Are you thinking about showcasing your business with a kiosk at a festival, convention, or trade expo? If so, you will want something that will both draw in a crowd and keep your visitors thinking about your business long after the show ends. What you will need is a swag bag. In this article, we’ll talk about what a swag bag is & how you can put one together. Let’s get started!

What Is A Swag Bag?
First of all, we should define what the word “swag” means. Swag is a wild term that has taken on many different meanings over the past couple of decades. To quote the Oxford dictionary, the informal definition of swag means “goods taken by a thief or burglar”.
With that definition in mind, a swag bag is a collection of promotional items that you put into a bag for your visitors to take! These promotional items will ideally have your business’s name on them so that when they go home and use your products in the future, your brand’s name will be front and center for all to see.
When Should You Prepare Swag Bags?
Ideally before your event. Kidding! In all seriousness, you can have swag bags for just about any event that you are planning on representing your business with a kiosk or a stand.
These events can be golf tournaments, music festivals, corporate events, conventions, and trade expos. Many businesses even give swag bags to customers as a thank you gift after they’ve purchased an item from them. In short, there are thousands of occasions that you can offer swag bags at.
Why Should I Give Out Swag Bags?
Swag bags are a great way to secretly market your company in a way that is both fun and useful to your visitors. By putting your brand’s logo onto promotional items, you’ll be able to get your logo in front of more people without having to break out the big bucks for larger and more expensive marketing strategies.
How To Put Together Swag Bags
While everyone would want to put the best possible items into their swag bags, you should try to remain realistic about a few parameters. The areas that you should consider when putting together your swag bags are:
Weight
Try and avoid putting too many heavy items in your bag to avoid burdening your visitor with a metaphorical ball & chain throughout the day. Ideally, you will want to keep your swag bag between 1 and 2 pounds.
Bag
When selecting a bag, you will want to choose a bag that is eco-friendly, has strong handles, and is capable of holding all of the items that you want to put in it. Also, make sure that the bag is capable of having your brand’s logo on the face of it so everyone who sees your bag will see your business’s name.
Budget
Make sure to evaluate what you want to spend before beginning to purchase your promotional swag bag items. Oftentimes, people will purchase 100-1000 items per order, so make sure to factor in those costs when deciding on what to get.
What Should Your Swag Bags Have In Them?
If you have ever received a swag bag from a vendor at a trade expo, then you may know what popular swag bag items are. However, if you’ve received a number of swag bags, then you may have scored some of your favorite items from those shows that you can use as an idea for your swag bag. Here is a list of common items you can put in your swag bags.
While these items would be great for any swag bag, you should look to get items that are specifically trendy for your particular business. For instance, if you were an office supply store, you might want to put a small calculator or use a padfolio as your bag! If you’re going out to a golf tournament, you may want to add in some golf koozies or a few promotional golf tees.
What If I Want To Outshine My Competitors?
While it may cost a little more, going the extra mile for your visitors can do wonders for your business. You can choose to spend more money on your custom promotional bags, you can get the best custom golf tournament swag bags, or you can gift your visitors a custom mug so that they’ll think of your business each morning as they drink their daily coffee. No matter where you decide to spend some extra money, you’re almost guaranteed to outshine your competitors if you put some thought into what you’re providing for your visitors.

Final Thoughts on What A Swag Bag Is & How To Put One Together
No matter what function your company is going to, it is always a good idea to have some sort of swag bag with you to give out to your visitors. Not only is it a fun way to interact with your visitors, but you will also be able to distribute your promotional items with a minimal marketing budget.
At Good Promotional Products, we stand behind the quality of our promotional items and promise that they will meet both your needs and the needs of your clients.
While you’re at it, check out these great golf items that your partners & clients may also like! Also, take a look at our other great products for your other upcoming events. Enjoy!