How to Choose Promotional Products for an Event
Discover practical tips on selecting effective promotional products for various events, tailored to audience, budget...
Discover practical tips on selecting effective promotional products for various events, tailored to audience, budget, and event format.
Choosing the right promotional products for an event comes down to four things: your audience, your budget per head, your lead time and what you want people to do with the item after the day is over.
This guide walks through each of those in turn so you can brief a supplier confidently and avoid the most common mistakes.
Start with your audience, not the product
The biggest mistake in event merchandise buying is starting with the product. Starting with the audience gives you a much shorter list of useful options.
Ask yourself:
Who are they? Delegates at a professional conference have different tastes from students at a freshers fair or guests at a charity gala.
What will they have with them? Someone arriving with a laptop bag can take a notebook. Someone in smart evening wear cannot carry a tote bag all night.
What do they already have too many of? Pens and stress balls are the most over-supplied items at events. If everyone else is giving them out, yours will get lost in the pile.
What would they actually use? Think about the 48 hours after the event. What will still be on the desk, in the bag or in daily rotation by the following Monday?
Match the product to the event format
Different event types call for different product choices. Here is a quick guide:
| Event type | Products that work well | Products to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Conference or seminar | Notebooks, pens, tote bags, lanyards, power banks | Novelty items, food, anything fragile |
| Exhibition or trade show | Tote bags, tech accessories, reusable bottles | Heavy items, items that take up too much stand space |
| Corporate away day or team event | Branded apparel, drinkware, outdoor accessories | Desk items (people are not at their desks) |
| Charity or fundraising event | Eco products, wristbands, reusable items | High-cost items that raise questions about spend |
| Product launch | Premium items, tech, branded packaging | Generic giveaways that do not reflect the brand tier |
| Freshers fair or campus event | Low-cost high-volume items, bags, stationery | Premium items (high theft risk, wrong audience fit) |
Work out your budget per head 💰
Your total merchandise budget divided by your expected attendance gives you the unit cost to work with. This number drives almost every other decision.
Under £1 per head: Pens, badges, stickers, lanyards
£1 to £3 per head: Notebooks, tote bags, basic drinkware
£3 to £7 per head: Mid-range tech accessories, quality drinkware, eco products
£7 to £15 per head: Power banks, premium notebooks, branded apparel
£15 and above: Premium branded products, gift sets, tech items
If your budget per head is lower than the minimum order value for a product you want, check whether there is a similar product with a lower threshold. Most suppliers, including us, have options at most price points.
Factor in lead time before you brief anyone
The earlier you start, the more choice you’ll have. However, if time is tight, don’t panic. We offer some of the industry’s quickest lead times on promotional products and branded merchandise.
4 weeks or more: You’ll have plenty of choice across our full range, with time to consider different products and make changes to your Visual Proof™.
2 to 3 weeks: Most of our range will still be available, including a wide choice of products and branding options.
1 to 2 weeks: You’ll still have plenty of options, but check the guaranteed delivery date shown on each product page before ordering.
Under 1 week: Head straight to our Express Merchandise range. Selected products can be branded and delivered in as little as two working days. We always show the quickest available lead time and your exact guaranteed delivery date online.
Check your Visual Proof™ carefully
Before you order, request a free Visual Proof™ to see how your branding will look on the product. Our in-house design team will create a digital mock-up, usually within 20 minutes, and you can request as many changes as you need.
When reviewing your Visual Proof™, check:
- Your logo’s size and position
- The colours, particularly if your brand uses specific Pantone references
- Any text, URLs or taglines for spelling and accuracy
- That the branding method, such as printing, embroidery or engraving, is right for the finish you want
Once you’re happy, simply add the product to your basket and check out online. Your approved Visual Proof™ gives our team clear guidance when preparing the final production artwork.