Susan Turnock’s aha moment came listening to her husband’s finance colleagues talk about how tired they were of receiving boxes of fruit. Seeing a need for artfully branded custom event swag and corporate gifts, she teamed up with her sister, Heather Arak-Kanofsky, 42, to launch Gifts for the Good Life in 2007. “Everyone can give a gift, but it doesn’t necessarily have a story or meaning behind it,” says Turnock, 39. “Conceptual development is the crux of what we do.”
Recent projects from the Roseto, Pennsylvania–based company include comprehensive gifting programs for Atlantis and Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, as well as experiential gift sets, like a shot kit for Nascar that included sea-salt shot glasses, a fresh lime, a bamboo knife, and tequila, tucked inside a fire-branded box. “We don’t want to just put stuff in a container,” says Arak-Kanofsky. “It’s the hidden surprises and unexpected details that make people talk.”
Top 50 Innovative Event Pros 2013: Heather Arak-Kanofsky & Susan Turnock
The co-owners of Gifts for the Good Life create artfully branded custom corporate gifts.
Photo: Emily Sopha
Photo: Emily Sopha
Photo: Courtesy of Gifts for the Good Life