Lead Forensics

With Incentive Programs, It’s Always the Season of Giving

December 15, 2017 Kevin V Edmunds

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Well, it surely arrived quickly, but holiday season is upon us. As everyone is rushing around to find the perfect items to present to their loved ones, it reminds me of an important aspect of the meetings and incentive programs we see at our AIC Hotel Group properties. Which aspect is that? Attendee gifting.

Attendee gifting is a critical component of any off-site event, because it psychologically connects attendees to that program and to that destination for many years. Doug Chorpenning, CEO of Wet Paint Group in Centennial, CO, spent nearly two decades planning incentive-travel programs for clients. But for the past ten years, his firm has acted as a corporate-gift specialist that maximizes the power of product connected to incentive travel. He notes that “meeting and incentive planners are constantly asking for fresh, meaningful products for their events to maximize their corporate branding and messaging.”

As a result, Chorpenning scours the luxury end of the lifestyle market for products that recipients would cherish—and which offer tasteful decorating possibilities so that recipients remember exactly who gave them such an item. His recent choices include Tumi Luggage, Olukai Sandals and Revo Sunglasses. And to make the presentation of these items even more memorable for attendees, he hosts an attendee-gifting party around the pool; participants can browse the many possibilities and spend their allotted amount of gift money on whatever items strike their fancy.

One other thing that Chorpenning always does for his gifting parties is to bring in local artists and craft makers from the host destination to display their creations. From paintings, to wood carvings, to leather wallets and jackets, to hand-loomed blouses and blankets, to jewelry featuring local gems, and many other options, these local craft makers provide items that are upscale but also truly one-of-a-kind and unforgettable, which is exactly the objective of corporate gifting.

Given the destinations where AIC Hotel Group has its properties—on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Mexico, in the Dominican Republic, and in Miami—the local-gift possibilities are so diverse and interesting that attendees are sure to remember not just the program where they received those items, but also the organization that gave them the opportunity to select those items. Even better, our hotel concierges and other service staff can certainly help planners find the best local craft makers to include in the gifting program for a meeting or incentive program.

 


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