Pens, Mints and Luggage Tags

I have a lot of good things to say about the recent ACG InterGrowth conference. The weather was great, the panels educated and entertained, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better collection of dealmakers. But, to be blunt, the tchotchkes—for the uneducated, that means the stuff sponsors hand out at their booths—were a little disappointing. The problem was, the handouts at other ACG events I’ve attended simply set the bar too high. Late last year after an ACG Chicago event, after surrending a bottle opener and pocket knife to airport security, I still managed to bring home a bag full of quality souvenirs. My niece was the beneficiary of an arts and crafts starter set, my two nephews got toy cars and a frisbee, and my girlfriend (now fiancée, in case she’s reading) got a pair of socks. That left a nerf football, multiple stress balls, a flashlight, a generic toothbrush and a collection of luggage nametags for myself, not to mention the athletic bag that came with the registration and a one in probably 800 chance of winning a hunting rifle (I lost). InterGrowth sponsors provided the old standbys, of course – pens, mints and luggage nametags. There were the business card-drop raffles. And since this was Phoenix, there were plenty of golf balls and tees. But there were relatively few standouts. Nonetheless, I was able to compile a top 5 list. I’m hoping this might motivate those that aren’t on it. 5 – Invest in Canada: Canadian Pins It’s a perfect gift for my grandmother. I certainly wouldn’t wear it, but it gets me “grandson points.” 4 – SourceMedia: Starbucks gift cards Full disclosure – I obviously work for SourceMedia, but I can safely say I’m not being biased here. Dunkin’ Donuts cards might have gotten Source into the top three, but I understand the national appeal of Starbucks. 3 – Audax Group: Imitation Purell Here’s a shout-out to some fellow germaphobes. You shake a lot of hands at Intergrowth. 2 – Unknown: LunaSom PM There was a large East coast contingent at the conference, and there’s a good bet some of you had trouble adjusting to East Coast standard time when you got back home. LunaSom PM, a natural sleeping aid, might have helped. (I feel guilty forgetting exactly which firm supplied the LunaSom, but they should be commended.) 1 – PNC: Magnetic stress balls. I don’t even know how to describe these, except to say that they’re addictive. Distributed in pairs, they’re shaped like footballs and are embedded with magnets. I lost one during a panel, and spent the next 30 minutes trying to nonchalantly find it under the table, below my chair, and on the leg of my seat (it is magnetized) – all to no avail. I managed to grab another set, and now spend probably half of my waking hours fiddling with these things. To those who made my tchotchke Top 5, congratulations. The rest of you now have something to shoot for at the next ACG event. Ken MacFadyen [email protected] Merger Mogul reaches the entire ACG community and more. Wouldn’t it be great to write a guest article for this section? Your column should be about 400 words. Please send entries to [email protected].