Event marketers are more conscious than ever about excessive waste, and that has led to all-new thinking, and engagement strategies, around a quintessential event and trade show activity: the giveaway. In fact, it’s a conversation that event marketers have been locked in for the better part of a decade—remember Hershey’s Take5 Swag Exchange campaign at SXSW that had attendees trading in unwanted promotional items for Bose speakers, Samsung tablets and dinners at the hottest restaurants? (And yes, full-size candy bars were involved.)
Rather than produce thousands of tchotchkes that will wind up in the trash bin, brands are offering premium, limited-edition or while-supplies-last swag. And in some cases, the higher the value of the premium, the harder attendees are working for it. Let’s explore “swag-tivities.”
REQUIRED READING
Brands aren’t afraid to dangle the carrot. At VMX this year, a show known for hot giveaways like free bags of pet food or premium pet toys, attendees participated in passport or stamp activities that require they listen to (at times, lengthy) presentations or mini theater sessions. The booths were designed as a one-way journey, with lines forming outside the entrance to booths to get in (and get to work) to score that prize.
And at CES 2025, LG offered up endangered species-themed plushies made from recycled materials as part of its ongoing Endangered Species Series campaign. Attendees weaved through the exhibit to find tall cardboard “light posts” manned by staffers who offered a three-minute overview of LG’s corporate missions across sustainability, the environment and inclusion. After collecting stickers at all the kiosks, attendees could turn in their stickers for the plush prize (which included a poster).
- Six Trending Swag Ideas from PPAI 2025: Exploding Cakes, Traceable Wear
- Exhibit Trends at HIMSS24: Scavenger Hunts, Techy Coffee Bars, Gamification
SCAVENGER HUNTS
In-booth scavenger hunts are encouraging attendees to explore every inch of a footprint. At HIMSS, Opentext created a Demo Prize Passport with five circles that needed to be marked off to enter a drawing for high-end prizes. Twilio’s digital scavenger hunt at the show started with registration via a QR code to learn about its customer engagement platform. Following completion, participants received a Twilio-branded tumbler and blanket.
TRIVIA CONTESTS
Palo Alto Networks at HIMSS hosted live trivia at 3 p.m. every day of the show that kicked off with a presentation on its cybersecurity work before diving into fun questions tying into the Orlando setting and local attractions. With each question, winners earned a raffle ticket to enter to win a JBL Bluetooth speaker, neck massager or wine tote.
And at the New York International Auto Show last year, Volkswagen gathered attendees around its booth for an interactive trivia game based on factoids featured within the booth. Attendees accessed the game on their devices via a QR code on the big screen. By answering correctly, they could win a pair of branded sunglasses and roll up to the brand’s simulated driving game like a VIP. Because sometimes, skipping the queue is a gift in and of itself.
