A Coors Light gift bag from Molson Canada
Photo: Courtesy of Molson Canada
Whether it’s a C.E.O. or hundreds of attendees coming to Toronto, a little local hospitality is always appreciated. Here are ways to thank people for coming, entertain them, or simply help them get oriented.
Swiss Re Life & Health Canada, an international reinsurance company, holds an annual client appreciation event tied to its conference, along with meetings and seminars throughout the year. Pauline Roque, executive assistant and event coordinator, says she likes to give gifts with a Canadian focus that go beyond the ubiquitous bottle of maple syrup. “At last year’s event we gave out inukshuks,” she says, referring to a piece of Inuit art. “It’s a great gift to give someone from outside of Canada that explains some of our history.” Roque also makes sure to provide maps of the city—and of PATH, the underground walkway that connects many downtown destinations—to out-of-town guests.Kristy Pinder, sponsorship, events, and promotions coordinator at Molson Canada, tries to ensure guests don’t get bored when they come to Toronto. “We always do a detailed survival guide with a one-page map of the city, an agenda, and recommendations for lunch and different attractions,” she says, adding that they customize each guide depending on whether the guests have been to Toronto before. Pinder also recommends giving gifts. “We always do something custom—travel mugs, sweatshirts—and we often do welcome gift baskets with things like gum, water, food, hand cream, beer, and complimentary food vouchers.” For higher-end clients, Pinder arranges V.I.P. passes to different bars in the city, so that guests don’t have to wait in line.
When out-of-town clients attended hearing aid manufacturer Oticon Canada’s annual conference in April, the company’s event planner, Larisa Capar, organized a welcome reception with retro gym bags and locks for lockers as gifts to preview the conference’s 1950s musical theme. Capar also puts together survival kits for guests that include mints, tissues, magazines, logo-ed slippers, and robes, and she’ll often offer a packed lunch for the guests’ plane ride home. “My tip would be to personalize everything by having the person’s first and last name on all letters, packages, tags, gifts—everything,” says Capar. “This assists to stimulate networking and conversation among guests and makes the client feel appreciated.”
Swiss Re Life & Health Canada, an international reinsurance company, holds an annual client appreciation event tied to its conference, along with meetings and seminars throughout the year. Pauline Roque, executive assistant and event coordinator, says she likes to give gifts with a Canadian focus that go beyond the ubiquitous bottle of maple syrup. “At last year’s event we gave out inukshuks,” she says, referring to a piece of Inuit art. “It’s a great gift to give someone from outside of Canada that explains some of our history.” Roque also makes sure to provide maps of the city—and of PATH, the underground walkway that connects many downtown destinations—to out-of-town guests.Kristy Pinder, sponsorship, events, and promotions coordinator at Molson Canada, tries to ensure guests don’t get bored when they come to Toronto. “We always do a detailed survival guide with a one-page map of the city, an agenda, and recommendations for lunch and different attractions,” she says, adding that they customize each guide depending on whether the guests have been to Toronto before. Pinder also recommends giving gifts. “We always do something custom—travel mugs, sweatshirts—and we often do welcome gift baskets with things like gum, water, food, hand cream, beer, and complimentary food vouchers.” For higher-end clients, Pinder arranges V.I.P. passes to different bars in the city, so that guests don’t have to wait in line.
When out-of-town clients attended hearing aid manufacturer Oticon Canada’s annual conference in April, the company’s event planner, Larisa Capar, organized a welcome reception with retro gym bags and locks for lockers as gifts to preview the conference’s 1950s musical theme. Capar also puts together survival kits for guests that include mints, tissues, magazines, logo-ed slippers, and robes, and she’ll often offer a packed lunch for the guests’ plane ride home. “My tip would be to personalize everything by having the person’s first and last name on all letters, packages, tags, gifts—everything,” says Capar. “This assists to stimulate networking and conversation among guests and makes the client feel appreciated.”
