I had to use the term "swag" since I didn't know how to spell tchotchy (and I still don't). Today I received a postcard today from a vendor of some network product I never heard of and they offer a change to win a t-shirt if you attend their presentation at Networld+Interop. Wow, a chance to win a t-shirt! Oh how the vendor give-a-ways have changed.

Also -- am I the only one getting tired of presentations/registrations that offer a chance to win an iPod? Vendors giving away items must account for 10% of all iPod sales.

I just got back from a few tech events and I only saw one vendor with t-shirts to give away actually. I did get these various items (saves me a ton in trip gifts for the kids): beanie type stuffed animal dog, beach ball (suitable for inflation), some rubix cube ripoff, battery powered light-up pen (for taking notes in meetings with the lights off I assume), a small squishy football (again maybe for use in meetings), a balsa wood toy airplane, a squisky penguin (some Linux vendor), and the usual mix of pens/pads. I also was given a nifty multi-purpose tool which the security scanning wonks promptly took from me upon arrival at the airport.

The t-shirt I did get was good, my other vendor ones are getting thread-bare. This one I gave to my wife as part of my anniversary gift as a gag, it was from an online backup vendor and the text says "Once a Night Is Not Enough". She was not amused.