Conference Delegate Pack Checklist: What to Include
A conference delegate pack checklist for organisers: the bag, the essentials for sessions, extras for networking, quantities, packing and labels, and the timeline for delivery to the venue.
By Zintora Team
A conference delegate pack is the bag each attendee collects at registration: a tote, a lanyard, a notebook, a pen and a few useful extras. Plan it as a checklist: what delegates need during the sessions, what they will keep afterwards, how many packs to order, and when the packed bags must reach the venue.
This is a practical checklist for organisers. If you are planning merchandise for an exhibition stand rather than packs for registered delegates, our guide to event and trade show merchandise covers giveaways and footfall. Every product and starting price below comes from the live Zintora catalogue on 28 October 2026.
What a delegate pack is for
A delegate pack has three jobs, and every item should do at least one of them:
- Get people through the day. A badge on a lanyard, something to write with and on, and water.
- Carry the event. The bag holds the programme, the floor plan and anything sponsors add.
- Stay in use afterwards. The bag, the bottle or the notebook that is still used months later keeps the event and the organiser's name in view.
Items that do none of these, such as flimsy gadgets or paper that nobody reads, add cost and weight without adding value.
Conference delegate pack contents
The table lists items from the current range by role in the pack. Prices are starting prices ex VAT; printing and delivery are extra, UK import VAT and duties are paid on delivery.
| Role in the pack | Item | Why it is there | From (ex VAT) | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The bag | Metro Tote Bag | 340 g/m² cotton canvas, inner zipped pocket, flat base | £5.36 | 50 |
| The bag, lighter budget | Canvas Market Tote Bag | Recycled cotton tote with screen printing | £3.93 | 50 |
| Badge | Custom Event Lanyard | Carries the delegate badge all day | Price on request | 100 |
| Writing | Linea Gel Pen | 0.5 mm gel refill, printed on the body | £2.68 | 100 |
| Writing | Classic Notebook | A5 notebook for session notes | £6.08 | 25 |
| Writing, premium | Forma Notebook | A5 hardcover, lay-flat, dotted paper | £8.22 | 50 |
| Water | Atlas Steel Bottle | Reusable steel bottle for refill stations | £12.87 | 25 |
| Extra for speakers or VIPs | Relay Power Bank | 10,000 mAh, dual USB-C | £15.73 | 25 |
| Small extra | Loop Sticker Pack | Die-cut vinyl stickers for laptops | £4.25 | 100 |
Each product page states its own minimum order. Our packs page also has a ready-made Conference Booth Kit: a Metro Tote Bag with a Northstar Cap, a Linea Gel Pen and sticker sets, in a printed kraft box, from £18.59 per kit ex VAT with a minimum of 50 kits.
The bag
The bag is the item delegates carry all day and the one most likely to be used afterwards. The Metro Tote Bag is heavyweight 340 g/m² cotton canvas with handles reinforced by cross stitching, an inner zipped pocket and a flat base that lets it stand upright. Its print area is large enough for a bold event design. If the budget is tight, the Canvas Market Tote Bag is a lighter recycled cotton option. More bags are on the printed tote bags page.
Put the event name and year on the bag only if you are happy for it to date. A neutral design with the organiser's logo stays in use for longer.
Badge and lanyard
The lanyard is the one item every delegate wears. Order enough for delegates, speakers, staff and exhibitors, and decide early whether colours will distinguish groups (for example speakers, press and crew). Our guide to custom lanyards for events covers widths, attachments and print.
Writing kit for sessions
A notebook and a pen are expected at most conferences, and they are used during the event itself. The Classic Notebook is an A5 notebook that keeps the cost per pack down. For a premium event, the Forma Notebook has a soft-touch vegan leather cover, Smyth-sewn binding that opens flat and 192 pages of 100 g/m² dotted paper. The Linea Gel Pen has a 0.5 mm quick-dry gel refill and a soft-touch matt body. See the branded notebooks and promotional pens pages for other models.
Water and refill
Many venues now offer refill points. A reusable bottle in the pack keeps delegates hydrated through long sessions and stays in use afterwards. The Atlas Steel Bottle takes laser engraving, UV printing or screen printing. More options are on the branded water bottles page.
