Agenda Giveaways: Communicating Value and Brand

When planning an annual conference it is easy to consider things like giveaways and printed materials as mere extra expenses, but these types of items can be critical to the success of your conference and also add an element of validity and professionalism to your brand.

When planning an annual conference, branded-printed materials are some of the most important materials you can get your hands on. If you choose carefully, they can be easy and inexpensive as well. A conference giveaway does not have to be extravagant to get members attention and communicate value. It’s important that the materials represent your brand, service a practical and lasting purpose, are visually appealing, and convey fun. That’s why you should consider such conference giveaways as stickers, notepads, folders, pencils, pens, calendars and day planners as potential giveaways to enhance your attendees’ annual conference experience.

In fact, giving away something that is as lasting as a day planner or a daily agenda can really add to the quality of the conference experience for members. It will also be a daily reminder of the conference to them, potentially ensuring that members will choose to come back the following year.

Here are a few quick reasons why choosing an agenda as a part of your conference giveaways is a good idea.

It’s practical during the conference, and after.

When giving out agendas at an annual conference, it’s a good idea to consider the agenda as an opportunity to communicate with attendees. If you view it as a means of communication, instead of just a list or schedule, a whole world of opportunities opens up. You can use the agenda in creative ways to connect to your attendees.

For example, a creative spin to an ordinary schedule is to view it as a day-planner. Instead of handing out a single printed schedule sheet, included customized day-planners that contain a schedule of the conference, complete with note pages and organization stats. If you make it a full year long day planner, you can take your organization member through the entire year, leading up to the next conference. Include little reminders on specific dates, to encourage members to register for the conference the next year.

If a planner that expands the entire year is not cost effective, you can also consider designing a smaller booklet or brochure that includes the schedule of events, notes section, scheduling pages, CTAs and fun organizational facts.

Agendas have more permanence.

By giving attendees something they can use daily you do two things: you ensure that they will get some use out of their freebie, and you encourage brand recognition. A planner is something someone would use day to day, keeping your organization at the forefront of their minds. By giving members something that has lasting power you give them something with a sense of permanence that may hang around their desk for a while, continuing to reinforce your brand and its staying power.

Giveaways communicate value.

When you giveaway something as substantial as a planner you communicate to your members their own value to the organization. Despite the fact that we have all largely embraced a more digital way of doing things, we also like to have something to hold and take away. And of course, everybody likes to get something for free. A gift is one of the best ways to quickly and effectively communicate to someone that they are valued.

When choosing the next giveaway for your conference, keep in mind how your pieces can function and become a part of someone’s day. If you aren’t able to do an agenda, consider giving away calendars, or note pads; giveaways are a simple and unobtrusive way you can communicate your brand, and let your members know that they are important.