If you’re ordering trade show stubby holders, don’t start with the total number of people attending the exhibition.

Start with a more useful question:

How many people do we realistically expect to speak with at our stand?

A show might attract 10,000 visitors, but that doesn’t mean your business needs 10,000 pieces of merchandise. Your stand may have meaningful conversations with 400 people, collect 150 leads and hand out 250 promotional items.

Those are the numbers that matter.

A good trade show stubby holder should also do more than display a logo. It should be useful, easy to carry and connected to what you want the visitor to do next, whether that means remembering your business, scanning a QR code, visiting a campaign page or speaking with your sales team.

So before ordering a few hundred branded stubby holders because “we need some giveaways”, it is worth planning how they will actually fit into the event.

In This Article

• Start With the Purpose
• How Many to Order
• Who Should Receive One
• Choosing a Stubby Holder Style
• What to Print
• Planning QR Codes and Landing Pages
• Designing for Leftover Stock
• Ordering Timeline and Approvals
• Design Variations and Distribution
• Planning Checklist
• Frequently Asked Questions

Start With the Purpose of the Giveaway

The easiest way to waste promotional merchandise is to order it before deciding what it is meant to achieve.

Two businesses may both order 500 custom stubby holders for the same exhibition and use them completely differently.

One business may want maximum brand exposure and hand them to almost everyone who visits the stand.

Another may use them as a reward for people who complete a product demonstration or enter a competition.

A third might keep them behind the counter and only give them to customers, prospects or industry partners they have had a proper conversation with.

None of those approaches is automatically better.

The right one depends on the role the merchandise plays in your event.

Before deciding on quantity or artwork, decide whether the stubby holders are mainly for:

general brand awareness, lead generation, customer gifts, staff merchandise, a product launch or a specific event campaign.

Once that is clear, the rest of the planning gets much easier.

How Many Stubby Holders Should You Order for a Trade Show?

For exhibitions, total attendance is usually the wrong number to work from.

A better starting point is:

Expected stand visitors x expected giveaway rate + a small buffer

Imagine the organiser expects 8,000 people across the event.

Your business estimates around 800 people will stop at your stand during the show.

You don’t intend to give a stubby holder to every person. You expect roughly half of those visitors to receive one.

That gives you:

800 x 50% = 400 stubby holders

You might then add a small buffer for staff, customers, last-minute opportunities or unexpected demand.

An order of around 430-450 pieces would probably make more sense than ordering 8,000 because that happens to be the event attendance.

This is one of the biggest differences between planning merchandise for a private event and planning it for an exhibition.

At a wedding, one per guest is often logical.

At a trade show, one per person in the building usually isn’t.

Should Every Visitor Get One?

Not necessarily.

If you leave a box of free merchandise at the front of the stand, you may discover that half of it disappears before lunch.

That can be fine if your only objective is broad exposure.

But if the stubby holder is meant to support lead generation, it can make more sense to connect it to a small action.

For example, someone might receive one after:

• scanning a campaign QR code;
• entering a competition;
• completing a short demonstration;
• booking a follow-up;
• speaking with the team; or
• making an enquiry.

The point is not to make people jump through unnecessary hoops for a free stubby holder.

It is simply to make the giveaway part of the interaction rather than something completely separate from it.

If someone has just spent ten minutes discussing your product with a team member, giving them a useful branded item to take away makes far more sense than handing the same item to someone walking past without stopping.

Which Stubby Holder Style Works Best for a Trade Show?

There isn’t one style that suits every exhibition.

For larger giveaway quantities, a 3mm Foldable Stubby Holder is often a practical option because it packs flat, takes up less space and is easy to transport and distribute.

That matters more than it may seem.

A few hundred flat-packed holders can sit behind an exhibition stand without taking over the entire storage area.

They are also easier to add to delegate bags, promotional packs and cartons being transported to the venue.

