Sustainable Swag is a Do

According to ICE Cvent’s annual benchmarking report on the trends and developments in the corporate event sector, business travel and corporate events will continue to recover in 2023 and we’ll see corporate event spend increase 83%.

In another report, Hire Space’s top 7 predictions for 2023 corporate events include:

1. Continued focus on sustainability
2. Experience-first events
3. Event technology will continue to advance
4. Higher priority on making events accessible and inclusive
5. In-person events will dominate the market
6. Renewed focus on health and wellness
7. Tighter budgets will require a more strategic approach to event programs

With sustainability top of mind for conferences, what’s going on with conference swag? Isn’t it just more waste? ?

Let’s look at a few swag stats from Advertising Specialty Institute’s 2019, pre-COVID report, and then hear directly from Sara Webb, MBA, MAS of InTandem Promotions, Inc. an expert in branded promotional merchandise and a leader I admire. Hear her talk about “Trick or Treat” vs. strategic and sustainable swag in the video below! First some numbers...

Who has swag in their homes?

The average household in the U.S. owns 30 promotional items. Gen X-led households own an average of 34 items, followed by millennials (30) and baby boomers (28).

What products do they own?

Nearly 90% of consumers report owning logoed pens as well as branded drinkware.

What do they do with it?

Swag is a gift that keeps on giving since more than half of swag owners give their stuff to others, while over 20% keep it.

How long do they keep what?

Outerwear, umbrellas and t-shirts top the list of long lived items at 14 – 16 months.

Hear about sustainable swag from Sara Webb

Bottom line

Although a challenging economic landscape will create business travel headwinds, conference spend is still projected to increase in 2023. Since sustainability will continue to be top of mind for conference organizations and sponsors, and since conference swag has a positive impact on brands, it will remain a part of the conference experience. Brands can make their swag more sustainable by choosing mission driven giveaways with an eco-friendly footprint.

Sources & Further Reading

ICE Cvent annual event trends report: https://hs.ice-hub.biz/research2022

M&IT magazine: https://mitmagazine.co.uk/Meetings/Event-spend-to-rise-83-per-cent-in-2023

Hire Space top 7 trends: https://hirespace.com/blog/corporate-event-trends-and-predictions-for-2023

2019 Ad Impressions Study: https://www.asicentral.com/news/web-exclusive/january-2019/2019-ad-impressions-study/

Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/03/23/a-guide-to-offering-sustainable-swag-at-corporate-events/?sh=cffd4755aebe

Disclaimer: Sustainability Navigator is Elba Pareja-Gallagher's personal ESG newsletter published every Monday (except holidays). Views expressed are her own. Corrections and respectful feedback are always welcome.

January - March join me every other week for 45 minutes of networking and learning about points of view on environmental sustainability. Learn more here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/you-invited-fossil-net-zero-salon-elba-pareja-gallagher/?trackingId=ccBu2uN%2BTsmyowjeHZXWdQ%3D%3D