If you’re an event planner who regularly schedules and sets up seminars, workshops and conferences, then you know the nightmare of ensuring that all the meeting materials end up in the hands of attendees.
In the past, this meant shipping hundreds of pounds of printed materials to the conference site, finding table space to lay it all out and having enough staff on hand to ensure that each attendee got all the materials.

More often than not, it was a sea of printed matter, along with CDs, DVDs and other takeaways that were expensive to produce, expensive to ship to the conference and expensive for attendees to take with them.
Flash drives are a delightful alternative, saving you time, money and space. It also saves your attendees money on the flight home, since they don’t have to pay often outrageous additional bag fees with airlines to lug all the materials home. They can even carry your flash drive on the plane with them and spend the trip home reviewing everything they learned.

Since the material can be created so that it is searchable, flash drives also offer the recipient the chance to review materials as they wish, rather than having to thumb through linear pieces of printed matter to locate the one thing they really wanted to know.

Best of all, everything can be stored in one portable medium, from the meeting notes and speaker presentations to video demos, Q&As and more. And if your attendees are willing to wait for their drive, you can even pre-load videos of the each presentation onto the drive along with candid photos of receptions and conference events.
Additional items can include:

- Presenter biographies
- Technical papers and white papers
- Links to post conference content on the web
- A directory of all attendees and presenters
- Sponsor links and marketing materials
- Information on other upcoming conferences, seminars and workshops

Feedback forms
This is really just the tip of the iceberg and the actual materials included on the USB stick can really be anything imaginable.

You could even send the USB flash drive to the attendee along with their registration confirmation ahead of time and include all the pre-meeting information they need, the schedule of events, speaker bios, a map of the meeting facility, suggestions about what to bring, etc.

Once attendees arrive, they can return the USB flash drives to you on the first day, giving you time to reload new information onto them that is specific to the meeting. Or you can send them after the event with all the keynote videos and photo memories.

This has the added benefit of allowing you to double the branding potential of the USB flash drive, sending the drive to the attendee, letting them use it until the meeting for their planning purposes and then returning it to them at the end with new information on it.
If you do use the before-after approach with USB flash drive information, be sure to let your attendees know ahead of time so they don’t load additional information onto the drive they are bringing to the meeting. This also has the added benefit of not having to reunite USB flash drives with specific attendees, saving you invaluable time and money.

Just be sure to bring additional USB flash drives with you. There’s always those in attendance who forget to bring theirs with them and you don’t want to be caught short. Usually, having a 10% overage is sufficient to cover the forgetful ones.

A strong brand connection
Flash drives are a great promotional item because they get a lot of use. They rarely end up in a junk drawer. Instead, the recipient uses them at home, at work and everywhere in between to carry, transfer and share data, from family photos and music to department projects and homework. They are used every day in every way imaginable. And with them goes your logo and brand message. 

They are highly prized
Let’s face it. How many key chains or koosh balls can one person have? With USB flash drives, one is never enough. They are instantly recognised as being valuable to the recipient and having several is far better than having one (and one on a key ring is particular welcomed). 

An easy sell
Almost every promotional item outside of USB flash drives is static. In other words, the item has your logo and message printed on the outside of it, but that’s it. With flash drives, however, you can preload your sales materials onto it, from self-running presentations and catalogues to product sheets and website links. These can even be setup to run automatically the first time the recipient inserts the drive into their PC. We’d like to see a flying disc or baseball hat do that! 

Small package with big potential
The size of the USB flash drive has two big bonuses. First, it’s easy for the recipient to carry around with them on a daily basis and second; a lot of them can be shipped for a small amount of money. If you’ve ever shipped a thousand mugs from Point A to Point B you know how costly that can be. A thousand USB flash drives, however, one small box. 

Relatively cheap
Flash drives aren’t the most inexpensive promotional item out on the market today, true. Mugs, key rings and hats are all less expensive, particularly in quantity. But the base cost is only part of the equation. When comparing the items, you have to factor in the cost of printing, shipping, storage and warehousing (when no one wants another ball cap or mug). These can quickly make USB flash drives as affordable if not more so, particularly if you order the versions with less storage. Plus, you have to factor in the cost of having any promotional item miss its target, ending up in a drawer or in a kid’s toy chest. Cutting a few cents here and there can be the difference between having your message out in front of people every day and ending up in the toy chest next to Mr. Potato Head. 
 

