Branded Merchandise for Conferences and Seminars

The conference merchandise that works is the kind delegates use during the day and take home: a notebook and pen for the sessions, a lanyard and badge, a bottle they can refill and a sturdy bag to carry it all. Give speakers and sponsors something a step up, agree sponsor branding early, and order against your registrations rather than the size of the room.

We supply branded merchandise for conferences and seminars across the UK. This guide covers what works for each group at a conference, how to handle sponsor logos, how many to order and how to have everything ready on the day.

What conference merchandise do delegates actually use?

The things they need during the sessions, and a bag to carry them in.

A notebook and pen. Used in every session and still on the desk the week after. See our notebooks, and our guide to the best promotional pens for pens that get kept.

A lanyard and name badge. Worn all day by everyone in the room, which makes the lanyard one of the most visible items at a conference. See our lanyards.

A reusable bottle. Refilled at the water station through the day, and a better choice than bottled water on the tables. See our mugs and bottles.

A bag to carry it all. A heavier cotton bag with a gusset, so it holds its shape with a programme, a notebook and a bottle inside. Our guide to branded bags beyond the cotton tote explains what stops a conference bag looking cheap.

A power bank. At a long conference where people are on their phones between sessions, it's an item delegates are glad of by mid afternoon. See our power banks.

What should speakers, sponsors and VIPs receive?

Something a step up from the delegate kit, chosen for use rather than show.

Speakers give their time, so their thank you should be better than the delegate kit. An engraved pen, an insulated travel mug or a quality notebook and pen all work well, presented properly with a card.

Sponsors are paying for visibility, so a gift that carries both brands suits them, and a thank you sent after the event is remembered better than one more item on a busy day.

Keep the branding discreet on anything at this level. Our guide to corporate gifts for clients and teams covers what makes a gift feel considered.

How do you add sponsor logos to conference merchandise?

Agree whose logo goes on which item before you request any proofs.

There are two common approaches. A sponsor can take a single item, such as the lanyard or the bag, which gives them the whole print area. Or several logos share an item, which needs a print area big enough for all of them to stay readable.

A few things stop sponsor branding slowing the order down:

• Collect vector logo files from sponsors early. Waiting on a sponsor's artwork is an easy way to lose time, so ask for it when the sponsorship is agreed.
• Check the print area. Every product page shows it, and a row of logos needs more room than one.
• Count the colours and positions. More logos usually means more colours or more print positions, which adds to the cost on screen and pad printed items.
• Share the proof. Send each sponsor the Visual Proof™ before you approve it, so nobody sees their logo for the first time at registration.

How do you make conference merchandise more sustainable?

Give fewer, better items, and avoid anything designed to be used once.

A refillable bottle in place of bottled water and lanyards made from recycled materials both cut waste without delegates feeling short changed. For notebooks, look for recycled paper, or FSC certified paper from responsibly managed forests. Letting delegates opt in to a bag at registration means you order the bags people actually want.

Look for the material or the standard on each product page rather than the word eco. Our guide to buying eco-friendly merchandise without the greenwashing explains what to check.

How do you have everything ready on the day?

Work back from the date you need the items in hand, and allow time to pack the bags.

Delegate bags have to be packed before the doors open, and packing a few hundred bags takes time. So the date that matters is the day you'll pack, rather than the day of the conference.

You'll see the current delivery date before you order, and your basket lets you choose the delivery option for each line, with a date against each. That lets you pick options for the bags, lanyards and notebooks whose dates land before your packing day, and the date you select at checkout is guaranteed and locked once your order is placed, subject to normal payment and order conditions.

If your date is close, our express range is the place to start. And name one person to approve each Visual Proof™, since waiting for sign off is an easy way to lose time.

What should you avoid at a conference?

• Novelty items. They get a laugh at registration and get left in the hotel room.
• Anything heavy, bulky or fragile. Delegates travelling home by train won't carry it.
• A dated design. The year on a lanyard or a bag means leftovers can't be used again.
• Thin bags. A bag that collapses when it's put down makes the whole kit look cheap.
• Heavy branding. A discreet logo on a good notebook gets used in public, while a notebook covered in logos stays at home.