TeachHerSales: Branded Tote Bags for a Free Women in Tech Sales Event

On 16 October 2026, TeachHerSales, a career accelerator and community for women in tech sales, hosted its first free, in-person community event in London, bringing together women at different stages of their tech sales careers. To support the occasion, Hotline sponsored 100 black branded tote bags, featuring two-colour printing on both sides. The bags were handed to guests at registration as welcome gifts, adding a practical and professional touch to an event focused on building confidence and creating career opportunities.

Helping women build successful careers in tech sales

TeachHerSales is a career accelerator and community supporting women who want to enter or progress within business-to-business technology sales. Its founder, Eniola Akanbi, knew the challenges first-hand. Having made her own move into tech sales, she recognised how difficult the industry could be to enter without existing connections or insider knowledge, particularly when the career routes, terminology and expectations aren't always clear.

As she began supporting other women through similar moves, Eniola realised there was an opportunity to make that guidance more widely available. She has personally supported more than 100 women in securing tech sales roles through training and career guidance, and today, TeachHerSales' 12-week programme covers everything from CV preparation, LinkedIn positioning and interview skills to sales fundamentals, practical role-playing exercises and ongoing career support. Eniola wanted to take that support further, reaching women who might not yet be part of the TeachHerSales community.

Creating career opportunities without financial barriers

TeachHerSales made its first in-person event completely free to attend, unlike its structured career development programme. Eniola wanted to give women an accessible opportunity to learn directly from professionals already working in the industry, regardless of their experience or financial circumstances. As she explains:

Inside Tech Sales: How to Break In & Build Your Career took place on Friday 16 October 2026, from 2pm to 6pm, at Kindling, in the MediaWorks building at White City, London. It brought together women exploring their first technology sales role alongside experienced professionals considering their next career move. Two panel discussions covered the practicalities of entering tech sales and the skills, relationships and commercial awareness needed to progress, with speakers sharing insights into recruitment, professional visibility, confidence and leadership.

One particularly valuable message was about what helps a career progress once sales targets are being met consistently. Attendees were encouraged to build relationships across their organisations, seek specific feedback, understand the wider commercial impact of their work and take ownership of their professional development.

The discussions also explored imposter syndrome and the importance of approaching sales conversations authentically, including having the confidence to challenge customers constructively when necessary. For those attending, the chance to ask questions directly and learn from real experiences offered something beyond the usual online career advice.

An event that kept the conversations going

Inside Tech Sales exceeded Eniola's expectations, with a strong turnout, a welcoming atmosphere and genuine enthusiasm for continuing conversations once the panel discussions had finished. Attendees stayed to speak with the speakers, exchange contact details and make new professional connections. As Eniola puts it:

That potential became clear in the feedback Eniola received after the event. One attendee contacted her the following day to say she'd left feeling more confident about her career prospects. Having heard one of the speakers discuss her organisation, the attendee had added that company to her list of preferred employers, and she'd developed a practical plan to reconnect with people she'd met and learn more about potential opportunities.

For Eniola, that attendee's response was exactly what the event was intended to achieve: helping women turn inspiration into meaningful action.

There was also a particularly rewarding moment involving a TeachHerSales team member who volunteered on the day. Two years earlier, she had approached Eniola while working in recruitment and looking for a career change, and with Eniola's support, she secured a Sales Development Representative (SDR) role before progressing into an Account Executive position. Now supporting partnerships for TeachHerSales, she was helping deliver an event designed to create similar opportunities for other women, a compelling example of how individual career support can grow into a wider professional community.

How branded tote bags contributed to the attendee experience

The branded tote bags were TeachHerSales' welcome gift, handed to guests at registration, so the merchandise was part of the event from the moment people arrived. Eniola wanted the experience to reflect what the event stood for, and that included merchandise that would feel like a thoughtful gift rather than a disposable promotional giveaway.

Hotline sponsored 100 black tote bags, each featuring two-colour branding on both sides. Obimi CIC used tote bags in the same way at Pause and Reset, its wellbeing day for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities, where every attendee was handed one on arrival.

As guests moved around the venue, listened to speakers and networked with one another, the bags helped create a consistent visual identity. Just as importantly, they were something people could take home and keep using.

