Rethinking the business card and what you should be handing people instead.
Every time I work with a client prepping for a trade show I end up thinking about the same thing. So much time goes into preparing the booth. Setting up and refining the pitch also takes time. Yet, it ultimately comes down to something simple. How are you going to share your contact information at your event?
For a long time, that meant handing someone a business card.
Now most people have some version of a digital business card with QR codes and link hub contact sharing. It’s quick. It works.
But I keep coming back to this:
You should still hand people something.
Just not a business card.
Keep handing people something
There’s something about a physical exchange that still matters.
Someone walks away with something in their hand. There’s a pause, a moment and it lands differently than a quick scan and move on.
The problem is, most of what gets handed out at trade shows is branded merchandise, promotional products, and event swag that blends together fast.
And a lot of it doesn’t make it past the end of the day.
If it gets thrown away, it doesn’t work.
Same function. Better outcome.
At a recent home show, I skipped the business cards.
I handed out a Swedish-style dish cloth with a QR code, fun design and all the required contact details.
Same purpose. Completely different result.
It gets used—that’s the whole point. And when people had to ask what it was, it turned into a real conversation instead of a quick hand off.
It ends up in someone’s kitchen, part of their routine. Not something they have to remember to follow up on, but something they’re already interacting with.
At another event, we did custom beach towels.
They were bold, a little over the top in the best way, and designed to feel like something you’d actually buy.
They didn’t feel like giveaways. They felt like part of the experience and a retail souvenir.
What I’m seeing more of
This isn’t just happening at corporate events.
At weddings for example, I’m seeing silk scarves used as favors designed with small details that actually mean something. Places, dates, little references to an event are replacing stock designs.
They’re not trying too hard.
But people may wear or use them again and will certainly remember them.
That’s the gold–is this something you just take, or something you want to keep.
The real question
It’s easy to get stuck on:
Do I need a business card?
Should I just go digital?
But that’s not really it.
The better question is:
What will someone still have after they meet me?
Whether you call it trade show giveaways, event swag, or business card alternatives—it all comes back to that.
If it doesn’t stick around, it didn’t do its job.
A better standard
If you’re going to hand someone something, it should be useful right away. It should feel considered and not random. It should naturally fit into someone’s life after the event.
Most people are still thinking about what they can put their logo on.
I’m more interested in what someone would choose to keep.
Where Studio Mini fits
This is the part I care about.
Not just sourcing branded merchandise but stepping back and asking what makes sense in the first place.
Because when you rethink the business card, you’re not just passing along your information.
You’re giving someone something that sticks and that does a lot more work over time.
Recent ideas we’ve loved
- Fun designs on Swedish-style dish cloth with QR code and contacts
- Event-designed beach towels you’d actually grab in a boutique
- Story-driven scarves that everyone takes home
If trade show season has you rethinking what you’re handing people,
we should talk.
Looking for creative business card alternatives or modern trade show giveaways? Studio Mini creates design-forward branded merchandise that people actually keep. Email hello@thestudiomini.com