Wearable Memories: Event Tees

Years ago, I remember being at an event and I couldn’t help but notice that none of the groups of people had matching shirts. They were all wearing different colours with many of the t-shirts being way too big, which wasn’t conducive to their performance. I found it all very distracting and couldn’t help but wonder what the groups would look like if everyone was wearing the same colour with properly fitted shirts. This is why I thought it would be a good idea to talk about event tees and how important they can be for an event you may be planning. 

Custom event tees help to create a sense of community and belonging, people who are participating in an event tend to appear cohesive and confident dressed in custom shirts made specifically for their event. Over the years Sunnybank Print House has screen printed shirts for many events such as; Food & Beverage Tours, Hockey Tournaments, Beer & Burger Weeks, Crossfit & Fitness Events, Music Festivals, and much more. Participants often look and feel good when wearing tees that go with their event, this helps to amplify a sense of “team spirit”. Oftentimes these events become a special part of their memory once they are over, then the t-shirt becomes a memorable keepsake – especially when the year, date or location is added to the shirt. Having participants wear custom event tees can also be helpful for getting them to stand out in the crowd, you can also add large words on the back like “staff”, "team" or “volunteers” to distinguish participants. 

When you take the leap into creating your own custom event tees the possibilities are truly endless! A popular method is to put the event logo on the front with sponsors added to the back. You can usually fit quite a few small logos on the back of a t-shirt, sometimes customers will put larger logos of bigger sponsors on the top than smaller sponsors stacked underneath. This is an excellent way for local businesses to promote themselves, which can be an effective long-term advertising strategy since people generally wear t-shirts for several years. Another great option is tote bags! You can put the main event logo in the centre of the bag then below it you can create lists of all of the sponsors. Alternatively you can do the event logo on one side, with the sponsor logos on the other side of the bag.

Creating t-shirts that can be sold as merchandise is a wonderful way to generate additional income for your event. People love to purchase souvenirs at special events, especially when the artwork and shirts are high quality. The nice thing about putting an order in for custom event tees is that the price goes down with the more shirts you order - bulk pricing is the ideal way to go for larger events. You can also use event tees as a method to generate more participants for an event, as many events will offer a “welcome package” that includes a t-shirt. During the registration process it may be helpful for a participant to indicate their t-shirt size ahead of time, so that you have enough sizes to fit everyone. T-shirts are usually available in sizes 2T all the way up to 5XL, and for outdoor events doubling up with custom hoodies is always a great option!

Whether you’re in the early stages of planning an event, or starting to hit panic mode if it’s coming right up, at Sunnybank Print House we are ready to help. Creating custom artwork for your event is also a critical component, something that our graphic designer can help you with. From budget-friendly bulk pricing options to more premium selections for souvenirs, we have you covered – literally!