When shopping for the next big thing in the promotional item, it’s often tempting to go with something breathtakingly new and fresh. But there’s always the inherent danger that today’s trendy gift becomes next week’s corporate joke. Koosh balls flying around the office were never appreciated. And you certainly don’t want your promotional item (and by inference your brand) to become the next item reviled by bosses everywhere.

If your company likes to put a little something extra in their stockings, there are plenty of great new promotional items out this year that any stocking-stuffing Santa would be proud to give out.

One of the most practical but stylish gifts this year is USB sticks that double as wristbands. This allows the user to always have some extra memory with them to swap out files, share images or make quick backups before leaving the home or office. Since they snap right onto your wrist, they are always handy.
If you’re looking for an extra stocking stuffer, USB sticks in a wrap around wristband are a good choice that everyone will love. Plus, you can get them in an array of colours, which adds to their perceived value as a holiday gift.

As anyone knows, holiday memories are made to last and a digital photo frame is a great way to display them. These photo frames let you thank an employee for a job well done while keeping your message front and centre as the recipient shows others their cherished holiday photos.

Of course, the holidays don’t have to be all about practical gifts. If you want to show your fun side, USB massagers are all the rage right now. These massagers plug right into the USB port of any computer and give the recipient a little refreshing mid-day buzz to keep their hands from cramping from a long day of crunching numbers or finishing reports.

Another popular item this holiday season are branded USB powered speakers. These little marvels sound great and are the perfect gift for employees who are travelling on business regularly. You can choose from a wide range of powered speakers, including the new USB Vase Speakers that are perfect for laptops. They even light up, adding beauty and function to the recipient’s workday, whether they are in the office, at home or on the road.

Another thoughtful gift that’s sure to get lots of use is a 4-port USB Hub. Even with a desktop system there never seems to be enough USB ports these days, and it’s even truer with notebooks and laptops. One of the nice things about the newest USB hubs is that they are backwards compatible, so you can enjoy the speed of USB 2.0 while still using the hub with a USB 1.1 compliant computer.
Some of the newer hubs are really small, which makes them the perfect accessory for those that love their portable, anywhere lifestyle. These hubs also do a few new tricks. For example, some of the newest promotional item USB hubs have a time and date function. It can even tell you the temperature. Printed with your logo, this 4-port USB Hub is sure to be a hit with those lucky enough to receive one.

Whether you’re looking to add a little fun to your employee’s stockings or simply saying thank you for all their hard work in the past year, there are plenty of great USB promotional items out there to choose from. No matter what you choose, your employees will almost certainly be thrilled to be on Santa’s list this year.

The built-in digital amplifier has mega bass and there is a power on/off switch and volume up/down control so you can manage the speaker sound levels in addition to those on your computer.
The construction is superb. The housings are brushed black aluminium. Your logo can be imprinted on the top of each speaker, giving your brand a lot of visibility. Each set of speakers comes boxed with a clear window that displays your logo, another strong branding opportunity.

The USB mini speakers are USB powered if you want to use these speakers on your computer system. Just plug them into an available USB port and viola! – booming stereo. If you want to connect it to a Zune, iPod or similar mp3 or mp4 device, you’ll need an external power supply.

The minimum order is usually 200 sets of speakers. Not bad, since you can use these as special premium giveaways with solid prospects or your best customers.

Believe us, you’ll want to get more than 200. These speakers will become extremely popular with your target audience and they will be clamouring to get them from you.

Branded products are a mainstay of our culture. From bottled water and phones to luxury cars and jeans, we are surrounded by corporate logos and stylish graphics designed to capture our attention and our loyalty.

Branding isn’t about to go out of style any time soon, either. Step into an Apple store anywhere in the world and you’ll see how effective branding can create an almost cult-like status for products and the companies that make them.

Of course, USB flash drives are a highly popular choice for branding. What’s more, these drives can also save businesses, college students, project teams and other drive owners time and money in a surprising number of ways.

For example, it’s terribly easy to get USB flash drives mixed up, especially when working in project teams or on assignments with others. At first glance, the mix up doesn’t seem like a big deal since USB flash drives are so affordable, especially when compared to hard drives and laptops.

