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.

As all of us would readily agree, businesses cutting across domains and irrespective of scale, 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 2012 will come into play.

A gift is an ideal tool, object or gesture, whichever way you consider it, when it comes to making a permanent and fulfilling impression on your clients, business associates as well as your valued employees. 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.

An old cliché goes 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 2012 provides the perfect opportunity. The event spread over the spacious halls of Nehru Centre will bring together the best from the gifting industry under one umbrella.

A trendsetter and torchbearer in every sense of the corporate gifting industry, Giftex is bound to be a grand success. Be a part of this grand event to grasp various finer aspects and get practical ideas to simplify the task of corporate gifting.

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On the eve of Giftex 2012, where you are all set to get a kaleidoscopic view of the best gift ideas on offer under one roof, we also feel it is pertinent to know some of the key norms – dos and don’ts of corporate gifting – generic or those given on special occasion.

1. First and foremost, check the company policy on giving and receiving gifts. Know whether they prefer token gifts or something fancy or jazzy as well. Putting a logo on the gift is important, but do so in a subtle manner!
2. One should remember cultural and geographical barriers. Each state and country has its different values on basis of which gifting strategy should be devised. Follow the local conventions or else you might end up offending your international clients.
3. When giving a gift to individuals, it’s always a good idea to give a gift that is personalized in nature. Cost is not always the factor; try to follow the person’s tastes and know about his or her tastes. For example, if a client enjoys a particular sporting activity, he or she should be given free tickets to that game or a souvenir.
4. Gifting activity should not be too personal or centered around only few individual as it may create a misunderstanding. It should not be politically incorrect. For example, you should not be gifting a weight loss certificate to a fat person or a box of sweets to a diabetic this may create a misunderstanding. Avoid gifts that are based on religious themes. Generic gift ideas work best.
5. Do not repeat a gift idea year after year. Rotate them skillfully so that each year the program should arouse interest, thus making the client appreciate it more.

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One thing that will differentiate a sub-standard vendor from a quality one is the value addition the latter can bring to clients. The process is not just restricted to manufacturing, purchasing, or disturbing the gift. A winning and long-lasting association with the clients is possible only by striking a rapport and understanding their psyche. It requires a great deal of insight and sensitivity on part of the vendors.

An understanding of factors such as budget constraints, timeliness of a gifting plan, correct choice of occasion, relevant theme for gifting is essential. The success of a corporate gifting business is not merely about the “art of selling’. It’s more to do with discovering the ‘joy of gifting’ them. Packaging ideas also matter a great deal (not to forget ‘out of the box’ gifting products!)

A unique selling proposition will help to transform the gift into a motif of relationship-building. This again is never an easy task. First study what a bunch of business players around you are doing and think how you could do it better. Before you push forward with your gifting business plan, be clear about its focus. You then can sell the idea itself.

The logistical issues will then come into play as you will need to explore things such as distribution & partnerships, and work out establishing relationships with a host of corporate gift representatives to market and sell your product portfolio to their corporate clients.

It may not be always easy to approach end-users directly when you are likely to compete with an entity that has almost everything else on its side, including a strong sales relationship with your potential customer-base.  Before you make a move, get some sense of the market dynamics and what exactly you are up against!  This is critical to make foray into the domain of corporate gifting business successful.

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Corporate gift giving is undoubtedly a serious business. As part of a well-devised program, it can help in establishing or enhancing critical business relationships and, in the process, serve as a cost-effective mode of imparting an element of goodwill to your business. We shall consider the many issues and ideas relevant to the corporate gift program’s success.

There can be multifold reasons for conducting a corporate gift program. For example, you may wish to thank your long-standing customers for their contribution to your business or recognize efforts of a committed employee for working overtime to meet a deadline. Mostly, the idea is to affirm relationships and subtly enhance the personal connection between a gift giver and recipient. It’s important to understand that gifts are different from incentives.

Customizing is a critical element for the success of a corporate gifting program. We have already checked some basic guidelines to follow for corporate gifting during festivals. Of course, these may vary based on your company policy. It needs to be decided whether to go for personalized packaging with special notes inserted in them. A nice note accompanying the present can reduce a sense of obligation, if any, on part of the recipient.

Ideally, the gifts should be given sans a precondition or a hidden motive. Of course, it would be naive to believe that there’s no bottom-line benefit to be drawn from corporate gift giving, but that aspect should be secondary.  Even though it’s an integral part of marketing strategy, corporate gift program should be subtly aimed at building bonds and a sense of long-term partnership with valued associates to make a gifting program successful.

