Ordering one gift is straightforward. Ordering 100 that arrive on time, suit the recipients and represent your brand well is a procurement project. The difference between a polished programme and a disappointing one is usually the brief.
1. Segment your recipients before selecting products
Separate clients, employees, executives and event delegates. A practical welcome gift may work for 80 colleagues; a relationship-defining thank-you to 10 senior clients needs a different approach. Avoid choosing a single expensive-looking item for everyone.
2. Build the real per-recipient budget
For illustration, suppose you have £5,000 for 100 gifts. That is £50 per person all-in, not £50 to spend on merchandise. An example allocation might be £35 product, £5 packaging, £7 delivery and £3 contingency. Confirm whether VAT is included before comparing quotations. These are planning figures, not Lightbulb Gifts prices.
3. Decide what can and cannot change
Specify the minimum quality, colour options, branding method, packaging and acceptable substitutions. Request a sample or clear production photographs before approving a large order. If a supplier proposes an alternative, insist on approval before it ships.
4. Protect the delivery date
Work backwards from the event or gifting date. Allow time for design proof, production, quality inspection, address verification and failed-delivery resolution. For multiple offices or home addresses, ask for a consolidated dispatch report.
5. Use a five-point supplier checklist
- Written specification and confirmed quantity
- Sample or production proof approved
- VAT, packaging and delivery included in the quotation
- Clear replacement process for damaged or missing items
- Named owner for delivery tracking and exceptions
What to put in your enquiry
Tell us the occasion, recipient groups, quantity, delivery locations, target date, approximate all-in budget and whether personalisation is required. Those six details allow a far more useful proposal than simply asking for a catalogue.