The best things in life are free

The way to a techie's heart is through his stomach. And his pockets.

Marketing trade shows and partner conferences are a great place to learn about the latest technology, marketing products and generally trying to see what the industry is up to. It's a good opportunity to mingle with new suppliers, learn about potential new strategic partners, and even casually sniffing out the competition.

But at the end of the day, they're here to do one thing: sell.

So what do I look for when recommending a supplier or strategic partner? Is it guaranteed Return-On-Investment? Is it robust, cutting edge technology with unparalleled developer support? Is it unrivalled sales opportunities?

Nope. It's free stuff.

Okay, okay. Maybe it's not the only factor and I guess the ROI/support/opportunity stuff is important too. But we'd all have to be guilty of casually slinking up to a stand and wax faux lyrical with the rep, just so you can check out the giveaway shiny-shiny on the table.

However, it does get you thinking about the product and depending on what you get, makes a good show 'n' tell discussion point back at the office. It also shows the ingenuity, thought and pride which hopefully reflects their product.

What have I scored over the years? I'm no end-client power-CTO so no special treatment other than what us oiks get. But here are some of the received gratis faire off the cuff:

• Pens, note pads, stationery - Good for taking notes at a seminar. Otherwise, if it doesn't have a button or can't be plugged into anything, pick up your game, please.
• Mints, sweets, other edibles -  Handy for breath-freshening at networking meetings. But make them sugar-free - I'm on low GI.
  
• Key chains - My keys barely fit my pocket so why should I add to the clutter?
• Bottle openers - Handy. Good for opening the bottle also on offer.
• Deck of playing cards - Original, and appropriate from a gambling company. Useful for lengthy sales seminars.
  
• USB memory sticks - Now we're talking. But make them big enough to be useful. Making them only big enough to barely fit your marketing PDFs is just cheap.
• Portable speakers - Makes a nice present for a goodies-waiting significant other. Could come with an iPod.
• MP3 players - Good for listening to podcasts when you can't be bothered reading. Again the same advice for the USB sticks apply.