For a smaller number of higher-value gifts, a structured 5mm Standard or 5mm Overlocked Stubby Holder may make more sense.

For example, you might use foldable holders for general visitors and keep a smaller quantity of more substantial merchandise for key customers or partners.

The best product depends on whether you are trying to reach hundreds of people or make a stronger impression on a smaller group.

What Should You Print on a Trade Show Stubby Holder?

Probably less than you think.

A stubby holder is not a brochure.

You do not need to squeeze your logo, phone number, physical address, email, website, five product benefits and three social-media handles onto one small product.

Most strong trade show designs can be built around a few things:

your logo, brand colours, one short message and one clear next step.

For example:

Front

ACME LANDSCAPING

Back

SCAN FOR A FREE QUOTE
[QR CODE]

Or you might use a stronger campaign-style message:

BUILT FOR BETTER WEEKENDS

with the company branding positioned underneath.

If the design looks like something people might actually continue using after the exhibition, that is usually better than turning every centimetre into advertising space.

The logo does not need to be the size of the entire holder to be remembered.

Should You Add a QR Code?

Trade shows are one of the strongest use cases for QR codes on promotional merchandise.

A visitor already has the product in their hand.

Instead of asking them to remember a URL later, the holder can give them an immediate way to continue the interaction.

The QR code might lead to:

• a competition;
• a product page;
• a quote form;
• a booking page;
• an event offer;
• a catalogue; or
• a dedicated campaign landing page.

The key is giving people a reason to scan it.

SCAN TO WIN

is clearer than simply printing a QR code with no explanation.

So is:

BOOK A DEMO

or:

GET YOUR EVENT OFFER

The action should make sense for the campaign.

Keep the QR code large enough to scan comfortably, give it clear space and avoid placing it over seams or complicated artwork.

And most importantly, test it before approving the final artwork.

Don’t Send Every QR Code to Your Homepage

This is an easy opportunity to miss.

If someone meets you at an exhibition, scans your branded stubby holder and lands on exactly the same homepage they could have found through Google, the experience can feel disconnected.

A dedicated landing page is often more useful.

For example, if you are attending a Melbourne construction exhibition, the QR code could lead to a page specifically created for visitors from that event.

That page might include:

• the product you demonstrated;
• a show-only offer;
• contact details for the attending sales team;
• a quote form; or
• a competition entry.

It also gives you a clearer way to understand whether the physical merchandise actually generated traffic.

The stubby holder becomes a bridge between the real-world event and the digital campaign rather than just another branded object.

Think About the Design After the Trade Show

Before printing the event name and date across every holder, ask what will happen if you have 80 left over.

If the design says:

MELBOURNE EXPO – OCTOBER 2026

it may feel outdated at your next event.

If it simply uses:

your company logo, brand colours, slogan and an evergreen QR code,

you have much more flexibility.

The remaining stock could be used at another exhibition, a customer event, staff BBQ or promotional campaign.

There are times when an event-specific design makes perfect sense.

A major product launch or anniversary may be worth commemorating.

But if the merchandise needs to work beyond one weekend, an evergreen design is usually easier to reuse.

Static or Dynamic QR Code?

This becomes especially relevant if you want to reuse leftover stock.

A static QR code points to a fixed destination.

If the page disappears or the campaign ends, the printed code still points there.

A dynamic QR code can allow the destination to be updated later, depending on the QR service being used.

That can be useful for evergreen corporate merchandise.

For example, the same printed holders could initially link to an exhibition campaign and later redirect to a general business enquiry page.

If you know the merchandise may be used across several events, it is worth thinking about this before the artwork is finalised.

How Early Should You Order?

For a trade show, the printing time is only one part of the deadline.

Corporate artwork often needs to pass through several people before production begins.

Marketing approves the artwork.

A manager asks to see it.

Someone notices the old logo is still being used.

A sponsor sends a replacement file.

Purchasing confirms the quantity.

Then someone asks if the QR code can point somewhere different.

