Are you heading to a conference or exhibition in 2025? Perhaps you’re needing a little inspiration when it comes to handouts for visitors to your booth?
We take a look at the biggest conference swag and trade show giveaway trends for the year ahead!
Trade show giveaway trends for 2025
Games and experience-driven swag Sustainability and eco-friendly thinking Cutting-edge tech swag Competitions with a mix of big and small giveaways Customised and personalised swag Donations and charitable initiatives Health and wellness gifts
Trend #1 – Games and experience-driven swag
Forget passive giveaways to passers-by. The biggest trend in 2025 is swag that encourages interaction, engagement, or play. Trade show games provide a shining example of this, acting as the platform for a fun prize competition while also leaving a lasting impression on visitors to your stand.
When used as the vehicle for your conference giveaways, an interactive game at your booth will also help to:
Grab attention 👀
Attract visitors 🧲
Increase stand engagement 🔥
Stand out from competitors 🎮
Capture data through score submissions 🚀
The best part? White-label games for events have levelled the playing field for businesses, allowing brands of all sizes and budgets to get in on the action. Will 2025 be the year that you give it a go?
Trend #2 – Sustainability and eco-friendly thinking
To align with shifting values around sustainability and the environment – particularly among the younger generations finding their way into the world of trade shows and corporate events – many companies are choosing to offer swag with an eco-friendly twist.
Examples of lower-impact giveaways include:
Digital subscriptions – Provide access to online magazines, software, or streaming services, offering value without any physical waste. 📲
Sustainable materials – Think recycled tote bags, reusable coffee cups, bamboo stationery, or clothing made from bamboo or organic cotton. ♻️
Tree planting – Commit to planting a tree for every visitor to your stand who signs up via a lead-collection tool such as a badge scanner, online quiz , or other type of game. 🌲
Virtual event tickets – Offer free or discounted entry to attend paid events such as webinars, online workshops, or other online business events your company might be running. 🧑💻
➡️ Get more green inspiration in our in-depth posts covering sustainable trade show giveaways and sustainable corporate gift ideas !
Trend #3 – Cutting-edge tech swag
If you’re exhibiting at a conference – and particularly if it’s a tech conference – you won’t go far wrong with giveaways inspired by the latest consumer technology.
The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas often provides an early look at the products expected to make a splash in the year ahead. Below are a few items that have caught our eye and might provide you with tech giveaway inspiration in 2025:
Mini drones – Mini drones are rising in popularity due to their compact design, advanced features like aerial photography, and versatility for both entertainment and practical use. 🎮
Smart rings – Designed to be worn on the finger like a traditional ring, these little devices can handle mobile payments, access control, gesture control, and activity tracking. 💍
Smart glasses – It’s taken a while for smart glasses to enter the mainstream, but 2025 is looking like it could finally be their year. 😎
Wireless earbuds – These things are becoming sleeker, lighter, and more compact than ever, with the high-end products offering impressive sound quality and features such as active noise cancellation. 🎵
Electronic paper – These devices have a much lower power consumption than electronic tablets while also being more comfortable for the eyes. ✍️
Smart door locks – Similar to a car key fob, these secure systems can sense your location within inches and know if you’re inside or outside your door. 🔒
Instant phone power systems – Innovations in this area see products that can ‘charge’ your phone in seconds by quickly swapping the battery in an additional slimline case. 🔋
Stringless guitars – We like traditional instruments as much as the next musician, but a stringless guitar with other instrument sounds built in? Nice. 🎸
➡️ Savvy exhibitors will give away a small number of big-ticket prizes as part of a competition to draw visitors to their stand (see trend #4 below). You can learn how tech company M247 made the most of their compact exhibition stall with a fun branded game competition and mini drone as the big giveaway! 👾
Trend #4 – Competitions with a mix of big and small giveaways
A continuing trend in conference swag is to generate a buzz through a mix of big-ticket giveaways and smaller, more accessible promotion items. This approach not only keeps attendees interested but also ensures that every visitor (or at least most of them) will walk away with something memorable.
The best way to do this? Offer a fun and engaging competition where visitors can play to win!
Step 1: Choose a format for your competition
This could be a digital game on a tablet or touchscreen device, which has the added benefit of providing you with a built-in lead capture tool thanks to the game’s leaderboard.
Step 2: Choose your giveaways
The idea is to have a small number of big, high-value giveaways and a large number of smaller, more affordable giveaways. Ideas for combinations might include:
High-value online gift voucher + branded coffee mugs
Free product or service from your business + branded yo-yos
All-inclusive package holiday + branded tote bags
Gaming console + branded water bottles
Apple Watch + branded t-shirts (something we’ve done at our own events!)
If you’re looking for more swag inspiration for your competition, check out this list of 70+ trade show giveaway ideas !
Step 3: Reward participation or minimum achievements
When visitors take part in your competition, they can be entered into a prize draw for the big giveaway (announced either during or after the event).
Meanwhile, everyone who submits a score or achieves a minimum score can walk away with one of the smaller items. This strategy is great for bringing people in and giving them a chance to win big, while still ensuring nobody leaves empty-handed!
