Last week, out at the eTail conference, the quality and quantity of tchotchkes definitely showed marked improvements. At AD:TECH earlier in this year the give-aways were back as well. The industry seemed to experience a promotional premium recession after 1999, just before the bottom dropped out of most things Internet. The resurgence in tchotchkes may prove a leading indicator.

Omniture gave away a one-year lease for a Hummer in a multi-round Rock, Paper, Scissors contest involving about 400 retailers. They also gave toy hummers away at each table for the elimination winners in the earlier rounds.
Coremetrics gave away a 42-inch Plasma TV in a putting contest.
FireClick stuck to the tried and true golf ball give-away.
WebTrends gave away a small stuffed animal (a Whale, I think)
HitBox had those LED balls and LED pens.
CheetahMail had stuffed Cheetahs.
Looksmart had Grub t-shirts
My own company, did-it, gave a way a search engine relationship chart on a Poster

I expect next week's SES conference will also have great give-aways, perhaps definitively signalling the industry's recovery, or at least an early Christmas.