The whole exercise should be planned well in advance well before the festival season sets in. This will give you enough time to negotiate the price for the gifts you are looking for and also to avail of attractive discount offers. Inputs from experts are very essential in this regard.

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Women are increasingly dominating the corporate world and gradually taking over the reins from men at the workplace, which is indeed a healthy trend. According to experts, they are doing exceedingly well! In fact, gone are those days when having a female ‘boss’ was considered an oddity. As is evident, more and more women are leading the charge in every sphere of life.

There was a time when men felt apprehensive of their being pushed to the sidelines, but this perception has changed with the greater acceptance of the women march into the professional arena. Along with the changed scenario, the context of corporate gifting has changed too. Just to elaborate, there are certain unspoken rules or norms for gifting a female boss simply because women are different from men.

One doesn’t necessarily have to give them anything that is gender-based; the defining aspect is the utility of a gift. For instance, consider a classy leather purse that has more compartments. Women like to compartmentalize everything and have a special place for their lipstick, pens and hand sanitizer. So go for a sleek handbag that packs a punch.

On eve of her birthday politely ask your female colleague/ boss what kind of tastes they have and the kind of hobbies they pursue. Surf the net for new trends and buy an appropriate present accordingly. There are many snazzy options to select from as leading brands aptly ‘feminize’ their products.

Decorative objects and works of art with women-centric themes can also be a great idea. Something like a personalized coffee mug, white tea for health, flower infusions for relaxation, flavored teas, aromas and perfumes for the trend-conscious will also be perfect. Tall elegant floor vases for her office cabin will also a good gift.

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In this article, we shall go through some unspoken norms of giving and receiving a gift in the corporate world:

• Even though your intentions may be honest and it may just be a small gift, if the client firm objects to receiving any gift, giving a gift should be avoided. It will be inappropriate on your part to force a gift on the person.
• Conversely, if receiving a gift makes you feel slightly uncomfortable or you believe it can cause some damage to an important business relationship, it is correct to refuse the gift, but in an appropriate manner.
• Do not ever think of recycling a gift that you have received, at least, within the same circle of friends or else you will be caught. (Remember, that TV commercial of the same gift changing hands, doing rounds of different homes, and ultimately landing with the first person who had gifted it, to start with.
• On other hand, if you receive something that you know is not original, try not to look dejected or disappointed. Accept it with a smile on your face and set your mind to it. If you want to return the gift, do so without opening it, if possible.
• Avoid the temptation of what the ‘generous’ giver has opted to gift. This gives the person the option of recycling the gift. In fact, it always makes sense to check your office policy on accepting any kind of gift from clients.
• Though it might just be a small gift, if your company’s policy says that accepting any gift from the clients is not appropriate, it should be returned. If a gift from one of your business associates looks like a favor, it should be returned.
• In certain cases, a giver might refuse to take the gift back. In such a case, do not make a coworker or a client feel embarrassed about giving. Keep a formal record of your correspondence, if any. Make sure you’ve notified the senior person in your office about the chain of events.

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Find gifts that are unique in terms of appearance and usage. The next step is elegant packaging and actual presenting with grace so that the receiver is happy and not embarrassed. Last but not the least, avoid a gift in cash – either giving or receiving it. Following are few more important codes and ethics of corporate gifting:

• It is essential that you first review your office policy on accepting a gift from clients. Even though it may be a small token gift, if your company policy states that accepting favors in form of gifts needs prior permission or is inappropriate, it makes better sense to return the gift. If a gift from one of your business associates is questionable in nature, it should be preferably returned or refused.
• As far as possible, never make a co-worker or client feel embarrassed or ashamed about generous giving. It may happen that a generous giver refuses to take back his or her gift. In such a scenario, keep a proper record of your correspondence with the person and try to make sure that you have notified the appropriate authority in your chain of command or hierarchy.
• There’s also a way of taking a gift back from the person whom you happened to send a wrong gift item by mistake. Now this leads to a dilemma whether to take it back or let it go. If you indeed have made such a mistake and have ended sending up a wrong gift to a wrong person, the best recourse would be accepting it and explaining the mistake you made and apologize for it. If you wish to take back the gift given for whatever reasons, be polite in talking to that person.
• On other hand, while giving a gift first check what exactly the guidelines are for corporate gifting in your company and also of the person to whom you are planning to gift. If there are any stipulated norms for budget, logo printing etc, understand them clearly. Once you have done so, you can start looking for an appropriate gift.

