See it and Sell it First at ASI Show Orlando – January 4-6, 2025.   Register Now.

Social Media, Promo Products Help Drive Hospitality Industry

Social media has helped power and shape the hospitality industry, as people post where they’ve been, what they’ve seen and what they’ve eaten. Surveys show “instagrammability” – the wow factor a destination or experience provides – is something millennials consider when booking travel.

No doubt, promotional products are a great way for a hospitality brand to get additional exposure and all-important “likes,” especially if recipients choose to wear or display fun merchandise in their location pix.

“Lots of what I supply to my hospitality clients is wearable – it lets people know you were there,” says Mallory Ebrahemi, pictured here, creative branding consultant at Jack Nadel International. Think flower crowns, for example, at a Coachella tie-in party or event. She says dad hats are popular, as are items like necklaces and bracelets, and Japanese-style hand fans are becoming increasingly trendy among her client base.

Ebrahemi’s nightclub and day club clients typically have theme-driven events, so the merchandise she supplies is based on those variables. Many of them feature artist and/or client recognition, she adds.

For example, some of Ebrahemi’s club clients reward big spenders. If a guest drops $20,000 or more on bottle service, the venue may thank that guest by presenting them with a client recognition gift. “We’ve done extravagant gold or silver record plaques for these guests – sometimes they’re signed by the artist or musician – to commemorate the event,” she says.