• Most importantly, patrons love it! Instead of gambling on that 1 in 20 chance you’ll give them something they need, you are ensuring that they will choose something they want.    This item is not likely to be regifted, and will linger around the house providing “trophy value” for the recipient.

The last thing you want your patrons to think is that they got stuck with a purchasing department’s closeout opportunity of the month from some shady product source. We’ve seen this stuff end up being refurbished goods, having scratched out retail tags on it (or worse, they are still there showing how they were marked down to half of their initial value!), in damaged packaging, etc. And most importantly, avoid no-name brands! We are a brand-conscious society, and offering patrons well-known brand choices will leave a better taste in their mouths and feeling more valued than no-name knock-offs will.

To bulk ship or drop ship? Execution of gift events where choice is involved can get tricky. Ideally, you choose a vendor that can drop ship to the patrons’ homes, adding more value to their casino experience. This makes more sense as the value of an item increases. My gen- eral rule of thumb is that if the individual drop shipping charges exceed 20% of the value of the item (this typically happens at around $50), then drop shipping is not the most cost-effective way to go.

Many clients want to offer choice and drive a second trip. In this scenario, the vendor would coordinate the order- ing from the event and ship in bulk back to the casino for patron pick-up. This even allows for the opportunity for individual gift wrapping, as was the case for a recent “Pick a Purse Party” at a Midwest casino. And for those casinos near the Canadian border, this is a cost-effective way

to let your patrons from north of the border participate in your giveaways. Freight duty and taxes for a U.S. to Canada drop shipment are cost-prohibitive.

So, get your merchandising hats on, or bring in those of that persuasion, and display a number of exciting gifts for

your next giveaway. Better yet, create a cyber café with comfortable chairs and web portals in the event space where patrons can sit down and choose from dozens or hundreds of items at a product picking site in the budgeted price point. Now that’s a choice event!

Written for the 2014 Raving Magazine www.ravingconsulting.com