Get Swag
Take the tote bag. Pocket the stickers. Accept the oddly shaped stress toy whose connection to the company logo will never be explained. Getting swag turns conferences, launches and conventions into a light-hearted treasure hunt for free branded merchandise, ranging from useful notebooks and bottles to objects that will puzzle you again when you unpack. Promotional merchandise is made to keep a name visible after an event, which is why the best pieces are things people reuse. The fun lies in discovering what each stand has chosen and earning the occasional limited item by trying a demo, answering a question or arriving before supplies disappear. A mountain of disposable plastic is not a victory, though. Choose an event you genuinely want to attend, bring a reusable bag and collect only items you will use or pass on. Never take more than offered, and remember that admission or travel may cost money even when the swag itself is free. Swap duplicates with other attendees rather than binning them. Add this to your list and see whether you return with a coveted T-shirt or seventeen branded pens.