The majority of what goes on at a trade show, remains at a trade show. Conversations die down, leaflets get recycled and business cards end up unread. The rare exception is a good exhibition bag which leaves the exhibition and arrives at home and in real life long afterwards. Many companies who are thinking about learn more about long-term brand visibility, don’t realize how effective a reusable bag can be outside the exhibition hall.

It’s the whole commercial case for investing the right way into exhibition bags. Stand fee is for 1 day of exposure to 1 room of people. A branded bag of quality goes with that visibility forever, as users take it to their offices, supermarkets, gyms and commutes, and no longer think of it as a promotional item, but rather as a bag they like.

The only difference between a bag that is used and a bag that is thrown away is almost always quality. When it’s put so simply, it seems like a no-brainer, but it is one thing that the buying behaviour at exhibitions regularly defies. Bags that are thin, crinkly and have smudged prints say something right off the bat – and not a good one – about the business behind them. It’s the other way around with a well-constructed cotton bag with clean, durable printing — before a single word is read on the stand.

Specifications are of great importance in the practical context, especially in the exhibition context. It’s common for people to gather a lot of information during a day-long trade show in the UK. A bag needs to truly fit brochures, product samples, a notepads, cables and whatever else is thrust into their hands for hours and hours of floor time. A thickness of A4 is a good minimum thickness. Side gussets provide a good amount of extra space at a reasonable unit cost.

Handle design impacts the whole user expertise at hectic exhibitions. After an hour, short handles result in an uncomfortable hand-carrying. Longer shoulder handles (65cm) enable the shoulder bag to hang properly and keep hands free for handshakes, phones and coffee cups. Bigger handles will spread the weight around more when you’re carrying heavy loads. These are all little details on their own, and they’re a lot after four hours of being on a trade show floor.