To get ahead of the trend in gifts, sometimes it pays to travel. We made our way to Atlanta for the Atlanta International Gifts and Home Furnishing Market, one of the largest wholesale markets for products and gifts in the world. It’s here that buyers and retailers meet, connect, and choose merchandise for the upcoming months. So naturally, it’s where we go to find the highest-quality, unique vendors for our gifting experiences. Check out some of the best ideas from the Atlanta Market below.
1. Location-based gifts
When your attendees travel memorable places, they’ll appreciate a memorable gift that reminds them of their trip of a lifetime. Consider custom-made jewelry, cork stoppers, cufflinks, or boxes made with a map of their destination. And when they’re headed back home, consider the popular, comfortable, and cute “home” tee, with the word “home” overlaid over a graphic of their home state.
2. Gourmet snacks and drinks
Anyone can go to the store and grab some popcorn and chocolate – but these crowd-pleasers take a high-end turn when they’re hand-crafted with the finest ingredients and customized to your attendees’ liking. From unique cocktail mixes to small-batch popcorn in every flavor you can think of, don’t underestimate the power of a well-chosen snack.
3. Personalized fragrances
One of the best ways to make a gift stand out is to personalize it. And one of the most memorable ways to personalize something is to have your attendees do it themselves. Several companies now offer fragrances designed to be mixed – and even include recipe cards so your attendees can remember their favorite scent blend.
4. High-quality essentials
There’s not always a need for the trendiest gadget on the market – sometimes, simple and necessary are best. When choosing bags, notebooks, passport holders and the like, consider high-quality leather goods proven to last. To add some pizazz, find a vendor that can customize these goods for you – or even work the event to give your attendees a full gifting experience.
5. Travel kits
Whether you’re sending an attendee home or preparing for their arrival, a unique travel kit is a fun, personal, cost-effective gift. To spice things up, consider a pocket cocktail kit. While on the plane – just add spirits!
The gift landscape changes and evolves continuously. But attending the latest gift show made it clear that customized, hand-crafted, and unique are the biggest trends going right now. There are lots of ways to approach this to make any receiver feel appreciated but it all starts with focusing on spending a little time thinking about them – and that is a trend that will always remain consistent.
