Everyone loves retreats. There’s the beauty of the venue, the chill atmosphere, the activities prepared for everyone, and, of course, the company swag items or kits that tie the event together.
Except, plans to send swag to retreat venues can get a little tricky, especially when the venues are overseas. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead and early when you’re preparing for company retreats and off-sites and swag.
So, in this guide, we break down the 5 best platforms for getting branded swag to retreat venues. In particular, we’ll discuss the things you should consider before choosing a swag partner and the features and disadvantages of each swag platform option, so you can pick the most suitable one for your retreat swag needs.
Why Getting Swag to a Retreat Venue Is Trickier Than It Looks
Before we delve into what you should look into for a swag platform, let’s first discuss why you need a dedicated partner for sending swag to your corporate retreat venue.
- The venue is borrowed – Hotels and villas may hold packages for you, but they have very strict rules about how early they accept items and who signs for them. They also won’t typically hold swag boxes as they take up too much space, so it’s important to time your swag delivery accurately.
- Timing is of the essence – And speaking of time, sending swag items to a corporate retreat on time is crucial, especially when your and your team’s stay at such venues runs on a fixed date.
- Changes can occur at the last minute – You probably have had at least one of your flights rescheduled or canceled. And that’s just one of the many things that can change or happen when you least expect it.
- Budget – If you’re running a retreat or have lots of people to supply swag for. A few hundred people getting swag can cost well over ten thousand dollars. This extra cost may not be something you budgeted for.
The common thread among all of these is that, with retreat swag, there’s no margin for error. You have one shot on one date because your team will fly in or go to the venue, regardless of whether your swag items and kit are already there or not. This, then, makes it more important that you have a swag platform that can handle the swag production, delivery, and last-minute changes all at once.
What should you look for in a platform to send swag to retreat venues?
There are a couple of things you should consider when choosing a swag platform to send your swag to company offsite: the global reach, warehousing, swag flexibility, address adaptability, and real-time tracking.
- Global reach
If your team has a retreat in an international region, then this is the factor that determines a swag platform’s suitability for your team. First, ask, can the platform actually deliver to your retreat destination before your team flies out? A swag platform that ships to 65 or 170 countries easily clears that bar. Second, what does that global reach cost you? A platform with warehouses physically located in or near your destination can fulfill swag items and kits domestically so that it bypasses customs frictions and long cross-border lead times. And for the shipments that do need to cross a border, look for a platform that offers Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) shipping, so you won’t have to worry about paying for duties and taxes yourself.
- Warehousing
With retreat venues, some will only accept and store packages for a few days before arrival. Others don’t accept them at all. As such, it’s important to have a swag platform with warehouses, so your swag can stay in storage until you’re ready to ship it out just in time with you and your team’s arrival or your venue’s receiving window. In these situations, you can stay in control of the timing, too. For platforms with warehouses, make sure to check how the storage is billed, as some charge monthly on what’s actually stored, while others bill in longer cycles that cost you for unused space.
- Swag flexibility
The next thing you need to consider when choosing a swag platform is the swag options flexibility. By this, we mean having the opportunity to choose between bulk swag, On Demand swag, and swag kits—or using all of them in one order. Having the option is great because bulk swag is cheaper per unit, On Demand swag is good for sized items and last-minute needs (thanks to its 1-unit minimum order), and swag kits are for when you want to bundle swag items into a package that arrives in a custom box. Opt for a platform that offers all three so you can pick the right format for your swag, depending on your actual needs.
- Customization and swag quality
When it comes to retreat swag, two things matter: the branding and the quality of the actual item. For branding, look for swag companies with in-house design teams who can assist you in coming up with relevant designs and realistic mockups, so you know what your swag will look like once printed. In terms of quality, the swag items should look as good in real life as they did on screen or sample mock-ups. The best platforms typically have known brands on their catalogs and let you order samples first so you can actually see what you’ll be sending to your team building retreat.
- Real-time tracking
Nothing’s more stressful than not knowing where your corporate retreat gifts are. That’s why it’s important to have a swag partner that shows you the production status, real-time tracking, and delivery status of your swag in just one dashboard.
One more practical note: if you also run an ongoing company swag store or send employee swag throughout the year, picking a platform that does both event swag and recurring swag campaigns saves you from juggling separate vendors for every occasion.
Now, with that checklist in hand, here are the five platforms worth considering when you need to send swag to retreat venues.
What are the top 5 platforms to send swag to retreat venues?
If you want your swag to arrive at your venue on time with no hassle and customs headaches, no matter the location, then PerkUp is the swag platform for your retreat swag. This swag management platform is built for global teams, shipping to more than 65 countries with regional warehouses in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, India, China, and Australia. PerkUp had clients like Solo.io that used the platform for its coastal retreat kit and Impiricus that sourced locally made t-shirts on the ground in Mexico for a team gathering instead of shipping them across a border.
