10 Gift Ideas for Meeting Planners

March 11, 2020
Sales and Service

The best feeling in the world is landing a piece of business from a meeting planner! You’ve likely worked for months, maybe even YEARS to finally contract that event planner’s meeting. You should celebrate your success, and also recognize and thank the meeting planner that provided you with the business! You want to impress the client with something unique and original, here are 10 great gift ideas for meeting planners!

I did a blog post about how to create gifts for meeting planners that WOW, and today I’m sharing some concrete ideas and items that (almost) every event planner would love to receive!

Here are 10 gift ideas for meeting planners that they’ll love!

Curated boxed of goodies! The curated box craze is not letting up soon (see culture faves like FabFitFun , StitchFix and Ipsy. Celebrities are also creating boxes, like Rachel Zoe and Jillian Harris ) You too can send a one-time curated box of goodies from your hotel, destination, company etc! I’ve had the great privilege of receiving a couple of these and oh boy are they FUN to open!!!
Tote bag organizers- I recently spoiled myself with a tote bag organizer for my laptop bag – it has literally saved my sanity! These removable organizers can be moved from tote-to-tote and keep all your tote bag goodies from settling at the bottom of your bag in a big lumpy mess. Amazon has a number of great options to choose from!
Gift cards – who doesn’t love a gift card especially when its packaged in a creative and personal way! If you’ve listened to your client for cues, you can customize your gift card based on their passions.
1. Are they a dog lover? PetSmart!
2. A tea drinker? David’s Tea!
3. Book lover? Indigo!
4. Workaholic? Staples!
Experiences – Your hotel or destination could be a haven of experiences, but what if your client is nowhere near your destination? Create a gift experience that they can truly enjoy, something in their own backyard!
1. Do you have a partner hotel in their location? Partner on an experience there
2. Do you know the musical tastes of your client? Concert tickets!
Meal prep kits – the rising popularity of easy meal prep kits delivered to one’s door make this gift a great choice for meeting planners in the weeks leading up to the big event! Hello Fresh, Chef’s Plate and Good Food are 3 Canadian options you can explore.
Travel Clothing Steamer – this would be welcome in ANY meeting planner’s suitcase! Try Amazon.ca for some quality and affordable options to send to YOUR client, or leave in their guest room upon arrival at their program!!
Bluetooth speakers – Bluetooth is fast replacing the iHome docks in hotel rooms (which iPhone version does it fit again?). Either send to your client, or again, leave it as an amenity for them when they arrive on program! Again, Amazon has a TON of options to choose from. Or work with your promotional company on some branded speakers.
Socks – perhaps socks are for everyone, but I’ve found these to be a very welcome and comforting client gift. Whether fun and playful, or warm and cozy, socks evoke personality and comfort. My latest obsession has been Fazl socks – made by locals overseas, and they receive 50% of the profits as well!
Beaded lanyard – if you can find someone to make one for you, the blingy beaded lanyards will make any meeting planner look polished and professional. Note: the best lanyards are those that have 2 clips on the end; some badges require clipping in 2 places on the top of the badge, not just one.
Becoming Book/Journal – this best-seller from Michelle Obama is a GREAT gift idea. The journal has some great reflective questions like “what has been your greatest sacrifice?” and “What did you do as a child when school let out for summer?” The journals are very affordable, and you can personalize further with a nice pen, and some scattered post-it notes throughout the journal, reminding the client of their skills, talents, etc. You can personalize the HECK out of this one!