While the loss of the drive itself isn’t costly, the loss of the data it contains can be quite costly. Not only does the data have value, but there’s the time it took to create it. The loss of a drive can mean hours of additional labour to recreate the files that have gone missing.

One of the ways to prevent this from happening is to have USB flash drives designed for specific projects, work groups, college courses or programs. That way, the drives won’t get lost in the sea of other drives. The unique colour scheme, logo, design or style of USB flash drive can instantly identify it, at least within a specific work group. From there, it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to find out whose drive it is. A quick look at the data, file structure or even the name of the USB flash drive can be telling. For example, a drive can be set up to mount as “Bob’s Project” or “Sarah’s Transfer Files”. Anyone within the work group can quickly identify the owner of the USB flash drive.

If specific project files are being shared, you can also create a series of branded USB flash drives that are colour coded or have specific project titles on it. Relevant titles or colours can be apportioned to each USB flash drive, so each work group has its own identification. For example, a particular project within the company can have a single style of USB flash drive. For the marketing team, the colour is blue, for production it is red, for management it is green and shipping has yellow. The overall design ties them all together, but it’s easy to see the type of data contained on it and the group it belongs to by colour alone.

Of course, every expense in the corporate world is being examined these days and storage devices are no different. While the cost of flash drive memory is slightly greater than a traditional hard drive, the advantage of USB flash drives is that they are virtually indestructible, something the more delicate hard drives can’t claim, due to their moving parts. Drop a hard drive and it’s toast. A USB flash drive can survive just about anything an employee, college student or customer can dish out. Fashionable, functional and affordable, branded USB flash drives are the perfect answer for sharing files in work groups, project teams and college classrooms.

1. Boot up from your flash drive.
If you’re using Windows or Linux, you can actually boot the operating system from the drive. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but there are some guides to follow out on the Internet if you’re savvy enough to try.

2.Run applications remotely.
You can put OpenOffice on your USB flash drive and use its word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing software and database to access your files, even if the computer you’re using doesn’t have Microsoft Office or another office suite installed on it. You can get other applications too from PortableApps.com, such as games or an audio or video player.

3.Reset passwords anywhere.
If you forget your password to your Windows system user account, you can use your USB flash drive as a reset disk to quickly get back in. There are tutorials online on how to do it – just do a google.com search for “Create a Vista” password and you should find instructions for creating a USB flash drive password reset disk.

4. Improve performance.
If your hard drive is getting a little full, you can use Windows Vista’s ReadyBoost technology to use the space on your USB flash drive as an additional memory cache. Because the flash drive doesn’t have any moving parts, flash memory is much more responsive and can really improve performance if your system is starved for memory. Just follow the prompts when you insert your USB flash drive to configure it for use with ReadyBoost.

5.Connect wirelessly.
If you’re working in a wireless world using the wireless tools in either Windows XP or Vista, you can save all your network configuration information to the USB flash drive. When you use another computer or any Windows Connect Now (WCN) device, you can quickly connect using the settings on the drive.

6.Protect your data.
If you’re worried about your data falling into the wrong hands, you can use Rohos Mini Drive to safeguard your information. This slick little tool lets you create a secret partition on the drive that you can password protect. Any documents in the partition are safe from prying eyes.

7. Enjoy your music anywhere.
Don’t have an Mp3 player but want to enjoy some tunes? Load your music onto your USB flash drive and use Windows Media Player to access the files. You can also import the music straight into iTunes if you have it installed. Not only do you have your favourite music with you at all times, but you don’t have to worry about the batteries going dead on your Mp3 player.

8. Run your online empire from a flash drive.
With a product like Server2Go, you can run your own website remotely from a USB flash drive. Server2Go supports most of the common web languages, such as Apache, PHP and MySQL. Best of all, it’s free. This is a great feature if you’re a web developer. You can load an entire demo site onto the drive for your meeting with a client.

9.Use like a key on your PC.
A program called Predator turns your USB flash drive into a key that locks and unlocks your computer. When it’s inserted into your USB port, everything works fine. When you remove it, the screen becomes dark and your keyboard and mouse won’t work. This is terrific if you’re working on sensitive projects and want to go get a cup of coffee or a bite to eat without shutting the computer down. When you return, simply insert the USB flash drive and you’re up and running again.

