Convention/Special Event/SWAG

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I just came back from a massive conference for my field that was held in LA. We all got re-usable shopping bags with all the conference info in there (programs of sessions etc), other packets from the sponsors, and then little things of snacks, like a juicebox and some trail mix. I thought that was a nice touch because the conference was a LOT of walking and a bit of food is nice. The sturdy bag was useful because I picked up a ton of packets on grants, services and vendors (and I could put my flipflops in there for my walk back to my hotel).

I guess most importantly, a list of nearby restaurants and an approximation of their cost/style, along with the numbers of any local busses to local attractions and a list of phone numbers for taxi companies.

I hadn't considered reusable shopping bags -- my mind was trained on totebags. That's definitely a more economical option that people are likely to use when they get home. Thanks for the idea!

Originally Posted by agzg

My sister mother got a music box at our Centennial Convention and I was super jealous.

I would say coffee mugs, particularly the travel kind. That's the #1 thing field employees ask about/try to get when the come into the home office at work (all home office employees have one because there are no paper cups in our office). Notepads are nice too, with a pen attached.

A music box? DAMN! I guess a centennial is pretty special, but still.... wish my centennial was that ballin.

Not being a coffee drinker, I also hadn't thought about coffee mugs. Good idea, thanks!

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

A music box? DAMN! I guess a centennial is pretty special, but still.... wish my centennial was that ballin.

I'm still jealous over that, and upset that I didn't go, and it was 6 years ago. It was a gorgeous box that played our centennial song, I think.

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Not being a coffee drinker, I also hadn't thought about coffee mugs. Good idea, thanks!

It's acutally an insulated hot/cold tumbler, I just use it the most for coffee.

It's kindof like this:

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by agzg

My sister mother got a music box at our Centennial Convention and I was super jealous.

I would say coffee mugs, particularly the travel kind. That's the #1 thing field employees ask about/try to get when the come into the home office at work (all home office employees have one because there are no paper cups in our office). Notepads are nice too, with a pen attached.

I have one of the coveted centennial music boxes. It does play the centennial song. It's amazing. I keep my badge in it now.

Other very cool things we have received as "favors": every year at the epsilon pi banquet we get a gold charm. Many women now have charm bracelets with all their convention charms on them. One year, they made incredible centerpieces out of Vera Bradley coin purses and we each got a coin purse. I know that sounds crazy, but the centerpieces looked like a flower pot with flowers, but there were really coin purses. So creative.

Key chains with pen lights go over well, so do notepads and pens (you can never have enough of those), jewelry goes great with us (we also got a centennial bracelet that was gorgeous). We do always get a tote bag but I really like the idea of the reusable grocery sack. Lanyards are nice. I like refrigerator magnets, but that's just me I think. Picture frames can be nice, they can put a photo from the event in it.

I still can't believe Convention is going on right now and I'm not there.

[PhoenixAzul]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I hadn't considered reusable shopping bags -- my mind was trained on totebags. That's definitely a more economical option that people are likely to use when they get home. Thanks for the idea!

Hey, no problem! I just looked at the bag (since I use it not only for grocery shopping but to take my lunch to work too), here's the company that makes them: http://www.bagmakersinc.com/nonwoven.html . Looks like it is easy to customize the bag too, so if you wanted to put a logo/letters on there...easy peasy.