Industry Confidential

Industry Confidential

Check in every issue for the unfiltered thoughts of our guest writers and contributors as they discuss the hottest topics in sports tourism. Join the conversation by tweeting us: @pushsports

In this issue, our guest writer discusses the subject of eliminating conference swag.

The coronavirus pandemic dropped swag from being produced. 2022 proved that conferences are back, but do we need to keep the tchotchkes with them?

If January 2023 showed us anything, trade shows and conferences are back in full force. We are excited about the opportunity to expand our organization’s offerings through networking with our colleagues in person, traveling, and experiencing some of the gifts that the sports tourism industry provides us all. However, are we looking forward to a return of cheap water bottles, free calendars, and flash drives we unwillingly accept and use to carry home pre-coronavirus?

For years, we in the industry have used in-person events to distribute promotional products. Some use swag to entice new clients; others may offer employees branded goods to grow loyalty. These activities have created a multi-billion-dollar promotional items industry.

Organizations, using an annual budget, work to reach the masses. So, most swag companies offer poor-quality, low-cost items in bulk. It does not take a costly research project to know that most of these items quickly end up in the garbage. Many of us leave them for the housekeeping staff when departing conferences. How often have you tossed out a weak pen or a branded keychain an organization handed you?

Organizations in the sports tourism industry are still determining whether promotional items truly help spread awareness. Does handing out a stress ball with your logo at a conference stand out in your client’s mind, especially when they have already been offered a ton of similar items?

The delicate state of our planet has caused growing concerns, from pollution to climate change. Though promotional items are inexpensive, they take a toll on Mother Earth. Because most swag items cannot be recycled, they end up in landfills. All for an organization to get its logo in front of you.

We can make a change, as we do not need to carry on like this. The virus gave us all a “do over,” urging the world to reevaluate various aspects of life, from office environments to needs and wants. The pandemic also created a downturn in the production of promotional items as events were canceled. We are seeing our industry adhere to the old ways by bringing swag back through the resurgence of conferences. STOP. Let us take a beat as we can reassess whether we want to continue producing cheap, plastic, Earth-destroying objects.

Change is coming.

Can we see conferences provide collection containers on the trade show floor to gather unwanted swag? The destination host can deliver the items to a homeless shelter, local children’s hospital, or school board. That’s not too much to ask. And, if we were to look at these bins at the end of a conference, we’d see how much money was spent on items our colleagues do not concern themselves with, therefore displaying how much money was wasted.

If you feel you must give gifts, why not allow your clients to choose? One problem we all experience with swag is that the end user does not select the product. Set up an online store with ten or fifteen items and provide clients with a discount comp code. Allow them to choose which item they want in hopes it will be used and not go to waste. Doing so this way will require items of higher quality – a Yeti coffee mug, or a Patagonia jacket, possibly a Nike backpack – thus, you will be more selective of who you offer swag to. This is also extra incentive for that client or prospect to come by and have a conversation, rather than just ask “Is this free?”

Many destinations have done a fantastic job with more local gifts that bring to life their destination culture. These gifts offer the opportunity to tell a story and bring your colleagues closer. Like a more substantial gift, this will likely be more expensive, but the lasting impression they leave is well worth the effort.

In the end, a client that uses a product over and over, or leaves with a story is how you want to cultivate loyalty and create brand awareness.

Of course, the best and most sustainable solution is no swag at all. Instead, we can shift to spending our promotional items budget on hosting clients with branded experiences instead of branded items. Wrap your head around that.