Even in the season of lean corporate spending, the importance of corporate gifting has by no means diminished. Corporate gifting is vital for the purpose of reviving and reinforcing crucial business contacts!

If ever there is a great need than ever for a business to reinforce ties with their most valued and prestigious customers, business associates and partners, it is now!  The consolidation phase of a business can perhaps be the best opportunity to appreciate the association with them.

Top businesses also understand the importance of sticking to employees who provide excellent service and bring value to them. Presenting a gift will only enhance ties with them. This is the perfect time for a meaningful corporate activity. The times are challenging, but such challenges call for dramatic measures.

 With the prospect of slackening demand owing to the recession, you may not like to give rich lifestyle and luxury gifts like jewelry. But silverware, and other exclusive gifts will do the trick when it comes to building the bonds with corporate clients.It is necessary to follow the latest trends in the world of corporate gift. Now, professionals do not relish regular, ubiquitous gifts.

Tuned to the changing times, look to experiment and come up with innovative ideas. Personalization is a vital factor in gifting to select top-level executives, and even your employees. Generic promotional items are passé because people are trying to get be more personal with things. It is often seen as ‘unfashionable’ to be extravagant with gifts today, especially in international context.

The other key point that the marketing experts emphasis on is doing something nobody else is doing or hasn’t thought of doing thus far. This will provide you an entry point to establish your brand in the market.

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It’s the ultimate festive time of the year when the wealthy and even the not-so-privileged open their purse. Diwali nights are lit up by Cartier blinkers and the air is filled with swish of satin fills. Elaborate card sessions, dazzling diyas, and crackers are the flavor of the season.

The party circuit perks up irrespective of economic conditions and recession. Every host wants to exude splendor. The venue resembles literally ‘mini-wedding’ scene. The food is served on shiny silver plates, and the gifts are hand-painted for that personalized touch. Invites with glittering gold-embossed logos are sent with beautiful boxes of choco-truffles. The guests are treated to an era and aura of royalty.

From designer kaftans to gazebos by the poolside, the pomp and extravagance reaches its crescendo. A touch of flamboyance is evident in everything in Diwali from designer playing cards to handcrafted boxes filled with pearl chocolates and edible diamond. This is the occasion when everybody who matters tries to ‘make a statement’. Baskets of imported Belgium chocolates, rare honey, gourmet snacks, and oysters for gifts are imported. The jazzier the offering, the better…

In gifting, giving and partying during Diwali, signature style is considered important as it is expected to reflect one’s personality. Those with exquisite taste and money in their pockets do things in a real classy way. There are Diwali melas that offer unusual stuff including Baklavas and Swarovski-studded candles.

Amidst all the ostentatious display and pomp, there are few who harp on tradition with old world décor and authentic Indian cuisine. For them celebrating Diwali is about reviving the spirit of Indian-ness. The hosts hence try to keep everything from the food and flowers to gifts traditional. On the other hand, glitzy glitterati gifts could comprise anything from a custom-made Louis Vuitton bag to a Cartier watch.

Have money, will spend, is the mantra this Diwali!

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Sportswear has surely made its way out of the rough n tough gym bag to enter the high-flying wardrobes. As a result, most fashion labels are getting sportier.

For example, Boss Hugo Boss last year launched its brand Boss Green to complement its popular Boss Black range of formal wear in India. The brand manager of Boss Hugo Boss, India, mentioned in an interview: “It’s a collection for those who don’t mind doing business at the golf course. They probably wanted a choice of luxury sportswear that wasn’t available at all. Those who earlier would (compulsively) wear blazers to after-work parties have switched to golf wear.”

The reasons are obvious; the look is rather simple and informal with golf T-shirts, jerseys, jackets, trousers, and shoes. Designer Narendra Kumar’s captivating collections for men have had a sporty edge. His collection for Spring/Summer 2009 at LFW 2008 went a step further.

The line was inspired by sportswear with cropped cabin jackets, denims and formal track pants. India saw a funky fashion-sport tie-up when Reebok got a psychedelic makeover - shoes in bright colors like orange, pink, silver, red and blue, topped with superb Swarovski and sequins as well as activewear under the Reebok label Fish Fry.