10. Transporting your files.
We saved the most obvious use for last. If you’re running XP, you can use the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager to manage file transfers. Once it’s installed, you can move files back and forth easily. If you’re on a Mac, you can simply drag and drop files onto the USB flash drive, which appears as a hard drive icon on your desktop.

And there you have it! Ten really great ideas for improving your productivity, save you time and even money (you don’t need to buy an MP3 player for starters) and get more use out of your USB flash drives, which are inexpensive and so easy to use.

If you read the headline then you probably did a double take. No, you’re not looking at a keying error. Some of the newest, most innovative USB flash drives are beginning to take on new persona, from a friendly doctor to a savvy businessman.

Looking a bit like a Lego creation, these the cute little characters not only offer additional storage in a super small package, but further your branding by creating a memorable promotional product that keeps you top of mind with your clients.

The USB People drives range in size from 512 MB all the way up to 8 gigs and are fully USB 2.0 compliant. They work great on any computer system, including all the various incarnations of Windows and Mac.

If you’re in the medical profession or in business, you can order stock versions of the USB People and have your logo or message imprinted on them. Stock versions include a businessperson, doctor, nurse and dentist.

If you’re looking for something custom, that’s entirely possible too. Imagine USB People flash drives that are sports teams, construction workers, delivery people or any number of other highly recognisable characters. You can even mix and match them, creating entire teams of USB People, ready to provide your customers and employees with handy, portable and virtually indestructible storage.

One of the great things about USB People drives is that they are highly collectible and highly prized by those lucky enough to receive one. Don’t be too surprised if you find these smart promotional products gracing the offices, cubicles and work areas of your customers. They can provide you with the competitive advantage you need to make your brand memorable in a very crowded marketplace.

USB People is just one of the many new innovations in USB flash drive designs and it is certainly one of the most creative. Depending on the model you select, users either remove the cover on the feet or the head to expose the USB 2.0 port, which can be docked right into your computer, a keyboard with USB connectivity or a USB hub.

If you think the engineering of these drives isn’t top notch, think again. Inside these USB People drives is the same high quality components found in any USB flash drive today. They will continue to operate in virtually any climate or condition. There’s even an LED light to let you know when the drive is transferring data and the drives stand up on their own two feet, literally.

One of the great things about these USB People flash drives is they can show off your company’s sense of humour and sense of fun. This is perfect for medical practitioners and law firms, where the actual work is very serious. The drives show you have a lighter side that goes beyond the visits to the office.

How can you use them to drive business or promote your brand? For example, you can use the nurse version as a give-away during Nurses Appreciation Week or use the doctors to promote a new health program or service. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

At 7.5cm tall, they fit in just about any pocket yet aren’t so small that you could possibly misplace them. After all, compared to a bland, basic USB flash drive, a small doctor, nurse or other professional is pretty hard to misplace on a desk, purse or counter.

One of the great things is that even a custom design has a relatively low minimum order. Depending on the company, you can order as few as 250 pieces in order to get a custom design in your choice of colours and professions. For stock designs, the quantity is even lower, often just 50 units.

Add some new staff to your workforce in the guise of USB People and watch your customers clamour to collect their favourites with one of the most innovative promotional product ideas to come along in some time.

If you’re an event organiser, chances are good that your hard work has paid off with a seminar, meeting, reunion, wedding or trade show that attendees will remember for a long time.
As you know these events offer everyone a great time to connect or reconnect, make new friends, find new customers, network and cement relationships that may last years, if not a lifetime.

To make these memories last, think about using USB flash drives, not only as a type of digital scrapbook, but as a chance to further your branding as an event organiser or sponsor.
Here’s how to do it. As the event unfolds, capture all the key moments digitally. This can include photos, video, music, keynote presentations or even digital versions of printed materials, such as menus, invitations, speeches or workbooks.

Once the event is finished, combine all these materials into an edited form of the event. You can create slideshows, music videos, create links to websites for additional resources or allow recipients to print out documents or photos.
When it’s completed, have the files preloaded onto a promotional USB flash drive. If you don’t know how to do this, ask the company handling your flash drive order. They will help you put your brand to work for you, not only by adding your logo to the outside of the drive case, but pre loading the files onto each drive.

