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Event Gifting Is Having a Reckoning


Six shifts shaping gifting for 2026 and beyond


I get asked this question a lot lately:


“Have you seen any gifting ideas that actually worked?”

“Anything people genuinely wanted?”

“Something that didn’t feel like junk?”


The honest answer, more often than not, has been… not really.


That doesn’t mean great gifting doesn’t exist. It means many of the default options we’ve leaned on for years are no longer cutting it. Expectations have shifted. Attendees are more selective, more conscious, and more traveled than ever.


As I head to the NY NOW Gift Show, these are the six shifts I’m paying closest attention to when

sourcing gifts for 2026 and beyond.


1. Fewer items. Better objects.


The era of overflowing gift bags is over. People don’t want options. They want one well-chosen thing that feels considered. Quality now signals care far more than quantity ever did.


2. Objects with a life beyond the event.


If the item’s only purpose is to remind someone where they got it, it probably won’t last long. The most effective gifts integrate into real life. They earn their place on a desk, in a kitchen, or in a carry-on long after the program ends.


3. Travel-friendly matters more than ever.


If it’s fragile, bulky, or requires extra packing gymnastics, it’s worth rethinking. Great gifts respect the fact that attendees are moving, flying, and consolidating. Carry-on logic is real.


4. Sustainability without the sermon.


Materials matter. Sourcing matters. But people don’t need a manifesto attached. The best sustainable gifts are thoughtful by design, not performative in their messaging.


5. Small-batch beats mass-produced.


Scale used to be the goal. Now story is. Items from smaller makers or thoughtful brands consistently resonate more than anything churned out by the thousands. People remember where something came from and why it was chosen.


6. Gifting as part of the experience, not just the goodbye.


The most impactful gifts often show up during the program itself. They support a moment, a meal, a destination, or a shared experience. When gifting is integrated instead of tacked on at departure, it feels intentional rather than obligatory.


Looking ahead


These are the lenses I’ll be bringing with me to NY NOW Gift Show in February 2026. Not to collect things, but to curate options that actually make sense for modern meetings and incentive programs.


If you’re sourcing gifts for a 2026 or 2027 program and want help narrowing the field, I’m happy to look on your behalf while I’m there. Budget range, destination, group size, or general vibe. Send me what you have, and I’ll keep an eye out.


Nataly Horan

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