High fashion is indeed meeting mainstream everyday clothing. The trend is quite pronounced in the West and is catching up fast in India. A big workout culture is developing.
Take the case of actor Deepika Padukone who likes to wear short dresses to go with metallic sneakers & hip hoodies with three-fourth trousers. To party with friends, Nina Manuel often slips on her black Puma dress with orange-n-white boots from the Missy Elliot line. She might pair shorts & stockings with a purple halter Puma top.

Malaika Arora Khan often shares her sister’s liking for tracksuits. So the next time you are shopping for someone who is sporty type, you know where and what to look for.

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Silver is a meticulous medium to express finesse and feelings through wonderful design. Crafting silver is a great skill. Especially bringing the traditional and the contemporary can be challenging. This is the guiding philosophy at Episode.

Aesthetics forms the core of every design. Each piece should stand on its own and hold the viewer’s attention irrespective of the ambience it is placed. Not only that the silverware should also enhance the ambience! This is what Episode can guarantee.

You can only imagine the reaction of the recipient of the fabulous range made available by Episode. Importantly, you can choose from a wide variety of deft designs and an unmatched quality standard.

Each piece of craft tells a story by itself. You can fulfill all your gifting needs, be it for your home décor, your flatware and hollowware, for your dinner and tableware, or be it corporate gifting as well as festival gifts like on Diwali.

Silver gifts sure enhance the ambience of the receiver’s office or home. It can also serve as an exclusive gift for the wedding, home warming ceremony, birthday or for the new born baby. Keen to communicate with their clients, Episode is welcome to your feedback and suggestions regarding their product design and quality.

When gifting silverware, the person should also be informed that improper or careless handling can spoil valuable silver. For instance, one should not lift hinged items such as teapots, boxes by their cover since hinges are quite likely to break. Don’t place pieces near heaters since intense heat can permanently damage wooden handles or hinges. Whilst cleaning silver items, hold the piece by its body. Undue pressure while pressing down on a table can cause damage to the handle. While washing, pay attention to delicate handles.

Tags: , corporate gifting for employees, Best business gifts, Worst gifts, Business etiquette, gifting etiquette, promotional gifts, Cheap corporate gifts, Business Gifting
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The desert state of Rajasthan is a diverse kaleidoscope of beautiful art-de-facts. The fascinating range is simply breathtaking and sophisticated. The state has on offer something for each and every tourist who gets amazed by its rich culture-scape, presenting a varied range of arts and crafts. It is a treat for one’s visual senses. The bazaars are full of lovely craft varieties. These products spread a magnificent glow of colors all over.

Wonderfully intricate work finely carved on handicrafts or the gorgeous gems and stones - the state of Rajasthan has it all and even more. The splash of colors on the tantalizing textiles and fabrics with gold or silver thread settings, complimented with variety of silk-threads, beads, zari, zardosi, etc. are designed by the traditional families of skilled artisans.

Leatherwear: Skilled cobblers make use of the hides of dead animals for  jooties’  (footwear), ‘mojadis’, musical instruments, etc. These reflect the unique style of every district where they are made. The leather is beaten, tanned and dyed, and then punched and gouged for creating a variety of patterns. They are enhanced and embroidered. These can be widely found in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer and Jaisalmer.

Blue pottery: Among the prominent designs are conventional floral or arabesque, lovely handmade patterns and the elegant animal figure patterns. Flower pots, lamp shades, ashtray, tiles, jars are examples of the art of pottery.

Metal craft: Some of the finest metal work in the state uses enameled silver used for everything from figurines to pillboxes. Brass enamel is less expensive and hence more widely used in making dancing peacocks, caparisoned elephants, camels, swords and shields.

Hand crafted jewelry: Rajasthan is famous for its hand crafted jewelry.

Wooden Artifacts: Wood – sometimes plain, often painted - is used in everything from artifacts to furniture in their antique to its contemporary variants that include camel-hide stools, chairs with painted backs, marble-top tables and carved cabinets. There are a range of artifacts like horses, elephants and parrots, boxes; chests, snuff boxes, dancing figurines, dwarpals (guardians of the doors) and other magnificent memorabilia that are beautifully painted.

To Beautify your home with icons of Rajasthan, here are more ideas…

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