When it comes to providing guests with something that they’re going to remember you and your event by, you need to make sure that you’re giving them something useful, valuable or just so unique that it will never be forgotten. Big ask, right?
Take a look at our top tips for producing gift bags for corporate events that won’t be thrown out straight away or – worse, still – left somewhere on the floor at your venue, never to make it home with a guest at all.
What do your guests want in an event gift bag?
First things first, think about your guests and who they are. Understanding your delegates is key to producing something that will appeal to them, so consider each detail of your event and the types of people in attendance when coming up with event gift bag ideas. Think smart about what your guests are going to want or need when they attend your event – and afterwards – and focus on providing value with useful items.
We’ve all attended events and reluctantly taken away conference bags stuffed full of promotional leaflets and branded pencils which inevitably get put into a drawer somewhere, never to see the light of day again. At least a pencil can be useful, but if you’re somebody who attends a lot of events like us here at eve, you can end up with a lot of branded stationery.
Instead, think about corporate gifts that are useful to delegates of your event specifically. If you’re holding an international event, be aware that many of your guests may be travelling with hand luggage only so giving them mini alcohol favours or liquid samples might cause them a problem. Be aware of any social factors of your event: if your guests are likely to be interested in climate change, reducing plastic waste or their general environmental impact as a human, choose a recyclable goody bag or provide them with a reusable cup, or consider not providing your environmentally-aware guests with a tangible gift at all, but plant trees or make a charity donation for each delegate instead. When you think creatively and make the effort to understand your audience, the options really are endless.
“I was given a 100% sustainable goody bag from an event last year and it was the first entirely sustainable one that I’d seen. The bag itself and the leaflets and sponsorship information inside were all made from recycled materials, and the bag contained vegan snacks, a reusable drinks cup and organic soaps and lip balms. The events industry produces a lot of waste and it’s something that we all have to be aware of, so this bag really stuck with me.” – Becci Thomson, Head of Business Development at eve
Be aware of current trends
If there are particularly interesting current affairs going on or trends taking shape in your industry and beyond, take these into account as potentially engaging and useful event goody bag ideas.
As the world becomes more aware of wellbeing, think about giving your guests something that will support their actions to improve their health in your corporate goody bag. Depending on your audience, you could try a sleep mist, a healthy and refreshing make-at-home mocktail or even a small candle. A quick search on Google Trends can help you to see what people are currently interested in or prioritising in their lives, whether that be their mental health and wellbeing, the environmental impact of their lifestyles or Taylor Swift’s latest album.
Getting the right effect with your event goody bags
Ultimately, the purpose of your goody bag is probably to promote your event, your brand or your offering, so how is providing these kinds of gifts going to get your delegates working with you?
It’s all about value. Whilst you might feel that spending some of your budget on thoughtful and potentially non-branded gifts for delegates might not seem to have good return on investment potential, giving your guests event goody bags that are useful is what is most likely to have them remembering you.
If you’re worried about your guests taking your gifts away and having a lovely time (thanks to you) and forgetting all about you, consider providing these valuable items in corporate gift bags with a logo, or branded gift bags – or even brand the gifts themselves if you can – whilst ensuring that they’re still valuable and purpose-serving.
We no longer live in a world where selling yourself is mainly about cold calling and constant self-promotion: we live in a world where providing valuable content and building relationships with our clients is what matters and what will, ultimately, have you as the brand of choice.
“I once received a gift bag containing a gift set of Elemis minis – there was one for men and one for women – and I’ve always remembered it. It was such a genuinely useful gift whilst being something I wouldn’t usually really treat myself with, so it was a really nice surprise. Certainly not what we’re used to seeing at events.” – Emily Coupe, Venue Consultant at eve
It’s important to have your objectives as an absolute priority when thinking about gift bag ideas for corporate events, but don’t forget to think carefully about who your guests are and what will really be valuable to them.
Are you planning an upcoming event? Don’t forget that you can leave it to eve to have us find you the perfect venue.