd. From design to delivery, SourcePromo can help your company store, manage, and ship promotional items so you're ready for your next conference or virtual event.