Box Set
In hotel rooms, miscellanea such as spare change, name badges and business cards can get dispersed everywhere. Plenty of portable storage systems exist, but none so lightweight and inexpensive as these drawer organizers, which cost $9.99 for a set of six from IKEA. The containers fold flat while in transit and open up to hold any number of easily misplaced items. Thanks to organizing expert Nancy Nemitz (480-325-0994; createthespace.com) for the suggestion. ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90050590
Itinerary Maker
When attendees are booked on different flights, meeting and travel planners can easily track everyone's plane schedules with the new TripIt Groups. Once you set up an account, simply forward flight confirmation e-mails to plans@tripit.com, and all of the itineraries will be displayed in a map format. tripit.com/uhp/groups
Wine Shrine
Over the course of some meetings, VIPs will be given two or three bottles of wine. If they don't drink it in their travels, that leaves the decision of whether to pack it -- and risk a dastardly spill -- or leave it behind. BottleWise is a third option. The corduroy or leather Duo protects two bottles with a padded liquid barrier and can be packed in a suitcase or carried with a shoulder strap. The Duo costs $58.95 individually or $47 in bulk, with further discounting possible. The setup charge for custom embroidery is $100. (800) 673-9770; bottlewise.com
At Your Service
Top managers might wish their personal assistants could attend meetings with them. When that isn't possible, offer them one on-site. Your Personal Assistant offers helpers in 10 major cities around the world and can deploy one to cater to VIPs for whatever they need, be it a concierge service, clerical work, errands, transportation, etc. Hourly rates start at $35. (866) 228-8589 ext. 911; ypanow.com
Bath and Beyond
The best pillow gifts are those that attendees can use up while they're at the conference, i.e., toiletries. Here's one that will be appreciated by male VIPs: Men-u's Shaving & Skin Care Intro Set, filled with mini shaving cream, face wash and moisturizer. Cost: $11.99. 800-987-6790; Bulk discounts are available. (800) 987-6790; men-uusa.com
Endless Joe
Meeting planners working on-site at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek (beavercreek.hyatt.com) in Avon, Colo., are given logoed red mugs on check-in that entitle them to unlimited free coffee, hot chocolate, tea and fountain drinks at the restaurant on property. The gift costs only a few dollars for the hotel; offer a similar bottomless mug to VIPs, and they'll feel taken care of. Personalization Mall is one vendor that offers customizable mugs at a reasonable cost: $9.95. (866)386-8300; personalizationmall.com
Homecoming
For 10 VIPs staying at Lake Lawn Resort (lakelawnresort.com) in Delavan, Wis., sales manager Steve Normington did some sleuthing (via the Internet and assistants) to find out what colleges they attended. Then he bought mugs and steins with their alma maters' logos and left them in their rooms with a welcome snack. "The meeting planner said that even months later, they were still talking about it," Normington reports. Football Fanatics offers a huge selection of mugs, glasses, etc., at a variety of price points. (866) 665-7037; footballfanatics.com/
artnerID/8411/COLLEGE_Cups_Mugs_And_Shots
Night Light
No matter how luxurious hotel beds get, some people still have trouble getting a good night's sleep. The NightWave is a pocket-size device that can help. Insomniacs need only breathe to the rhythm of the slowly pulsing blue light, and most will fall asleep within a few minutes. The travel size comes with a carrying case and costs $62.95. (866) 578-1870; nightwave.com
Energy Crisis
When you don't have access to an outlet, there's nothing more frustrating than a dead cell-phone battery. That's where the YoGen hand-held charger comes in. Tugging on the cord for a few minutes will charge cell phones fully, much faster than other mechanical battery chargers. And unlike a supplemental battery pack, you don't have to remember to charge it. YoGen costs $49.99 and works with many kinds of cell phones. yogenstore.com
Floating on Air
Getting PowerPoint to show up on an overhead projector or flat-screen TV is no big deal, assuming a pricey A/V tech is on hand to set it up. Now, however, the Warpia provides a wireless connection between a laptop and a projector or TV, making even the most tech-challenged presenters look like pros. Just plug the two adapters in, and the connection will work up to 30 feet away. Cost: $119.99, or $179.99 for Warpia with audio. (877) 704-0511; warpia.com
Stick Figures
Star Wars geeks will go nuts over these USB drives shaped like Yoda, Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper and Boba Fett. For the right event, giving them out preloaded with important information could make a "forceful" impact. Cost for the 4GB stick: $29.99. tymemachines.com
Call Backup
Cell-phone battery life certainly has gotten better in recent years, but for long days on the go, they often need a little more juice. These battery packs snap onto the iPhone/iPod and BlackBerry, recharging them fully. As a bonus, the pack doubles as a laser pointer and flashlight. Cost: $69.99. (415) 460-5050; richardsolo.com/iphone_and_ipod.html