Promotional items that booth visitors actually use not only make the best environmental choice, but also provide regular – sometimes daily – exposure to your brand. So when you’re buying giveaways for that upcoming show, consider the marketing and environmental benefits of the following items:

Water bottles: From BPA free plastic to aluminum or glass, there are some great choices out there. Be sure to choose bottles that are well made, have a twist cap and are leak proof.

USB Drives: Who can’t use another one of these? Often, for a bit extra, you can also have your marketing collateral installed on the drive. Recycled plastic and even bamboo options can be considered.

Unique bags: Yes, lots of your competitors will give away reusable shopping bags, and they’re a good choice. But what about lunch bags? There are some great organic cotton lunch bags available

Coffee mugs – your probably thinking no way for this one, but hold on a second – there are some great ceramic coffee mugs with lids available or why not a stainless steel Americano option?

Stone paper notebooks – 100% tree free, these notebooks are made of stone and are just as unique as your company.

Want something truly unique but struggling with ideas? Give us a shout or email and we would be happy to assist. Advice is free of charge always!

Ahem….Valentines you say?

Yes, I know we’re a little late on announcing these winners! What can I say but that it’s been a little busy lately.

During the month of February we ran a contest on Facebook with one winner per week for 4 weeks.

Each winner will receive – a USB key, lip balm and yummy Camino chocolate!

Congratulations to Nina, Rosa, Kristen and Richard.

We’ll be contacting! Congratulations!

Material:

16 oz double wall 18/8 stainless steel thermal tumbler, vacuum insulated with threaded 360o lid

Size:

16 oz

Available Colours:

• Stainless steel
• Matt black
• Red
• Blue
• Black
• Brown
• Green Apple
• Orange
• Gold

Made In:

• China

Supplier Story:

• California based distributor of glass ware products.

Supplier Affiliations:

• Distributor complies to California Proposition 65 State of Compliance
• Distributor has Code of Compliance for suppliers

Request Quote

Material:

Double wall porcelain tumbler with silicone lid

Size:

11 or 16 oz

Available Colours:

• Lids are available in a multitude of colours
• Cups in white, brown, black and red

Made In:

• China

Supplier Story:

• California based distributor of glass ware products.

Supplier Affiliations:

• Distributor complies to California Proposition 65 State of Compliance
• Distributor has Code of Compliance for suppliers

Request Quote

Check-out some water bottle options here.

Don’t see what you want? Give us a call, we’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for your company.

In 2011, Earth hour was effective across 135 countries. You can find out what is going on in your location by going to their website and click on your location to find events in your area and encourage your friends, family, and work colleagues to attend.

Perhaps the thought of sitting in the dark for an hour isn’t so appealing? Why not make it fun? Here are 3 ideas for you to choose from:

1. Have some friends over for cocktails by candlelight.  Try making a “black out” martini or a “blue sky” martini (recipe courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel)

2. Have a neighborhood outdoor gathering with candles on your deck. Make some organic appetizers, break out the organic wine and voila!

3. Have a romantic evening with that special someone by candlelight, try a great organic red wine with some fabulous organic chocolate and let your imagination take care of the rest!

Wine & Chocolate: Atelier from Travis Boisvenue on Vimeo.

Today, we know that the initial cost may not be the largest expense. The lifecycle cost of the product, ie., the operational and disposal costs also need to be considered and factored in. The rise in the cost of energy and water will continue in the coming decades, as resource scarcity and environmental controls on utility companies increase. As a society, we need to look at sustainable alternatives not just at home but in our daily operations within the organization’s in which we work. The expansion of sustainable alternatives is growing rapidly due to the increased demand so now there is a more sustainable alternative for nearly every item we purchase and the cost is typically only a few cents more or equal in price to traditional non-sustainable items.

Preparing some basic guidelines for your organization to follow when considering purchases is pretty easy to do. However, we have even made it easier for you by preparing a sustainable purchase guide template to assist you and your organization in making informed decisions when considering a future purchase.

