Best Promotional Products for Trade Shows in 2026
Trade show giveaways live or die by one rule: will attendees keep it? Here are the promotional products that consistently generate the highest retention — and the most impressions — for exhibiting brands.
Why Promotional Products Still Drive Trade Show ROI
In an era of digital marketing, physical promotional products at trade shows remain one of the highest-ROI tactics available. According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, 85% of people who receive a promotional product remember the advertiser who gave it to them. At a trade show, where you're competing with hundreds of booths for attention, a well-chosen promotional product is often the reason a prospect remembers your brand a week later.
The catch: most trade show giveaways fail because they're cheap, forgettable, or impractical. The best promotional products for trade shows are useful, portable, and connected to your brand story.
Top Promotional Products for Trade Shows
1. Custom Pens
The most-used promotional product in existence. A quality branded pen gets used an average of 3,000 times over its lifetime, generating thousands of brand impressions from a single $1–3 item. At trade shows, pens have an additional advantage: attendees are constantly taking notes, filling out forms, and signing up for things. Bring more than you think you need.
2. Tote Bags
Trade show attendees accumulate materials throughout the day. A branded tote bag given early in the show gets carried through the entire event, turning your logo into a walking advertisement. Reusable totes also have strong sustainability appeal. Average impressions per bag: 5,700+ over its lifetime.
3. Custom Drinkware
Insulated tumblers and water bottles rank among the top 3 highest-retention promotional products. People use drinkware daily, they value the quality, and they keep good ones for years. A 20 oz stainless tumbler can deliver 1,000+ impressions per year. Browse custom drinkware →
4. Power Banks
At conferences and trade shows, phone battery anxiety is universal. A branded portable power bank solves a real, immediate problem. Look for 5,000 mAh+ capacity and USB-A + USB-C output — the extra specs cost little more at volume but signal quality to the recipient.
5. Sticky Notes and Padfolios
Attendees taking notes need somewhere to put them. Custom sticky note pads and padfolios are practical at the show and return to the recipient's desk afterward, keeping your brand in front of them during every work session.
6. Lip Balm
Trade show floors are notoriously dry and climate-controlled. Branded lip balm addresses a physical discomfort people feel in that environment. Under $2 per unit, used multiple times per day, and genuinely kept.
7. Custom Koozies
If your brand has any connection to beverages, food service, or hospitality, custom koozies are an excellent trade show giveaway. Lightweight, pack flat, and universally kept.
8. Screen Cleaning Cloths
Custom microfiber cloths live on desks and are used constantly. Thin and flat — you can pack hundreds in a small trade show kit. Full-color printing gives maximum brand surface area at low per-unit cost.
9. Lanyards and Badge Holders
If distributed early in the show, custom lanyards become the default badge holder for the entire event — giving your brand maximum in-show visibility for the whole day.
10. Branded Snacks
Custom-packaged snacks generate immediate booth traffic. Pair a snack with a more durable branded item: the snack gets them to the booth, the durable item keeps your brand alive after the show.
How to Choose the Right Promotional Products
Start with your audience. A tech company exhibiting at a developer conference should prioritize practical tech accessories. A healthcare company should choose health-oriented items. Mismatched giveaways feel generic.
Consider a two-tier strategy: an inexpensive giveaway (pens, mints, cleaning cloths) for everyone who stops by, and a premium item (tumbler, power bank, padfolio) reserved for qualified leads and meaningful conversations.
Getting Your Trade Show Order Right
Order early. Production typically runs 7–14 business days after proof approval, plus shipping. For large orders, plan 3–4 weeks minimum. Brief the vendor on your Pantone references — color accuracy across products matters.
Browse our full catalog of promotional products for trade shows, or request a bulk quote with your event date and quantities.