Walk around a conference or exhibition and you’ll probably collect quite a few things.
Pens, leaflets, keyrings, tote bags, notebooks and branded promotional products have long been part of business events.
But how many of those items are genuinely wanted?
For businesses trying to reduce unnecessary waste, that creates an interesting challenge. You still want visitors to remember your organisation after an event, but producing hundreds or thousands of promotional items that may never be used isn’t necessarily the best way to achieve it.
The answer isn’t to stop giving things away altogether.
It’s to become much more selective about what deserves to be produced and handed out in the first place.
Here are nine ideas for more thoughtful sustainable event giveaways for conferences, exhibitions, networking events and corporate occasions.
Wildflower seed packets offer an interesting alternative to conventional promotional merchandise because the recipient can actually do something with them.
A personalised packet could carry your company logo, event branding, campaign message or even a QR code directing visitors to a relevant page on your website.
Rather than covering the packet with corporate messaging, keep it simple.
For example:
Thank you for visiting us today
Thanks for helping our ideas grow
or
Thank you for attending our event
At Ways To Say Thank You, we create personalised wildflower seed packets for businesses and organisations, so this is where I’d place your first internal link to the corporate/personalised seed-packet page.
Seed packets also work well for conferences because they’re compact. They can be placed on tables, included in delegate packs, handed out at exhibition stands or posted to attendees after an event.
And there’s a particularly useful seasonal connection right now. The Royal Horticultural Society advises that many wildflower meadow seed mixes can be sown in early autumn, including September, although recipients should always follow the instructions for their particular mix and conditions.
RHS advice on creating wildflower meadows
This is possibly the simplest way to reduce wasted promotional merchandise.
Don’t automatically give something to every person who walks past your stand.
Ask.
“Would you like a packet of wildflower seeds to take home?”
Someone interested in growing flowers will probably say yes. Someone living somewhere without suitable growing space might say no.
Either answer is fine.
The giveaway has also just created a conversation between your representative and the visitor — which is arguably much more valuable than silently putting another branded pen into a bag.
Printed brochures still have a place, particularly when customers genuinely need information to take away.
But exhibitors don’t necessarily need to hand every visitor the complete company catalogue.
A QR code can direct visitors towards a:
product catalogue, case study, booking form, demonstration video, special event offer or dedicated landing page.
A physical giveaway can then become the reminder.
For example, print the QR code on a seed packet or accompanying card.
Someone leaves your stand with one small item rather than a bag containing several leaflets, business cards and promotional products.
Generic promotional merchandise is easy to forget.
Something connected to a particular experience feels different.
Imagine attending a Cornwall business conference and receiving a small packet marked:
Thank you for joining us in Cornwall — September 2026
Or a networking event where every place setting includes:
Great things grow from new connections.
The item becomes a small reminder of the event rather than simply another advertisement.
This approach works particularly well for conferences, awards ceremonies, charity events, corporate dinners and networking meetings.
There is nothing inherently wrong with branded merchandise.
A genuinely useful product can be excellent marketing.
The problem arises when organisations buy promotional merchandise simply because it is inexpensive or because they’ve always ordered it.
Before ordering anything, ask:
Would I use this if another company gave it to me?
If the answer is no, keep looking.
Depending on your audience, useful options might include a quality notebook, charging cable, reusable drinks bottle or another product closely connected with the work they do.
The more relevant the product is to the recipient, the greater the chance it will actually be kept.
Sometimes the best giveaway is one that disappears for the right reason.
Locally produced biscuits, chocolates or other small treats can be memorable, particularly if there’s a story connecting the producer with your organisation or event location.
There are additional considerations here, including ingredients, allergies, labelling and storage, so food won’t be appropriate for every event.
But it’s worth considering before ordering another permanent object that attendees may not want.
Rather than putting 500 identical items in a bowl, integrate your giveaway into the event experience.
At a conference, seed packets could be placed alongside notebooks on delegate tables.
At a networking breakfast, they could form part of the place setting.
At a charity event, volunteers could receive one with a thank-you card.
At an awards ceremony, they could accompany programmes or menus.
And at an exhibition, visitors could choose a packet after completing an activity or speaking to a member of the team.
The giveaway now has context.
That makes it feel much more intentional.
Not every promotional budget needs to become merchandise.
One alternative is to connect your event activity with a charity or community project.
Perhaps your company makes a donation for every completed survey or meaningful demonstration at its exhibition stand.
Or allow visitors to choose which of several charities receives a contribution.
You could still provide a small card or seed packet explaining what their participation helped support.
For charities themselves, seed packets can also work as inexpensive volunteer thank-you gifts, fundraising-event favours or small reminders of a campaign.
Internal link opportunity: link “volunteer thank-you gifts” to a relevant charity/thank-you seed packet product or category.
This may be the most useful principle of all.
You don’t need to fill a conference goodie bag.
One carefully selected item with a thoughtful message can make a stronger impression than five inexpensive products.
Reducing the number of products you order may also allow more budget for better design, personalisation or quality.
Ask what you actually want someone to remember when they leave your event.
Then choose the giveaway around that objective.
This is particularly important for businesses purchasing environmental promotional products.
Don’t assume that putting a leaf on something automatically makes it an environmentally responsible choice.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims guidance says environmental claims should accurately describe the impact involved and be supported by evidence. Broad claims such as “eco-friendly” can potentially be misleading when they imply a wider environmental benefit that hasn’t been substantiated.
Instead of relying on vague descriptions, look for specific characteristics that can be explained.
For example:
paper packaging
plastic-free packaging
made from recycled material
reusable
UK sourced, where this can genuinely be substantiated.
Specific information gives buyers something meaningful to evaluate.
Businesses making their own environmental claims should read the government’s Green Claims Code checklist.
Before placing an order, ask six questions:
Will the recipient actually want it?
Does it have a useful purpose after the event?
Is it relevant to our organisation or campaign?
Is there unnecessary packaging?
Is it practical to transport and distribute?
Can we substantiate any environmental claims we’re making about it?
Answering those questions can prevent an organisation spending money on hundreds of items that don’t achieve their marketing objective.
Promotional products don’t need to be expensive or elaborate.
Often the best event giveaways are simply those that give somebody a reason to remember the conversation they had with you.
At Ways To Say Thank You, we create personalised wildflower seed packets for businesses, conferences, exhibitions, charities and corporate events.
Packets can include your company logo, event branding, thank-you message or QR code and can be used individually, included in delegate packs or placed on tables.
They’re a particularly simple option for organisations looking for a compact branded giveaway that recipients can take home and grow.
Explore our personalised business wildflower seed packets and create a small event giveaway designed to keep your organisation in people’s minds after the event is over.
Phone Number:
0780 124 2710
