If your organization frequently has guest speakers attend your meetings, you most likely want to show your appreciate for their time and efforts in the form of a gift. Speaker gifts are commonly presented to speakers following their presentation at meetings and conferences. Giving a gift is a polite and respectful way to thank an individual for sharing their time, talent, and knowledge with your group. It also helps to generate goodwill with your organization, so they’ll be more willing to return in the future!
The most desired speaker gifts are sincere words of thanks from attendees and event organizers. You can present a thank you card signed by the leaders of your organization at the presentation or mail a card to the speaker following the event. If you really want to impress a speaker, encourage your members to do the same! Ask a few members to send a thank you card directly to the speaker, write an email, or even call the individual to let them know they appreciated the presentation.
In addition to your sincere words of thanks, you may still want to give a tangible gift. Consider one of our ten ideas for your next gift and impress your speakers with your sincere expression of appreciation!
- Donation to Charity. Do some good with your speaker gifts by making a donation in the speaker’s name. Your organization can pick a charity that aligns with your mission and make a donation for all your gifts, or ask speakers to suggest their personal favorite.
- Gift Certificate. A gift certificate to a major retailer or a universal gift card gives the speaker the freedom to choose their own gift. The downside of a gift card is they are often used as cash and quickly forgotten. Include a thank you card to make your appreciation memorable.
- Practical Presentation Tool. Most likely, your speakers are making many presentations to several different groups. Make their experiences go more smoothly with a presentation tool like a laser pointer, USB drives, or slide clicker.
- Memento of Location. Often, a speaker travels to be at your conference or meeting, and it may be the first or only time they visit that location. If that’s the case, give a memento of the location as speaker gifts. A book about the area or a framed photo of a beautiful local landmark are nice gifts that will serve as a reminder of the event.
- Subscription to a Professional Magazine. Present your speaker with a subscription to a prominent professional or industry magazine to say thank you. They’ll appreciate the gift that allows them to stay on top of industry news!
- Gift Basket with Local Goods. Show your local pride or promote the location of your meeting with a gift basket filled with local items. Shop for food items made in the area, include a t-shirt, or cards that feature local photography.
- Engraved Portfolio. A portfolio that has been customized with your organization’s logo makes for unique speaker gifts. When your speakers use the portfolios, they’ll also be promoting your organization!
- Gift Book. You typically invite an individual to speak at your organization to share their expertise. Fuel their love of knowledge and learning by presenting them with a gift book. Choose a book that’s industry-specific, related to the profession of public speaking, or inspirational in nature.
- Travel Accessories. Did your speaker travel to attend your event? Then a travel accessory is a gift they can use the next time they travel! Consider an engraved luggage tag, or small travel bag for gifts.
- Membership to Your Organization. Often, a speaker is someone in your industry who is interested in future networking and career development. As a gift, present speakers with a paid membership to your organization or a future conference. This gift won’t cost your organization very much, and it gets knowledge experts more involved with your members.
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