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“Why not give them an experience that’s memorable,” says Brett Hatch, global senior director of corporate gifts for Maui Jim, “so every time they’re driving their car and look in the rear-view mirror they’ll remember?”

Hatch adds that Maui Jim can also cus-tomize the cases and cleaning cloths that come with the sunglasses, so an organiza-tional message or logo will always remind recipients of the moment.

“We actually have a trademark, ‘The World’s Most Memorable Gift Experience™,” Hatch says.

Maui Jim shades are not your run-of-the-mill sunglasses, either, as they can re-tail for upwards of $250 a pair and feature patented PolarizedPlus2 lens technology that provides brilliant color and crisp de-tails, all while protecting the wearer’s eyes from UV rays.

Is your organization’s future so bright you gotta wear shades? With the right incentive gift program and presentation, every rainmaker, be they sales aces or key operations personnel, can enjoy their days in the sun via a sunglasses giveaway from Maui Jim, a regular on the meetings incentives gifts scene.

MADE in the SHADE

A Maui Jim incentive gift says your future is bright

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Presentation and CustomizationAs Hatch points out, the behind-the-scenes work by Maui Jim staff and the presentation ceremony are integral parts of the whole experience.

“Every single person who does an event with Maui Jim is an employee of Maui Jim,” he says. “We’re not a third-party—we’re the brand.”

The personal touch extends to sending a Maui Jim representative to the site where the presentation will unfold, who will show all of the sunglasses in a display and allow recipients to try on various pairs to look in the mirror and see what suits their style.

Hatch says Maui Jim can work with groups as small as 25 people (previously there was a 100-person minimum), such as a board of directors meeting. A company representative will appear on-site with a full stock of glasses, so everyone can get the pair they desire.

Because of the high-end nature of the gift—this is not your bargain basement pair of specs you wouldn’t care too much about losing at the beach—adding a little flourish to the presentation should definitely be in the plans. And often, a little sleight of hand may be in order.

Hatch recounts one company that enlist-ed Maui Jim for a sunglasses incentive pro-gram, but mixed it up by adding an element of surprise.

“At one event the vice president tried on a pair of Maui Jim’s in front of the attendees, and then told them to go to the table to try them on and note what their favorite style

was, as they were going to have a raffle later to give away some pairs,” Hatch says. “Later in the program, he got up and said, ‘Well, you all deserved them,’ as waiters scrambled out to the assigned tables to present all of the beaming employees with their very own pair.

As anyone who has planned an inter-national meeting will know, getting items such as incentive gifts across international borders can add a whole new level of aggravation and cost to what’s supposed to be a celebratory event.

Recognizing this, Maui Jim has a full-time staffer dedicated to dealing with shipping and any import duties or taxation that may occur. It’s all part of the high-ly personalized service and hassle-free implementation that has made Maui Jim a fixture on the meetings scene.

But in the end, it’s all about how the recipi-ents feel, and that’s where a high-end product like Maui Jim sunglasses really “shine.”

“So at that moment of truth, when you’re ready to award your people, they’ll think ‘I just got a $250 pair of sunglasses, my company must really appreciate my hard work!’” Hatch sums up. m

Take Your Gifts to the Next Level:6 KEY FACTORS to Selecting a Memorable Gift ExperienceBy Brett Hatch

You’ve thought of every detail to plan the perfect event and now it’s time to plan the perfect gift. You want it to be memorable, so don’t just pick

something without considering the factors below. When you take time to think these through, you’ll save yourself time, money and stress.

1 Interactive = Memorable. Don’t miss an op-portunity to make a lasting memory. Instead of a gift that’s just waiting for them in their room, imagine a singular brand experience with a high perceived val-ue. Attendees who are expertly guided by employees of the brand walk away with lasting memories.

2 Mass Appeal. People have diverse tastes and come in all shapes and sizes. What will everyone actually use (not just thrown into a drawer to be forgotten)? Will they be able to use it year-round?

3 Make it Easy on Yourself. If you search “cor-porate gifts” you’ll get so many results, you probably won’t know where to turn. Instead, look for a turn-key supplier that offers on-site experiences.

4 Have Gift, Will Travel. More than likely you’re traveling to a destination, sometimes internation-ally. How do you calculate the quantity so you have enough, but not too much? What kind of shipping costs will you incur? How do you get product into and out of a country? When you work with the right supplier, they will have the knowledge to anticipate those concerns.

5 Minimums. Most suppliers have higher mini-mums for on-site events so it will be “worth it” to them. That’s fine if you have an event of several hundred people, but what if you have an upcoming board meeting of just 30 people?

6 True Cost. If you do decide to bring a gift supplier on-site, be sure to research all the costs involved. Are there additional charges to staff the booth? What about staff travel costs? Can they give you reliable estimates for duties, taxes and shipping?

If you’re in the gift planning stage of your next event, contact Maui Jim Corporate Gifts and see why we are The World’s Most Memorable Experience™ at (800) 614-6790 or corporategifts@mauijim.com.

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