Tis the season for festive holiday packages! And, thanks to Covid, more packages than ever are being shipped out as businesses around the world look to send their clients, vendors, and employees gifts to mark the end of the year.
At Tycoon Events, we are huge advocates for sending heartfelt notes of thanks, giving thoughtful packages to lift morale, and sending gifts of appreciation, but there is a lot more to it than just throwing a box in the mail.
Having just finished packing and shipping a staggering 18,000 boxes for our client for their cross-Canadian event, we learned a few things we thought we could share.
Once you’ve decided what you will be sending, the next thing to think about is how you will present and package the item(s). First, you need to determine how large the items are and what size box will be needed, but don’t forget to think about the durability of the boxes too! When choosing the boxes, make sure they are tough, corrugated cardboard so you can guarantee they will withstand the shipment process.
Don’t forget: you will most likely have to pre-build the boxes before you are able to pack them! This can be a time consuming process that may result in a paper cut or two (in our experience anyways). Make sure you have Band-Aids on hand! Pro Tip: hand lotion will also go a long way 🙂
Once you have your boxes, you need to consider how you will ensure your items will not shift or be damaged during travel. Packing peanuts (now made to be environmentally friendly!), tissue paper, crinkle paper, or protective packing paper is a must when sending packages outside of your city, especially if you have more delicate items like glassware, alcohol, or even carbonated beverages.
Remember to think about the logistics and cost of shipping these packages out.
The cost will depend on how large your boxes are, how heavy they are, and potentially, what you choose to include in the package.
And lastly, for large shipments, approximately 500 units can be shipped out per day. Plan accordingly! You’ll also need to ensure you have an account set up for shipping and for coordinating pick up of all packages to be shipped out.
When sending out our client’s batch of 18,000 boxes we wanted to include a customized sparkler to be used in the closing celebrations. Little did we know that would result in a logistical nightmare that had us opting for Plan B.
When coordinating the dates of your shipment, you need to determine how long it will take your packages to get to their destinations – and don’t forget it takes different lengths of time to ship to different destinations (provinces in our case).
We would also suggest that you alot for extra space in your budget to account for any additional shipping costs that may arise. Due to the flooding in BC and storms on the East Coast (at the time of our packages being sent out), we had to ship those boxes via air instead of ground which changed our initial shipping costs.
At this time of year, we love to see employers treat their employees, vendors and clients. It’s truly in the spirit of giving to send appreciation and care.
From all of us at Tycoon Events, have a great, safe and happy holiday season!
– Your Tycoon, Steph XO