'Tis the season
Christmas time is upon us again and we are all left wondering where the year has gone. Decorations and Christmas carols have taken centre stage at shopping malls and everyone is starting to fill their diaries with events to keep them busy in the silly season. Personally, October to January feels like a time vortex. I blink, and it’s suddenly February! As we approach the end of another year, it's also a time to celebrate the dedication and commitment of your employees with long service awards.
Avoid the gift giving stress this year
If you’re left with the task of finding Christmas gifts for your employees, partners or colleagues, you’ve landed in the right place. It can be a daunting task to add to the list along with everything else you have to do before Christmas.
Employee gifting made easy with Gifting Owl!
Lucky for you, we’re here to convince you of what we already know; experiences make great gift ideas! Not only are they a thoughtful, sustainable gift option, but experiences actually make us happier. Happy staff, happy life. Am I right?
8 Reasons to gift experiences this festive break
If you’re not already convinced, here’s 8 reasons to change your gifts for employees into experience gift cards this Christmas:
1. Experiences are more sustainable
Unfortunately, we still see a lot of plastic retailer gift cards, branded trinkets and knick knacks given as gifts each Christmas. These gifts, if unwanted, have just been manufactured to end up in landfill. What a waste!
Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it has a huge impact on the environment. Studies show that the average Aussie family spends approx $963 on Xmas gifts each year and that $620 of these gifts are unwanted by the recipient. These unwanted gifts equate to $4 billion dollars in Australia alone! Escape rooms provide a great alternative for team-building and memorable experiences.
If you or your organisation are making proactive steps to minimise your impact on the environment, experience gifts make a great sustainable gift option.
At Gifting Owl, we hate to see gifts turn to waste. That’s why our gift vouchers are fully exchangeable for any other experience, in any of the 115 countries we have product!
And with over 12,000 experiences to choose from, everyone in your team will be gleefully celebrating Christmas this year.
2. We value experiences over things
Unlike material items, that will always remain entirely separate from you, experiences become part of who you are. They can’t be taken away.
A recent Australian study identified that 1/2 people report feeling lonely sometimes or all of the time. In a digital world full of followers and friend requests, experiences give the opportunity to step away from the screen and connect people, places and cultures.
We are increasingly noticing that experience gift cards can encourage an employee to spend more time doing what they love outside of business hours which often results in better employee satisfaction.
3. They’re bored of specific retailer gift cards
Even if you give them every year and no one complains, I don’t know a single person who would brag about the popular retailers gift card they got from their employer this year.
The truth is, they’re easy, they’re convenient, and almost everyone will find a use for them at some point. But let’s face it, they’re not that interesting.
This year, show them you care and are prepared to go that step further and do something different this year. Because we’re sure Dwight from sales would prefer to go paint balling over a trip to a food outlet thanks to boring multi retailer vouchers where carefully selected companies offer minimal rewards.
4. Global corporate Christmas gifts
Are you struggling to find gifts for your team, who just happen to be scattered all over the world? It’s becoming more and more common for our teams to be based here there and everywhere. But it does make a simple task like when you need to send Christmas gifts a little more complicated. That’s where we come in.
You won’t find another experience gift platform like us that enables you to gift to your staff overseas with so many e gift cards on offer.
Gifting Owl has a huge 12,000 experiences in 115 countries and 817 destinations! Problem solved!
Whether your workforce is global or not, the ability for your staff to use their gift on a family holiday to Thailand or honeymoon in Bali is another amazing perk of our vouchers.
5. Happy Staff = Happy Life
That’s how the saying goes right?
Maintaining team morale has too many benefits to list. But let’s tick off the biggies. They will be more productive, loyal and positive.
Experiences not only make people happy, but they’re shareable. Watch as your team comes back from Christmas holidays with that festive cheer as they sharing around images of the meaningful gift they enjoyed that you gave them.
Sharing memories of experiences often bring people together in a more meaningful way.
6. There’s something for everyone to enjoy
A common concern is whether there is enough variety for everyone, with their different personalities and quirks, will find an experience they’ll enjoy.
Lucky for you (and them), we have experiences listed under 25 different activity categories. From food and drink experiences to high adrenaline experiences like skydiving and even shark cage diving!
You could, without even knowing it, give someone the opportunity to do have a bucket-list experience they’d never book themselves.
7. Experiences help form the people we become
We are the sum of our life experiences.
Employees who travel develop better communication skills and are more adaptable. Not only that but your travellers are often more resilient, reliable and culturally aware.
All fantastic qualities to have in any employee, and all due to their life experiences.
8. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
We know that giving gift cards is a convenient option for businesses. That’s why we’ve made it exactly the same at Gifting Owl. Simply choose the amount you’d like to spend and we can supply gift cards for your whole team!
If you have a smaller workforce and would like to choose some particular experiences instead, that’s completely up to you. Enjoy the peace of mind that they can use the value of their experience gift to book any activity on our site.
Christmas gifts perfect for all office staff
No matter how many employees you have, and no matter how many unique interests and hobbies they all may individually have, Gifting Owl e gift cards will cover all bases. Employee gifts can be difficult, so send them Christmas gifts that they will truly adore this Christmas.