Extras for speakers and VIPs
Speakers, sponsors and VIP guests often receive an upgraded pack. Add one item that is clearly more substantial: the Relay Power Bank, a 10,000 mAh aluminium power bank with dual USB-C and 20 W fast charging, is useful on the day itself. A handwritten note from the organiser adds more than a second gadget.
How many packs to order
Base the number on registrations, not on the venue capacity, then add:
- Speakers, staff and crew who also need a badge and often a bag.
- Late registrations, which usually arrive in the last two weeks.
- Replacements for lost badges or damaged items.
Round up to each product's minimum order. Because the minimums differ (25 for the Classic Notebook, 50 for the Metro Tote Bag, 100 for the Linea Gel Pen), the item with the highest minimum often sets the practical quantity. Extra bags and notebooks with a neutral design can be used at the next event.
Packing and labelling
Decide early who packs the bags. The quote can cover delivery of the items to one address, and you then pack them with your team or the venue's staff. Make a packing list with the exact contents and order of each bag, and label boxes by item so the packing table runs smoothly. Keep sponsor inserts separate until the day before.
Sponsor inserts and printed material
Sponsors often want a place in the delegate pack. Agree the rules in advance: how many inserts per bag, the maximum size and weight, and the date by which sponsors must deliver them to you. A flyer that arrives on the morning of the event usually ends up on a table rather than in the bags. Ask yourself whether each printed item will actually be read. A one-page programme and a floor plan are useful during the day; brochures are often left behind in the hotel room. Where possible, put long documents online and print only a short link or a QR code on a card in the bag.
Conference delegate pack timeline
Work back from the day the packs must be at the venue:
- Eight to ten weeks before: agree the contents and budget per pack, request the quote.
- Six to eight weeks before: approve the digital proofs. Nothing is produced until you approve them.
- Production: 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote.
- One to two weeks before: delivery to the venue or your office, then packing.
Zintora delivers across the UK and internationally to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, so the same plan works for a conference abroad. Give the venue address and any delivery window in your request.
Sustainability questions
Delegates increasingly ask what happens to conference packs. Choose items people keep, avoid single-use extras and ask for the material details with the quote. The Canvas Market Tote Bag is recycled cotton, according to its product page. We can give an estimated carbon footprint per product in the quote and sustainability reports with Scope 3 data. The only certificate we name is the GRS of The Tenth House, checked per lot; certificates for other products are available on request.
Conference delegate pack checklist
- Number of packs based on registrations, plus speakers, staff and a buffer
- Budget per pack set, including printing and delivery
- Bag chosen and design agreed, with or without the event date
- Lanyards ordered for every badge holder, with colours per group if needed
- Notebook and pen chosen for sessions
- Reusable bottle included if the venue has refill points
- Upgrade item chosen for speakers and VIPs
- Each quantity checked against the product minimum
- Packing list, labels and packing team arranged
- Digital proofs approved with time for 10 to 20 working days of production
- Venue delivery address and window confirmed
Frequently asked questions
What should go in a conference delegate pack?
A bag, a lanyard for the badge, a notebook and a pen, and a reusable bottle if the venue has refill points. Add an upgrade item, such as a power bank, for speakers and VIPs.
How many delegate packs should we order?
Registrations plus speakers, staff and crew, plus a buffer for late registrations and replacements, rounded up to each product's minimum order.
How much does a delegate pack cost?
It depends on the contents. In our range, a tote, a notebook and a pen start from £5.36, £6.08 and £2.68 ex VAT respectively, and the Conference Booth Kit starts from £18.59 per kit ex VAT. Printing and delivery are extra.
How far in advance should we order delegate packs?
Start eight to ten weeks before the event. Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote, plus delivery and packing time.
Can you deliver to the conference venue?
Yes. Give the venue address and delivery window in your request; the quote confirms delivery.
Planning your next conference? Browse the catalogue, or request a quote with the number of delegates, the contents per pack and the date the packs must reach the venue.