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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If you are keen on incorporating glitz n glamour to your gaudy gift, why not try out brash Bollywood themes. If you do not know how, this is something just for you. Here is a young designer who will do the job for you…

Dazzling designer Nida Mahmood, who admittedly has been a hardcore Hindi movie buff, would always dream of cute little things that we could see only on screen. That set her thinking how those gorgeous elements, which light up a film set, could be incorporated in one’s daily life. She mulled over the idea and integrated with the concept of gifting. 

The unique blend has given rise to a venture called as New India Bioscope. She has set it up with her friend Raul Chandra. It has just been over a month ago and the idea has clicked. She has already been chosen to refurbish the Art Deco Theatre in New Delhi, Nida is also going work for a Hollywood production, designing the outfits.

Spice and variety is the essence of her eccentric gift offerings.  These are no ordinary items. As you would realize, the techni-color fun has subtly spilled over onto ubiquitous objects from totes to keychains. She has added dramatic touch to them, terming it as an unadulterated Bollywood touch. There are captivating tea cups and other kitschy items like diaries, bags and home décor elements.

Prices might deter you, if not the concept itself! Price tag of a Gabbar chair will ring in your ears for days together. It is tagged at Rs 45,000. If you are looking for more affordable stuff, go for umbrellas with rain songs like ‘Pyar Hua’ and ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si’ from the 90’s to those from the 50’s etched on them. These cost just about Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. A ‘Don’ notebook is just worth a few hundred rupees, while Bollywood keychains come cheaper at Rs 100.

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Corporate gifting

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Indian art is slowly but surely becoming a crucial component of an alternate investment portfolio. This shift of strategy is largely being driven by the fact that Indian art is drawing attention and valuation that it thoroughly deserves.

Contemporary Indian art is gaining prominence worldwide. So it is not mere coincidence that Art Expo India has emerged as among the most prestigious art events to showcase Indian art for collectors and art lovers worldwide. It is among the most important art event in India, a cultural highlight for the country.

The three day long Art Expo India 2009 event, starting from 25th September, is a platform to launch Indian art in the international arena with meticulous selection of top galleries and well-conceived program of special exhibitions, seminars and other events.

Speakers Schedule at Art Expo India 2009
25th September

5:00 pm: The Key note address will be Mrs. Kay Saatchi in conversation with Malika Sagar Adwani on spotting young talent and building up an art collection.

26th September

•12:00 am – 1:00 pm: Art in Life: the daily pleasure of collecting, Dr. Rashmi Poddar in conversation with by Judith Greer.

•3:00 pm – 4:00 pm : The aesthetics of the erotic Dr. Alka Pande, Satish Manashinde moderator Anjolie Ela Menon.

•4:30 pm – 5:30 pm : (X)topia: A Search for Place, A Place for Search - A Conversation between Jitish Kallat and Ranjit Hoskote..

27th September
•12:00 am – 1:00 pm : Everything is Art a panel discussion between Bose Krishnamachari , architect Shantanu Poredi moderator Rajshree Pathy.

•3:00 pm – 4:00 pm : Sharan Apparao & Menaka Kumari Shah buying art in recessionary times Moderator Brian Brown.

•4:30 pm – 5:30 pm : Kirsty Ogg  in conversation with Abhay Sardesai on Indian Art in an international prospective.

Art Expo India 2009 serves as an opportunity to know more about adding art as an asset class in your portfolio, and also as an option for gifting at corporate and individual level.

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Art has a great display and asset value for both individuals as well as corporate houses. It makes a treasure to cherish in every sense. This value will come to the fore at Art Expo India 2009 (Venue: Nehru Center, Mumbai; Dates: September 25th - 27th) is a comprehensive source for understanding art – its past, present and future. It will present a wide array of works by famous and upcoming Indian artists.

Despite the recession and the subsequent fall in prices, experts feel the market for fine art is still very strong, though not as hyped as it was a couple of years ago. Importantly, long term collectors want to use this phase to build on their portfolios.

Especially, a host of investors-individual as well institutional- from European and American art circuit are looking to add Indian art to their collections. For many of them Indian art is still new. Art Expo India 2009 will act as a window for them to peep into Indian art.

Trade & Technology Exposition Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd was established in 1987 as an exhibition organizing company and several events on different themes were organized thereafter. Their flagship exhibition is GIFTEX which is now in its 21st year. With over 70 Shows to their credit Trade & Technology have the experience, the ability and the understanding of the art market as well.

The organization is headed by Vickram Sethi and has a support team that specializes in setting up trade events.  He has been setting up art shows and events from 1990. Before setting up art expo, the core team members had visited art fairs all over the world speaking to both galleries and art buyers to understand their needs. Being in both businesses Trade & Technology Exposition Co has the ability and knowledge to put together a major art event that would cater to the needs of the broader market.

