Parting Gifts

Meetings & Conventions: Short Cuts April 2003 Current Issue
April 2003
Short Cuts:Parting Gifts

Clever giveaways make a lasting impression

They feasted on mussels in saffron cream and sampled two dozen Spanish wines. But it was the gift bags sleek black totes stuffed with hand-painted ceramic sangria pitchers, wooden spoons and individually wrapped biscotti the guests were drooling over. “Gift bags should reflect the theme the event and make a lasting impression,” says Nancy Larick, owner of New York City-based Larick Associates (www.larick.com), who created the giveaways for meeting planners at the Taste of Spain event, hosted by the Culinary Loft in New York City. “They also should be functional, especially in today’s economic climate,” she adds.

The dinner plate itself made a unique take-home gift from a charity event hosted by Leading Hotels of the World, an international marketing group representing luxury hotel clients. The pricey annual gala to benefit City Harvest, a food charity organization, featured plates designed by Carlstadt, N.J.-based Rosenthal USA Ltd. (www.rosenthalchina.com), a fine china and crystal manufacturer. On the custom-made keepsake china was an elegant printing of the evening’s menu and the signatures of the 11 participating chefs.

Color, says Larick, is a creative way to tie an event with the parting gift, whether using the hue of a corporate logo or a color associated with the theme itself. For instance, at a recent fund-raiser to support breast cancer research, sponsor Avon gave out hot pink cosmetic bags filled with pink lipsticks, lotions, the company catalog and the pink ribbon pin that symbolizes the crusade against the disease.

• CHERYL-ANNE STURKEN