Looking for some fresh ideas around corporate branded gifts and also relatively inexpensive trade show type swag. Whats some of the best stuff you have seen or received? I've given or received thousands of items over the years working in sales/marketing, and it always seems to be the same stuff... golf polos, yeti mugs, backpacks, etc.

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of them but medium/small duffel bag he been my favorite. Perfect size for an overnight trip. I use mine at least once a month. I like everyone else have received all the others and they either make it to a crap shelf or the trash. So that company name on that bag gets out there as well.

Mouse pads still get good use

How about a nice BT Speaker. Not a cheap one but a good one.

Quality Backpacks and duffel bags are at the top of my list and IMHO get used the most.

For Trade Show Fodder...
In the medium price range, branded Bluetooth trackers\locators get used and get seen.
On the cheap side, but requiring manual effort ...the the laminated business card Luggage tags are great, and get you the full contact info

Trucker hats, like a Richardson 112, can't get enough of them. The cheap hats don't fit my head good, and "one size fits all" stretch band hats are the Bain of my hat assortment. Can't beat a 112 snap back

We've done airpods with our logo on the case, and soft coolers. I like both.

On the low end, I currently have an ad for a realtor I know nothing about on my fridge, because it's a magnetic Frisco ISD calendar.

My customers really Ike beer koozies with a magnet on them.

These seem to be appreciated -

I bet KRoyal can come up with something way cool

My buddy who used to work for Zachry used to give out super spook fishing lures with their company logo on it. When giving gifts to clients they would have that company logo put on it. It's a little on the higher end of cost but it sure beats a koozie that every home has 100's of.

It depends on your budget and how far you want it to go. I’ve also worked/been in/around a ton of tradesshows having been in sales/marketing my whole life. Sometimes I’ve been with manufacturers who want to just give away 1-3 big ticket items through a raffle type deal or some sort of fun competition. Example, last year at one of my shows, one of my manufacturers gave away Yeti coolers for the first few winners of corn hole they had setup at their booth and at the end of the show did a raffle for the set of boards

Another manufacturer of mine has handed out thousands of branded mechanic gloves…that went exceptionally well. They bought in bulk enough for a good deal and I even had a few boxes of them for my own use for a long time. They just did the ones that typically retail for like $8-10/pair, but with partnering with the manufacturer I’m sure they paid $2-3/pair. Cheaper than hats and more useful IMO

The corporate gift that I got the most use from was a canvas Orvis bag with a shoulder strap. It was the perfect size for use as a Possible Bag for hunting. Finally wore it out. Can’t find a replacement that’s as good as that one was, though I have searched.

Of course, I am a lifelong hunter, so the bag was great. If my brother had gotten the bag, he might have thrown it away. The gift needs to fit the person or persons, and good luck with that.

Golf umbrella... used to get them at funeral conventions when I sold hearses. Lost my last one 5 years ago... about 20 years after I got it. The handles were branded, not the canopy of the umbrella, since these were to be used at funerals...but you could brand the canopy for pretty much any other company.

You may also look at a really good water bottle.

Only saw it one time at a software vendor convention, but one of the vendors had bottles of wine (good wine I might add) with their corporate logo on them. IIRC they weren't giving exactly them away, you dropped your business card in a hopper and they drew from it. About the only decent thing I've ever won.

I had no idea there was such a thing as a funeral convention. Surely they sell beer at those things, huh?

This. When we got bought out there was a cute little 'welcome package' with a branded BT speaker, mousepad, and airpods. It really rammed home that I was just a cog in a machine and chained to the 'company store'.

I still use the now "de-branded" speaker; it was a quality item.

Drake brand concealed carry shirt with your logo.

Free Prerolls

Traeger grill? I won one this year at a golf outing raffle.

I always like to receive pocket knives or multi tool/leatherman from vendors.
Use them the most.
Medium size duffel bags are nice as well.

Anything that doesn't have a vendor logo on it I've gotten a few of those gifts and man those are the best.

Pro V1

Worked a trade show last week in Dallas, and our marketing group sent two cases of light-up yo-yos with our logo. I was very skeptical they would move, but we gave away hundreds. People were seeing folks play with them out on the floor and were actively seeking us out. Lots of kids and grandkids received gifts that week.