Now you have something that you can either give away or sell to recipients. The latter is a smart idea, since you cover the cost of the drive plus a mark-up that will help you generate additional revenue. It is a great value-added souvenir that not only lets the recipient re-experience the event itself, but also can be used over and over again to backup or store digital files at work or home.

This keeps your brand front and centre as the USB flash drive owner uses your keepsake in their everyday life. And, it’s not only a lasting reminder of the event, but of your organisation.

Even if you’re the most talented photographer in the world, you know that it is always an uphill battle to get your name out there. Sure, you get repeat business and even a referral now and again. That’s the lifeblood of most photographers.

But what if you could find a way to make every single contact with a prospect a chance to market your business?
A USB flash drive is the perfect tool. With it, you can get your name out in front of everyone you come across and here’s how to do it.
Capturing an event is an art. Sure, anyone can take a picture. But few have the knowledge, expertise and artistry to create a memory that communicates a moment in time. Whether you shoot weddings, sports events, corporate gigs, family reunions or high school portraits, these moments are meant to be shared.

That’s where the marketing kicks in. Imagine being able to share these photos with everyone that wants them, all in a neat little package that lets others enjoy your photography while leading to new opportunities for work.
By using a USB flash drive, you can put your images to work for you. First, you get promotional drives that have your logo on it, along with your contact information, whether it’s a web address, phone number, email address – whatever.

Then you load all the finished, edited images onto the drive. This can then be given away to attendees or sold as a keepsake of the day. This is particularly effective at reunions, corporate parties, awards banquets, graduations and weddings. Just be sure that you cover this option in your discussions with the client so they can give you their permission to use the photos in your marketing.

Of course, a bunch of photos on a flash drive isn’t exactly a great sales tool. You’ll want to dress it up some. If your client will let you include a folder of photos others can print out and use (say, the wedding party gets a full set of the photos the bride and groom usually get), that’s cool. There’s plenty of space on a promotional USB flash drive for the photos.
But you’ll also want to include a marketing message. This is what appears when the recipient first opens the drive. After loading, a slide show appears with all the photos. At the beginning and end is your contact information, so they will think of you when they plan their next event and need to hire a photographer.

Depending on your skill level you can also add a nice sound track, have the photos dissolve into one another, integrate a link to your website or allow recipients to order a high quality copy of the image for proper display (obviously, you want the images on the flash drive to be lower quality, since your photography is how you make money).

This is not only a great marketing tool, but can create additional revenue streams. Lots of people will want a nice print of the image on archival paper or matte or linen paper stock. Being able to order from the flash drive is a great sales tool.

The great thing about the USB flash drive is that it offers far more storage space than a CD, is extremely easy to ship since it is so small, and the recipient can use it on their end to transfer data or store important files. This makes it a win-win for both you and your clients.

One of the secrets to building a successful business is to create a strong relationship between you and your customer base. Good customer service, a solid product or service and attractive pricing are just a few of the many components of developing a sustainable brand.

But there are other pieces of the puzzle that need to be put into place. That includes smart marketing and advertising. Getting your name out in front of your customers is vital to your success in getting and keeping customers for your business. A customer must see your marketing message an average of nine times before they will remember it.
One of the least expensive ways to get your name out in front of current and prospective customers is the use of USB flash drives. Imprinted with your logo, they go everywhere your customer does.

Why are USB flash drives such a smart choice?

First, is its usefulness. Think of a USB flash drive as a portable version of your computer. Your customers can take the drive anywhere they go, sharing photos, files, videos and music from their office or home with their friends, family and associates.

Second, it sends a message that you value their business. A USB flash drive tells your customers that you care about them. It provides them with a secure, flexible and highly valued way for them to safely and securely store and share data.

Finally, a promotional USB flash drive gets your name out front of your customers and everyone they come into contact with. The drive can come with a lanyard, a keychain or even fit in their wallet, ready at a moment’s notice to be called into action. And as it is, your logo is there for all to see, imprinted right on the side of the drive.

A USB flash drive can also offer you one other thing no other promotional item can. You can preload your marketing information onto the drive, giving your customers access to your sales information, catalogs, pricing sheets and contact information.

We’d like to see a pen or a coffee mug do that!