Gifts Part 5/5: The Personalized Portfolio

I will conclude our 5 part gift series with a gift that can be personalized, is very useful, and very tasteful. I use mine all of the time.

Do you know someone who could use some more organization in their life? How about that friend or client of yours who is always forgetting things because they never write anything down? Do you like looking prepared and professional during meetings? Check out these portfolios. The price and style range might actually surprise you. One of my favorite styles is pictured below, it's got a metal clasp that can be laser engraved with the individual's name, and your company's imprint can go on the inside. It is made of stylish leather and is lined with a fuzzy pajama-stile fabric.


One of the best ways to make some one feel special and liked is to give them something that is only for them. A personalized portfolio is not the kind of gift that will sit on a desk, but will be incorporated into the recipients lifestyle.

Gift Showcase Photos! Thanks for Coming!

A huge 'thank you' goes out to those of you who made it to our event. It was a great success and we look forward to doing it again next year!


Check out these great action-shots, courtesy of Henry:

Gift Showcase Photos

United's Gift Event is Tomorrow!

I'm pausing from our 5 part gift series today to remind everyone about our Gift Extravaganza tomorrow! The event is from 4pm until 7pm tomorrow evening (Tues Oct 7) at the Logomark Design Center in marvelous Midtown Manhattan. If you're reading this now and really want to join us (everyone should come!), but have not let us know about your interest, hit the contact link on the right side of the page and give us a call.

Need a good reason to come (other than the drinks, food, raffles, and gifts) how about this; since the event starts at 4, you can use it as an excuse to leave work early!

Can't leave work early? No worries! We'll be rocking and/or rolling until 7 pm so stop by after dinner.

See You There!

-Tom

Gifts Part 4: The Only Thing Better Than Food, is Free Food

I remember as a kid getting those giant tin things full of popcorn with the three flavors. Do you remember that? The butter and caramel flavor would be gone in a few weeks, but the cheese flavor would last until early March.

The concept is great, people love getting tasty snacks as gifts, and they will even talk about the gift in March as they sit around munching on stale cheese-flavored popcorn and wondering what to do with the giant leftover tins.

We decided that like the idea and want to push it up a notch, so today I'm highlighting our new food gift sets. I think they're gorgeous, not to mention the boxes and baskets are holiday themed and re-usable. Whats inside you ask? I'll tell you about the chocolate truffles and chocolate covered pretzels, but if you want to find out about the rest of the tasty goodies, you might just have to order one to your own office. If you give one as a gift, the food will be gone quickly, but your name will be remembered in that company for a long time.


Harriet just ate a truffle, hence the smile.

Gifts Part 3: Washable Keyboards

Today we're going to take a turn back to electronics and computer peripherals. May be because I'm dropping hints to my friends and family about the type of gifts I want to receive this holiday season, or may be because these flexible waterproof keyboards are amazing!

One of my favorite co-workers had a "case of the spills"
(re-enactment)

or "the dropsies", as it is sometimes known, and had taken out her old keyboard with a nice hot cup of coffee that she was about to enjoy. The keys became sticky and gross, the whole thing was unusable except for the caps-lock key, the very important caps-lock key. It was time for a change, we needed a solution. Dropsies can be incurable so we decided that we had to change her environment.

Enter the waterproof and antimicrobial SEAL FLEX keyboard. Her dropsies persist, but now we can just toss her keyboard into the sink and wash off all of the stickness. With 2 imprintable areas, this is a nice gift for even the clumsiest of clients.

Gifts Part 2: The Size of the Dog on the Flight

If you are like me, you like to have wardrobe options when you travel. It's not that I need to change my clothes every few hours, it's more like I absolutely can't trust any weather man. And I also like to be prepared in case something requires more or less formality than I had thought. Plus, as an Eagle Scout, I had 'be prepared' drilled into me by the Boy Scouts of America so you can imagine the space I need in my suitcase for my "stranded on a deserted tropical island" survival kit.

When I was traveling this weekend, I had to learn the hard way about airline luggage weight limits and how much they can cost. I got slapped with a $50 fee for having too many wardrobe options. If I had this luggage scale, I may have been able to save some dollars. This one also has a tape measure so you can leave the guess work out of choosing the size of your carry-on. With a nice imprintable storage bag, this little baby is perfect for the traveling sales person on your team, or any frequent flier.

Paying $50 does stink when you're not ready for it, but at least I was not as bad as the guy next to me who took his unmentionables out of his suitcase and put them into his carry-on to avoid the fee.

My favorite Gifts Part 1

Today begins what will probably be a five part series about some of my favorite gift items. With our Annual Holiday Showcase coming up, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the interesting, cool and unique gifts that I have come across.

The first item that I want to talk about is so freaking cool that I get excited every time I see one. Its called a Mogo Mouse and it is a slim mouse for traveling professionals (or traveling gamers) who are tired of using that clumsy laptop touch pad, or that inaccurate (and annoying) little red nipple.

Right now, there are a few different versions available including the presenter mouse which you can use to manage powerpoint slides and comes complete with built-in laser pointer. And there is also the media center version which works with media players including iTunes and has buttons for playing, pausing, changing tracks, and adjusting volume.

Here is the kicker, not only is this mouse convinient for travel, but it's completely wireless! The mouse works on bluetooth technology which means you can change slides in you presentation from about 30 feet away. Not only that, but the mogo mouse stores and charges in your laptop's express card slot. I love this part. This should have happened sooner. A high quality mouse that stores and charges in your laptop, it just makes a ton of sense.

This gift is great for a high end consulting company as a thank you to clients. When your client is on an airplane next to another professional and s/he pulls out their mogo mouse, their neighbor will ask right away about where they got it from. Your imprint will surely make an impact as the professional uses the gift over and over.

Your Key to A Successful Holiday Season

Mark your calenders! United has just sent out the "Save The Date" notice for our upcoming holiday gift showcase! There will be some finger food and drinks, but the real attraction will be the spread of corporate gifts that will be on display. We have all styles and types, all price ranges, there will be plenty of great eco-friendly gifts available for the company who is conscious about the environment, or for the company who wants to be.

I checked out the venue last week, it is quite slick. If you would like more info, or if you would like to attend, toss me an email, or leave a comment. More info to come!