When a company is planning an event to attract new clients or to promote the products and services they offer, they often put together a gift package containing souvenirs that relate to the event. Usually, they also commemorate the event with a special graphic or slogan that refers to the event's theme.

If you've been put in charge of purchasing corporate gifts and souvenirs for your company, there are a few things you should consider:

Who is the gift for?

A lot depends on who will be receiving your corporate gift. The most important distinction is whether the person receiving the gift is an employee of your company or an outsider. Corporate gifts and souvenirs should be chosen based on what they need to accomplish.

If you are giving a corporate gift to an employee, it makes sense that the gift should be something useful that relates to the work your company does. If the gift is for a customer, it doesn't necessarily have to relate to what your company does. It should be something the customer actually wants or needs so that they will keep the gift and remember your company the next time they need the services you provide.

Does the corporate gift or souvenir commemorate something?

If your corporate gift is a souvenir from a specific event, always make sure your company's logo appears on the gift. Sometimes it's also a good idea to include the name of the event and the date. This makes customers more likely to hang onto it, since it is a souvenir from a specific event they attended.

How much can you spend?

Corporate gifts and souvenirs can really be anything—lanyard, candy, keychains, hats, t-shirts, pens, Frisbees—literally anything. Your budget is important though. If your company offers a high-end or high-tech service, you don't want to give your customers something cheesy or low-quality. Make sure the gift or souvenir is something useful, and get the most for your budget. Sometimes, giving away fewer more expensive gifts and souvenirs is more effective than giving away several cheaper ones.

Corporate gifts and souvenirs are a very effective tool for promoting any business. Everybody loves to get something free—especially if it's something they can use. When purchasing gifts and souvenirs, make sure you base your decision on who will receive the gift, what the person receiving it should remember about your event, and how much you can spend.