One of the things that everyone loves about attending a physical event is receiving a goodie bag, or being able to capture moments to save as memorabilia for the future. It helped form a pleasant bond between the host and the event’s attendees, speakers and guests. Presenting speakers and attendees with gifts is a social etiquette accepted and practiced widely across business verticals and industries, whenever events are conducted. 

The COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, and prompted an immediate, almost overnight shift to virtual platforms for the purpose of hosting events of all types. This begs the question – does the etiquette of gifting come to a halt with a shift to a virtual medium?

Absolutely not! The delight and joy of sending out gifts can certainly continue, albeit digitally. This brings us to the question: what should you pick as the gift? Here, we have curated a list of some excellent and valuable physical & virtual gift ideas that will bring smiles to the faces of the recipients, and help in building your brand name. The appreciation will be spread ahead on social media, which will generate goodwill and a positive sentiment around your brand or business. So go ahead, make your virtual event a memorable one for everyone participating!

Gifts your Event’s Speakers will Appreciate

Branded Padfolio: This makes for an excellent choice to present to the speakers or guests. A very thoughtful gift, indeed. After all, the speaker will have every necessary thing in one place. Having your company logo on the front cover would increase brand awareness as well as maintain a strong brand identity! 

High-quality Webcam: Virtual events require high quality streaming for sessions. You can send a high quality webcam as a gift to your speakers. We assure you, they will love it for its huge utility value. Plus, a good quality webcam will not only enhance their presentation but also reflect on the overall experience of your event. 

Branded Charging Pad/Battery Pack: We all know virtual events can stretch upto great lengths. It isn’t possible for everyone to be seated near a charging port. Hence, a portable charging pad would be highly convenient in a scenario like this. 

Professional Mic: Good-quality mics & audio setups are no longer limited to audio professionals. You can gift a great mic to your speakers, to help improve the attendees’ experience as they are able to enjoy crisp and clear audio from the speakers’ end, and bring great delight to the recipient of your gift.

Gifts for Attendees to Boost Goodwill

E-books: These are really gaining a lot of popularity as more and more people are realizing the plus points of reading e-books rather than stacking up on paperbacks. You can certainly gift an e-book related to your brand’s business vertical, or share a title which will be a good read for them. 

Online Course subscription: This is an interesting idea to keep your attendees engaged. Enroll them in an online course that fits your brand tone or business vertical, which will be perceived as a value-add for your event’s attendees. A source of learning is always a great investment, and an even greater gift!

Discounted event tickets: Create brand loyalty by investing in, and developing a good relationship with your audience. Offering them a discount for your next event is one way to go about it. Every virtual goodie bag sent to the attendee upon registration can have a discount code that they can redeem for a future event of their choice. A gift that will surely be appreciated by some! 

Food Vouchers for Breaks: A food voucher of a food delivery service is a great gift for your goodie bag, as it allows your guest to order a meal of their choice during breaks in the event. Sending a digital food voucher for an on-boarded exhibitor or sponsor will not only promote that key exhibitor or sponsor, but also boost your revenue & sponsorship fee due to the exposure they receive from such an activity.

Common Goodies for Speakers & Attendees

Personalised ‘Thank-You’ Cards: Everyone attending your event deserves a thank you card. Nothing beats the charm of these two words that convey a genuine feeling of appreciation. Sending thank you cards that have personal branding, and perhaps a note from your brand or business’ leadership, can really strengthen the relationship between an event host and their speakers and attendees. You can choose to send it over email or courier it to them. 

Gift Card: These can easily be arranged for your speakers or attendees. Gift cards that allow recipients to purchase any item of their choice from a store. Tying up with an event sponsor to source and send these digital gift cards will provide value to your brand, and theirs. Digital gift cards are gaining a lot of traction lately.  So what are you waiting for? Hop on to the bandwagon! 

Wellness App Subscriptions: In these trying times, people have grown to understand the importance of wellness and well-being. Bringing a Wellness App on-board as a sponsor, or sourcing subscriptions for key speakers and attendees is a thoughtful and useful gift, which will generate goodwill among your virtual event’s delegates. 

Swag Box: Going virtual shouldn’t limit you from sending across personalized, branded swag, to your delegates. Companies like Swag or Caroo customise their swag box based on your brand. So pick the craziest promotional items you can think of and enjoy the appreciation from your virtual event’s delegates!

With these gift ideas, we’re sure that you’ll create an incredible buzz among your virtual event’s delegates, and gain immense appreciation from them. It’s not only the gift but the thought that counts – and that will aid your overall marketing efforts by helping you build a strong bond with your virtual event’s delegates over the course of time.