As meeting profs and vendors gear up for a new year of gifting, we spoke to several industry insiders about what 2024 brought and what they think 2025 will bring.
What Vendors Saw in 2024
Personalization
Laurie Amigo, director of branding, events and activations at HALO Branded Solutions, told us, “2024 was the year of personalized gifting. Pop-up shops and select-a-gift programs have become very popular throughout the year and especially during the holidays. Some organizations will offer an online pop-up shop with gifts to be picked up at the office or at the event. This allows the recipient to select their gift with enough time to brand with the company logo but allows the recipient to collect their gifts at a social event such as a sales meeting or holiday party. With five different generations in the workforce now, the days of one gift fits all are over.”
Some ways to personalize gifting are:
–Name personalization: monogramming, custom packaging or handwritten notes
–Personal Preference Tailoring: pre-gift surveys, recipient choice platforms and custom bundles
–Lifestyle and Interest-Based Customization: gifts for hobbies and interests (e.g., fitness gear, gourmet cooking tools, art supplies, travel essentials etc.), wellness and self-care (e.g., aromatherapy kits, mindfulness journals, etc.) and tech-savvy personalization (accessories that match the recipient’s tech preferences, such as smart home devices).
–Cultural and Regional Relevance: local touches such as regional products or artisanal goods
–Experiential Personalization: personalized virtual classes (e.g., wine tastings or cooking workshops), memberships and subscription services (e.g., monthly gourmet boxes, book clubs etc.) or digital extras gifted through QR codes or other technology.
–Professional Roles: Customize gifts to suit the giftee’s role in a company (e.g. stylish desk accessories for executives or practical gear for on-the-go sales professionals, etc.).
–Bespoke Gifting: Collaborate with luxury brands to offer limited-edition, personalized gifts such as leather goods or engraved items, and use elegant packaging tailored to the recipient’s aesthetic.
Experiential Gifting
Amigo points to the bottom line in 2024, saying, “Experiential gifting requests have more than doubled.” Benefits of this approach include improving employee engagement, creating emotional impact, fostering a work-life balance, strengthening loyalty and promoting company culture.
Some examples of experiential gifting are:
–Wellness Week, where employees are offered virtual access to daily mindfulness classes, spa vouchers and other means of promoting well-being.
–Celebrating milestones, such as a 5-year work anniversary, by gifting experiences such as cooking classes or weekend getaways shows recipients they are seen and valued.
–Recognition programs based on performance can allow recipients to choose from adventure options or skill-building experiences.
Philanthropy
Amigo says, “Another trend for 2024 was gifts with a give-back message or other intentional sourcing. It may be meaningful to the buyer but if the recipient is not educated on the give-back, an opportunity is lost. I’ve seen bag screen-printed inside with ‘This bag helps provide 5 school lunches around the world.’ Another gift I’ve seen had a hangtag letting the recipient know their gift donated to the ‘Shelter to Soldier’ program which saves two lives by training a shelter dog to become a service dog to a veteran. I see more trends that are intentional and purposeful focused on givebacks, sustainability and diverse or locally sourced. I can only see the trends in these spaces to grow.”
Some ways to incorporate philanthropy into a gifting program are:
–Vendor partnerships that generate donations from gift proceeds to charities or causes, such as those mentioned by Amigo
–Cause-specific products such as handmade goods created by marginalized communities or eco-friendly products from sustainable brands
–Charitable donations made in the recipient’s name
–Charity gift cards that allow recipients to donate to a cause of their choice
–Sustainable gifts such as reusable water bottles, plantable gifts like seed kits or gifts made from upcycled materials
–Employee volunteer experiences such as a charity walk, a day spent at a food bank or time spent assembling care packages by employees
What Vendors Predict for 2025
Pricing Uncertainty
Amigo points to politics potentially affecting the industry, saying, “As 2025 draws near, we are cautiously awaiting to see if tariffs will go into effect. This may create another shift in gifting as the costs of goods may increase. Locally sourced gift sales may increase while gifting budgets may be adjusted or become more creative if budgets stay the same with an increase of costs.”
Summer Fritz, account manager and “vibe guru” at Stackable Solutions, predicts Near Field Communication (NFC) will become more ubiquitous as QR codes go the way of the Dodo. She says, “NFC Technology is making its way to the world of gifting and merchandise. Using NFC technology in products such as wristbands, pens, hats, t-shirts, jackets, notebooks and more brings a static product to life and allows you to communicate and engage with your audience and end users beyond your first interaction.” Perhaps the most widely recognized example of NFC technology can be found in Disney’s MagicBands, which allow guests to do everything from enter their hotel room to purchase items at a gift store, and more.
Second-Life Packaging and Sustainability
Fritz also sees eco-consciousness expanding even further into the industry, saying, “When choosing gifts for clients, prospects, attendees and more, why not go beyond the product and think about how the packaging the item comes in can also be something useful? At Stackable Sensations, we have a line of products that are made from sustainable and recycled materials and come packaged in boxes that transform into an everyday useful item, giving people the option to lessen their carbon footprint and feel better about the items they receive. Choosing items that are made from recycled and sustainable materials was all the rage in 2024 and surely [will be in] 2025. We are adding another layer to a more ‘positive planet’ and incorporating dynamic packaging that can have a second life use.”
