Merch That Matters: How Indigo Promotions Helps Events Create Swag People Actually Keep

Merch That Matters: How Indigo Promotions Helps Events Create Swag People Actually Keep

From Event Experience by Bizzabo

January 12, 2026 · 33 min · Season 6 · Episode 14

About this episode

Ethan Dowie discusses how to transform event merchandise from throwaway items into strategic engagement tools.

In this episode of Event Experience, host Rachel Moore sits down with Ethan Dowie, founder and CEO of Indigo Promotions, to unpack what makes event merchandise truly memorable. From his roots in nonprofit event planning to building a go-to merch agency for top brands, Ethan shares how swag can evolve from a throwaway freebie into a strategic engagement tool. You'll hear how Ethan helps clients shift from transactional vendor relationships to creative, consultative partnerships. He explains why swag should be treated as the "icing on the cake"—not the afterthought—and how reverse-engineering your merch strategy around specific goals (like social sharing or post-event brand recall) leads to more effective, high-impact giveaways. Whether it's designing diamond-studded charms for VIPs or using print-on-demand to reduce waste and increase personalization, Ethan offers insights into what's next for event swag: quality over quantity, tech-forward fulfillment, and audience-first thinking. Here's what you'll hear about in this conversation: Merch is the icing, not the cake. It should enhance the event, not carry it, and align with your event's core goals. Start with the outcome…

People in this episode

Guest: Ethan Dowie

Topics covered

  • event merchandise
  • swag
  • engagement tools
  • nonprofit event planning
  • brand recall

Keywords

  • quality over quantity
  • personalization
  • reverse-engineering
  • audience-first thinking

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Indigo Promotions

More episodes of Event Experience

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Event Experience podcast page.