4 Reasons Why You Should Be Sending Gift Boxes
The holidays are the season of giving, so we’re giving you the inside scoop on one of our best-kept secrets to incredible participant experiences: gift boxes! Throughout our fall events season, we’ve sent gift boxes to event participants, clients, and our ELE team to show appreciation, amplify our events, and create meaningful moments - plus they never fail to spread joy. Whether you’re looking to enhance your next event or are just shopping for family, we’ve unpacked the main reasons why gift boxes should be your go-to gift year-round!
1. PEOPLE LOVE A SURPRISE
Think back to the last time you were tempted by a subscription (or gift box) service. These boxes are so hard to resist, but why?! The fact is, people love a surprise, there is something truly exciting about unwrapping a gift box and sorting through its unknown contents! Gift boxes delight audiences, coworkers, partners, and loved ones; everyone will be eager to dive into their wonders. It’s not every day, especially in COVID times, when someone receives an unexpected surprise that adds joy to their everyday life.
2. GIFT BOXES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
2020 has been a hard year for everyone. We have been “overly connected” (Zoom burnout is very real), but we’ve also felt isolated, separated, and distanced from each other. We may not be able to physically gather, or be digitally connected every second of every day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create authentic connections. In the midst of our digitally overloaded lives, gift boxes add a physical dimension to your relationships without risking anyone’s safety. Simply put: a gift box is a shared experience that turns an ordinary moment into a meaningful one.
We have experienced the joy that these gifts bring, first-hand! For the Charter School Growth Fund’s Fall Convenings, we sent out themed gift boxes to every participant. It was a huge success and the feedback reflected our desire to make every participant feel valued. We even incorporated the gift boxes into the programming for the event, everyone received a drink mix kit which they used during the Happy Hour Mixology lesson! These gift boxes really took our virtual event to the next level!
3. SHOWING APPRECIATION CAN INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
Displaying appreciation greatly increases productivity when it comes to both event participation as well as internal work business. Everyone wants to see that their hard work is being acknowledged and gift boxes are a great way of boosting morale and loyalty to a company and make everyone feel like part of the team.
When it comes to our event participants, we’ve also found a strong tie between engagement and the magic of a well thought-out gift box. Registrants who are sent physical goodies are more likely to attend and actively participate in events than registrants who don’t. These great add-ons brought right to a participant’s door can turn what feels like “just another zoom meeting” into an experience that they won’t soon forget.
The “So Much Nice” Box from Send Something Nice.
The “Miss Your Face” Gift Box from Shop Made in DC
4. IT’S A GREAT WAY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!
Here at ELE, we love supporting small businesses, especially at a time when so many are closing their doors due to the pandemic. Here’s two of our favorites:
Send Something Nice has special lines to customize your gifts to your specific needs, including business and personal gift box options, if you are looking to do something meticulously personalized, contact them to create your own gift box like we did for Charter School Growth Fund! Their Work From Home merchandise is top of our list - you can even integrate your own logos, notes, and color pallets to make your boxes extra special! Their “So Much Nice” pack has everything you need to share the joy with loved ones.
Shop Made in DC is an amazing company in the DC area that brings together dozens of local artisans, creators, brewers, and artists to create specialty gift boxes, featuring the best from everyone! With so many unique artisanal pieces, your colleagues and loved ones will feel like they received something extra special. One of our favorites is the adorable “Miss Your Face” gift box that keeps us connected and safe during this time.
Other Great Gift Box Businesses:
Cherry Republic is a small business that features delicious cherry-related snacks straight from Glen Arbor, Michigan.
Keep Your City Smiling is another small business centered around supporting small businesses! They started operations to help organizations that were hurting due to the pandemic and have an amazing selection of holiday boxes.
The Chicago Christkindelmarket is an annual German market that’s erected in Chicago’s Daily Plaza every Christmas season. Due to COVID-19, this event isn’t happening in person this year, but you can still experience the culture in their 2020 gift boxes available through December 31st.
If you’re a west-coaster, The Daily Harvest out of San Diego, CA is a great place to pick-up a Hand-Crafted Food Gift Box that can be sent anywhere in the US.