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The best trade show giveaways are items your target visitor will actually use, that connect to what you sell, and that you hand over at the end of a real conversation rather than to everyone who walks past. Judge them by cost per qualified lead, not cost per item: a cheap pen given to hundreds of passers-by can cost more per useful contact than a better item given only to the people you want to hear from again.
This guide shows how to budget exhibition giveaways, which promotional products earn their place, how many to order, how to hand them out, and which items carry legal risk in the UK.
Quick answer: choosing the right giveaway
- Budget per qualified lead. Total giveaway cost divided by qualified conversations is the number that matters.
- Use two tiers. A modest item for everyone you talk to, and a better one for qualified leads or activity winners.
- Pass the use test. If your visitor would not use it in the next week, they will not keep it.
- Link it to what you sell. The item should remind people what you do, not just carry your company logo.
- Hand it over, do not leave it out. A bowl at the aisle edge collects people who want free things, not potential customers.
- Avoid age-restricted and regulated items unless you can check age and follow the rules: alcohol, vaping and nicotine products, and bladed tools.
Start with cost per lead, not cost per item
Work out the cost of trade show giveaways the same way you would any other lead source:
Cost per qualified lead = cost of items given away ÷ qualified conversations
A worked example using a real price: our 100% recycled cotton bags cost from £6.95 ex VAT each with printing included, with a minimum order of 100, so the minimum order is £695 ex VAT. Suppose your team has 40 qualified conversations at the show.
| Approach | Bags used | Cost of bags used | Giveaway cost per qualified lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand a bag to everyone who passes | 100 | £695 | £17.38 |
| Hand a bag only at the end of a qualified conversation | 40 | £278 | £6.95 (and 60 bags left for the next show) |
The item is the same; the difference is entirely in how it is handed out. Add your giveaway budget to the rest of your show costs using our trade show booth cost guide. Afterwards, measure the return the same way: qualified leads, meetings and sales from the show against what you spent, including the giveaways.
Use two tiers
| Tier | Who gets it | What it should be |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday | Anyone you have a genuine conversation with | Useful, light and on-brand: a good pen, a notebook, a bag |
| Premium | Qualified leads, booked meetings or activity winners | Something with real value to that person, linked to your product |
How to choose promotional products people keep
Run every idea through five tests before you order:
- Use: would your typical visitor use it at work or at home within a week? Useful items stay on the desk or in the bag; the rest are not kept.
- Relevance: does it connect to what you sell? A cable organiser from an IT services firm, a tape measure from a building supplier and a recipe card from a food brand all remind people what the company does.
- Quality: a pen that skips or a bag whose handle breaks reflects on your product. Order a sample before you order in bulk.
- Size and weight: visitors carry everything they collect all day. Flat and light beats bulky.
- Sustainability: reusable items made from recycled materials suit sustainability-minded organisations and avoid the impression of throwaway plastic.
Make sure the branding matches your stand. If the bag, the stand and the staff look like the same company, the item does more work and your brand stays visible after the show. Our guide to designing a trade show booth covers brand consistency.
Best trade show giveaways: stress balls, pens and other event giveaways
There is no single best swag. These are giveaways for trade shows that exhibitors commonly choose, and where each one earns its place:
- Branded pens and promotional pens: cheap, light and used daily by office buyers. Choose a good one; a pen that fails does your brand no favours.
- Notebooks and notepads: desk items that stay in view for weeks. Print your company’s logo on the cover and your website inside.
- Tote bag: visitors need something to carry everything else in, so a bag gets used at the show and afterwards.
- Reusable water bottle: popular at long shows and sustainability events, but bulky and dearer per unit, so better as a premium tier.
- Lanyards and name badges: a branded lanyard is useful only if the organiser allows yours for visitors or you are sponsoring; otherwise keep it for your own staff.
- Branded stress balls and keyrings: fun and cheap, but often left behind. Use them as a light everyday item, not as the main giveaway item.
- Branded sweets: draw people in for a moment, but rarely create a lasting impression. Pair them with a conversation, not a bowl.
- Product samples: the strongest choice when people can try what you sell.
Planning on more than one giveaway item for your event? Keep the everyday item light and the premium item linked to your product, so both reflect your brand identity.
Trade show giveaway ideas by audience
| Audience | Everyday item ideas | Premium item ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Office-based B2B buyers | Quality pen, notebook, webcam cover | Desk item linked to your product, a useful book |
| Trade and site professionals | Tape measure, pencils, gloves | A quality hand tool without a blade |
| Retail and gift buyers | Product samples, catalogue with a tote bag | Sample pack or a show-only order incentive |
| Consumer shows | Tote bag, sample, recipe or how-to card | Prize draw for a product bundle |
| Technology and education | Cable tidy, screen-cleaning cloth | Extended trial, training place or an activity prize |
A printed tote bag has an obvious use at a show. Ours are made from 100% recycled cotton, 360 × 405mm with a 10-litre capacity, and you can personalise them with full-colour or spot-colour print. See the recycled cotton tote bag for print options. FREE artwork design or proofing on every order.
