There is only one time and one time only where wine is just not good enough, that is for a speaker gift. It is an objection that has grown over time and has now peaked. We are taking a stand and saying, “No more wine! We are better than this!”. As much as the Leverage team love wine, as a gift we find it a little impersonal and uninspiring – let’s face it, it doesn’t scream “this is an innovative organisation that takes pride in every detail, including how we thank people”. So here are some alternatives:
Personalised leather goods
This has become my favourite option because there is something at almost every price point and has been one of the few gifts given that has received thank you notes and emails from speakers saying how much they appreciate the gift after the fact. From compendiums to make bags, night time clutches, card wallets, key rings and coin purses, the added touch of engraved initials or a nice saying adds a touch of class. There are a few places who do a great job at this, Mon Purse is my stand out, along with TDE who now have beautiful portable charges – once engraved they will never go walkabouts again, a speaker would love it!
Donation to a charity relevant to the speaker
Do not gift to your foundation or own organisation, in this instance. This is important! Imagine giving all that time and energy to plan and prepare a killer presentation to be rewarded with a payment to the host. A little research here goes a long way. For example, a terrific MC we used is heavily involved in domestic violence causes, so a donation to one of her preferred charities meant much more at the end of the day than a bottle of wine that was going to be left in the hotel.
A local experience
This one must be done onsite but can be a lot of fun and can bring a lot of joy. You do need to be close enough to your speaker and, are able to sneak off for an afternoon. This works well for Internationals where the local content might not be relevant We’ve done the Sydney Harbour bridge climb in Sydney followed by lunch, private tours of the Opera House, meet and greets with koalas and kangaroos at the zoo. Sometimes a surprise is a great gift.
Send a cocktail kit inspired by the event to their home address
While I’m against handing a bottle of plonk to a speaker as the get off the stage, being a little creative and sending a customised cocktail kit to their home or office after the fact is completely different – extra points if you can include a cocktail recipe that relates to the event theme. Other variations include customised beverages you’ll know they’ll love – personalised whiskey or gin are big at the moment. Be sure to do your research first and make sure they are a drinker! Otherwise it’s just another waste of a drink.
UPDATE: Check out Three Foxes Distillery for customised “foxtails”! Throw your logo on a beautiful label along with a message, it’s one of the sleekest personalised gifts we’ve seen in a while! Check out one the Beautiful Readcity Writing sent us!
Good quality wireless head phones or other fun devices
Allow them to block out the outside world when they are travelling with Bluetooth enabled, wireless, noise cancelling headphones and enter their most productive state. Think they already have a set? Other popular techie options include VR headsets, wireless speakers, digital recorder, Amazon Echo… the list is endless!
High quality local souvenirs
We’ve had the privilege of hosting several international surgeons for a medical conference for a week in Australia who had never made the trip down under and were fascinated by our unique culture and history. We choose to gift each of our international guests a personalised Akubra (a type of broad-brimmed hat traditionally worn by farmers and cattlemen in Australia). Whilst you can get an Akubra at almost every souvenir stand in Sydney it was the experience of taking each speaker down to the Heritage listed arcade for a special fitting with the mad hatter at Strand Hatters (honestly you cannot find a better place to find a hat in Australia) and to learn about the history and styles of Akubras in Australia, before whisking them back into the conference sessions. The Akubras were worn throughout the rest of the event proudly.
Now I’ll admit the above options aren’t cheap, multiplied by 40 or 100+ and that’s a lot of coin to be saying thanks for coming, especially when you could head to the local Dan Murphy’s and get a decent bottle with a bulk discount. There are other options such as beautiful moleskin notebooks or even app subscriptions (think blinkist). Whatever your preference just keep in mind the following:
Keep it light. Heavy items are likely to be left behind.
Keep it of a reasonable size. With more people only taking carry-on luggage space is of a premium
Stay away from trinkets, try and keep it practical
Try and make it personal - include a note or card as a minimum
Avoid food or perishables (a better idea is to do a sample box for when they arrive at the hotel! Local treats in small portions are always a crowd pleaser and a nice way to show that you have thought about them from the moment they have arrived)