Events are enjoying a resurgence. That means companies are looking for branded promotional items that help them make an impression without breaking the bank.

The success of any event giveaway is measured by impressions—that is, the number of people who see the product and logo over the item’s lifetime. The size of the event (and potential audience) must be carefully weighed against the quality of the item and the available budget in order to make a lasting and favorable impression. The price of each item should be directly related to the amount of business they are expected to generate from the attendees.

We frequently hear how difficult it is for companies to attract and retain talent these days. But what about the flip side—those people who are looking for work, particularly in marketing? What skills do they need to make themselves not only attractive, but indispensable to a marketing organization?

After several years of COVID-influenced lockdowns and cancellations, trade shows are making a huge comeback. A tremendous amount of pent-up demand is driving a veritable tidal wave of events in 2023—both live and virtual.

The logistics of staging such events have, however, have evolved significantly thanks in large part to COVID-19. Shifting demographics, changing trends, and the widespread adoption of new technologies designed to deal with restrictions imposed by the lockdown are changing the event landscape.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve been exploring recent trends that are influencing how businesses are spending their marketing budgets these days, first introduced in a blog post on the PPAI Expo back in January. Those trends include an industry-wide move towards more conscious consumerism as well as a growing preference for buying promotional items based on well-known retail brands.