by Heather Rykowski

Convention gifts are one of the greatest points of attraction for event attendees as they expect to receive some sort of gift bag or promotional swag during the event. When done right, these gifts can keep on giving, as long as they are thoughtfully designed.  Make sure you also consider the following 5 tips when ordering convention gifts.

1)  Create a Budget That Will Ensure Quality

Establishing a budget is essential when choosing gift items for a convention. Event planners should always budget to ensure that the gift items given are of high quality so that they will be well received. Useless or poor quality gifts leave the recipient feeling as if the gift wasn’t important.

2)  Create a Thorough List of Gift Recipients

Convention organizers need to ensure that they will never run short of gift items. Each individual involved with a conference typically receives a convention gift. This includes everyone such as the volunteers, all of the participants, and the attendees. Making a list prior to the conference allows organizers to properly prepare for the expected amount of gift items required to fulfill such a large event.

3) Order Well in Advance

Organizers must consider the amount of products they need, delivery dates, and shipping requirements to make sure that the gifts arrive on time and on budget.  If you are including custom branded items, which you should be, additional time may be needed for artwork preparation and production.

4)  Monitor and Track Gift Responses

Organizers should pay particular attention to how the recipients respond to each item in the convention gift. Ask for feedback from the event attendees to determine how the items were perceived. Successful products should be noted for future use while items that appear to be thrown away or unused should be disregarded for upcoming events.

5)  Work with someone who has Gift Design Expertise

Many companies, including mine, offer corporate gift services intended for conferences. Organizers should conduct thorough research to find a gift design company that has a proven track record in providing quality, customized gift items. They also must be able to accommodate any size order, from 1 to 1,000’s.

As a designer for custom gifts for conventions, conferences, and other business events, I understand your needs.  Feel free to contact me with questions about promotional gifting or if you need assistance with promotional marketing products.