unpredictable swag

Gift bags conjure up ideas of company-branded Frisbees and pin-back buttons, water bottles and pens.  It’s all quite predictable, so when we have an opportunity to do something different, that’s when the most fun happens.  Wouldn’t it be fun to build swag bags around these great, unpredictable swag items?

Having your event in a major metropolitan city?  Give your attendees a city plate!  I’m not a plate-on-the-wall girl, so it would be fun to use as a cheese plate for your next shindig or serve as the backdrop to that delicious dessert!

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[City Plates]

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 Having your event at a yacht club?  Hosting a nautical-themed party?  Sea Bags are the perfect carryall tote that your attendees can use again and again.  Want to take this theme to the next level?  Stuff the bag with Sperry Topsiders, throw in a splash-resistant anorak and roll up a beach towel.

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[Sea Bags]

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Throwing a baseball themed event?  Why not get your male guests some commemorative cufflinks from the ballpark?  Crafted from the salvaged seats of America’s most renowned stadiums, your guests could wear a piece of baseball history – original paint colors and all.  

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[Ballpark Cuff Links]

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 Hosting an event with international attendees, or throwing a party in a foreign city?  Give guests the gift of these colorful passport covers made with recycled ties and they’ll never lose their passport among the multitude of other things they’ve packed.

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[Narwhal Company Passport Cover]

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Have you received unusually cool items in your swag bags?

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stylish laptop bags

Carrying our laptops from meeting to meeting, event to event means that our laptop bags need to be chic, durable, functional and most importantly, comfortable.  But of course we won’t settle for just any bag right off the shelves.  With jet setting ahead for all of us, we took a look at what makes a bag great and which bags make the cut. 

 ~     Our number one: IT HAS TO BE LIGHT!  Bags that are heavy even before we slide in the laptop are a no-go!  

~     Laptop sleeve & room for power cords

~     Slim, streamlined look

~     Multiple straps: over-the-shoulder and hand-carrying options are a MUST

And now onto the bags!

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D-Lux Messenger from Timbuk2

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The description calls this a “TSA compliant leisure suit for your laptop” :: we think it’s perfect.  From San Francisco’s garage-meets-Mission District store, the brand is awesome and the bag will have a long life.  Check out more here.  Bonus:  They encourage you to even build your own. Brilliant.

 

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Lug Life Flatbed Slim Laptop Bag

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Look at all those pockets!  Three front zip pouches and a tiny back pocket.  A built in mouse pad and a water-repellent finish. With two carrying options, you can work your biceps or drape it over your shoulder for a more comfortable fit.  On sale now and available in 9 colors!

 The purple has made the top of my wishlist!

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 McKlein USA W Series Lake Forest Leather Women’s Laptop Case

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Italian leather with all the function of a laptop bag, and some frills too.  Comes with a padded shoulder strap, removable laptop sleeve and 7 color options and an inside pouch that includes a clip for your keys, a cell phone pocket, slots for pens and plenty of storage space. 

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 Manhattan Portage

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Originally designed for bike messengers in NYC and DJ’s in the East Village, this now-mainstream brand has been at it for 25 years.  Two of us carry Manhattan Portage bags and love them!

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 Built NY Laptop Portfolio

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  From laptops to iPads to portable DVDs, there is a Built NY bag for any carrying need.  Most styles come with a neoprene cover for extra protection.

Do you have a favorite bag?  What do you think of the above?