Visit and enjoy Art Expo India 2009! The vibrant vistas of Indian Contemporary Art have opened for you.

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Gift cards are just one among the various types of prepaid cards that are offered by banks. Other types comprise forex cards like those offered by HDFC and SBI. They can be utilized for purchases and cash withdrawals in the requisite foreign currency overseas.

Other prepaid cards are meant primarily for corporate entities and not individuals. For getting a gift card, you need to fill a basic form and hand over the identity proof plus the cash to any local bank branch. You will be issued it on the same day.

You need to check about the fees and limits, if any. Processing your gift card application incurs a fee. The amount is in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 200. It varies from one bank to another. The amount is higher in banks such as IDBI and Axis, where the activation fees are one percent of the amount that is loaded onto the card provided the card value is more than Rs 10,000.

You can get a gift card for any denomination, from Rs 500. The ceiling on the gifting amount varies depending on the bank you approach. The cap roughly ranges between Rs 10,000 (at banks likes HDFC) and Rs 50,000 (at Axis and ICICI).

Though the gift cards are supposed to be easily available at all local bank branches, this is not always the case. Smaller bank branches may not stock gift cards at all times. The personnel there may ask you to visit the main branch. Also, your cheque may take an additional day to be processed and the card will be activated only after that.

If the gift card has been presented before the activation has been done and if the receiver immediately uses it, the transaction will be declined.

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Thanks to a truly challenging business environment, today’s businesses have been forced to think beyond lofty or impracticable promises of big bonuses and lavish retreats.

The businesses are now facing the tricky challenge of sticking to stringent budgets as well as conceiving newer, more novel ideas to show their ‘human’ side to clients and employees and to express their heartfelt appreciation. In such circumstances, a little help from outside is always welcome. This is where giftex 2009 came into play.

As you would agree, a gift is an ideal opportunity to make a lasting, fulfilling impression. Gift giving is not a mere ritual. It has emerged as a crucial corporate strategy as part of a larger jigsaw. Generic gifts picked by harried administrative assistants are giving way to personal gestures designed to indicate just how much your truly care for your corporate buddies.

The old cliché that ‘it’s the thought that counts’ has perhaps never been more dead-on that now! Today’s corporate culture demands more creative, more innovative and more thoughtful ways of expressing genuine appreciation to the people you care the most – clients, business contacts and your own employees.

In the field of sales & marketing services, clients expect gifting-industry consultants to be right on top of trends; be innovative and tuned to new technology. Part of their responsibility and role to our clients is to come up with innovative ways to get their messages across.

For those keen on sourcing the best corporate gifting options, Giftex, 2009 provided the perfect opportunity. The event spread over the spacious halls of Nehru Centre brought the best from the gifting industry under one umbrella.

A trendsetter and torchbearer in every sense of the corporate gifting industry, Giftex was a grand success. It was a perfect platform to grasp various finer aspects and get practical ideas to simplify the task of corporate gifting.

Tags: gifting to clients, Gifting events, Gifting occasions, Business Gifting
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At giftex, you will come across a wide range of products, which can be well used as a promotional gift for any corporate occasion. An umbrella is one such timely gift. It is one of the most useful articles for any person in the monsoon season. The weather may not be friendly always. And the umbrellas can be of great help in the summer too.

Your company can use this is an ideal promotional item that can serve the twin purpose of a gift and a brand promotion tool. You can gift it to your employees this monsoon. The collection of promotional umbrellas available ranges from the most popular Wentworth Golf Umbrellas to the cute Budget Mini Golf Umbrellas.

There are different types of umbrellas that meet the requirements of people. In fact, they can make a perfect gift for any season. However, they find it to be most useful in the rainy season, for example, a vacation in the monsoons.

The printed umbrellas are available in different sizes. People usually prefer colored umbrellas, as they look more refreshing and add a fashionable touch. Colored umbrellas give added benefits to the companies to choose the appropriate shade that suits their brand identity color. There are a number of standard colors available to choose from. The colors are chosen in such a manner that they will give fabulous display of the brand logo and the promotional message on them.

The double-colored printed umbrellas, for example, navy blue and white or the navy blue and yellow are the excellent color combination to display the brand name in the most contrasting background color. There are single-colored umbrellas available as well in the light shades and darker shades so as to allow the companies to pick them according to their brand identity color. Importantly, you will find them to be the most effective for spreading your corporate message across the customers.

Tags: business gifting, promotional gifts, Business etiquette, corporate gifts companies, Business Gifting
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In our recent blog, we discussed a unique initiative by Hindustan Unilever for all its employees. The company has set certain parameters that are meticulously measured, and a score is given to each employee on a vitality index score card.

