
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash

The flap of the classic canvas-and-brown faux leather bags ($28.40 each for 24; additional bulk prices available) from Pinnacle Promotions can be debossed with a logo.
Photo: Courtesy of Pinnacle Promotions

Booze is a surefire hit as a take-home gift. Pinhole Press can create custom-branded bottle labels ($10 for nine; bulk pricing available) for wine or any other type of beverage.
Photo: Courtesy of Pinhole Press
Pretzel Bags in Philadelphia

Owners Erin Mulcahy and Nicole Michels launched their Philadelphia-based studio, Bird and Banner, in 2006. They create hand-drawn, whimsical stationery suites using surprising materials like vintage handkerchiefs. Add some hometown love to an event by handing out locally made soft pretzels in Bird and Banner’s City of Brotherly Love pretzel bags, $80 for 100.
Photo: Courtesy of Bird and Banner
Candy Gift Baskets in Los Angeles

The popular New York candy emporium Dylan’s Candy Bar has opened a location in Los Angeles at 6333 West 3rd Street. Personal shoppers are on hand to help select corporate gifts, and a “celebrations team” can bring the whole store experience to an office or any other off-site venue.
Photo: Courtesy of Dylan's Candy Bar
Cards and Art Prints in Dallas

Boutique graphic design firm Southern Fried Paper has a collection of cards and art prints, all made in Dallas, featuring locally inspired images that can add local color to a gift bag. The company specializes in custom stationery and invitations. Materials include embossed woodgrain and 100 percent cotton paper, with letterpress, foil stamps, engraving, and other bespoke techniques.
Photo: Courtesy of Southern Fried Paper
Candy Gift Baskets in Las Vegas

Give meeting attendees a tasty memento from the Vegas Strip: Sugar Factory has boxed nostalgic candy gifts that contain bubble gum smokes, chocolate cigars, Nik-L-Nips wax bottles, Fun Dip, Pop Rocks, and other goodies.
Photo: Courtesy of Sugar Factory
Candy Gift Baskets in Atlantic City

Welcome guests to Atlantic City with a selection of treats from James’ Original waiting in their hotel rooms. The family-owned and -operated Boardwalk boutique, which has been in business since the 1920s, offers a selection of corporate gift baskets and boxes, like Fralinger’s Convention Special, $40, a five-pound box of salt-water taffy, mint sticks, toffee, and peanut-butter chews.
Photo: Courtesy of James' Original
Paper Goods and Postcards in Atlanta

Katie Daniels of Concrete Lace offers ready-made postcards featuring images of the Atlanta skyline, $3.50 each, that make for charming takeaways; the cards are available online and at the Beehive (1250 Caroline Street, Suite C-120). She also offers calligraphy services and designs handcrafted paper goods and letterpress invitation suites for events. All items are made in her East Atlanta studio on restored vintage presses with 100 percent cotton paper. Pricing for custom invitation suites varies depending on quantity, the number of pieces in each suite, and colors used.
Photo: Courtesy of Concrete Lace
Linens

For some reason I first found myself in the world of linens at Sferra. The company works with Colin Cowie. As this display kind of messily demonstrates, it has lots of different-colored napkins!
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Linens

I really liked this white tablecloth with red-trellis open-weave details.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Linens

But the Sferra showstopper was this topper with silver metallic discs and rings. Of course, I figure it would be a dry cleaners' nightmare, but the whole embellishment detail comes off with Velcro!
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Linens

These accent pillows are by Siivaana. At first I thought they might be a safety issue—imagine an accidental artery severed by a throw pillow—but the detail is plastic, not glass. As for comfort, well, take a guess.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Linens

At Matouk, I liked this blue and white place setting. You can never go wrong with blue and white.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Linens

Matouk also makes novelty linen cocktail napkins. I am one of those people who finds monkeys endlessly entertaining. How about you?
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Gift Ideas

Primitive Artisan was an insanely crowded and unwelcoming booth. Their stuff was really inexpensive; these knives in a set of four wholesale for $16.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Gift Ideas

Primitive Artisan had these salt and pepper shakers with mother of pearl inlay, also cheap. I am going to buy some of this stuff.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Gift Ideas

Speaking of tools, both literally and figuratively, here is Tiffany and her set. It’s a hat box with tools, and despite the super-cheesy poster and all the obvious jokes it inspired, with a retail price of $79.95 I have a feeling Tiffany is fixing for a great holiday.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lighting

I think the category at this show where I saw the most new stuff was in lighting—both in the displays, like this chandelier at Mariposa, which makes nice metal alloy tabletop items ...
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lighting

... and in actual gift offerings like this "bouquet" from Light Garden.
But a little of this stuff goes a long way. I kind of ran out of their booth when I saw their marketing, which features a girl with her hair looking electrified.
But a little of this stuff goes a long way. I kind of ran out of their booth when I saw their marketing, which features a girl with her hair looking electrified.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lighting

This picture doesn’t capture the innovation of this battery-operated candle, which, if you weren’t paying attention, has become a giant category of mostly low-rent-looking items. But this one, from Primitives by Kathy, had a nifty little wiggling-flame effect that photo editor Nadia Chaudhury agreed was really clever.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lighting

I couldn’t pass up the feather lighting booth—who could, really? Angel Wreaths is a new company that makes holiday decorative pieces out of feathers, but many of them can work year-round, like this fuchsia number.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Lighting

But the showstopper was this seven-foot-tall collapsible Christmas tree. An instant holiday party in a flat box—I could totally see this being a big hit.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Candles

If you are a candle freak, like I am, then this show is for you. From the sublime, like this display by Calvin Klein ...
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Candles

... to the ridiculous, like these wet and dangerous-looking pine-cone candles by Aspen Bay Candles.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Candles

The Cadillac of candles is, of course, Rigaud. They have a new scent, but I am always happy with the old ones, which never, ever go on sale. By the way, they are the only scented-candle company that aggressively explains that it is useless to burn a good one for more than 30 minutes.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Santas

If novelty Santa figurines are your thing—and really, why wouldn’t they be?—then Karen Didion's Santas is for you. She makes themed figures of many kinds, like White Santa and Couture Santa.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Santas

Many of the Santas are imbibing. There’s Beer Santa with a mug, and Wine and Cheese Santa.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Santas

I thought I’d leave you with a close-up of Drunk Santa. Cheers!
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash