Gifts for exhibition visitors: what people pick up and actually keep
A practical guide to planning gifts for exhibition visitors: quantities by footfall, three price tiers, printing areas and deadlines ahead of the event.
Gifts for exhibition visitors generally fall into three tiers in practice: mass-market small items at roughly €0.30–1.50/pc (400–1000 pcs), mid-range items at €2–6/pc (100–300 pcs), and higher-value gifts for partners and warm contacts at €10–35/pc (20–60 pcs). All prices are indicative, excl. VAT, and depend on quantity and printing method. The main principle: almost everyone picks something up, but people only keep what has an everyday use — a pen that writes, a bag to put brochures in, a bottle to leave on their desk.
How many gifts you need based on visitor footfall
Start with your stand's location and the expected number of event visitors. At a mid-sized B2B exhibition, a stand near the entrance collects 150–300 contacts a day, while a less busy spot might see 60–120. Assume that 60–80% of passers-by will take a mass-market item, while mid-range gifts are only given out when there's a conversation or a business card is left behind.
| Daily visitor flow | Mass-market (pens, stickers, keyrings) | Mid-range (bags, notebooks, bottles) | Partners (thermal mugs, power banks, sets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 100 | 150–250 pcs | 50–80 pcs | 15–25 pcs |
| 100–300 | 400–600 pcs | 100–150 pcs | 25–40 pcs |
| 300+ | 800–1200 pcs | 200–300 pcs | 40–60 pcs |
For a two-day exhibition, don't double everything — double the mass-market quantity, but keep the pricier gifts at the same number. Leftovers aren't wasted: pens and notebooks get used up around the office over the year.
The mass-market tier: what actually ends up in someone's pocket
Three items work well at this level — pens, stickers and keyrings. A pen with your logo costs from around €0.35 at 500 pcs with single-colour printing, and it's the only gift people use right at the stand, while filling in a form.
Stickers are the cheapest way to get your logo onto a laptop lid. Die-cut vinyl stickers in rolls or sheets at 500–1000 pcs cost just a few cents each, and can be printed within 1–3 business days if the exhibition is a week away.
What usually ends up in the bin: plastic trinkets with no real use, thick paper catalogues nobody wants to carry, and anything that doesn't fit into a pocket or bag. If your material is bulky, make a QR code sticker linking to the catalogue instead — that has no weight at all.
The mid-range tier: bags, notebooks, bottles
A tote bag is the one gift a visitor starts using immediately — everything else from the exhibition goes inside it, and your logo travels around the hall all day. Tote and shopping bags with single-colour screen printing start from around €2.50 at 200 pcs; cotton with a 140–180 g/m² weight is what keeps getting used after the event too.
Logo notebooks work well at conference-style events where people sit through lectures. Sports bottles (500–750 ml) stay on someone's desk for months, which is exactly why they suit the mid-range tier rather than being handed to everyone. Logo paper bags from 100 pcs are a good alternative to tote bags if you want something cheaper but still a neatly presented set.
For partners and hot contacts
These gifts don't sit out on the table — they stay behind the counter and are handed over personally. A 350–500 ml thermal mug with laser engraving or full-colour printing costs from around €12 at 50 pcs, and a 10,000 mAh power bank from around €18. A set also works well: a thermal mug plus a notebook and pen in a box, for €20–30 total.
If your team needs matching clothing at the stand, standard printing areas are as follows: left chest 110×90 mm, front or back up to 280×210 mm, sleeve 80×60 mm, embroidery up to 90×90 mm. Polo shirts with an embroidered logo on the chest look sharper than print and will hold up for future exhibitions too — see our clothing printing section.
Deadlines and files
Print jobs — stickers, posters, business cards, brochures — are usually ready in 1–3 business days. Promotional products with printing take 6–10 business days (production 4–7 business days depending on quantity, plus 2–3 days delivery), so plan your exhibition order at least 3 weeks ahead. Urgent jobs can be arranged by agreement.
Artwork needs to be vector graphics (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg), CMYK colours, and 300 dpi for raster images. Before production we send the artwork for approval by e-mail, and on request also a 3D preview with your logo on the chosen product.
FAQ
How many different gifts is it worth bringing to one exhibition?
Three items are enough: one mass-market (pen or sticker), one mid-range (bag, notebook or bottle) and one for partners (thermal mug or set). More items push up the order cost and complicate logistics at the stand.
Can I order a small quantity, say 25 thermal mugs?
Yes. We do sublimation printing on mugs and thermal mugs from as little as 1 piece, but the price per piece drops from around 25–50 pcs. Socks with woven-in logos are an exception — the minimum there is 100 pairs.
When should I order if the exhibition is in two weeks?
Print items on their own (stickers, flyers, posters, roll-up banners) will be ready without any issues, as they take 1–3 business days. For promotional products with printing, two weeks is the cut-off point — get in touch right away, and we'll check availability and suggest alternatives with shorter production times.
Does multi-colour printing cost more?
In screen printing, each extra colour means a separate screen and set-up fee, so a single-colour logo on a bag or pen is the cheapest option. Full-colour printing (DTF, sublimation, UV) is more cost-effective for smaller quantities and complex logos.
What's best left out of a gift set?
Heavy catalogues, plastic trinkets with no real use, and food items — we don't work with those. Instead, include something people will actually use at work: a pen, notebook, bottle or tote bag.
Do you help with stand design too?
Yes — roll-up banner stands from €62.48, PVC banners, beach flags, posters from A4 to A0 and photo banners are all printed at our facility in Riga, Kandavas iela 29A.
