Of course your attendees come for your product launch or speaker lineup, but who doesn’t love a little something extra? Whether you call them handouts, swag, or giveaways, goodie bags are the icing on your event’s proverbial cake. From special surprises to branded gear, thoughtful giveaways can leave your event participants loving you and your brand. At urbanevents, our team relishes the chance to use our creativity and imagination to help our clients shine. Below we share with you some of our favourite goodie bags from the TED conference, the Middle East Film & Comic Con, and from our very own Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s ‘Gems of Italia’ event.

TED

Thanks to its insightful talks on a host of subjects, TED has gained a reputation as a brand at the forefront of modern thinking and big picture ideas. And if the goodie bags are anything to go by, the company are at the forefront of generosity. At its conference in Vancouver, the room where goodie bags were kept became known as the ‘gift cave’, and the queues of people waiting to get their hands on the goods snaked around the venue.

For those lucky enough to be at the event, the swag collection had multiple stages. Stage 1 had attendees collect a Lands’ End-designed bag that contained Lush soaps, a Google Chromecast Audio Device, Happy Ear Headphones and a Bluetooth Beacon. Stage 3 was a virtual table with a choice of $200 gift cards to Zappos.com; a personal, send-away genome test from 23andME; and access to online courses. Stage 5 was gadget time where attendees could choose from an automatic pet feeder, security camera, heart-monitor and the most popular of all – a remote controlled Tesla toy car with a $499 price tag.

GCA VIP Lounge

Our colleagues at GCA are renowned for their VIP Lounges at the F1 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and the Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC). They set up booths with various local and regional brands where celebrities can interact with and then take the product. With a choice of about 15 brands on display, celebrities are not forced to take anything nor have their picture taken. If they don’t mind, then GCA will take pictures for media and online content which generates genuine endorsements rather than paid-for advertising. This results in increased brand awareness and recognition, product placement, and both traditional and social media content.

We love this video showcasing lots of homegrown brands like Caliente, Drawdeck and Tips & Toes at MEFCC 2016!

Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s ‘Gems of Italia’

We did a series of events for Peroni Nastro Azzurro, each with a different “Gems of Italia” theme – an exclusive launch dinner, and then Aperitivo events around design, fashion and food – which meant the focus of each goodie bag, or box in some cases, had a different angle.

For the launch, ladies received customised, handmade Capritouch sandals, personalised with selected Swarovski crystals and fitted on-site. The gentlemen took home engraved Montegrappa pens and NeroUno cologne. Both brands are definitively Italian and showcase the country’s flair for fine living.

At the design event, guests were given an Alessi espresso maker with a recipe (specially-crafted by a mixologist) for a Peroni-infused espresso martini while the fashion gift meant Boggi Milano ties for the men and personalised Capritouch leather bracelets for the women. For the final event centering on food, we created a hamper bursting with the scents of Italy with fresh lemons and rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, artisan pasta, gourmet pesto, and acrylic Maiolica-style coasters. Each item spoke to Peroni’s Italian heritage, sophistication, and long-standing brand reputation. Additionally, presentation for each goodie bag was Instagram-worthy, which encouraged recipients to share their gifts on social media. And ultimately, that’s the aim of any goodie bag – to generate brand enthusiasm that continues long after the event is over. With the right items and presentation, your next event’s customised goodie bags will create loyal brand followers for years to come.

Contact urbanevents to organize your event, eye-popping goodie bags included!