If you’ve ever walked the floor of a busy trade show or conference, you know the drill. Booths blend together, conversations blur, and swag ends up in a tote bag — or the trash — before the day is over. But some brands stand out.
Sometimes it’s because they hand you something that actually matters — something useful, thoughtful, or worth talking about. But more often, it’s because the giveaway is tied to a larger plan. It’s not just a gift. It’s part of a conversation.
A smart giveaway strategy can attract the right people, start meaningful interactions, and make your brand hard to forget. The key is knowing how to use promotional products with purpose.
Why Giveaways Still Work — When Done Right
Promotional items aren’t a new idea. But they’ve stayed relevant for good reason. According to PPAI, Promotional Products Association International, 8 out of 10 people remember the branding on a product they’ve received. That kind of recall is rare in marketing. Even better — many people keep these items for months or even years, long after the event ends. I can list off my top three favorite giveaways that I’ve received:
1. Thanks Matters Tee. I love the t-shirt for so many reasons. It’s the softest tee I own, and I earned it from playing a game and receiving a demo in the branded exhibit at HR Tech a few years ago. It’s in a neutral gray color that anyone can wear confidently. The design is simple, and the message is clear. The t-shirt says the name of the brand on it with one word in blue and the other in white in a pleasing font. Thanks Matters. And for someone who values gratitude, I wear it with that message, knowing that should I ever want to create a more robust employee appreciation program, I’ll reach out to Thanks Matters first.
2. ProCore Technologies Hat. What makes this hat so special is the experience that came with it. I got to select the type of hat, the patch, and its location on site while the Hat Bar-tender heat pressed it on for me. The hat bar was in an exclusive area of the booth and I left feeling important and fashionable. I may never have a need for Construction Project Management software, but I wouldn’t hesitate to tell the contractors that come to my home to look into it.
3. Ghost Ranch Communications Yeti water bottle. Ghost Ranch displayed at the Experiential Marketing Summit and handed out premium water bottles to potentially high-value attendees after a conversation with their sales team. This water bottle is MY water bottle and it’s the best one I’ve ever owned. It’s got the exact dimensions and features that I like in a water bottle, and I haven’t found one that compares with this Yeti Rambler to date. And best of all, every time I take a sip, I see the Ghost Ranch logo reminding me that my presentations and pitches can always be enhanced with their services.
Not surprisingly, the three items that I listed off are the top three sales categories for promotional items. That’s because apparel and drinkware are items that everyone consistently uses. I swear up and down that I did not go and find these products before writing about them. They are truly meaningful to me. And your promotional items can resonate with your attendees in the exact same way. But that only happens when the giveaway feels intentional. Pens that don’t write? Tossed. Tote bags with logos too loud to carry in public? Stashed and forgotten. When giveaways miss the mark, they don’t help your brand — they hurt it. So how do you make sure yours does the opposite?
Step 1: Set the Goal Before You Pick the Product
Every giveaway should have a reason behind it. Is your main focus to:
• Bring more people to the booth?
• Spark real conversations with qualified leads?
• Gather contact information?
• Reward existing customers?
• Launch or promote something new?
The purpose should shape every part of your approach, from the item you pick to how you present it.
Pro Tip: Match your giveaway tiers to your goals. Lower-cost items can help drive volume (Thanks Matters Tee), while high-value gifts can be used selectively for the most promising conversations or follow-ups (Yeti Rambler Water Bottle).
Step 2: Choose Products That Align with What You Do
A great promotional product doesn’t just carry your logo — it makes sense for your brand. Think beyond the usual pens and stickers. If you’re a tech company, a portable charger or webcam cover may be more appropriate. A wellness brand might go for reusable water bottles, sleep masks, or travel-friendly vitamin containers. The Advertising Specialty Institute reports that people are most likely to keep products that are useful — and the more often they use them, the more they’ll remember who gave it to them. Before ordering, ask yourself:
• Will people actually use this?
• Does it feel like something we would be proud to hand out?
• Does it reflect the kind of business we are?
If the answer is no, it’s time to rethink.
Step 3: Make It an Experience, not a Grab-and-Go (Can I get an Amen?!?)
Giveaways must do more than sit in a bowl on the table. I don’t believe in handing anything out for free. When integrated into your booth plan, giveaways can help drive conversations. Here are a few ideas:
1. Require Interaction
Instead of giving away items to anyone walking by, offer them after a short quiz, survey, demo, or conversation. It helps qualify leads and creates more meaningful engagement. Example: A company that offers data security might ask attendees to guess how many cyber threats hit small businesses each year. After answering, they receive a branded webcam cover and a follow-up email with the correct answer and a related resource.
2. Use Giveaways to Guide People Through a Journey
Some companies use giveaways as part of a larger activation. Visit multiple touchpoints or complete specific tasks and then collect a gift. This approach works well for product launches or awareness campaigns.
3. Offer Tiered Items Based on Action
Save your best giveaways for those who take real interest. For example, someone who scans a badge might get a sticker or pen. Book a follow-up meeting? Now they get the good stuff — like wireless earbuds, travel mugs, or a curated gift box. Consider a branded storefront that makes it easy for your team to send premium items to leads post-event, which is great if you don’t want to ship everything to the show floor.