Why the design mattered

The design mattered because TeachHerSales has a clear vision for its brand identity. Eniola wanted the merchandise to feel modern, confident and professional, without becoming overly corporate or relying on traditionally feminine design conventions.

The black bags provided a versatile base, allowing the two-colour print to stand out while keeping the overall appearance clean and understated. As Eniola explains:

The response from attendees was just as encouraging. Eniola received numerous positive comments about the bags throughout the event, with guests appearing genuinely excited to receive them, and attendees were seen carrying their bags around the venue and taking them home afterwards.

That's one of the advantages of branded tote bags for events such as conferences, networking evenings and community initiatives: a reusable bag gives attendees something that can stay useful after the occasion itself. For TeachHerSales, the bags also represented the organisation's professional identity and the community it was building.

Why merchandise sponsorship matters for free community events

Merchandise sponsorship matters for a free event because organising one comes with unavoidable costs, even when nobody is paying to attend. Venue arrangements, speakers, event materials and the overall attendee experience all require planning and resources.

For TeachHerSales, removing the ticket price was a deliberate decision to make the event more accessible. Having a merchandise partner meant Eniola could provide a thoughtful welcome gift without diverting resources away from other parts of the event. As she puts it:

That's where merchandise sponsorship differs from conventional advertising, because its value lies in providing something that benefits the people attending. In this case, Hotline's contribution supported a free community initiative organised by a commercial career development business, rather than its paid programme.

For organisations planning similar events, useful merchandise can help create a more polished experience while keeping costs manageable. For the sponsor, it's a practical, relevant way to become involved in a worthwhile initiative.

Eniola encourages other businesses to consider what they could contribute, even when they don't have a large sponsorship budget. Support might involve merchandise, access to a venue, professional expertise, speakers or opportunities for participants to connect with industry employers, and the important factor is whether that contribution meets a genuine need.

What other event organisers can learn from TeachHerSales

TeachHerSales' event offers four useful lessons for anyone choosing promotional merchandise for an event.

Think about when attendees will receive it. By giving the tote bags to guests at registration, TeachHerSales made the merchandise part of the welcome and made sure it was visible throughout the event.

Choose something people will want to keep. A practical, reusable bag has a potential life beyond a single event, because its value comes from being useful.

Make the branding consistent with your organisation. The black base and two-colour design helped the bags reflect the professional, modern identity Eniola wanted to communicate.

Consider partnerships that add real value. Merchandise sponsorship can help improve an event experience without putting additional pressure on the organiser's budget.

Our guide to choosing promotional products for an event explores how to match merchandise to your audience, budget and event format.

What's next for TeachHerSales?

Following the positive response to its first in-person event, TeachHerSales is looking at ways to create more opportunities for women to learn from people in the industry and develop their careers. Its 12-week career development programme will remain central to its work, alongside continued growth of the TeachHerSales Mentor Network.

Eniola is also exploring deeper partnerships with technology companies, including potential employer-led sessions, insight days and internships. Another development in progress is an AI career and sales coach for TeachHerSales members and alumni, intended to give them opportunities to practise interviews, discovery calls and other sales scenarios between coaching sessions. These initiatives are at different stages of development, but the mission remains the same: helping women access tech sales careers and develop the confidence and skills to succeed.

Small contributions can help create bigger opportunities

Even a relatively modest contribution can help an organiser deliver something thoughtful and memorable, while supporting an initiative with wider community value. For Eniola, the most rewarding part of Inside Tech Sales was seeing women leave with greater confidence, new professional relationships and practical ideas for their next career steps.

We're delighted to have played a small part in that experience by supplying the branded tote bags. As Eniola puts it:

Choosing merchandise for your own event

Well-chosen merchandise can help make a conference, networking session, careers fair or community gathering more memorable, especially when it's something guests will keep using. Explore our range of personalised tote bags, including bags printed on both sides, or read our ideas on the best promotional tote bags for businesses.

A free Visual Proof™ shows how your branding will look on a promotional product before you commit to an order. Our in-house designers put your logo on the product and send it back with the price and delivery date, usually in around 20 minutes during working hours, and you can ask for as many changes as you need before you decide.

To find out who we sponsor and how to apply, see our sponsorship page and our guide to Hotline's Sponsorship Programme. When you've found the right product, request a free Visual Proof™ to see your logo on it before you order.