I have found this on the web site:

"In striving to achieve these goals, all tutorials and presentations, including BOF presentations, are reviewed in advance and are limited to those entirely of a general technical nature, explicitly prohibiting material that relates to any specific product or service offerings. For similar reasons, equipment exhibits are limited to the "Beer 'n Gear" sessions, and vendor giveaways are not permitted at any time during the meeting."

I'm not sure if there was a vote of the membership, or what, but I had certainly missed it.

Does anyone have more information on this?

I agree with your general point that the vendor giveaways should be restored to the beer 'n gear. I did not notice any sort of vote. I think it was decided by the folks at Merit. Someone said it was the result of one person at Merit reacting to a particular Cisco giveaway (underpants?) at one of the last two NANOGs which I missed. Anyway, Merit, if your listening, bring back the vendor chachkies (sp?) at the Beer & Gear. It's supposed to be the exception to the Purley Academic nature of NANOG, and I really don't see drawing a line where booze and food are OK and flashlights, pens, t-shirts, underwear, etc. are bad, just because food doesn't stay with you (unless it's bad or you eat too much). Owen