LadeSwag Report – MEC 2012

I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably asking yourself (in that quiet inside-your-head kind of voice) some questions. A swag report? For a conference that happened four months ago? Who thinks anyone really cares about the swag he picked up, let along swag from FOUR months ago? Well, let me answer those questions.

Yes. Yes. Me.

I was lucky enough to attend the MEC conference in Orlando back in September. I brought back a small amount of swag as I often do, put it in a bag, and took it to my office. Where it sat. For a couple months.  Until I finally got fed up and decided to clean my office.  At the end of the multi-day process, I was left with three or four Microsoft Store bags of swag from TechEd and MEC.   I had blogged about my TechEd swag as I went along so I distributed the goodies in the bags around the office.  As I started to do the same for the MEC items, I realized that I had never blogged about it, not any of it. I’ll blame it on shock from watching the NFL replacement refs steal a win from the Packers and hand it to the Seahawks. All that cheering by the Seahawks fans in Wreckers sports bar was simply too much to bear.

So while Jeff Guillet (@expta) blogged, I was silent. Tony Redmond blogged. And I was silent.

MEC came and went, and while I tweeted non-stop, I didn’t blog… until now. Behold… the Day 0 Swag Collage!

MEC Day 0 (September 23)

• MEC 2012 Conference bag – Microsoft
• “I am MEC” water bottle – Microsoft
• Exchange DAG t-shirt – Microsoft (This was one of five shirts all with Exchange-related themes. The shirts were handed out randomly at registration in sealed boxes.
• Bag – Mimecast
• The Lost Conference t-shirt – Messageware
• MEC IS Back t-shirt – ENow
• REST for the Wicked t-shirt – Splunk

MEC Day 2 (September 25)

• Security and Speed t-shirt – F5 Networks
• Stress Ball – F5 Networks
• Mouse – Symantec
• Blinky Stress Ball – Quest Software
• Yo-Yo’s – CommVault
• Bottle Openers – KEMP Technologies

MEC Day 3 (September 26)

• KeepCup – Mimecast
• Water Bottle – NetMail / Messaging Architects

I’d like to say something about the KeepCup pictured above. This is one of the most interesting pieces of swag I’ve seen in a long time, and one that is truly useful. The KeepCup is a plastic cup that is BPA free and non-toxic. It is dishwasher and microwave safe and is sized to fit in most cup holders as well as under the handles of most espresso machines. They come from Australia. If you’re a coffee or other hot beverage drinker, you should check it out.  Seriously. Go to http://www.keepcup.com and take a look. Great to use and great for promotional use. Good on Mimecast for giving these away!

So there you have it. The LadeSwag report for MEC 2012. If you made it all the way to the end, pat yourself on the back and go have a cookie. You’ve earned it.