In-person events are back, and they’re coming on the scene in full force. According to one survey, 72% of respondents say in-person events are an important part of their marketing strategy. And 95% of marketers agree that events help achieve business goals.
Planning a corporate event requires careful consideration and time. Whether it’s a smaller occasion, like a workshop or shareholder meeting, or a large-scale event, like a gala or trade show, you’ll need ample time to coordinate all the necessary elements, including a strategy for your event swag ideas.
Research conducted by the Advertising Specialties Institute shows that promotional items are the most highly viewed form of advertising among consumers—even more than TV or digital ads. In this blog post, we will explore four ideas to make your next corporate event more memorable and leave an impact on attendees that lasts long after they walk out the door at the end of the day.
Ideas to keep the buzz going after an event
- Connect content and giveaways to the event theme
- Deliver the unexpected with unique experiences and gifts
- Prepare your audience for every scenario with event swag
- Use strategic giveaways to engage attendees
Connect content and giveaways to the event theme
Whether you’re planning an event, or just planning to exhibit at one, playing into its established theme can increase the impact of your presence. Giveaways and décor that tie into the content that the attendees have been seeing in pre-show communications add credibility to your message and are more likely to stick in the minds of participants.
Hosting a Mardi Gras event or masquerade ball? Adorn your space with touches of silk and velvet. Fill glass vases with colorful feathers or beads as centerpieces that can be raffled off at the end of the event. Assemble gift bags with brightly colored masks and beaded necklaces that can be set at each place setting.
Deliver the unexpected with unique experiences and gifts
Brands are constantly challenged with the task of remaining exciting and relevant. When going to a trade show, for example, you may feel like you can imagine what you’ll experience before you even walk in the door—for instance, a large event center with bright lights and carpeted floors. If you’re able to deliver an opposing experience, you can better connect with your target audience.
Consider bringing the outside indoors when exhibiting at a long event where attendees may be missing the sun. Fill your booth with elements from the outdoors to make an unexpected and lasting impression. Transform your booth into a beautiful outdoor setting. Imprint a backdrop with majestic mountains and surround it with faux plants and trees. Set up camping chairs around a mock fire pit, complete with delicious S’more kits and mugs of cocoa. Light your area with lanterns that can double as giveaways for visitors who agree to sit down for a meeting or schedule a sales call.
Want to provide something unexpected at your next appreciation event? Bring the beach to your audience by covering your floor in sand. Pipe in tropical music and place beach chairs and blankets on the floor for seating. Set up a net and challenge attendees to a round of beach volleyball. Consider event giveaway ideas, like Flip Flop Mint Tins, to commemorate the day.
Prepare your audience for every scenario with event swag
As the famous scout motto says, always be prepared. If you’re able to help your target audience by providing useful products in moments of forgetfulness, your brand will remain a hero in their minds. One survey found that 75% of people will keep a promotional product for longer than five years if they find the item to be useful. And close to 40% will keep a giveaway as a memento to remember an event. Consider how you can equip your audience now, and in the future, with event giveaways that are handy and memorable.
Planning an employee onboarding or training event? Prepare attendees with a welcome kit that’s loaded with essential office supplies, plus nice-to-have items, like a pre-stocked desk organizer, office supply pouch and company-branded mug with straw.
Speaking at a large conference? Bring giveaways that people often forget when traveling for business. A travel kit, filled with a variety of hygiene items, saves the day for travelers who forgot their amenity bag. And phone chargers or ear buds are sure to come in handy throughout the day and beyond.
Hosting a dinner event? Don’t let an outfit mishap rain on anyone’s parade. Sewing kits come in handy to reattach a fallen button or repair small rips or tears. And stain pens save the day (and someone’s favorite blouse) when a rogue meatball rolls off a plate.
Use strategic giveaways to engage attendees
Forty-five percent of event organizers measure their success by attendee engagement. Getting creative with your event swag ideas can help get people engaged with your brand during and after the big day.
Are there guests who you want to make sure you connect with at the event? Or people who you think would enjoy sitting next to each other? Think strategically about your seating arrangements to make it happen.
Write guests’ names and table numbers on something unique to use as a place card—for instance, a chalkboard tumbler. Or place a mason jar at each table and fill each one with a different snack, for instance cashews, jellybeans or chocolate-covered pretzels. Hand each guest an individually wrapped snack with their name on it that coordinates with snacks at the table they’ll be seated at.
Stay top of mind at your next event with exciting giveaway ideas
By implementing out-of-the-box strategies and ideas like these, you can make your next event more memorable and leave a lasting impression on attendees. With a little extra planning, and one or more of these memorable event giveaway ideas, your audience is sure to remember the day, long after your event is over.