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Below are the vital factors that are extremely essential for chalking out a corporate gift program:

1. Determine your budget first to get a clear understanding of your corporate gift program. Once you set your budget and scope, next you should define the exact purpose of giveaways.  This will depend on what domain you are and your end user.  Your budget will though, will largely dictate how much you should allocate for the gifting program.
2. When deciding how much to spend, key thing to take into account is the intrinsic value of your business relationship. Based on it, you should make sure you give an ‘appropriate’ gift. Also, consider specific guidelines of that corporate entity and industry. You would never want it to appear as a favor.
3. Just reverse the roles. What if you receive an over-expensive gift? Talk to the giver in person if you think that the gift is too costly, too personal or not really suitable to the occasion or the relationship you share with the person. However, never discuss these things in public with the person concerned.
4. Corporate gifts can serve various roles like Thank You gifts for clients and colleagues; motivational gifts; recognition gifts for employees; new client acquisition; retention of business clients; building brand awareness; promotional products; holiday gifts for clients; trade show giveaways; premiums incentives and incentive programs; award programs; advertising specialties; service and safety awards; and general purpose business gifts and awards.
5. One discreet way to place your logo is leather portfolios. It is normally de-bossed on the cover. Some people prefer to customize with the recipients initials. If you believe you have selected a gift that will make a lasting impression on the recipient, there is absolutely no need to place your logo on the gift. The person will remember you by the gorgeous gift itself.  Also work out how you will distribute it - in person or by courier mail.

In other words, sourcing, packaging and dispatching the gifts demand an on-time and high quality solution providers to manage the specialized gifting related tasks on continual basis.

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Mumbai, the financial capital of India, is famed for its cosmopolitan nature, which also reflects in the shopping opportunities that can lead you to some fantastic gifts. The city’s famed streets, corners, gullies and pavements are lined with exquisite shops.

Virtually anything that you want is available in its famous bazaars, malls and markets. There are malls that have sprung up across the city - its eastern suburbs as well as the western - that provide ample shopping options when you are in this dynamic city.

The MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism) curiously mentions Chor Bazaar, commonly known as thieves’ market, a term coined by the British but perhaps mistakenly so - as a great avenue to get something unconventional.

The website notes: “It is thought that the original name was perhaps shor Bazaar (Noisy Market) that aptly described the yelling and shouting doe by local traders while selling theri second hand household goods. Today, it has turned a hustling bustling market selling a wide range of goods. The traders, whose families have been in this business for several generations, scour the countryside to buy goods that they sell in the market.”

You must visit Chor Bazaar, the site states, for here you can come across some fabulous shops that you can rummage through as  you never know what you may discover a hidden treasure, a bargain or just exactly what you need for your collection or something that your friend or colleague needs - an antique piece, an old book or a Gramophone record.

The main areas to get bargain clothes are around Colaba Causeway and the famous Fashion Street that stretches along the Cross Maidan and Azad Maidan. Showier, trendier articles can be done at Breach Candy and Kemps Corner.

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Kerala is among the must-visit states of India. Kerala, in many ways is aptly considered the jewel of India and handicraft especially is a precious nugget embedded into that dazzling jewel. The craft traditions of Kerala have all been perfected by the dedicated hands of the skilled craftsmen who thrive on wealth of forest riches.

The craft skills of the state artisans are entirely indigenous. The craftsmen can pick up any humble bit of material and then imbue it with a touch of magical mastery. The alchemy of these finished products of décor and utility is simply amazing. Woodcarving of Kerala, to give an example, is endowed with a rich and diverse variety of high quality tropical wood such as the distinguished rose wood, the indestructible teak, the luxuriant bamboo and the stately white cedar. It is but natural that the skills of the wood carvers are among Kerala’s timeless traditions.

For instance, craftsmen in Thiruvananthapuram work on rosewood elephants apart from conch and sea shell articles such as paper weights and lamp shades. The actual decorations and caparison for elephants, as well as other festival paraphernalia are done in Thiruvankulam, Ernakulam and the adjoining areas of Thrissur.

The god’s own country is famous for its carvings, cast bell metal work, granite idols, pillars, coir, jewelry, coconut carvings in wood (rosewood or sandalwood), shell and sea-shell products, superb snake boat models and other fabulous figurines. Each of these crafts is seen in select regions.

Tags: Best business gifts, Business etiquette, gifting india, business gifting, Business Gifting
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