Booksellers attending the New Voices New Rooms (NVNR) conference in Arlington in August can use store-branded merchandise to make an impact both at the show and beyond.

At its inaugural event last year, NVNR created an impromptu "store swag swap," inviting bookstores to bring some of their store-branded merchandise to put on a display table in the show lobby. Attendees were encouraged to swap merchandise, adding an item to the table and taking away something from another store that caught their fancy.

The store swag swap table was a roaring success, and rarely without booksellers and others clustered around the table admiring the creativity (and sometimes the sense of humor) of their colleagues. Booksellers (and sometimes authors and exhibitors) would walk around wearing store buttons or carrying store tote bags, making the swap a great way to passively promote the shop.

This year, NVNR is giving the Store Swag Swap a bigger table. Stores are encouraged to show off their store-branded merchandise-- from bookmarks and book totes to puzzles, ball caps, candles, t-shirts, coffee cups, buttons, pins, and shot glasses. Stickers were surprisingly popular and often found their way onto attendee badges.

Stores that want to participate in the 2024 Swag Swap should check their inventory levels now, and make sure there is enough stock to bring some to the show.

Here are some FAQs about participating:

Do stores have to sign up to participate?
No! Just bring the items they want to add to the swap.

Does it have to be store-branded merchandise?
The items have to be store-branded or store-created. Stores that sell their own lines of candles, soap, or other gift lines can include them, but NVNR recommends that anything added to the swap has a card or sticker saying where it came from.

How many items should stores bring?
As many or as few as they would like and is within their budget. The point of the swag swap is to give bookstores a chance to have a few people walking around the show wearing their merchandise, while returning the favor by doing the same. Last year, some bookstores brought stacks of stickers and bookmarks to give away, and replenished the supply as people took them. Others just brought a few items, which were all gone by the end of the show.

What happens to our merchandise when the show is over?
Stores can reclaim any leftover items from the table when they leave. Leftover items that are not reclaimed are given away or recycled.

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