With Christmas just around the corner, many enterprises will be thinking of ways to thank their employees for all their hard work over the year. And with this comes the need for corporate gifts. Here’s where it can get a bit complicated.
Because an organization not only needs to show employee appreciation but also nurture sales leads and customer loyalty, show gratitude to major clients, and become memorable to newbies at corporate events where newcomers unite to network and establish future relationships.
With so many people to cater to in terms of gifts, it may seem hard to find unique conference giveaways. But that’s not to say it’s impossible. In this article, we will explore some of the best gift ideas for corporate events and VIPs. Let’s take a closer look.
The importance of thoughtful corporate favors and gifts
Whether you are looking for the perfect office party favors or you’d like to show your clients some appreciation, the importance of the right gift cannot be overstated. There’s a psychology behind gift giving. It makes people feel special. And it fosters a sense of reciprocity.
That’s why corporate gifts are said to make meaningful and lasting impressions. But in addition to this, they can also increase brand awareness and even drive the recipients to take a certain action.
Just some of the reasons why thoughtful corporate gifts are important, in addition to those just mentioned, include:
- Helping to build and maintain relationships
- Boosting employee morale and productivity
- Increasing customer retention
- Developing a positive company culture, and
- Creating goodwill.
General tips when choosing corporate event favors
With all these benefits in mind, corporate event gift ideas are no longer an option if you want your business to stand out from the crowd. As such, you need to put careful thought and consideration into choosing your corporate gift. Here are some tips to consider when doing so.
Know your audience
Knowing who you are going to be gifting with your corporate gift is a major starting point to choosing the right gift. Is your audience a corporate client or an employee? Remember that an employee’s gift can be something more personal whereas a corporate gift is usually luxurious, more expensive, and less personal (depending, of course, on your relationship with that client).
Consider the budget
Your budget will also guide you to ensuring that you purchase gifts within a certain price range. On average though, you are looking to spend anywhere from $20 to $50 for smaller gifts and up to around $200 for more expensive gifts. Determining the number of gifts, their cost, and who will receive them should be another guiding factor.
Your corporate identity
Merely putting your company’s logo on a gift is no longer enough to make your brand stand out and remain top of mind. Your brand identity needs to prevail in everything you do and that includes corporate gifting. If your brand is on the lighter spectrum of the corporate world, make sure to express it with a lighthearted sentiment. However, if your brand identity is more serious and professional, this is what you want to exemplify to your gift recipient. There should be no dilution of your brand in gift giving.
Wrapping and presentation
The way in which you present your gift (once you’ve settled on the item and the budget) is also important. Presentation through wrapping should be personalized wherever possible. It should also be attractive and appealing to the eye. And as a bonus point: consider making it recyclable or reusable.
Relevance
Your corporate gift should also be relevant to your audience. Giving marketing employees a spanner as a gift may not be the best idea. It’s all about being relevant and true to your brand persona, your brand identity, and the nature and purpose of your business.
Uniqueness
A further fact that can help make your corporate gift stand out is its uniqueness. And if you are running out of ideas on how to do this, you can ensure that your corporate gift is personalized. This can be done through engraving the recipient’s name on the gift or sending them a special message.
Inclusivity
Also ensure that your gift is as inclusive as possible. Some people may have allergies, others may be body-conscious, and still others may have certain dietary or health requirements. Make sure your gift doesn’t alienate any of your recipients.
Quality
Furthermore, it’s important to choose high-quality gifts. Low-quality gifts are easy to spot and leave a poor impression. That doesn’t mean you need to break the bank but it does mean investing time in doing your research.
Make sure they’re consumable or recyclable
Our final tip for conference giveaway ideas or corporate gifting is to ensure that your gift is either consumable or recyclable. Yes, it would be nice if your recipients were walking billboards of your branded merchandise. But an edible gift or a recyclable one (or both, if possible) are the ones that are likely to leave a lasting impression.
Unique corporate event favor ideas
And now, without further ado, we present to you some unique corporate event favor ideas. Remember that favors should be small but memorable. And that although they don’t necessarily need to cost much, they should be thoughtful and respectful. As such, our top five include:
- Branded chocolates (e.g. personalized bars, cookie sets, etc.)
- Succulents
- Branded merchandise (apparel such as t-shirts or scarves)
- Tech items (e.g. USBs, headphones, etc)
- Backpacks or tote bags
Unique corporate event favors ideas for VIPs
And for the corporate party favor ideas specifically for your company VIPs or VIP clients, we present seven ideas below that are certain to make a great and lasting impression:
- Luxury chocolate sets and towers;
- Wine
- Gift cards
- Experiential gifts
- Charitable donation to a cause they support
- Branded drinkware
- Leather accessories
BioLegend success story
At Totally Chocolate, we have come to know a lot about party favors for corporate events. And that’s one of the reasons why our experience and quality products were chosen by BioLegend in helping them celebrate their 20th anniversary.
Choosing cookies for their employees and customers that were branded, personalized, and uniquely designed – their corporate gifting was an absolute success.
With our ability to engrave and personalize chocolate to your requirements, you can now also ensure that your gift recipients have a memorable experience, too.
We invite you to consider chocolate as an option for corporate gifting. We are at your disposal should you have any questions or need any help in deciding on the perfect chocolate gift.