That is why it is much safer to work backwards from the event date.

As a general planning approach:

Clinkies’ standard production is generally around 3-5 business days after final artwork approval, but production is not the same as delivery, and corporate approval can add time before production even starts.

If the event date cannot move, build in a little breathing room.

No one wants to spend the week before a trade show checking tracking updates every two hours.

Allow Time for Internal Artwork Approval

This is one of the differences between an individual personalised order and a corporate order.

A wedding customer may look at the proof and approve it in ten minutes.

A business may need approval from marketing, management, the brand team or an external sponsor.

The production itself may not be the slow part.

The email thread can be.

If several people need to approve the artwork, decide who has final sign-off before the proof arrives.

Otherwise you can easily end up with:

• one person asking for a larger logo;
• another asking to move it back; and
• somebody else discovering a new brand guideline three days later.

A clear approval process can save more time than paying for rush production.

One Design or Several?

A trade show order does not necessarily need one universal design.

You might want:

• a general visitor version;
• a staff version;
• a VIP version; or
• different designs for sponsors.

That can work well when each variation has a real purpose.

What we would avoid is creating ten versions simply because it is technically possible.

Every additional design needs to be prepared, checked and approved.

For most campaigns, one strong design or a small number of clearly defined variations is easier to manage.

If you do need several designs, prepare the quantity split in advance.

For example:

That gives everyone involved a clear picture of what is actually being produced.

Should Staff Use the Stubby Holders Too?

Yes, and this is often overlooked.

Giving staff the product before the doors open does two things.

First, they can see and handle exactly what visitors will receive.

Second, the branded product becomes part of the stand rather than something hidden in a carton.

If drinks are allowed at the event, the team may actually use them throughout the day.

You can also create a small staff variation if there is a reason to distinguish the team from visitors, although this is not essential for every event.

The important part is treating the merchandise as part of the event experience rather than something that only exists at the giveaway table.

How Should You Distribute Them?

Avoid putting the entire stock out at once.

Keep most of it behind the stand and bring out smaller quantities as needed.

This gives you much better control over how quickly the merchandise disappears.

If you have a two- or three-day exhibition, divide the stock by day.

For example, if you have 450 holders for a three-day event, do not accidentally hand out 350 on day one.

You might allocate:

• 150 for Day 1;
• 150 for Day 2; and
• 150 for Day 3.

Then adjust based on actual visitor traffic.

If Day 1 is much busier than expected, you can change the plan.

The main thing is knowing how much stock remains.

What if You Have Leftovers?

Leftovers are not necessarily a problem.

If the artwork is evergreen, they can be useful.

• Bring them to the next company event.
• Include them with customer orders.
• Use them at a staff BBQ.
• Keep them for another exhibition.
• Give them to sales staff visiting customers.

That is another reason to think carefully before making every piece of merchandise date-specific.

A well-designed branded stubby holder can continue working long after the exhibition stand has been packed away.

What Should You Avoid?

One of the biggest mistakes is ordering based purely on total event attendance.

Another is trying to fit too much information onto the artwork.

Tiny QR codes, low-resolution logos and unclear calls to action can all reduce the usefulness of the finished product.

Ordering too late is another common issue, especially when the artwork still needs several layers of internal approval.

It is also worth avoiding overly event-specific artwork if you expect to reuse leftover stock.

And don’t give away your entire supply in the first few hours without considering whether the person receiving it is actually part of the audience you came to meet.

None of this needs to make the campaign complicated.

A little planning before the order usually prevents most problems.

A Simple Trade Show Stubby Holder Plan

If you want to keep the process straightforward, work through it in this order.

Around four to six weeks before the exhibition, decide what the giveaway is meant to achieve and estimate how many genuine stand visitors you expect.

Choose the stubby holder style and work out your likely quantity.

Then finalise the branding, message and QR destination.

Once the artwork proof is ready, check the logo, spelling, colours, QR code and quantity before approving production.

