Retirement should be a very special occasion for the retiree. It is the culmination of all the years he or she has worked for a company and signals a new era in the life of a person. Beginning the next day, the retiree will no longer have to get up early in the morning to get to work, will no longer have stacks of paperwork on his or her desk, and will generally be free to move on with life.

This major event merits considerable attention and preparation. The retiree too, deserves a proper send off. And what better way to send someone of than with a celebration replete with gifts that will last a lifetime.

That’s where the problem starts. How do you get a gift that will encapsulate what the person has meant to the company? Here are a few tips on choosing a gift for retirees.

1. Choose something that will last. Generally speaking, you will want to give a retiree a gift that will last, and not something that is consumable such as food or drinks and even toiletry. It has to be something that will be memorable and can be displayed. You may also give the retiree food and drinks, but they should only complement the main gift.

2. You may want to consider a corporate gift – one where every employee chips in, or one where the company itself sponsors the item. Personal gifts are also okay, as long as they fit the characteristics of # 1.

3. A plaque of appreciation is a common gift, and it never fails to fit the bill of being a priceless memento. You may want to add a few twists here and there so that it does not become a cliché. For example, you might want to try creating a bronze plaque for the person and at the same time create a memento plaque to be installed in a place of honor in the building. Some might even try taking out an advertisement with the local paper to announce appreciation for the retiree.

4. Depending on the personality and relationship of the retiree with the company, one might also consider giving fun gifts such as spoofed magazine covers, newspapers and others that bear the person’s name and image.

5. Another memorable gift would be a sponsored trip to any place the retiree has always wanted to visit. Although it isn’t something that can be hung on a wall or displayed on a shelf. The memories of the trip itself will prove to be a valuable memento to the retiree.