Make your booth do the work: banner, tablecloth and brand
Event merchandise helps your brand stand out, but visitors decide whether to stop based on your stand. A clear backwall, a banner or tablecloth with your name and offer, and staff ready to talk do more for brand awareness than any freebie. Our pull up banners start from £43.95 ex VAT for an A4 desktop banner, and our printed tablecloths start from £50.95 ex VAT for a 6ft table runner. Branded tablecloths also hide stock and spare giveaways under the table.
UK rules: what not to give away (or how to do it properly)
Most giveaways carry no legal risk. A few categories do, and they are easy to get wrong at a busy show where you cannot always tell who is under 18.
- Alcohol: the CAP Code says alcohol must not be available on promotion to anyone under 18, and alcoholic drinks must not feature in promotions aimed at under-18s. If you give away wine, beer or spirits, check age before handing it over and check the organiser’s rules first.
- Vaping and nicotine products: from 29 October 2026, it becomes an offence to give away a vaping or nicotine product for free where the purpose or effect is to promote it. Do not use them as giveaways.
- Knives and bladed tools: it is illegal to sell most knives to anyone under 18, and carrying most knives in public needs a good reason. Bladed multi-tools and box cutters are best left out of giveaway bags.
- Toys: the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 cover products designed or intended for play by children under 14, and apply in the course of a commercial activity whether in return for payment or free of charge. If you give away toys at a family or consumer show, buy from a supplier who confirms they comply.
- Food and drink samples: the CAP Code requires promoters to make sure promotional items and samples are safe. Keep packaging and ingredient information with any food you hand out, and check the organiser’s sampling rules.
- High-value gifts to buyers: government guidance on the Bribery Act says it does not prohibit reasonable and proportionate hospitality and promotional expenditure. Keep premium gifts proportionate, and respect any gift policy the recipient’s organisation has.
Prize draws and competitions
A prize draw needs a genuinely free entry route, and a competition must be won by skill, judgement or knowledge; the Gambling Commission explains the rules for free draws and prize competitions. Publish the terms on the stand, including how to enter, the closing time and how the winner is chosen, as the CAP Code requires.
A business card dropped into a prize draw bowl is, in the ICO’s own example, consent to enter the draw, not to receive marketing. If you want to market to entrants, ask separately and record the answer. Our lead capture guide covers this in more detail.
How to hand out giveaways so they produce leads
- Keep giveaways behind or under the counter, not in a bowl at the front.
- Start the conversation first. The giveaway is how you end it: “Take one of these; it has our number on it.”
- Give the premium item when you have recorded the lead and agreed a next step, or as the prize for an activity. Our interactive trade show booth ideas include games that work well with prizes.
- Brief the team on who gets which tier, so the premium items last the whole show.
- Mention the item in your follow-up email so it connects back to the conversation.
Giveaways support standing out but do not replace it. For pre-show promotion, staff and activity, see how to stand out at a trade show.
How many giveaways to order, and when
- Base the quantity on conversations. Estimate expected qualified conversations, not total visitor numbers, then add a margin. Leftovers can go to your next expo or trade fair if the design is not dated.
- Order a sample first, especially for anything you have not used before.
- Allow time for artwork and proofing. For our bags: Printed and dispatched within 5 days with express options available.
- Plan delivery. Decide whether giveaways travel with your stand or go straight to the venue; see our guide on how to ship to a trade show.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best trade show giveaways?
Items your target visitor will use within a week and that connect to what you sell: good pens and notebooks for office buyers, practical tools without blades for trade audiences, bags and samples at consumer shows. A useful item given at the end of a real conversation beats a novelty given to everyone.
How much should I spend on trade show giveaways?
Set the budget per qualified lead rather than per item. Estimate how many qualified conversations you expect, decide what a lead is worth to you, and use two tiers: a modest item for everyone you talk to and a better one for qualified leads.
Can I give away alcohol at a UK exhibition?
Only if you check age and the organiser allows it. The CAP Code says alcohol must not be available on promotion to anyone under 18, so you need a reliable age check at the point you hand it over.
Are prize draws allowed at trade shows?
Yes, if they are run within the Gambling Act: a free draw must have a free entry route, and a competition must be decided by skill, judgement or knowledge. Display the terms and record any marketing consent separately from the entry.
What are good sustainable trade show giveaways?
Reusable items made from recycled materials that people will keep using: recycled cotton bags, refillable bottles, and notebooks made from recycled paper. Avoid single-use plastic novelties.