Why bother?

There are a variety of economic, environmental and social reasons why any business should consider sustainable purchasing, including:

• Sustainable alternatives can be more energy efficient. Initial outlay may be marginally more but the average payback periods for such initiatives are measured in months, not years. ie., a new office energy efficient fridge vs. the old clunker sitting in the staff room.
• Purchasing sustainable items enhances your brand and avoids reputational damage.
• Many waste minimization measures cost nothing, but yield big results when tracked over the longer term.
• The conservation of natural resources is becoming increasingly important and we all need to be part of the solution not a contributor to scarcity.
• Legislation, both in the UK and from Europe, is forcing North America to also look at addressing the issue of sustainability. Better to get an idea of what you need to do now to become a sustainable organization prior to legislation forcing compliance which could be costly down the road.

The basic guidelines for sustainable purchasing

Don’t feel like reading or downloading our guide? That’s okay, we understand it might not work for everyone.  Here are some basic guidelines for you to consider instead:

• Is the product made in part or wholly from recycled material?
• Is the product made from a material that came from a sustainable source?
• Is the product made from a material that can be recycled after use?
• How energy and water efficient is the purchase?
• Avoid excessive packaging
• What are the disposal costs for the product?

About the guide

The guide is designed as a template, so feel free to edit and make it your own. You can download it here

Want to make your product/service memorable? Think Hollywood or Disney. Create a theme and make sure booth staff are willing and able to act in your event. Choose staff that are outgoing, knowledgeable and fun!

Here are some ideas that you might want to consider:

• Vegas theme – rent a few vegas props – ie., blackjack table and create blackjack cards focused on your product/service. Rent a blackjack card guru and give away some themed prizes and you will have people around the booth guaranteed!
• Circus/Magic theme – rent a small pop up circus tent (depending upon your booth space size) rent a juggler to show potential clients how to juggle or perhaps a medium who can read cards or palms. Or, using lots of black cloth, create a magic theme, hire a magician to show simple card tricks and theme your promotional giveaways around this.
• Disco/LMFAO theme – hang a disco ball, throw in some disco music and have booth staff dress in disco clothes. Throw in a dance floor with a couple of disco dancers and you will have people flocking to the booth to see what is going on.
• Safari Park/Nature theme – this can be either a calm and relaxing oasis within which attendees will want to sit and watch your demo or it can be fun with a full safari park theme with the team dressed as safari guides playing a role of guiding attendees through the dangerous aspects of your booth.

Remember to consider sustainability in your planning process by either renting props or using environmentally friendly materials if making your own props.

Creating what is referred to as  “green teams” is an excellent way to empower them – to make them feel that they are part of the solution.  There might already even be an adhoc team or two located in your company that has taken on the responsibility of recycling or planning a “bike to work” program. These teams seem to be found in many organizations regardless if there is a sustainability strategy in place. The goal is to harness these teams, set the strategy, get them excited about the possibilities and then let them run the show. If you have a solid strategy with clearly established goals, letting these teams own the program, has proven to be a quicker and more efficient way to reach your sustainability objectives. You can easily get them moving by doing the following:

1. Co-create a vision – have them co-create, understand and share a vision statement that clearly defines the programs goals. Discuss and clarify where they are and how to get to where they need to be given the resources available to them.

2. Identify the concrete and actionable steps – together identify the various steps needed to achieve the vision. With varying levels of knowledge of sustainability, clear actionable steps are a must.

3. Outline key success metrics – create an initial baseline of where the organization is and identify the performance metrics required to obtain the program goals at the onset. Make the metrics understandable by all and achievable.

Material:

18 oz single wall glass beverage vessel

Size:

Available Colours:

• Clear class only

Made In:

• China

Supplier Story:

• California based distributor of glass ware products.

Supplier Affiliations:

• Distributor complies to California Proposition 65 State of Compliance
• Distributor has Code of Compliance for suppliers

Request Quote