12.2. Gifts

1. At some events and conferences, the organizer of the event and sponsors, if any, like to give the participants small gifts or souvenirs to take home. The purpose of the gift may be to remind participants of the event, city or country; or to give a sample of a product produced by the country, city, or company, in the case of a sponsor. For the Annual Meeting, giving gifts or souvenirs is entirely optional. Any gifts are suggested to be practical and sustainable items that can be used by the meeting participants, such as conference bags, pens, keep cups, or USB flash drives. Other items given at past Annual Meetings have included fans, paper weights, letter openers, lanyards, assorted adaptors, and photograph frames. In some cases, the host country has printed a commemorative stamp for all participants.
2. In discussing gifts with sponsors or meeting organizers, it is important to bear in mind these points:
   • many organizations have policies that do not allow their employees to accept gifts, while some impose a limit on what is acceptable
   • most participants travel to and from the meeting by air and cannot carry heavy gift items such as books
   • gifts intended for all participants should be gender-neutral since it is too time-consuming to place different gifts in separate men’s and women's conference bags (if any)
   • it is not advisable to give clothing items
   • If there is an appetite to do a room drop at the hotels, this is to be organized with the hotels directly, executed and paid for by the host country
3. ADB's policy on acceptance of gifts by its staff requires that
   • Gifts determined to be worth not more than $50 shall be returned to the concerned head of department, who shall decide the most appropriate manner of disposing the gift, i.e., by returning the item to the recipient, raffling it among staff in the department or office or other means deemed appropriate.
   • ADB shall auction, by itself or through an accredited organization, gifts that are determined to be worth more than $50. Proceeds of the auction shall be donated to a charity to be chosen by the Office of Administrative Services.