Geek Welfare -- Confessions of a Convention Swag Hoarder

Have you ever had to justify to your company why you had to go to that expensive conference and give away all that swag — or why you came back with so much of it? Tired of explaining who “HardOn Soft” is when clients see their coffee mug on your desk? Who needs that many XXXXL T-shirts, anyway?! Guess what — that’s all money that’s flying out of those companies’ hands with almost no return on investment (ROI)! Even worse, with so many ways to repurpose and repackage 90% of the swag out there, they can’t even claim they’re generating brand awareness! Learn from a self-diagnosed Swag Hoarder on how to avoid your company wasting its hard-earned money on swag no self-respecting person would use (without a few “alterations”) — or if you’re just another face in the crowd, how to exploit what other companies are up to both by figuring out how to make sure of all the crap- er, ‘promotional material’ they give you, as well as how to win an iPad or other great prizes! (No, I won’t be GIVING one out at this talk, but there are tricks that will make it a lot easier for you to get one at your next big trade show!)