Conference Swag Ideas to Wow Your Attendees
You might not know that the word "swag" is actually an acronym - it stands for "Stuff We All Get," which is the perfect description for the stickers, buttons, and other promotional gadgets we pick up at conventions!
Far from an afterthought, swag ideas for events and cons are often planned out months and months ahead of time, with an eye toward transforming casual event attendees into newbie brand advocates that will carry their swag impressions with them long after the event. With more conventions, it seems, surfacing every year - plus a host of existing "landmark" cons to attend, like PAX, TwitchCon, CES, Super Magfest, DragonCon, and an assortment of Comic-Cons - the role of swag is expanding, and offers new opportunities to connect with audiences in creative ways, on site or even virtually, to maximize your reach and impact.
Let's dig into the importance of conference swag; the elements that make it so effective; some currently trending swag ideas; and how you can use Fourthwall to create some mega-swanky swag for your own brand!
What is Conference Swag?
Conference swag is the branded merch and promotional items that are distributed at conferences and events. Swag serves to enhance brand visibility, generate a buzz, and create a memorable experience for attendees.
Swag items can take on many different forms, from practical tools that attendees can use daily (notebooks, pens, mugs) to unique keepsakes that remind them of the event, like foam swords, Lego minifigs, magnets, or custom-branded candy. Other examples include T-shirts, buttons and pins, branded swag bags to carry all of your swag around in, and even more high-end products like tech and eco-friendly gadgets.
The primary purpose of conference swag is to leave a lasting impression on those who collect it, reinforcing your brand’s message and encouraging long term engagement with you and your content/products. Whether it’s a reusable water bottle with your logo or a stylish drawstring backpack, the right swag items can really add some memorable hype to an attendee's con experience!
Why Does Conference Swag Matter for Content Creators?
Brand Visibility is the number one answer to that question! Think of swag items as mobile advertisements or miniature billboards, offering ongoing brand exposure as attendees use them in their daily lives. For content creators, this extended visibility is an excellent tool for growing and maintaining your fan base/audience.
Creative and useful swag can significantly boost a content creator's engagement with attendees, making the event more fun and leaving a bigger impression. Swag with your logo or brand on it means that con attendees (your new fans!) will take your swag items, and your brand, with them when they leave the con and go elsewhere. Using your branded tote bag, drinking from your custom mug, wearing your logo T-shirt, all of these actions create a longer-lasting connection with you and your content or business, and having your swag items out in the world circulates your brand around much farther than the reach of the con itself!
The Essential Elements of Conference Swag!
These elements of conference swag serve as an essential guide for helping you decide what types of swag to create and customize! Remember, you want to pass out swag that attendees will be excited about and will want to use: even if it's something as utilitarian as a pen, mug, or tote bag, you can make the design of that pen, mug, or tote bag so unique, fun, and interesting that people will see your swag floating around the con, and will put it on their "must get" list, increasing your visibility and generating extra hype around your brand!
Usefulness
Swag items that attendees will use regularly, such as notebooks, pens, and reusable water bottles, ensure that your brand has a great chance of becoming a part of your fans' everyday routines. There's a place for ephemeral items as well, like balloons or branded candies, but reusable items are the ones that have a good chance of being used and reused by the attendee, and seen by others who will ask where they got the cool swag!
Quality
Make sure your swag is high quality! No one wants a branded tote bag that's as flimsy as a plastic bag from a convenience store. Choosing high quality swag reflects the professionalism and value of your brand, and investing in well made, well designed items enhances your swag's perceived value. This both reflects back well on your brand, and also gives your fans swag with longevity, that they can use well after the con is over.
Branding and Customization
It's fun to mark a memorable occasion with some customized swag! Designing your swag specifically for your brand and the convention event adds a sense of collective camaraderie to your swag items, making them more impactful and adding future nostalgia. Customized swag items like tote bags or drinkware incorporating the event's logo into your design are great ways to create a cohesive con experience that includes your brand identity.
Sustainability
Eco-friendly swag both helps the planet, and resonates with environmentally-conscious attendees! Adding reusable and recycled items to your roster of swag aligns nicely with the growing sustainability needs, and also gives you the opportunity to design something a little different, including your branding on items like recycled paper notebooks, bamboo utensils, or mousepads made of recycled materials.
