Program planning

Merch programs by event type

A 4,000-person festival and a 90-guest reception need almost nothing in common. Five briefs below, and what each one forces you to decide first.

Occasion Wedding merch programs A fixed guest list, one evening, no second attempt — and nothing you want to store afterwards. See it in action Occasion Corporate merch programs Brand approvals, a headcount you actually know, sponsor marks, and a plan for the surplus. See it in action Occasion Festival merch programs Multi-day volume against an attendance nobody can guarantee, plus weather and queue shape. See it in action Occasion Private party programs The host is the buyer and a guest. Small runs, real personalization, entertainment over unit cost. See it in action Occasion Trade show merch programs Booth square footage, badge scans, union load-in — merch judged on leads, not pieces given away. See it in action

What actually changes between event types

The equipment list barely moves from one event to the next. What moves is everything upstream of it: how many pieces you have to commit to before anyone walks in, which decoration method each item can carry, how many staffed stations the floor can hold at once, and who owns whatever is still in the box on Monday. A festival program is built around an attendance figure nobody can promise you. A wedding program is built around a seating chart that was final six weeks ago. Those two facts produce completely different orders, even when the artwork is identical.

Method follows the item rather than the other way round. Structured caps want embroidery or a laser-cut leather patch; full-color artwork and per-person names belong on DTF; one strong mark across several hundred pieces is cheapest by screen; drinkware and hard goods need UV DTF. Most programs we plan carry two or three items and two or three methods, not one of each. Budget is the other lever: staffing is $250 an hour for the first station and $125 an hour for each additional one, setup and teardown included, so station count and hours are as much of a decision as the merch itself, and the pricing page shows how the two interact. Event minimums are $3,000 in Orange County, LA and San Diego and $4,500 in any market we travel to, where a flat $900 travel allowance also applies. Pick your event type above, or send the brief for a corporate program, a private party or anything else straight through the work order.

Bring us the brief

Send the date, the headcount and what you want guests leaving with. An itemized program quote comes back within 24 hours.

Get a quote or call (562) 614-4800