|~|Gifts-HotelsL.jpg|~|Corporate gifts come in a variety of shapes and sizes.|~|Businessmen of today are the first to admit that they probably spend more time living out of their suitcase than they do their own house. But as they visit so many hotels, what can be done to make sure they remember their stay?
Hi-tech in room entertainment systems and personalised service can only do so much. Because as soon as the guest leaves those revolving doors it is hard to know, if two months down the line they can even remember which hotel they stayed in.
That is why corporate gifts are imperative to the hotel industry. There is no other way of ensuring that the guest has something physical to take away with them to remember their stay. Indeed, pens and notebooks may seem like the ideal solution to this, but hoteliers have to invest more time, money and creativity into something the guest will want to use… or at least admire.
“Hotel corporate gifts represent the taste of the hotel and its management. The gift…[should be] useful to the guest during their trip. [But] later, it should work as an ambassador for the hotel,” says Biren Jasani, managing director, Select Marketing, a manufacturer of gifts for corporate clients.
Whilst Select Marketing does provide the hospitality industry with basic corporate gifts like pens, it also manufactures and provides gifts that can give each hotel a certain individuality.
For example, one of its latest products is the Card Tool Kit. Inside, the kit consists of a pair of scissors, a magnifier, can opener, screwdriver and slots for extra SIM cards.
Additionally, Select Marketing also offers a USB coffee warmer, which, when connected to a PC keeps coffee heated for around 20 minutes, as well as having a hub for four USB ports.
“Many of our items are popular as we take a lot of care in the selection process in order to create that individual look. Also, these are gifts that can, and will, be used for day-to-day operations,” adds Jasani.
Providing corporate gifts that have functionality for businessmen is becoming a more popular choice when selecting the right gift, with one of the most popular lifestyle items being USB ports.
“A lot of our clients are choosing more lifestyle products, as they see the need to provide gifts that will actually be used by executives,” says Gwen Bava, marketing manager, Yoonly Enterprises.
Providing technical equipment for executives, as well as general office equipment, is a key focus for Yoonly Enterprises, and although staples like USB ports are always a popular choice, the company is beginning to look at other executive products.
“One of the items that has been popular in the past is the memo clip acrobat, this is a desktop item that is not only functional for storing information but attractive as well,” says Bava.
However, a trend that Yoonly Enterprise is seeing is the request for functional items with a modern twist — like the fragrant hand phone strap. However, despite moves into the more executive line of goods, traditional corporate gifts remain still a popular choice. Because of this, hotels are looking towards branding to make their mainstream products stand out from the crowd. As such, corporate branding and logos are a key part of any corporate giveaway. Branding of an item helps turn a gift into an advertisement for the hotel.
Whether a clock sat on a desk or somebody wearing a T-shirt, the branding helps create interest in the hotel.
A popular choice in this sector is branding on clothing, with polo shirts, golf equipment and caps leading the way. In the Middle East in particular, golf-related items are a big hit and Pro Golf UAE specialises in providing golf related equipment for the corporate sector.
“A lot of the goods we offer are popular with the corporate market as they usually require quality products for giveaways, gifts or for promotional use,” comments Tiffany Davis, brand manger apparels, Pro Golf.
While specialising in golf equipment like golf towels, tee packs, putters and golf balls, the company’s product portfolio stretches further than this to attract a wider corporate market. As such, it also concentrates some of its business on branding for polo shirts and sport holdalls.
Branded goods are a vital part of Pro Golf’s business, and its largest order to date confirms the need for these goods, as one company ordered 5000 sport holdalls with the corporate logo embroidered onto the bag. It also had an order for 50 putters — all with the corporate logo on the side.
Despite interest in sports equipment and accessories, the company is also noticing an increase in demand for its leather travel wallets, which also come with embossed corporate logos.
However, Pro Golf is not the only company to notice a shift towards leather items. Right Source, a Dubai-based company, provides the corporate gift division with wallets using a range of materials, including leather.
“The Middle East has witnessed tremendous growth. The trends have changed from a price conscious market to a more quality conscious one, and the levels of customer expectations within the service industry are continuously rising,” comments Sherbanu Federal, marketing manager, Right Source.
“Players within the industry need to be more aggressive to get the ‘wow’ response from customers, so with our clients like Jumeirah and InterContinental Dubai, we aim to reach this level of standard,” adds Federal.
Logo branded goods are definitely a key part of the corporate gift market, and with more hotels being built, it is becoming an increasingly competitive market to provide that little something extra.
Gone are the days of being able to give a guest a pen, and if hotels want to keep their towels and bathrobes, then they have to look towards more exclusive, personalised and useable gifts for their clients and guests. ||**||
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