If you paid $20,000 to attend a conference, you’d probably expect a gift bag stuffed with books, gadgets, or other goodies.

But participants at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative — who do pay that amount to be here — are only getting an empty bag. Former president Bill Clinton said the decision to cut back on gifts was in part driven by the economy, but he also wanted to be different than other big world meetings.

In place of the swag, attendees get “200 points” that can be spent at the so-called Giving Back Center, a kiosk where they can allocate their points to various charitable projects donated by corporations and charities.

For example, 10 points or so can go to a water filtration packet from Procter & Gamble, which manufactures the small powdered product that reduces parasites, bacteria, and other contaminants.

While the points are symbolic, how they are spent will indicate what projects people at the Clinton meeting find important.