Gifting suites have become a big business.  Celebrities are almost guaranteed to show up.  The appeal?  Getting free stuff and getting your picture taken for the whole world to see.  It’s an incredible opportunity if you’re a star.  I’ve seen A-listers to C-listers to no-listers walk out of a gifting suite with so much swag they needed their entourage to help them carry it all to their cars.   The most recent gifting suite I attended was a Golden Globe Gifting Lounge last January.  (I had a client participating.)  I experienced firsthand what a growing trend this has become.

These suites, lounges, booths, showrooms—whatever you’d like to call them—are also great opportunities for vendors to get their products into the hands of celebrities and press.  The “gifters” range anywhere from clothing and jewelry designers to animal breeders!  I actually saw Dierdre Hall coveting a domesticated privately bred pig.  I’m sure there was a hoity-toity name for this little snout’s breed, and it did come with a blingy collar and papers.  The value of the gift can range from $5 to $10,000.  So why do people give away their stuff for free, you might wonder.  Free advertisement, free press, and instant recognition if spotted on a celebrity.

I interviewed Nathalie Dubois of DPA Productions.  In the past, I had attended a few of her gifting suites and covered them extensively in Agenda Magazine.  I thought it would be great to hear a seasoned gifting suite producer shed some insight on this popular trend.

Nathalie has put on a lot of events this year already, the Golden Globes Gifting Lounge at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills, where a lot of celebrities visited.  There were lots of nominees, including Eli Roth and Melanie Laurent from Inglorious Bastards, Edie Falco, and “Glee” cast members.  Following that, she had a suite at the French Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival, and two events in Monte Carlo.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples (boldface)
Responses by Nathalie Dubois

Gifting Suites have become quite the big deal.  As a veteran “gifting suite” company, please tell me how you got involved and how long you’ve been doing it.

I started in 2005 at the Beverly Regent.  It started by accident, doing a suite to expose the high-end jewelry of a client from Bora Bora.

Have there been any challenges in this field, difficulties that you would like to share?

My concurrents trying to steal my clients the day after an event.

What would you say DPA is known for?

We have the outstanding products, the most A-list stars, and some of the best star treatment.  We put four months into each production (we do memos for our clients during these four months).  We give them the invitees’ list, then the RSVPs. Plus they get the pictures the day after the event.  I hear from my clients that I over deliver.  We are also the only U. S. company to operate globally in France, Italy, the Middle East, and Hong Kong.  Being partners with film festivals like Dubai or Venice puts us in a different category.

Any highlights in your career?

Meeting the top Hollywood legends, people like Shirley MacLaine and Harry Belafonte, but also my first encounter with Sharon Stone or Richard Gere.

What should vendors/sponsors look for in a gifting suite?  What should they avoid?

Meet big celebrities, get great media, make connections, place products into the right person’s hands.  One gifting suite can equal six months of PR.

Any tips for those aspiring to do what you do?

LOVE what you do.  Do not compromise for money.  Only choose products you believe in and use yourself.

For current updates on DPA Productions, visit twitter.com/dpagifting.