Planning your company's attendance at an industry conference can be nerve-wracking, but one part of it can be simple if you put a little forethought into it. Well-chosen conference gifts can pay off big for your company in terms of exposure and new business. The key is in deciding the purpose of your attendance at the conference, and making your plans accordingly. These are some of the most common questions asked about choosing conference gifts.

Q. Why should I give out gifts at a conference?

A. Everyone loves a free gift. Even if your main aim in attending a business conference is to learn about new developments in your industry, it's a wonderful opportunity to publicize your company and make others in your business more aware of you. Giveaway gifts with your company's name, brand or slogan on them will make your company more visible and more recognizable down the road when your company's sales reps call on people.

Q. What sort of conference promotional items are the most popular?

A. Honestly, that depends on the conference, but there are perennial best sellers to which people are always receptive. Those include printed pens, tape measures and carrier bags to hold flyers and information about your product. At a conference where the main activity will be attending seminars and meetings, conference folders with pads and pens are extremely popular and useful, and company t-shirts nearly always ?sell? out.

Q. How many items should I buy for a conference?

A. That depends on the conference size, of course, but as a general rule of thumb, you should order at least 75% of the number that you know will be attending the conference. Leftover conference gifts can always be reused in other promotions if you don't date them.

Q. When should I order conference gifts?

A. It's possible to order some conference gifts on a quick turnaround if you haven't thought about it till the last minute. In general, though, you should figure on giving the promotional items company at least three to four weeks lead time, especially if they are developing the artwork for your order.

Q. How much should I plan on spending for promotional conference gifts?

A. Again, that's very dependent on your company's budget and intentions. You can get away as cheaply as a few pence per piece for printed pens or key rings or get very fancy with conference folders and handouts that will run you up to twenty quid or more. The best rule of thumb is to consider the possible profit from each sale or contact that you make and then figure how much your marketing department is willing to spend to secure that business.

Q. Where can I order conference gifts?

A. There are many UK companies that offer promotional items and gifts for sale. You'll find entire catalogs of conference gifts online that will help you plan your budget and conference strategy. If you've never planned a promotional campaign that involves conference gifts before, though, you may benefit from the professional advice of a firm that has been in the business for decades. Browse the internet where you'll find information and expert help with planning your promotional campaign.