Work back from your conference merchandise deadline

Plan around the day the merchandise must be at the venue. That is often earlier than the event itself: someone needs time to receive the shipment, check quantities and prepare distribution. The date of an event is not automatically a safe delivery deadline.

Separate the people you are ordering for

Write down the attendee, staff, volunteer and speaker groups. Staff apparel may need clear identification and a complete size distribution. Attendee items need to be easy to hand out and carry. Speaker gifts can be a separate selection with a different quantity and presentation.

Count physical items separately from recipients. If every attendee receives two products, the combined item count is not the number of kits. Label the quantity of each product and describe which items should be grouped together.

Confirm the product and artwork together

Select the base product and its available branding options before treating a reference image as a production specification. Our catalog exposes supported print methods through enabled placements; a method being available somewhere in the catalog does not mean it works on every item.

Share artwork and placement requirements early. If multiple organizations need to appear, send the agreed logo arrangement and explain who can approve it. Changes after approval can affect the production plan and should be discussed before assuming the original deadline still holds.

Keep the arrival date separate from production

Ask the quote to identify the agreed scope and expected dispatch timing, and discuss transport to the actual venue. Quantity, artwork approval, material availability and finishing all affect production. Delivery needs its own consideration.

For an urgent request, send the exact arrival deadline and destination alongside the product and quantity. A request is a feasibility check, not a reservation of capacity. If time is tight, ask which specifications can realistically be supplied before deciding on extras.

Specify how the merchandise will be handed out

Describe any grouping, size labels or packaging needed by the registration team. These are requirements to confirm in the quote, not assumptions that follow from ordering multiple products.

Name a person on your team who will receive and count the shipment. Keep the order reference available so questions about quantities or the agreed specification can be checked against the same record.

A brief you can send

Include the event name, venue, required arrival date, product quantities by recipient group, apparel sizes, artwork status, budget and packaging requirements. Share a reference if it helps explain the item, and identify the features that matter most.