2016 ALA Annual Conference & Expo: Who had the best swag?

We would be lying if we said booth giveaways aren’t one of our favourite things about trade shows. We scoped out the other business partners when we arrived at the ALA Conference, and we have to say we were impressed. From miniature office supplies to water bottles, to adorable knick-knacks that may only be used once – ALA truly opened our eyes to the possibilities of swag giveaways. Below you will find a list of our favourite items, which were all carefully picked by fSquared Marketing team members who were lucky enough to spend time with our friends down in Los Angeles.

Shout out to The Agency: Legal Staffing for giving out the cutest miniature office supply kits I have ever seen at the 2016 ALA Conference. Not only is this idea timeless, but it is compact and efficient! I could be doing work on a plane, or at a conference in desperate need of a stapler, paper clips, elastic bands, tape, or sticky notes, and if I had one of these in my purse I would be covered. This set is ideal for frequent travellers, or for people who like to work remotely but do not wish to carry around 10 pounds of office supplies with them wherever they go.  – Christie Lowe, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Nationwide Legal LLC won me over with their extremely cute, handy little highlighters neatly disguised to look like nail polish. The things that would normally motivate me to take home and keep your swag are centred on usefulness and uniqueness, but if it has no “personality’ (if it’s not fun or beautiful to look at) it usually ends up in the garbage regardless. I know, highlighters aren’t usually that exciting, but I found these nail polish bottles to be a little cheeky, and the fact that they can stand upright on their own on your desk also scores a few more points for practicality. I also would like to give an honourable mention to GilsbarPRO’s flashing blue LED bouncy-balls; my nephews LOVE them! Points for making me look like the best auntie AND points for thinking outside the box. –Fenella Jacquet, Graphic Designer

Sometimes the classics just can’t be beaten.  That was the case with ContactEase‘s Pez Candy & Dispenser. Although they have been using these as a promo item for many years (could it really be 20?) they remain a fresh item as the Pez holder’s evolve with the pop culture of the day.  This year the dispenser’s at the ContactEase booth were Disney family themed with Disney Princesses, characters from Frozen (including Olaf seen in the photo) and various Marvel superheroes.  This item has an amazing reach with a nod to the nostalgic for those of us of a certain age while providing a perfect gift to bring home to the kids. A winner by any standard! – Lynn Foley, CEO & Partner

As a tech geek (a good thing for a CDO), I love all things geeky.  This is why I loved First Legal Network‘s giveaway.  Their pen also doubles as a phone or tablet stylus.  Perfect for when you’re at a trade show and need to keep switching between writing on a business card and tapping on your phone.  I also use it every day at the office where my iPad sits on my desk as a third screen.  I would like to give an honourable mention to LaSalle Solutions‘s Micro LED Torch (because I live on the side of a mountain with bears) and Bill Quick Online‘s bright orange bobble pen, because anything that bobbles is cool. – Robert Foley, Chief Digital Officer & Partner

Thanks to all of the vendors for providing us with adorable, practical, and useful tools that we could take home with us. We can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Lynn
Fitzpatrick Foley

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