From experience as an attendee, I can tell you that I love room drops. What’s better than a surprise gift delivered to your room? Quite possibly nothing.
From experience as the event planner, I can tell you that room drops are tough to plan! Of course, you want to stand out from any other vendors — and most times, you’re competing with well-to-do companies. So, how do you make your gift meaningful? Make it really stand out (while being affordable)? Take a look at these 7 unique room drop ideas:
Watercolor Map and State-Specific Gift
Is your event or conference out of state? If so, this would be a great time to search for gifts that are “local” to your event location. For example, if your event is in California, grab a California state bag off of Etsy. Being state-specific is a great opportunity to add in items such as the state’s staple item (peanuts for Georgia), the best-selling dessert in town, or a gift card to a local favorite. Top it off with a watercolor map of the city!
Mini Polaroid Camera with Film
It’s all about EXPERIENCE! As attendees learn new things and experience all your event has to offer, documenting their experience will make it that much more exciting. Let me suggest this: Mini polaroid cameras & film waiting in the attendee’s room when they arrive! It’s an item they’ll least expect and an item that they will actually put to use as they explore the new city they are in.
Spa Gift Bag
After long days of networking and staying on the go, I can guarantee that attendees would love nothing more than bath salts, face masks, and a candle (and you can’t forget a personalized note from you/your organization!). It’s the perfect room drop gift to have the hotel deliver as attendees wind down for the day. You are guaranteed to make an impression!
“Emergency Kit”
Will your event include alcohol? If so, leaving an “Emergency Kit” including Advil, mints, band-aids, water bottles, etc. could really come in handy.
Slippers and Robes
This is a more common item, but there are ways to make it more unique or branded to your event. Here’s an idea: is there an event theme? An event slogan? If so, consider placing that on the robes and slippers and leaving it on the attendee’s bed as they arrive at their hotel room. Their feet will thank you.
Branded Toilet Paper
Have you ever heard the saying, “Everyone knows because everyone goes”? Toilet paper. Everyone needs it so why not make it branded? This will surely bring your brand to mind quite often.
Side note: Don’t forget that most hotels charge a delivery fee of about $5 per gift. Planning this expense ahead of time in your budget will make a big difference while budgeting!