Adventurous experiences
- Snorkelling
One of our most popular egift cards is snorkelling, which rewards employees with the beauty of the ocean floor and opportunity to see marine life up close.
Snorkelling is a great experience for anyone who loves the water, and we have options available for all budgets so you don't need to go overboard with the company's mastercard international incorporated credit card.
a snorkelling experience this Christmas is a great way to show them how much you appreciate their hard work throughout the year.
- Rock climbing & Abseiling
Rock climbing is an adrenaline-pumping experience that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their age or fitness level. It's the perfect way to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work and dedication throughout the year.
At Gifting Owl, we offer a huge range of rock climbing experiences that are perfect for employees of all ages and fitness levels. Our climbs are suitable for both beginners and experienced climbers, so everyone can enjoy this exciting activity.
Reward your employees with a rock climbing experience this Christmas, and see how much they appreciate your gesture. They're sure to have an exciting and rewarding climb!
Adrenaline thrills
- Skydiving
If you're looking for an unforgettable Christmas gift for your employees, look no further than a skydiving experience. Skydiving is the ultimate adrenaline rush, and is sure to get your employees' Christmas holiday off to a flying start.
We have a range of skydiving experiences available for all budgets. Whether your employees are experienced adrenaline junkies, or this is their first time jumping out of a plane, we have the perfect experience for them.
- White water rafting
White water rafting is the perfect team-building experience for any workplace. It encourages employees to work together in order to achieve a common goal, and teaches them the importance of communication and cooperation.
We offer a range of white water rafting experiences that are perfect for workplaces of all sizes. Our rafting trips are suitable for both beginners and experienced rafters, so everyone can enjoy this thrilling activity.
Reward your employees with a white water rafting experience this Christmas, and see how much they appreciate your gesture.
Corporate gifts for foodies
- Food Tours
Food tours are a fantastic way to show your employees your appreciation this Christmas. A culinary tour is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who loves food, and provides a unique and immersive experience that they will never forget.
We have a range of delecious tours available for low prices so your mastercard international incorporated card will survive. From wine tasting tours to foodie tours of some of the world's most iconic cities, we have something to suit everyone's taste. From local sweet treats to exotic dishes, they'll be sure to find something that satisfies their cravings.
These tours make the perfect Christmas gift for employees who love to eat, and provide a unique opportunity to explore some of the world's most amazing destinations.
- Cooking Classes
If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your foodie employees, look no further than a cooking class experience. Our cooking classes are the perfect way to show your employees your appreciation, and provide them with an immersive and exciting culinary experience.
Our cooking classes are available for all budgets and skill levels, so everyone can enjoy this unique Christmas gift. Our classes are taught by some of the world's leading chefs, so your employees will be able to learn from the best.
Reward your employees with a cooking class experience this Christmas, and see how much they appreciate your gesture. They're sure to have an amazing time learning new recipes and techniques from some knowledgeable chefs!
Wellbeing experiences
- Spa day
Employees are often under a great deal of stress, and taking some time out for themselves can be incredibly beneficial. A spa day is the perfect way for employees to relax and rejuvenate, and can have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
Often a popular choice in the female demographic, a spa day is the perfect Christmas gift for employees who are looking for a little bit of pampering, relaxation and beauty treatments.
A spa day at a wellness retreat can provide employees with a range of overall wellbeing benefits including improved mental health, reduced stress levels, increased energy levels, improved sleep quality, enhanced self-esteem and better circulation.
Christmas gift cards for employees
When in doubt, gift cards are the perfect gift! Selecting bulk or individual Christmas gifts for employees can be a daunting task. You have seen your employees working hard for the company and wish to make them feel valued with some digital rewards such as a gift card with a personal message attached.
There's never a right or wrong answer when it comes to gift cards as it allows the employee to choose their company rewards rather than their immediate boss making that decision for them.
Whether they work within the UK or are working remotely, a Gifting Owl gift card is a fantastic option.
Forget that amazon gift card or for that matter any gift card from "other carefully selected companies" that they will never use. At Gifting Owl we have made our vouchers some of the most flexible in the world!
They are valid for three years, are fully exchangeable and are delivered instantly at any time of the day.
Own gift giving this festive season!
Research shows that when a business rewards each employee with a Christmas present as a way of the boss thanking them for their hard work, it strengthens the relationship between the company employers and the employees.
They’ll remember their diving trip or hot air balloon experience for years to come and your business for giving it to them.
Choose staff experience gifts
Amongst the chaos of the silly season make sure to take a breath and enjoy experiences and quality time with loved ones as another year comes to an end. Opt out of offering merch with the company logo, a Christmas prize draw or that retail store gift card and treat each employee to spend some perfect time doing what they love with an experience gift card.
Good luck gifting!
For any employers interested in using Gifting Owl as your experience gift supplier to boost their gifts for employees, this is the perfect opportunity to get in touch here to speak with one of our team. Or visit our gift cards page to reward them with incredible gifts for employees that will make them feel valued! Customers clients will appreciate the thought and effort you've put into selecting meaningful gifts.
Get them out of their own home and into some adventure this year!
