Sure, there are the standard inducements of pens, mints and morning tea, but this year some of the banks, technology vendors and exchanges have gone the extra mile - and it is these freebies that win our praise.
Take AT&TÆs original idea of a buy/sell/hold compass. This gift will no doubt find its way into the bags of many delegates who are either still looking for financial brilliance, or wondering how they got there. Equally clever is FUNDtechÆs portable reading light that can be fixed to a book or magazine - if you can find some batteries to run it.
Another top freebie is CheckFreeÆs compact travel kit. On the outside it looks like an electric shaving kit, but on the inside the leather bag contains a pen, two USB cables and an auto-retractable mini optical mouse. ClearstreamÆs backup SIM card device is also a hot commodity, particularly for those delegates who frequently lose mobile phones.
But for uniqueness and popularity, the Australia-related memorabilia is a big success at this yearÆs event.
Drawing on AustraliaÆs zoological and cultural make-up, SunGardÆs boomerang is a very popular gift and is likely to be seen zipping between booths as the week moves into full swing. SunGard is also giving away Kangaroos-in-a-can, a local appropriation of the timeless spring-snakes-in-the-beer-nuts-can gag.
Full props must also go to Credit Suisse which has harnessed the host country's beach culture with an electronic UV monitor, which doubles as a key chain. An equally relevant freebie is Trax FinanceÆs 30+ sunscreen lotion, which will likely find a lot of users as the mercury rises towards the end of the week.
There are plenty of other wonderful and original gifts in the Sibos exhibitors' hall, which begs the question, how will one transport them all home? To solve this problem, we recommend hitting the JPMorgan and Standard Chartered stands to pick up their respective beach and tote bags.
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