Before the show, decide how staff will distribute the merchandise and how much stock should be available each day.

After the event, look at what happened.

• How many were handed out?
• How many were left?
• Did people scan the QR code?
• Was the quantity right?

That information makes the next event much easier to plan.

Trade Show Planning Checklist

Before ordering, make sure you know:

• your exhibition date;
• expected stand traffic;
• who should receive the merchandise;
• the total quantity required;
• which stubby holder style you want;
• whether you need one design or several;
• which company logo and brand colours are current;
• what the QR code should link to;
• whether leftover stock needs to be reusable;
• who has final artwork approval; and
• where the finished order needs to be delivered.

You do not need a huge marketing plan.

You just need the product, quantity, artwork and purpose to make sense together.

The Bottom Line

Custom stubby holders can work well as trade show merchandise because they are useful beyond the event itself.

But the strongest approach is not simply:

put the logo on 1,000 holders and hand them to everyone.

Start with the audience.

Estimate how many people will actually interact with your stand.

Decide which of those people should receive one.

Choose a product that matches the quantity and value of the interaction.

Keep the artwork clear.

Use a QR code if there is a meaningful digital next step.

And think about whether leftover stock should still make sense after the exhibition is over.

A good promotional product should not become useless when the event lights switch off.

Ideally, it leaves with the customer.

Then turns up again at a BBQ, weekend away, sporting event or Friday afternoon drink.

That is where the value of useful branded merchandise starts to extend beyond the trade show itself.

Planning Stubby Holders for an Upcoming Trade Show?

Send us your event date, estimated quantity, artwork and delivery postcode.

We can help you choose a suitable stubby holder style, prepare an artwork proof and work backwards from your required date.

Request a Corporate Quote →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many stubby holders should I order for a trade show?

Base the quantity on expected stand visitors rather than total event attendance. Estimate how many people will realistically interact with your stand, multiply that by your expected giveaway rate and allow a small buffer.

Are stubby holders good trade show giveaways?

They can be, particularly when the audience is likely to use them after the event. They are practical for Australian BBQs, events, camping, sporting occasions and social settings, which gives the product potential to remain in use after the exhibition.

Which stubby holder style is best for a trade show?

For larger giveaway quantities, a 3mm Foldable style can be practical because it packs flat and is easy to transport. More structured 5mm styles can suit smaller quantities, customer gifts or higher-value merchandise.

Should every trade show visitor get one?

Not necessarily. You may choose to give them to people who engage with the stand, enter a competition, scan a QR code, book a demonstration or have a meaningful conversation with the team.

Should I put a QR code on trade show merchandise?

A QR code can work well if it has a clear purpose. It could link to a competition, landing page, quote form, product information or booking page. Keep it easy to scan and test it before printing.

What should I print on a trade show stubby holder?

Keep the design simple. A company logo, brand colours, short message and clear call to action are usually more useful than trying to fit a large amount of text onto the product.

Should the QR code link to my homepage?

It can, but a campaign-specific landing page is often more useful because the content can match the exhibition and the visitor’s reason for scanning.

How early should I order trade show stubby holders?

Several weeks of lead time is preferable, particularly for corporate orders that require internal artwork approval. If the event is close, confirm production and delivery timing before ordering.

Should I print the trade show name and date?

Only if you want the product to be specific to that event. If you expect to reuse leftover stock, evergreen branding without a fixed event date may be more practical.

Can I use different designs for staff and visitors?

Yes, depending on the order setup. Keep the number of variations manageable and clearly specify the quantity required for each design.

What can I do with leftover trade show stubby holders?

If the design is evergreen, they can be reused for customer visits, company BBQs, future exhibitions, staff functions or other promotional events.

Can I reorder the same design for another exhibition?

In many cases, yes. The existing artwork can often be reused or updated, although the new order quantity, pricing, artwork and production timing should still be confirmed.