From marathons to music festivals, events of all kinds have been shifted to the virtual realm this year in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. However, real apparel is still needed to generate excitement, create engagement and reward attendees who participate in a videoconference. Here are three ideas to help you sell more apparel for the online world.

Virtual races still reward participants with branded apparel and other swag, as Bend Marathon did when it was held virtually this past April.

1. Send Out Custom Shirts Prior to a Conference
A branded T-shirt or logoed polo is a great way to create unity for virtual conferences and meetings. Attendees can receive the items in advance of the event, with instructions to wear their shirt during the videoconference. The shirts could be part of a mailed swag bag bundle that includes things like coffee mugs, notebooks and even rewards like gift cards and custom video backgrounds. When decorating the conference shirts, be cognizant of logo placement. Shoulder decoration on polos has become particularly popular recently because it can be easily seen during video calls, according to Kara Reilly, marketing specialist for Trimark (asi/92121).

2. Help Your Local 5K Fundraiser Go Virtual
Even the venerated Boston Marathon is going virtual in 2020. Tom Grilk, CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the event, said: “While we cannot bring the world to Boston in September, we plan to bring Boston to the world for an historic 124th Boston Marathon.” Runners who have paid to enter the race can participate in panel discussions and download a Boston Marathon toolkit that includes a printable finish line and winner’s break tape. When they complete the virtual race with proof of timing, they’ll receive an official Boston Marathon program, participant T-shirt, medal and runner’s bib in the mail. If there’s a fundraising race you typically work with, find out whether they plan to do a virtual event instead and how you can help them get branded swag out to participants. Your expertise with logistics and fulfillment could help them make their virtual event a success.

Philadelphia music venue Union Transfer created T-shirts that commemorate the coronavirus pandemic and list its postponed lineup on the back.

3. Commemorate a Virtual Concert
Even though live music has been put on pause until in-person gatherings are safe again, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still opportunity for creative, commemorative T-shirts and other swag. Philadelphia music venue Union Transfer, for example, created a humorous shirt featuring images of hand sanitizer, toilet paper and a “cough here” circle near the elbow crease, along with a list of its postponed lineup. And for the live-streaming concerts and festivals popping up online, nothing could be easier than including a link to an associated webstore with an array of trendy on-demand apparel for sale.

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