6 Trending Conference Swag Ideas for 2024
1. Tech Gadgets
Tech gadgets are always popular for their high perceived value and glam factor! These items not only serve practical needs but also often improve the con experience, making them a top choice for swag ideas. Some tech items that lend themselves well to branding include wireless charges, mobile phone cases and PopSockets, portable chargers, cable winders, webcam covers, mini flashlights, and wireless earbuds/earbud cases.
2. Eco-Friendly Products
Sustainability is more important than ever these days, which is why eco-friendly swag is also in high demand. These items not only reduce environmental impact, but also align with the values of many con attendees. Recycled paper items like notebooks and adult coloring books are a great place to start, as are reusable fabric swag gear like tote bags. Other cool eco-friendly swag items include recycled plastic frisbees, aluminum water bottles, and recycled plastic pens.
3. Wearables
Wearable items like custom hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, and lanyards are always a big hit! They offer a trendy way for attendees to show their affiliation with your brand, especially if the designs are noticeably on trend. Theming your branded apparel to the event is also a great tactic; for instance, if the convention takes place in a snowy location, offer branded mittens and pom-pom beanies. If the locale is hot, offer up cooling headbands, light cotton logo tees, tank tops, and branded flip flops.
4. Wellness Items
Wellness-related swag items cater to the "good for us all" interests of health and well-being. These items are practical and thoughtful, which reflects back on your brand to showcase that you care about your fans and customers. Some items that fall into this category (all of which you can, of course, branded with your logo) include stress balls, luxury hand sanitizers, yoga mats, cooling gel packs, eye masks, face masks, and sunscreen/sunglasses combos.
5. Custom Drinkware
Tumblers, water bottles, blender bottles, coffee mugs and latte mugs - these drinkware selections are all also versatile swag items that attendees can use daily, keeping them - and your brand! - front and center in your fan's daily life. Complementary swag ideas in this category include bottle openers, branded can coozie cooler sleeves and drink coasters, and spiral or corkscrew straws.
6. Interactive Swag
Interactive items really stand out as swag, as they offer unique experiences that can engage con attendees in a memorable way, creating buzz and increasing engagement. AR-based apps can get fans moving around the con looking for AR stickers or scavenger hunt items, while QR code-enabled gifts like keychains or luggage tags serve double purpose by being something useful that also ties the attendees back to your brand in an unusual way; the QR code could even lead to a sales coupon or special offer only accessible by using that particular QR code.
How to Distribute Swag for Maximum Impact
Pre-Event Swag
And so it begins! Sending swag to attendees before the event builds anticipation and excitement for both the upcoming event itself, and for your brand! Getting your swag ahead of time means they can wear it or bring it to the con, which gets your promotional efforts revved up from the very start. This strategy can also be particularly effective for virtual events, where physical items help create a tangible connection that wouldn't be there otherwise.
On Site Swag Stations
Setting up stations where attendees can pick up their swag is a great choice, as it allows them to choose the items that they actually want! This approach not only saves on waste, but also ensures that attendees receive items they will use and appreciate; having a few friendly faces at the swag stations from your side of things ensures a personal connection, and also discourages people from grabbing a few too many items.
Post-Event Swag
Sending swag after the event serves as a great follow-up, reinforcing your brand’s message and keeping the event fresh in your fans' minds. This strategy can be particularly effective for extending the impact of the event and maintaining engagement, especially after a short (one day) event where your opportunities to connect may be minimized simply due to time constraints.
Maximize Your Conference Swag with Fourthwall!
Not only can you design an entire line of conference swag on your custom Fourthwall website and shop, but you can also have all of your swag available after the event for purchase, so those who get FOMO can still be part of the fun (and further promote your brand!) This flexibility maximizes your sales ops, and also makes it easy for attendees to buy your swag items.
With Fourthwall, you can upload plenty of images and create detailed product pages for your swag, price it as you choose, and have print on demand items sent directly from your Fourthwall site to your fans, without you having to manage shipping or hold any inventory.
Now that you've used your great swag to bring in new fans, keep them on your Fourthwall site by getting them further involved! On your Fourthwall site, you can sell exclusive memberships, post blogs, connect to your socials, share video content, accept tips, send DMs, and bring even more people over from YouTube Shopping and TikTok Shop! Now that's maximizing your swag - get started on Fourthwall today!