In 2026, SWISS GIFT SELECTION celebrates its 15th anniversary!
This year marks a very special milestone for SWISS GIFT SELECTION SA, which is celebrating 15 years of 100% Swiss-made gifts. Fifteen years of passion, local commitment, human collaboration, and creativity dedicated to a timeless gesture: gifting in the professional world.
On this occasion, Hervé Badan, founder, looks back at the company's beginnings, its highlights, the evolution of corporate gifting, and future aspirations.
How did SWISS GIFT SELECTION SA come into being?
The story of SWISS GIFT SELECTION did not begin by chance. It followed two previous entrepreneurial ventures I had launched: SWISS WINE SELECTION, which aimed to promote the best Swiss wines, and SWISS ECO GIFT, an initial platform for responsible gifts. These experiences allowed me to understand how much the Swiss market abounded with local gems, but also how much it lacked a structured, high-quality, and customizable offering for corporate gifts.
Very quickly, I realized that companies were looking for meaningful gifts that could reflect their values. Direct contact, client interactions, product feedback… all of this played a huge role in the company's development.
The COVID pandemic obviously impacted our activities, particularly for events, but above all, it was decisive for all businesses. Deprived of direct contact with their teams or clients, they felt more than ever the need to say thank you, to maintain connection, to offer something sincere. And we were there, ready, with our 100% Swiss concept, our well-established gift boxes, and flexible production capacity thanks to our partners in sheltered workshops. This allowed us to reach an important milestone.
What are the highlights or memorable moments of the last 15 years?
There are so many! The very first client, who will remain etched in the company's history, is a well-known personality: Mr. Jean-Claude Biver, an emblematic figure in high-end watchmaking. When he was at the head of Hublot, I had sent him a prospecting email, to which he hadn't responded. Rather than insist, I chose to send him a carefully prepared gift box, with the intuition that it would speak for itself. And that's exactly what happened: Mr. Biver contacted me again, touched by the quality and coherence of our approach. He became one of our first major clients, loyal for years. This story perfectly encapsulates our philosophy: let the product speak, rely on emotion and sincerity, and above all, never force it.
But what touches me most are the relationships we have built over time with all our clients, artisans, and partners. Some producers have been with us since the beginning. The same goes for our clients, who have followed us for 10 or 15 years—that's exceptional.
How have you seen corporate gifting evolve in 15 years?
It has changed enormously. Back then, companies chose their gifts from catalogs: standardized, impersonal, and often imported from far away. Today, expectations are completely different. Companies want meaning, local sourcing, and sustainability. They want to tell a story through the gift, showcase their values, and build connections with their teams and clients.
Our mission is to support this evolution by offering gifts that have soul. Gifts that are not just pretty, but that bring joy, surprise, and convey a real message. We don't sell objects; we create emotions.
What has changed in client companies' expectations today compared to when you started?
Companies are more attentive to everything. They have budget constraints but don't want to compromise on the impact of the gift. They ask us to help them find the right balance between generosity, coherence, brand image, and authenticity.
They are also very receptive to our social approach and our proximity. The fact that all our gift boxes are assembled in sheltered workshops in Switzerland, that we work with over 350 local producers, and that we prioritize zero waste, short supply chains, and elegant simplicity—all of this resonates more than ever today.
Why did you choose 100% Swiss-made and partnerships with sheltered workshops?
For me, it wasn't a marketing argument; it was obvious. Switzerland is full of artisanal talents, exceptional products, and social integration structures that do remarkable work. We simply wanted to bring them together.
Collaborating with sheltered workshops gives meaning to what we do. It creates a virtuous chain where everyone is valued for their contribution. And I can tell you that the pride of our partner teams, when they see the final result, is immense. These are true, long-term human collaborations.
What's next? What are your dreams for the next 15 years?
We still have a lot to accomplish. One of the key projects for the coming years is to intensify our presence in German-speaking Switzerland, while remaining true to our roots in French-speaking Switzerland. We also want to continue innovating, surprising with new gift box formats, new collaborations, and new products. To do this, we stay abreast of trends to be at the forefront of modernity, in line with market demand.
But deep down, my dream remains the same: to make gifting a gesture of emotion, sincere attention, and closeness. In a fast-paced world, a simple but authentic gesture changes everything.
Yes, there's a moment that truly mattered in the history of SWISS GIFT SELECTION. I had the chance to be advised by Jacques Renevey, former director of Gainerie Moderne. At the time, I already had a strong conviction about Swiss Made and custom-made products, but I wanted to go further in showcasing and enhancing gifts, in the elegance of the gesture. With him, we developed a luxurious gift box that was a true favorite: a case with very high-end codes, a real work of material, details, and finishing—exactly what makes a gift immediately perceived as precious. This gift box helped me reach a new level because it showed that our approach could also meet very demanding expectations.
This experience was decisive because it profoundly influenced how we design our gift boxes, how we think of packaging as a message, and how we seek the balance between simplicity, quality, emotion, and coherence. In a way, it refined our perspective and laid the groundwork for what we still strive to do today: create a gift that has meaning… and that makes an impression at first glance. There are encounters and projects that leave their mark, like this magnificent collaboration with Jacques Renevey.
SWISS GIFT SELECTION SA invites you to follow its various communication channels throughout 2026 to discover the highlights of our 15 years, our new products, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the company's journey!