Key features for retreat swag
- Regional warehouses across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, India, China, and Australia, reaching 65+ countries with local fulfillment and local production
- Flexible swag catalog covering On Demand swag, bulk swag, swag kits, event swag, and 5,000+ gift cards, plus the Perk Card, a prepaid Visa that works in 200+ countries
- Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) shipping with reimbursement on any surprise customs charges
- A dedicated event swag dashboard in the platform, where you can set the venue address and the date of the event; you can track the production and delivery in real time, as well as see holidays that could slow things down
- An in-house design team that gets your logo cleanly onto every swag item for a cohesive swag collection
Other platform features
- 200+ integrations with HRIS, SSO, Slack, and Amazon Business for automated milestone gifting for occasions like new hire onboarding, work anniversaries, and birthdays
- Real-time tracking and reporting across orders, inventory, and redemptions of gift cards
- Monthly warehousing billed on what is actually stored, with no receiving fees
- Enterprise-grade security with SOC 2 Type 2 certification
Some limitations
- PerkUp can’t ship to South American countries like Brazil
If you want a platform that focuses on swag kits, then SwagUp is a good platform option. With this platform, you can design your swag, pack it into curated kits, store it in warehouses, and ship worldwide from one dashboard. For a retreat, that means you can build a standardized kit months ahead and release it the moment the date is set.
Key features for retreat swag
- A swag pack builder for curated kits, with free design help and unlimited mockup edits
- Global shipping with customs handling and fixed international rates; this means a kit sent to an overseas venue will have a predictable cost
Other platform features
- HRIS and CRM integrations (BambooHR, Workday, Rippling, Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify), plus Zapier and an API for automated swag sends
- Redeem Pages that let each recipient enter their own address and apparel sizes
- Branded Shops, plus warehousing and inventory management with low-stock notifications
Some limitations
- It runs on a membership model, and many perks, discounts, swag stores, and extra integrations sit behind the higher tiers
- Minimum order quantities apply, which can feel heavy for a single small offsite
- Warehousing is billed on a longer cycle and international shipping fees can run steep, so global sends add up
Brilliant pairs a curated catalog with a dedicated Creative Partner who helps you shape your swag or gift, the packaging, and the unboxing, so a retreat kit feels more customized. The platform markets offsite and event fulfillment.
Key features for retreat swag
- A dedicated Creative Partner who curates and personalizes the kit and designs custom packaging for your retreat swag kits
- Full-service global fulfillment from warehouses in the US, UK, Netherlands, Hong Kong, India, and Australia
- Scheduled shipments so you can time deliveries with your arrival
- Real-time inventory and order tracking, suitable for ensuring that swag kits arrive on time
Other features
- Preferred Gift campaigns, where each recipient clicks an emailed link, picks their item, size, and color, and enters their own address
- Budget tools that cap spend per recipient or per program
- Easy returns with no restocking fees
- A personalized storefront where recipients can choose their own items
- Integrations with Salesforce, Marketo, and Zapier for CRM-focused swag campaigns
- An ROI dashboard and a Sustainability Scorecard for eco-conscious swag tracking
Some limitations
- International fulfillment is only available on the highest-tier plan, so global sends can cost more or be limited unless you’re on that tier
- Integrations and automations carry additional costs on top of the base service
- There’s no openly browsable product catalog, so you lean on your Creative Partner rather than picking swag items on your own
Stadium is a platform that has swag, gifts, and snacks in one platform with local fulfillment in more than 170 countries. For a retreat, you can build a branded swag kit and have orders fulfilled close to wherever your retreat venue is.
Key features for retreat swag
- Local fulfillment in 170+ countries with a 15,000+ swag catalog for swag flexibility
- Swag kits, a build-your-own box, On Demand, and bulk swag with low minimums
- Locker storage or a swag warehouse where you can store your swag items and kits until you need to ship them out
Other features
- Three storefront formats (a points-based Gift Shop, a Branded Swag Shop, and a Priceless Shop)
- 100+ HRIS, ATS, and CRM integrations plus Slack and Microsoft Teams for automated recognition programs
- Shared Wallets for budget control, analytics, and SSO, custom domains, and API access on enterprise tiers
Some limitations
- A 15% service fee applies to gifting orders, and snack boxes carry a $45 minimum budget
- An international fulfillment fee applies
- Automation, integrations, swag storage, and shared shops are only available to the paid Swag Pro, Engagement Suite, and Enterprise tiers, so the free tier is limited
Swag.com assembles fully custom swag kits with branded packaging. Its swag catalog leans toward higher-quality items, so your swag will survive the retreat and keep getting used. The platform also backs such campaigns with inventory tracking and auto-replenishment, and warehousing lets you store assembled kits and ship them when you need to.
Key features for retreat swag
- Fully custom swag kits with branded packaging that align with your retreat’s theme
- Warehousing that can store your swag kits and ship them as needed
- Real-time inventory tracking with auto-replenishment
Other features
- Real-time inventory tracking with auto-replenishment so you can restock before your inventory gets depleted
- Swag automation for recurring sends across the year
- A built-in design tool plus proofing, where you can see exactly how your branding looks on swag items
Some limitations
- The platform’s model is built around bulk, so you won’t be able to order swag items with a one-unit minimum
- There’s no On Demand swag and no gift cards, so it’s not as flexible as other platforms when it comes to swag options
- Production is US-centric, so international shipping can get very expensive
Key Takeaways
Choosing the right swag platform can turn a logistics headache into an easy aspect of a retreat. Based on our list, PerkUp covers the most ground for global teams; SwagUp suits teams that need bulk swag kits; Brilliant delivers highly customized kits with a hands-on creative partner; Stadium adds snacks to the typical swag kit; and Swag.com is good at sending kits domestically.
Whichever platform you choose, there’s one thing you should always keep in mind: finalize your venue first, then start with the swag planning. The best dates and places get reserved early, and once you know where and when your team is gathering, you can work backward from that date to make sure the swag kits arrive before your team does.