Order too few and you run out mid-event. Order too many and the extras sit in a closet for years. Here's how to land on the right number.
This question comes up on almost every promotional products order, and the answer genuinely depends on what the products are for. Here's how to think through it by use case, plus a few numbers to use as a starting point.
Estimate based on expected foot traffic, not booth size. A good rule of thumb is to plan for 60-80% of total expected attendees for low-cost "traffic driver" items like pens or stickers, since not everyone who walks by will stop at your booth. For mid-tier items — totes, notebooks, drinkware — plan for the number of visitors you expect to have an actual conversation with, typically 20-40% of total attendee count. Reserve premium items for serious prospects only; a stack of 20-30 high-value pieces is usually enough for a multi-day show.
This one is simple — order to your actual headcount, plus a small buffer (5-10%) for new hires added mid-cycle, damaged items, or sizing exchanges on apparel. Ordering exactly to headcount with no buffer often means someone gets left out when a size runs short or a box arrives damaged.
Base this on your active client list, not your total historical client count. Sending a nice gift to a client relationship that ended two years ago wastes budget that could go toward a better gift for active relationships. If your client list fluctuates, order to your current count plus a small reserve for new clients who come on within the gifting window.
Low-cost items meant for ongoing distribution — pens at the front counter, stickers at checkout — are best ordered in larger bulk quantities (250-1,000+) since the unit price drops significantly at volume and these items get used up gradually over months.
| Use Case | Starting Quantity |
|---|---|
| Small trade show booth | 150-300 traffic drivers, 50-75 mid-tier |
| Large conference booth | 500-1,000 traffic drivers, 150-250 mid-tier |
| Employee onboarding (annual) | Headcount + 5-10% |
| Client appreciation (annual) | Active client count + 5% |
| Front desk / retail giveaway | 250-1,000 (reorder as needed) |
It's tempting to round up "just in case," but promotional products with a specific date or event printed on them lose relevance fast, and generic branded items that don't get used within a year or two often end up donated or discarded. Ordering close to your actual need — with a modest buffer, not a large one — is usually the better financial decision than stockpiling.
Most promotional products are priced in quantity tiers (for example, 50, 100, 250, 500). If your calculated need lands just under a price break — say you need 240 units and the next tier starts at 250 — it's often worth ordering the full 250, since the extra 10 units may cost less than the per-unit savings across the whole order.
Tell us about your event, team size, or goal — we'll help you land on a number that makes sense.