As a gifting company, we might be biased, but we believe one of the most important (yet stressful!) parts of any conference is the gifts. Whether you’re sending out invites, welcoming attendees, thanking speakers, or sending a follow up to vendors or partners, getting the gift right is a surefire way to increase your ROI both qualitatively—by building and furthering your audience’s relationship with the event and your brand—and quantitatively—by maximizing the conference’s impact, converting potential customers, and increasing your bottom line.
Building the prefect conference gift doesn’t have to be intimidating. BOXFOX’s Corporate Concierge is here to help, whatever the reason or season. Below, we’ve outlined 5 tips for nailing any conference gift.
Personality
Your gift should have just the right amount of fun to make it memorable and set the tone for the day or the weekend ahead. “Personality” can manifest itself in different ways, but you should start by picking elements that immediately call to mind your company’s core brand tenets, its mission, its consumer-facing persona or the theme of the conference. For example, if your brand is a leader in the online learning space, experiment ways to creatively showcase your core offering, perhaps using the real estate of the box as a way to teach your recipient something new!
As an added perk, a fun gift is inherently shareable, so by getting creative with your gift, you’re increasing the likelihood that your gift will be shared and that your message will be amplified.
Location
Curating a box based on the conference’s location or the company’s origin story is a great way to tie the gift to the setting. You can get literal with the location by giving recipients a keepsake guidebook to make them more at home during their stay or utilize unique regional artisans to show recipients a flavor of the locale! For example, if your conference is LA-based, look for products in hues of blue and yellow and pair them with functional beachside essentials, all-natural products, and locally crafted snacks to make a sunny conference welcome box that’s something to write home about.
Functionality
All flair and no function is a surefire way to make or break your conference gift. If your attendees can only use it once, or if it just looks pretty and doesn’t add value, you should re-think it. The gift should be comprehensive and have some hardworking components that stand alone and help them power through the event they’re attending. Whether you’re in finance, real estate, tech, healthcare or entertainment, the golden rule of gifting is the same: equal parts form and function. Your gifts should not only look nice, but they should also provide some sort of value—aiding in productivity, travel, work-life, or relaxation—for your audience.
Form
At BOXFOX, one of our core tenets is that presentation matters. We believe that every gift should have a “wow factor” when opened. Have a high standard for what the items in your box look like individually and together. You should put emphasis on items that are aesthetically appealing in the way they are crafted, packaged, and used. And going that extra mile to make sure they’re all beautifully packed in the same uniform fashion will speak to your company’s attention to detail and care when it comes to your guests.
Portability
The perfect conference gift travels well, since conferences bring people from all parts of the country (and world) together! When building a gifting suite, think about who your audience is. There’s a high likelihood most if not all of the attendees at your event will have to travel home once it wraps. Building a gift that incorporates items that are easily packable—individually and as a unit—is key. Remember, these gifts are meant to be a delight, not a headache. Another fun aspect of portability is thinking about TSA-friendly sized products, or to take it a step further, products that can make a plane ride even better.
For more information on conference gifting or to enlist our corporate concierge team for your next project email concierge@shopboxfox.com. Request a corporate catalog today and get gifted!
