“EXPERIENCE GIVING”: THE RISING TREND IN COPRORATE GIFT GIVING POST-PANDEMIC

The newest trend in corporate holiday gift giving does not include secret Santa nor employee gift exchange parties.

A recent survey done by Adobe last holiday season revealed majority of survey respondents cited spa treatments (25%), concert tickets (25%), plane tickets (21%) and cooking classes (16%) as their gift of choice to give or receive!

“Experience gifting” — as it is known — isn’t new. But the trend is set to rise and be a highlight of corporate gift giving as the pandemic has made travel a top priority for many in 2022.

The Origin: More experiences, less ‘stuff’

During an interview, Migle Rakauskaite, the chief marketing manager at travel experience website Tinggly.com, revealed the pandemic is prompting an increase in travel experience gift purchases worldwide.

“Gifting traditions are changing,” she said. “People seem to value quality time together and doing something meaningful. Experience gifts are so much more valuable than the regular ‘stuff.’”

A cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to holiday parties and Santa Secret trend, more companies are considering "experience-giving" as a new holiday gift alternative. With a few strokes of a keyboard, buyers can give experiences that once would have required time and coordination to pull off — a street food tour in Vietnam, a hot air balloon ride outside Chicago, or a private gondola tour for two through the canals of Venice, Italy.

Travel experience “gift boxes” never expire, which plays a key role in the rise of purchases during the pandemic.

Perhaps most important of all, recipients — not the buyers — get to choose their own experiences at a time and date that suit their schedules.

Gift boxes can be mailed worldwide, though last-minute purchasers can also be sent via e-voucher, according to a company representative.

What's more? "experiences" continue to be the favorite corporate employee and leadership training format worldwide. We will see a surge in registration and participation in off-site employee and leadership retreats and conferences once the international travel constraints loosen up.