Boost the feel-good quotient of your next event with on-site gifting

By John Schofield

On-site gifting brings an air of excitement to any incentive trip, sales meeting or other corporate event. Instead of purchasing recognition items for employees, planners can hire an on-site gift provider to handle the experience from start to finish, allowing recipients to choose exactly what they wish. Here’s how to make the most of the experience:

PLAN AHEAD: Give the gifting firm at least 60 days notice, recommends Tom Romine, the founder and president of Boulder, Colo.-based Cultivate Premium Corporate Gifts, which handled on-site gifting at about 200 events last year in a variety of countries, including Canada. Romine says the gifting service should work closely with the planner to get a detailed picture of the event attendees and the gifts best suited to them. Most people prefer receiving brand name items, he says, and popular choices include Ray-Ban or Oakley sunglasses, Fossil or Michael Kors watches and OluKai sandals. Gifts can also include electronics such as Bose headphones, running shoes, or luggage.

MONEY MATTERS: The average gift spend at events is about $100 to $150 per person, estimates Romine. Gifts such as sunglasses, watches, sandals and apparel are typically priced 10 to 30 per cent below retail, while electronics are priced at or above retail. The gifting firm then adds its own fee (sometimes calculated per event attendee).

MAKE THE TIME: At a meeting with 200 people, for example, it could take two hours—which is likely best slotted in during registration, a happy hour or welcoming session. Romine recommends carefully vetting the gifting company and making sure they bring enough inventory to ensure that the last person in line gets as much choice as the first.

GIFTED PROGRAMS
A sampling of on-site gifting services available in Canada:

Cultivate Premium Corporate Gifts (sunglasses, watches and other gifts): cultivatepcg.com
Incentive Concepts (Bose headphones): incentiveconcepts.com
Somcan Marketing and Sales (Tumi luggage and other pre mium brands): somcan.com
Bulova Corporate Sales (watches): bulovaawards.ca