Step 4: Make It Feel Personal — Even If It’s Not Custom-Made
People remember what makes them feel seen. Even if your items aren’t personalized, your approach can be. That could mean offering a choice of giveaway — letting attendees pick between a few items based on what fits them best. (Think of an in-booth or at-event pop-up shop.) Or it might involve handing a gift to someone with a message that connects the item to their needs. Example: “Since you mentioned your team travels often, this luggage tag and tech organizer might come in handy.”
You can also segment your strategy. Maybe existing customers get something different from new prospects. Or enterprise decision-makers receive a higher-end gift than general attendees. The trick is to make the giveaway feel like part of the conversation, not a reward for simply stopping by.
Step 5: Add a Digital Layer to Extend the Interaction
What happens after the event is just as important as what happens on the floor. One way to keep the momentum going is to tie your giveaway to a digital action:
• Use a QR code on the product that leads to a landing page or custom offer
• Add a short URL that links to a video, guide, or case study
• Include a hashtag and encourage attendees to post a photo with their item on social media
• Use tech apparel like hats with NFC tags to drive traffic to a website
Tools like Beaconstac (Now Uniqode) make it easy to create QR codes and track how many people interact with your post-event content. Bonus: these tools help you measure what’s working — and what’s not — so your strategy gets better over time.
Step 6: Track the Outcome, Not Just the Effort
It’s easy to focus on how many items you gave away. But a more useful metric is what those giveaways led to.
Ask questions like:
• How many leads did the giveaway help attract?
• How many of those turned into follow-up calls or meetings?
• Did any recipients engage with our post-event content?
• Are there noticeable patterns in what worked best?
If you’re investing thousands of dollars in product, shipping, and time, tracking results should be part of the plan. Platforms like Bizzabo and Aventri offer tools that help connect swag to lead generation, meeting outcomes, and post-show marketing efforts.
Pro Tip: Don’t Forget the Booth Staff!
No swag strategy is complete without the right team behind the table. Your staff should:
• Understand the giveaway tiers
• Know how to qualify attendees
• Be trained on how to use giveaways to start conversations, not end them
• Have talking points that tie the item to your product/service
When your team is aligned and energized, every giveaway becomes a gateway to deeper engagement.
What’s Popular Right Now? (And What to Skip)
Preferences shift quickly, and attendees have seen it all. Here are a few product categories that are gaining attention — along with a few that feel tired.
Gaining Momentum
We talked about hats, apparel, and drinkware, but these items are also popular:
• Tech items: portable chargers, cable organizers, wireless accessories
• Desk tools: magnetic phone stands, smart notebooks, webcam covers
• Sustainable products: bamboo utensils, compostable bags, reusable straws
• Wellness gifts: hand creams, blue-light glasses, travel pill cases
• Quality over quantity: fewer items, but ones people genuinely want
Losing Steam
• Basic plastic pens (unless they write like a dream)
• Stress balls
• Overly loud branded apparel
• Flash drives (most people use cloud storage)
• Items that look disposable or poorly made
A Real Example: From Freebies to Follow-Ups
A fintech startup recently attended a national business conference. In past years, they handed out custom socks and stickers — honestly, not bad products, but there was no concrete strategy and they needed something different.
So they changed it up.
• Booth visitors were invited to take a two-minute quiz about their financial habits.
• Based on their results, they received one of three branded kits (e.g., budget-friendly travel gear, work-from-home upgrades, or on-the-go snack kits).
• Participants scanned a QR code to enter a prize draw, which led to a short landing page and follow-up email.
• If they scheduled a demo within a week, they received a premium set of wireless earbuds in the mail.
The result? More than 3x the number of follow-up meetings compared to previous years — and much stronger brand recognition on social media.
Common Pitfalls That Undercut Your Strategy
1. Picking the Wrong Item
It may be tempting to go with the cheapest item in the catalog. But if it doesn’t reflect your brand or doesn’t last, it can be a waste.
2. Skipping the Conversation
If giveaways are self-serve, you’re missing a key opportunity. Don’t let the product do all the talking.
3. No Plan for What Comes Next
If you’re not collecting leads or offering a call to action, even the best item won’t move the needle. Make sure you have a follow-up plan in place before the event starts.
Takeaways to Build On
Promotional products can open doors, spark conversations, and keep your brand in the picture long after an event ends. But it all depends on how you use them. Start with the reason, not the item. Think about how your giveaway fits into the larger picture — and use it as a tool to build relationships, not just attract foot traffic. And remember: it’s not about giving away stuff. It’s about building trust, one small interaction at a time.
Christina Piedlow, TPG’s CEO
Want a Smarter Giveaway Plan for Your Next Event? If you’re planning an event and want to make every item count — we’re here to help. We can work with your team to source the right products, build out a booth strategy, and tie it all back to your bigger marketing goals. Whether it’s one event or a full-year calendar, you don’t need to go it alone. Let’s talk about what’s possible when every giveaway serves a purpose. And if you would like this turned into a downloadable PDF, a slide deck for your team, or repurposed into a shorter LinkedIn post, let us know too! Contact us, or Christina directly: [email protected]