The lower is the score, the better is an employee’s vitality;  a score of 0 to 4 puts the employee concerned in the green zone, a score of 5 to 6 slots one in the amber zone and a 7 plus score puts one in the red zone. Each employee is informed about his/her personal vitality score/color zone in a confidential manner.

Such relation building programs are a big boost to the employees’ morale and far more gainful than mere monetary rewards and incentives.  Of course, these measures succeed only if there’s a buy-in at the top! The top management committee ensured this. Another challenge was to create a buzz around the initiative. Mailers and posters like ‘Do you see red every time you see a staircase?’, or ‘Cool as a cucumber about your health? Don’t wait till it becomes red-hot’ were circulated.

In the next stage, employees were prompted to improve their vitality scores by conducting workshops  across the company’s different locations, through events such as Family Day, Walkathons, Vitality Exhibitions, nutritional menu counseling etc. Interactive sessions were held to teach the employees about the concept of BMI, ways of improving lifestyle, healthy diet to avoid/reduce weight gain as well as proper exercises for weight management.

The focus has been on scientific exercise methods, correct practical nutritional advice, and stress management techniques. The aim is to create health awareness so as to attain better fitness levels and enhanced lifestyle patterns. Workshops are conducted on post-retirement health planning for managers. At a basic level, the vitality index project reflects common sense: The healthier your employees, the more likely they’re to be (efficient) at work.

Tags: Cheap corporate gifts, low cost gifts, business gift baskets, Popular corporate gifts, Worst gifts, gifting etiquette, Gifting occasions, business gifting, promotional products, Best corporate gifts

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In today’s hectic work life, your friend or colleague sure would appreciate an offering that eases up their workload. Smartphones are essentially for those who demand literally everything at their fingertips from jazzy voice services to handy productivity-enhancing features, and that too without compromising on the cute looks. There are ample handsets to gift in this category as well.

An overwhelming variety of handsets available in the market only makes the decision even more challenging for those looking to gift something to smartphone lovers. To simplify your task, here is a look at two of the most suitable business phones you can consider for the purpose of gifting.

Nokia E75: the complete multimedia offering
It is a good choice because with it users find easier to adapt to a familiar-looking interface. However, the unique feature that sets Nokia E75 apart from other phones is its ability to allow integration of messaging and email services. Follow a simple three-step process and one is all set to support up to no less than 16 email accounts and this along with third party email solutions like Gmail and Yahoo! Another key feature is a 2.4 inch landscape slide-out keyboard. It will make life a little simpler for executives. You can get this device for Rs 26,299.

Blackberry Storm 9500: A good choice in the business phone category
Blackberry Storm 9500 is another excellent choice that closely follows the leader. Priced at Rs 27,990 it is available on Vodafone networks. The device can serve as a valuable upgrade for those who love Blackberry. Storm can though, disappoint conformists who think that a physical QWERTY keyboard is irreplaceable.

The entire screen of Storm acts as a virtual keypad. Browsing the web, playing music and reading emails is a doodle on the 3.25” screen. The Storm has other usual corporate features like push email as well as administrator control.

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As we checked in the previous blog post, gold ETFs are very much similar to a diversified mutual fund plan. Instead of investing the corpus in equity, the money is invested in gold. We learnt about gold ETF schemes on offer from UTI, Quantum, SBI mutual fund, Kotak and Reliance.

Just to elaborate and simplify the concept further, ETFs are essentially mutual funds that are listed on the stock exchange. Here, the underlying core asset is standard gold bullion. You can use this instrument to buy gold bullion on someone else’s behalf, and present a meaningful gift. Corporates can consider gifting them to their employees as well.

Let us check the various features of gold ETFs and how they are managed:
• As for denomination, one can buy even one gram at a time. With Quantum, you can purchase half-a-gram at one time.

• When one wants to sell back the gold in physical form, the making charges of jewelry are wasted as they cannot be recovered. In fact, the gold in physical form is mostly sold at a discount to its original price owing to depreciation. Coins and bars suffer from similar issues. On the other hand, units of gold ETFs can be sold by either with a few clicks in case you have an online trading account or by a call to your broker.

• Tax benefits is one major advantage of gifting gold in the electronic form. It’s free of wealth tax. It attracts just 10% long-term capital gains tax as against 20% in case of physical gold.

• Again, there is absolutely no doubt on the count of purity because impurity risk is non-existent with gold ETF. This can be an issue with the gold in physical form

• Security is of course taken care of by the fund, unlike in the case of jewelry or other forms of physical gold where the threat of theft always looms.

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