Top 5 Things to Include in a Virtual Event Swag Kit / Mailer
What are the Top 5 things to send to virtual event attendees?
If you attend an event in person, you can expect to collect a few cool things throughout the day, such as the inevitable tote bag, branded items from exhibitors, snacks provided by sponsors, possibly an award for your accomplishments and maybe a cool piece of apparel from the organization. Some of it you love and some of it gets put into the bin before you even check out of your hotel.
We have helped a lot of our clients figure out how to take some of this and integrate it into a virtual experience, carefully curating what gets sent out to each attendee. While there are so many variables to any virtual event swag mailer, we suggest including something from these 5 categories in your mailer:
- Theme or event specific branded item
Our experts can help you craft the perfect item around your theme. Don't have a theme? Get one! Your in-person event likely would have one and you can still do it virtually: 8th year of the conference? Include a branded 8 Ball with custom answers (yes, we can do that). Event was supposed to be in New Orleans? Carry that feeling in your virtual event with Beignet mix and a fun hat. Celebrating an icon in your field? Include something that this person loved or was known for. I could go on and on... - Brain food! Doesn't have to be branded, but food items are a super memorable and a great sponsor opportunity!
Many people think that branding a snack or food item is a waste of money since the recipient eats it and the wrapper is tossed out. NOT TRUE! It is actually more memorable to feed someone than it is to give them a branded item. as the old saying goes: "the way to their hearts is through their stomachs!" And, since many times a break is sponsored by one of your vendor partners, this is a great opportunity to sell a sponsorship to your virtual event. Bagged snacks, custom cookies, nuts, candy...we have it all. Get some more ideas HERE. - Breakout or Team Building Item
If you are like a lot of our clients, you have added in team building or networking portions that bring people together and keep them engaged while sitting at their computer. We suggest taking the opportunity to include some supporting items in your event mailer that make these portions all the more fun. Breakfast meeting? Send them some cereal in a cool box that talks about the session! Happy Hour? Send a drink mix or a recipe and a cool glass. Roundtable? Include custom networking cards that get the conversation flowing and help people connect. - Something to keep: Make this the nicest item that they will keep and use, such as a high end vacuum tumbler.
When you consider the per-attendee cost of holding an event in person, you will probably see that there is a lot left in your virtual event budget send something really nice to the attendees. Less is more with virtual swag: skip the pens and stress balls and send something that attendees will cherish and keep. Our clients love to include branded soft-shell jackets, logo'd vacuum tumblers, custom bluetooth speakers and wireless phone chargers. These serve as a great reminder of the event and almost never get handed to to kids or the dog when they receive them! - Package it right!
Want some wow factor? Choose a custom box or let us brand a plain box to build excitement the second they receive it! It's not as expensive as you may think and really makes an impact. "Happiness is not tangible until it arrives at your front door in a box" ;-)
There are so many more ways we can make your mailer really align with the event and keep your attendees engaged, energetic and create impact. Contact our eXperts about your event and lets make it eXceptional!
