Trade shows are expensive: stand space, travel, staff time and printed materials all add up. Lanyards are one of the cheapest parts of your budget, yet they can do a lot of work. Here is how exhibitors and organisers get the best value from trade show lanyards.
For exhibitors: make your team easy to spot
On a busy show floor, visitors need to know who to talk to. Branded lanyards in your company colours make stand staff instantly recognisable, even when they walk the aisles or grab a coffee. Use exhibitor lanyards or your own branded design.
For organisers: lanyard sponsorship
If you run a trade show, the official lanyard is one of the most valuable sponsorship slots you can sell, because every visitor wears it all day. A sponsor’s logo on a 20mm or 25mm strap printed on both sides is seen thousands of times. The sponsorship fee can easily cover the cost of the lanyards.
For sponsors: a giveaway people use
Pens and leaflets are often left behind. A good lanyard gets used for keys, work passes and the next show. Keep the design timeless, with your logo and website rather than the show name and date, so it keeps working long after the event.
Buy in bulk, reuse across shows
If you exhibit at several shows a year, one larger order is usually much better value than several small ones. The price per lanyard falls at 250, 500, 750, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000+ pieces. With a date-free design you can use the same stock for every show, and for staff ID back at the office.
Which style for trade shows?
- Dye sublimation: full-colour logos, printed both sides at the same price. Our best seller for events.
- Flat polyester: crisp screen print in up to four Pantone colours, great value at volume.
- Tubular: the budget option for very large visitor numbers.
- Eco lanyards: recycled PET, bamboo or organic cotton, for shows with sustainability goals.
Don’t forget the badge
Match the lanyard to the visitor badge. Choose a card holder sized for your badges, and consider open-ended lanyards with a clip at each end to stop landscape badges spinning round.
Trade show lanyard checklist
- Confirm numbers for staff, visitors or delegates, plus spares.
- Agree the design, including any sponsor logos.
- Choose clips (add breakaways for public shows).
- Approve your free proof in good time.
- Arrange delivery to your office or direct to the venue.
Get a free quote for your trade show lanyards. We reply within 30 minutes during working hours and deliver free to any UK address.
