What to Put in a Delegate Bag for a Conference
What goes in a one-day delegate bag and what to leave out, how to handle sponsor inserts, and why the bag matters more...
What goes in a one-day delegate bag and what to leave out, how to handle sponsor inserts, and why the bag matters more than the contents.
A one-day delegate bag needs four things: something to write with and on, something to drink, whatever practical information delegates need on the day, and one item worth taking home. Anything beyond that is usually filler, and filler is what makes a bag heavy enough to abandon.
Here is how to think about each part.
The bag itself is the important bit
Most of what goes in a delegate bag is used on the day and then thrown away. The bag is the thing that survives, gets reused, and carries your event's name around for the next couple of years.
Which means the bag is where the budget should go. A good cotton tote or a proper conference bag costs more than a cheap non-woven one and is the difference between something that gets used for the weekly shop and something that goes in a bin at the station.
Two practical points. Weight matters more than people expect, because a heavy bag gets left under a chair. And do not seal it, because delegates want to see what is inside before they decide whether to carry it
What to put in it
A notebook. The single most used item in any delegate bag. People take notes, and a notebook with a decent cover and paper heavy enough not to bleed through is the item most likely to still be in use in March. Our guide to custom printed notebooks covers how to choose one.
A pen. Obvious, and still frequently forgotten. One good pen beats three cheap ones.
A water bottle. Solves a real problem at a venue where the water station is at the other end of the building, and it is the second most likely item to go home and stay in use. Our guide to branded drinkware covers the choice between types.
The practical information. The agenda, the floor plan, the wifi code, the times. This is the part delegates genuinely need and it is best as one printed item rather than four. See the section on sponsors below.
Something to eat. A snack in the bag is unglamorous and reliably appreciated, particularly at events where lunch is late.
One premium item, if the budget allows. A power bank is the strongest option, because everybody's phone is flat by mid-afternoon at a conference. Our guide to branded power banks and USB sticks covers what to check before ordering them.
The identification kit, if it is not being handed out separately. Lanyard, pass and badge. Our event buying guide for lanyards, wristbands and badges covers the specification.
What to leave out
The rule that does the most work: if two things in the bag do the same job, cut one. Two pens, two notepads, a leaflet and a brochure saying the same thing. Every duplicate adds weight and subtracts from the perceived value of everything else.
Also worth leaving out:
- Anything with the year printed on it, unless you want it discarded in January.
- Novelty items. They are opened, laughed at and left on the table.
- Anything fragile, because the bag will be put down heavily at least once.
- Paper that could be a QR code. Delegates photograph the agenda anyway.
- Anything the venue already provides. Check before you order a hundred notepads the hotel is also putting in the room.
Sponsor inserts, and how to handle them
Sponsors want their material in the bag. It is often part of what they paid for, and left unmanaged it is the single fastest way to turn a considered delegate bag into a recycling bin.
Three things that work.
Cap the number in the sponsorship agreement, in writing, before anyone asks. One insert per sponsor is normal and easy to hold to when it was agreed months earlier.
Ask for something useful rather than a leaflet. Most sponsors will happily supply a branded pen, a notepad or a snack instead of an A4 sheet, and it costs them the same. Delegates keep the first and bin the second, so the sponsor gets more from it too.
Put the paper in one place. A single printed programme carrying the agenda, the floor plan and a page per sponsor does the job of a dozen loose sheets, weighs less and looks considerably better.
What to spend per head
The bands below are indicative and are there to help you set a level rather than to quote a price. Every product page shows its own price at the quantity you enter.
Indicative bands, checked August 2026.
| Per delegate | What that buys |
|---|---|
| Under £5 | A basic tote, a pen, a notepad and the printed information |
| £5 to £12 | A better bag, a proper notebook, a good pen, a snack and the printed information |
| £12 to £25 | A quality conference bag, a notebook, a pen, a water bottle and the printed information |
| £25 and above | The above plus a premium item such as a power bank, usually for speakers, sponsors or VIP delegates |
Mixing tiers works well. A standard bag for all delegates and an upgraded one for speakers and sponsors is normal, costs less than upgrading everybody, and nobody minds because the roles are different.
When to order
Allow at least three to four weeks for a full delegate bag, and longer if you are ordering several product lines that need to arrive together. The constraint is rarely one product, it is coordinating five of them onto the same delivery date.
Order the bag first if anything is tight, because it is the item everything else goes inside and the one you cannot substitute at the last minute.
To see what is available, browse our conference merchandise range or our tote bags. Tell us your delegate numbers and budget per head and we will tell you what we would order.