When you organise conferences, you’re often sent samples of merchandise.
Companies try to sell you tat to put in goody bags or branded items to give authority to your event.
I had a very persistent salesman recently trying to sell me biros.
I finally managed to shake him off when I told him that our crowd liked crafted items – the sort of thing you find on Etsy.
Then I found on Etsy a man who made gavels. I couldn’t be certain the quality and style would be just right, but I decided to take the risk.
I’ve ended up with a beautifully designed and branded gavel, which will be a quirky feature of our conferences in the future.
The item cost £55, plus £3.99 postage.