Slim and Sustainable
Aladdin's Clean & Pure Water Bottle is made from BPA-free plastic that's recycled and recyclable. It fits into a car cup holder and won't spill -- even when the cap is open. Cost, $8 each, with discounts on bulk orders. (800) 456-1233; aladdin-pmi.com
Mist Maker
Twist the cap on this water bottle and it becomes a mister, ideal for cooling off on sweltering afternoons. Consider it for picnics or summer team-building treks. The Mist Hydrator costs about $10 per unit; check Amazon.com for deals on single bottles; for orders of $250 or more, order direct for $5 each. Adding a logo costs $1.05 each, with a minimum of 102 pieces. (630) 739-4382; trudeaucorp.com
Not So Disposable
Things that look disposable but are actually reusable can make a real environmental statement. These travel mugs, which look just like cups from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, are made of double-walled porcelain, with a silicone lid. Take Away Mugs cost $10, with a minimum order of 36 pieces. Add a logo for $3.36 per mug. (856) 626-1340; sagaform.com
Butter Them Up
Merben's Butters are solid moisturizing sticks, which means they won't drip or leak in your luggage. The packaging and scents are unisex, especially for the hand and foot butters. Buy the Foot Butter individually here ($8 for a travel-size container); discounts are available for large orders. (866) 463-7236; merben.com
The Simple Life
Green Pad Living's organic soaps come in a no-frills cardboard box, which sends a message to recipients that your company is doing its best to protect the environment. Available scents include lavender, lemongrass, orange blossom and oatmeal scrub. Soaps cost $5.25 individually or three bars for $15. Discounts and customization are possible on large orders. (215) 360-8381; greenpadliving.com
Playing With Fire
Made from soy wax, these fresh-smelling candles burn for 50 hours. The real draw is their containers, decorated with playful designs by printmaker Lotta Jansdotter. Cost, $24; discounts are available on bulk orders. (847) 813-9866; crashcandles.com
Silky Sojourn
Before VIPs embark on an overnight flight, mail them a Restful Traveler kit from elizabethW. The package includes a handmade silk blanket, eye mask and pouch with earplugs, all in a matching pattern. Cost, $158 for single orders, $72 for corporate orders. If that's too steep an outlay, the company offers gifts for as low as $2 each. (800) 781-6126; elizabethw.com
Light My Fire
Skeem's candles come in gorgeously decorated glass containers that are meant to be reused for storage. Consider giving a candle ($14 to $36) and a matching matchbox ($5). Wholesale discounts on corporate orders are available. (215) 978-6240; skeemdesign.com
Stand and Deliver
Not every meeting has to be held in a room with tables. For table-less sessions, hand out these brightly colored clipboards for note-taking. They come in three sizes (the smaller two come with notepads) and can be put to all kinds of uses after the meeting. Cost, $7.99 to $19.50. (866) 806-2583; bluedogzdesign.com
Look Under Your Seat
Even when meeting attendance is high, some breakout sessions can fail to draw much of a crowd. Wilson Wright, CAE, executive director emeritus of the Florida and Tallahassee Societies of Association Executives, found a way to remedy that. For a recent convention, he had colorful "funny money" printed and hid under tables and flower arrangements in various meeting and event areas, and wherever else the staff could think to put it. At the end of the event, an auction was held for some great prizes, with one catch: Only funny money could be used to purchase items. Sessions were consistently full.
Rooms for Rent
Meeting planners who are suffering from falling attendance might have a solution in Event Space Bazaar, an online marketplace that helps planners unload extra rooms and meeting space at a discount. Hotels and conference centers also can post specially discounted slow periods on the site. Translation: Planners looking to book a last-minute meeting might find a great deal. eventspacebazaar.com
Spot Treatment
Survey on the Spot is a service that allows planners to solicit, collect and analyze feedback during the conference. Anyone with Internet access via phone or PDA can take a survey, though it works more quickly through a free iPhone app. The service also works well at trade-show booths; reps could carry iPhones and administer two-minute surveys one-on-one. Price: $500 to run as many surveys as desired for 14 days. (888) 330-7118; surveyonthespot.com