Custom Apparel for Your Next Conference, Trade Show, or Company Offsite

Event apparel usually lands on whoever runs the office: a booth in six weeks, a company picnic, a volunteer Saturday, and somebody has to get everyone into matching shirts without a garage full of leftovers. This page is for that person. Below is what each kind of event needs, how to count, how to get it through purchasing, and how to time it.

What each event needs

Trade shows and conferences

Booth staff are on their feet for long days, talking to strangers who need to know in one glance who works the booth. The shirt has three jobs: make staff easy to spot across an aisle, carry the company name at eye level, and look sharp enough for a sales conversation.

• Who wears it: the booth crew, sales reps, the product specialist flown in for demos, and sometimes the executive who stops by on day two.
• How many: two per person for a multi-day show is common, so nobody wears a worn shirt on day three. A three-day show with five staff is ten shirts, before the buffer.
• What works: a collared polo with a left-chest logo, the company name or a short line on the back so staff are identifiable from behind while they face the display.

Company picnics and offsites

Here the shirt is part of the event rather than a uniform. It is worn once in a group photo and then for years on weekends if the design is good.

• Who wears it: everyone, often with partners and kids.
• What works: a tee or a crewneck with a design about the day rather than the brand: "Summer Kickoff" with the year, a small logo on the sleeve, a team-colored version for each department if there are field games. Youth sizes go in the same cart.

Volunteer days

A volunteer shirt marks your group at a food bank, a park cleanup or a build site, and tells the partner organization who brought help.

• What works: a bright tee or a long sleeve for outdoor work, the cause or partner name with your company name smaller beneath it, and the date on the back. A bright color like Orange or Kelly Green on the Adult Tee makes a crew easy to count at a busy site.

The trade show idea gallery and company picnic ideas have pictures of ready designs.

Polos vs tees at the booth

The Adult Polo is $25.63 in every size from S to 2XL, printed (not stitched) by DTG, so a soft print sits in the left-chest spot. It is trimmer through the shoulders, so anyone between sizes should size up. The Adult Tee is $14.38 with one surface included and is the easy choice for a big run or a picnic.

For a show in a cold hall or an outdoor activation, add an Adult Hoodie at $37.99, or for a hot convention floor, the Performance Tee at $30.99, which is moisture-wicking polyester. Mixing garments is normal: polos for the booth crew, hoodies for the outdoor demo, tees for the after-party.

Design ideas for event shirts

• The booth polo: logo left chest, nothing else on the front. On the back, one short line in big letters: "Ask me about inventory sync" or "Let's talk shipping." Staff turn their backs to the aisle while they work the display; the back does the talking.
• The event-specific tee: company name, event name and year, in a layout built for the photo: "Ridgeway Labs at DevSummit 2027," with a simple line drawing of your product under it.
• Department colors: the same design in a different color for each picnic team.
• The volunteer tee: "Hands for Harvest Food Bank" large, "with Brightline Insurance" small underneath, and the date on the sleeve.

Remember each extra printed surface costs more: a back print on the Adult Polo adds $9.99, and on the Adult Tee a back or sleeve adds $8.99. A logo on the front alone keeps the price at the listed figure.

Counting: plan a buffer

Event counts change. Somebody is hired in the last two weeks, a regional manager decides to fly in, a volunteer brings a friend. A simple rule:

1. Start with confirmed people and their sizes.
2. Add one or two per ten people for new hires and walk-ups, mostly in M, L and XL.
3. For a multi-day show, multiply booth staff by the number of shirts per person.

Collect sizes with a link instead of a reply-all email: send a sizes link from /collect-shirt-sizes, each person picks a size and says who it is for, nobody needs an account, and one button adds the answers to your order. Gildan tees and hoodies run true to size with a little room; the size guide has the measurements.

Bulk prices apply automatically, counted on each item's own pieces across colors and sizes. The Adult Tee drops to $10.90 at 12, $10.74 at 24 and $9.03 at 50. The Adult Polo drops to $23.31 at 12, $19.98 at 24 and $16.94 at 50. Discount codes do not apply to polos.

Shipping to several offices

A company with a headquarters and two regional offices does not need three orders. Ship one order to up to 10 addresses with one payment. The first address ships free, and each further address adds the extra postage shown in the cart. If the booth crew is meeting at the venue, ship their box to the office nearest the show rather than to the hall, unless the venue's exhibitor services has confirmed they will receive it.

Quotes, PO numbers and invoices

Most companies need approval before anything is bought. From the cart:

• Download a quote PDF that stays good for 30 days, for whoever signs off.
• Add your PO number to the order so accounting can match it.
• Pay by card at checkout, or by invoice paid by card or US bank transfer. An invoiced order ships to one address.

Details are on the quotes and purchase orders page.

Timeline: count back from the show

Production takes up to 10 business days after checkout, then transit. The cart shows the expected delivery dates before you pay. There is no rush printing and no guaranteed delivery date, so build in a cushion. For a show on a Monday, a workable plan is:

• Five weeks out: design with Remi and send the sizes link.
• Four weeks out: close sizes, download the quote, get the PO.
• Three and a half weeks out: check out. Faster shipping can be added at checkout for most orders to the 48 contiguous states.
• The week before: shirts on hand, with a few days to spare for a carrier delay.

Large runs of one design on one item (24 pieces or more) may be offered as screen printing by Remi when it costs less than full color; those items ship to one address as their own parcel. More on planning in ordering deadlines and timing.

Ordering with the AI designer

Open /design and tell Remi what you need: "Navy polo, our logo on the left chest, 'Ask me about fleet tracking' across the back in white." Upload your logo as a PNG or SVG if you have it; the artwork prep guide covers what file works best. Ask for changes by chat until it is right, check it on each garment and color, then add sizes and pay. Designing is free; you pay only at checkout.

Questions about trade show and event shirts

Is there a minimum order?

No. One polo is a real order, and a booth crew of four orders exactly four.

Can we mix polos, tees and hoodies?

Yes. Every product and every size goes in one cart and one checkout.

How is the logo put on the polos?

It is printed by DTG, straight into the cotton, which means no setup fee and soft, full-color logos.

Can the order go to several offices?

Yes. One order can ship to up to 10 addresses, with the extra postage for each additional address shown in the cart before you pay.

Can we pay by invoice with a PO number?

Yes. Add the PO number to the order and choose invoice, payable by card or US bank transfer. An invoiced order ships to one address.

What if something arrives misprinted?

Send a photo within 30 days of delivery for a reprint or a refund. A size ordered wrong or a change of mind is not returnable, so collect sizes before ordering.

See also custom polos, custom hats for the booth and for giveaways, small business apparel, and holiday party shirts.

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