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A CORPORATE EVENT DURING THE LUNCH BREAK: THE EXAMPLE OF A LIVE PERSONALIZATION EXPERIENCE

What if the lunch break became an opportunity to create a moment of connection within the company?

To celebrate the anniversary of a flagship product from an international company, I brought in a second artist and we set up our workshop directly on the company’s premises to personalize about 200 keyrings with hot foil stamping for employees, celebrating the milestone of one of their flagship products.

A simple idea, but a particularly effective way to create a brand experience without necessarily organizing a large-scale event.

200 PERSONALIZED KEYRINGS… IN JUST A FEW HOURS

 

 

Our mission: to personalize the keyrings with each employee’s initials or first name, right in front of them, within just 2.5 hours. Working as a team of two artists allowed us to work in parallel and maintain a steady pace, adapted to the large number of participants — who mostly arrived in waves throughout the lunch break.

The hot foil stamping technique was a bit of a challenge for this type of activation, as it involves a few additional steps compared to engraving or calligraphy/lettering. But it is so worth it! The metallic foil is transferred onto the surface using heat and pressure, creating an elegant finish — especially on these beautiful vegan leather keyrings.

And most importantly, the result is revealed live: the employee removes the metallic foil themselves to reveal the golden lettering, hot-stamped by hand by the artists. They write their name or initials on a Post-it, choose their personalization, watch each step of the process… and then comes the famous “bling bling” moment: the foil is lifted to reveal the shiny gold lettering.

A few moments later, they walk away with their personalized keyring — and, more often than not, a big smile.

In a way, they didn’t simply receive a gift: they took part in creating it.

 

AN EVENT ACTIVATION THAT FITS EASILY INTO THE WORKING DAY

What I particularly like about this format is that it doesn’t necessarily require blocking out half a day or organizing a large evening event.

A lunch-break activation can be enough.

Employees can stop by whenever it suits them, take a few minutes for themselves, and then get back to their day with a personalized keepsake.

It’s a simple way to create a special moment within the company while celebrating an important occasion: a brand anniversary, product launch, company anniversary, internal celebration, or employee event.

WHY CHOOSE LIVE PERSONALIZATION FOR A CORPORATE EVENT?

Because a personalized object becomes even more interesting when you can watch it being created.

Live personalization allows you to:

  • create an activation that naturally attracts employees;
  • offer a genuinely personalized corporate gift;
  • create an opportunity for interaction around traditional craftsmanship;
  • strengthen employees’ sense of belonging;
  • associate the brand with a positive and memorable experience.

And unlike a gift simply placed on a table, the employee takes part in its creation.

That’s what transforms a corporate gift into a genuine experience.

WHY WORK WITH TWO ARTISTS?

This is the kind of question we assess together when planning your event in advance. It will depend on your objectives and budget, whether you want every guest to be served, but also on the time available for personalization and the technique best suited to your chosen item(s).

There are several strategies that can help increase the artist’s productivity, such as:

  1. Offering only 1–2 standardized personalization options
  2. Using pre-designed Post-it options to tick off rather than leaving the choice completely open to everyone’s imagination… which is often what takes the most time.
  3. Having one or more assistants on site to help keep the visitor flow running smoothly, unpack and arrange the items, explain the concept, etc. These small details can significantly increase the artist’s output during busy events.
  4. Working with two artists obviously increases production capacity while maintaining the handcrafted nature of the service.

For 200 pieces, this was particularly relevant: each of the two artists at this event could handle part of the personalization process, allowing us to maintain a steady flow throughout the lunch break.

PLANNING YOUR CORPORATE EVENTS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR?

You don’t have to wait for the next big team-building event to create a memorable experience.

A live personalization activation directly at your offices can be a great way to celebrate a brand anniversary or thank your teams.

Keyrings, notebooks, leather goods, bottles, accessories… the personalization can be tailored to your brand identity and your event.

HAVE AN IDEA FOR A CORPORATE ACTIVATION?

I’d be happy to discuss the format, quantity, and technique that would work best for your event.

Get in touch to plan your next live event activation.

Sanda Letter, Calligrapher and Engraver in Switzerland
Sanda Letter, Calligrapher and Engraver in Switzerland
Sanda Letter calligraphy & engraving Switzerland_SANDA IN ACTION_hot foil at a wedding

About the Author

I’m Sanda from Sanda Letter, and I create bespoke calligraphy and engraving, either ahead of your event or live on the day as an elegant and memorable experience.

Each piece is hand-lettered, painted or engraved.

Get in touch to create unique keepsakes together and offer your guests an experience they won’t forget.

For more articles and inspiration, visit the blog homepage.

 

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