Beer festivals are one of the few events where the giveaway is part of the ticket. Attendees expect a glass, they carry it all day, and they take it home — which makes the branded item unusually easy to justify.

The tasting glass is the whole programme

A branded sampling glass or stein is held in front of every photograph taken at the event and then goes into a kitchen cupboard. If you sponsor one thing, sponsor this. Check the venue rules first — many outdoor festivals require shatterproof, which means a polycarbonate or stainless cup rather than glass.

Openers and koozies do the follow-up

Bottle openers, keychain openers and can coolers are cheap, on-theme and used at home every week after the festival. For a taproom or brewery running its own event, these are the items to sell as merchandise as well as hand out — the margin is better than on apparel and the reorder rate is higher.

Serve the staff too

Pouring staff and volunteers are the most photographed people at the festival and the easiest branding to forget. Aprons and simple staff tees cost very little across a crew of thirty and make the whole operation look organised, which matters when you are asking a municipality for the same permit next year.