Is A Fan Experience Package The Right Holiday Gift For Your Loved One?
Whether you're subject to a strict gift-giving budget or find yourself stymied by a loved one who is notoriously hard to buy for, you may be wondering whether there's any way to provide your friend or family member with a memorable gift without breaking the bank. Fortunately, there exists a wide variety of fan experience packages, available for everyone from sports fanatics to music buffs to fans of house-hunting or cooking shows. Read on to learn more about the features that can be offered by various fan experience packages, as well as what you can do to keep your gift-giving costs low while still providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
What features should you look for in a fan experience package?
Fan experience packages can run the gamut from full-service to just the basics; while some packages include flights, lodging, and even food, others may include only the admission cost and relevant upgrades to the game, concert, or other event. As a result, you'll want to keep an eye on what types of accommodations are included in the package price (especially if this fan experience package will require the recipient to travel outside easy driving distance).
Fan experience packages may include meet-and-greets with players, hosts, or band members—if so, it's a good idea to see what type of photography or video coverage is available. For example, if a venue has banned photography or prevents entrants from keeping their cell phones, you'll want to ensure you have a package that provides photos; opting out of this may mean that your relative leaves without any tangible memento.
Finally, you'll want to keep an eye on refundability. Even if you're certain your intended recipient will enjoy this gift, schedules can change and situations can crop up—choosing a package that can be resold or that provides a refund with a certain amount of notice can preserve the value of your gift if the recipient is unable to attend.
How can you keep your costs low when purchasing a fan experience package as a gift?
There are a few easy ways to defray the cost of a fan experience package. One is to join with other gift givers to give this package as a joint gift; alternatively, you and a few other givers may want to divvy up costs (like tickets, hotel, or rental car) so that the burden on each individual person is lessened.
You may also want to look on resale sites before paying full face value; those who have had to cancel their own trips are often eager to offload their packages at less than they paid, making this a great deal for the savvy shopper.
