5 Tips for an Engaging Gifting Experience

This article was first printed in Prevue Magazine on July 11, 2018. https://prevuemeetings.com/spark-blog/flip-the-script/5-tips-for-an-engaging-gifting-experience/

Corporate gifting is an opportunity to connect with clients, strengthen relationships and provide an experience—and it takes on many shapes.

At one end of the spectrum, you have the (boring, non-creative, no choice) old-school room drop with a branded goodie bag filled with a few sponsored snacks, and at the opposite spectrum you have a custom corporate gifting experience that’s focused on selection, choice and brands.

Planners are definitely using gifting more now than ever. Many companies are realizing that a fabulous trip in a beautiful destination is only a part of the experience. Corporate gifting now tends to be a bigger part of the memorable experience and companies are recognizing this and the attendees are wanting (and expecting) more.

 

The meetings and events industry is skewed towards the female gender, and Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) never ceases to impress with its lady-friendly corporate gifts such as lipgloss with mirror and OPI-branded nail polish in ALHI Red. At a horse race event, Preferred Hotels partnered with a hat company to allow attendees to select a hat or fascinator to go with their outfit. Impact GPS partnered with Maui Jim for its Los Angels event a few weeks ago to provide a custom sunglass fitting experience. Attendees were able to try on about eight different pairs of sunglasses, see how they fit, seek professional fitting advice and walk away with a free pair of Maui Jims sunglasses.

A meeting planner veteran noted, “I always give gifts as a reminder of the key takeaways of that meeting. If it is an incentive meeting, it is a reminder of the fun that was had and a talking point for when they see you in the shirt, sunglasses etc. It leads to a discussion: Where did you get those glasses?”

andgreat has personally commissioned custom belt buckles for a VIP client event in Austin, Texas. We mailed the buckles ahead of time as an event teaser, and then brought the artist onsite with leather straps for a complete custom belt fitting experience. Not only was it a memorable experience, it tied into the unique destination.

Here are my top five tips for corporate gifting:

Check Corporate Policies

Many companies—especially in the pharmaceutical world—cannot participate in corporate gifting as they pay their attendees an honorarium. A pharma planner noted that corporate gifting is still relevant but gets harder and harder with parameters being put into place by companies.

Determine Wants

Knowing your audience will help narrow and focus your selection. If you know your attendees are mostly female, for example, have a heavier selection of lady-friendly products. If you audience is a mixed bag, you can’t go wrong with a selection of high-end male, female and unisex sunglasses, running shoes or sandals.

Get Creative 

Corporate gifting that reflects the city or destination you are hosting your event is a great starting point. Tying the corporate gifting to the event destination lends to the overall experience. If you’re meeting in a colder mountain destination, a branded Patagonia fleece makes sense. If you’re meeting at a beach resort, consider offering a sandals experience.

Quality Over Quantity

Branded “junk” is self-serving and comes across as such. No one wants branded stress balls. And at the end of the day, your corporate gifting reflects your brand and your reputation. Do you want to be associated with junk?

Find a Trusted Partner

Find a partner that will be with you every step of the way and has experience with corporate gifting. While Maui Jim pioneered the onsite experiential gifting concept over 17 years ago, there are other vendors that offer a wider range of products and brands. Global Gifting partners with high-end brands that manufacturer everything from sandals to electronics, for example.

What’s the coolest corporate gift you’ve received?

How I Stay Organized

Who doesn’t like to feel in control of their life, their day, their week, their year? Meeting planners especially feel the need to be organized and streamlined—it’s in our DNA; it’s essential for our jobs.

As an entrepreneur with a thriving business and a busy two year old, I’m committed to one tool that has helped me tremendously to be more efficient, ensuring I never miss a meeting or appointment--business or personal.

I live by my calendar—if an event is not on my calendar, it well not even exist. I start by planning out the year and block off:

1.  National holidays

2.  Religious holidays

3.  Family birthdays

4.  Big events within my clients’ industries

5.  Meeting planner conferences I want to attend

6.  Personal holidays and trips

7.  Montessori school breaks

For example, I knew that I needed to severely limit my travel the first four months of this year due to a personal project. I was able to conduct all my site inspections for Q1/Q2 2018 in Q3/Q4 of 2017. I declined nearly all FAM, and conference invitations through April 2018. I limited nearly all client projects that required me to travel in Q1.

As for day-to-day organization—I have everything on my calendar. And I do mean everything from 8am Body Combat Class, to reoccurring client meetings, to Giovanna’s ballet class at 4pm. I block my calendar if I need a massage, or have a doctor’s appointment. I make time for me—and because it’s all on my calendar—it’s easy to see where I can fit in these personal errands and make sure they are achieved.

It’s difficult when you work from home to actually take breaks and take care of “life maintenance”. That’s why it’s key to put everything on your calendar. Sure, clients may need to move a meeting, a project may take longer than you thought, and some days you just won’t feel well. Life happens. But a surer way to meet your deadlines—all of them—is to start putting everything on your calendar.

If you’re struggling to stay organized, give calendaring a shot. It just may change your life. 

In the Midst of Disaster: Meeting Planners are Priceless

The meetings and event business is the backbone of many cities’ economies. Often times, the lack of tourism to an area following a natural or man-made disaster is more devastating to the local community than the actual disaster. The natural and man-made disasters that impacted the world of events in Q4 2017 alone, brought that message close to home. Additionally,  the importance of utilizing a certified meetings management professional to manage your programs has never been truer.

Hurricanes in September
This year saw the most expensive U.S. hurricane season in history, as storms caused more than $200 billion in damages across the country. If you had a meeting booked in Florida or the Caribbean (like andgreat did) in September, you likely heard the words “force majeure” more than once. Most meeting planners, including andgreat, were easily able to rebook their clients’ programs at other venues or rebook later into the New Year—with no penalty.

Shooting and Fires in October

andgreat was exploring Cuba on a FAM trip the first week of October, and many friends and family were worried about safety. andgreat was safe. Safer than most Americans in America. The mass shooting in October at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, really forced planners to take a hard look at event security. And again, threatened the tourism and conference business that supports Las Vegas.

Other Natural Disasters in November
The natural disasters didn’t end with hurricane season. Later in the month of October, a series of wildfires broke out in Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as other Northern California cities, destroying almost 9,000 structures, forcing more than 20,000 people to evacuate, and killing at least 41 people. Sonoma Valley is home to many events—especially wine tastings and corporate retreats. And as such, planners again had to rise to the occasion.  Needless to say, it is times like these when planners have two or more programs coming up and there are fires raging at the contracted venues’ doors, your local contacts and CVBs are priceless resources. andgreat is happy to say that both our programs in Sonoma in November went forward as planned, with no side affects or negative feedback. It felt good to bring business to an area that needed it.

Have you thought about how your company would handle these types of disasters without the knowledgeable assistance of a certified meetings management professional?