Experience Gift Might Land You in "Husband Hall of Fame"

When David Meyers played baseball at Seton Hall University, he knew that good players who were successful at the plate 3 times out of 10 could get a shot at playing in the Major Leagues.

As a businessman, Meyers knows that dads who bat .333 on Mother's Day aren't destined to make the husbands' hall of fame. 

"This is perfect for any gift-giving occasion," Meyers said. "And, no knock on the traditional gifts. Sweaters are great and they're not disappearing tomorrow or the next year, or the next. But people have more stuff than they need and we are here to tell gift-givers that they no longer have to just rely on the old stand-bys." And that's got to be music to a mom's ears who doesn't want to feign delight at another waffle iron. 

Smartbox parent company Smart & Co. established eight years ago in Belgium. Bought by a French company, it did $560 million in 2010 worldwide sales. "There is such a market for success in the U.S.," Meyers said. "Much of its success in Europe is the result of their philosophy of 'work to live' rather than 'live to work.' Vacation is much more a part of people's lives there.

"Actually, that's where Smartbox can help people here," Meyers said. "Because our experiences feature a day's worth of adventures, or a night at a bed & breakfast with dinner and breakfast, or a dinner at a Zagat-rated top New York City restaurant, it allows us to make the most of the limited free time we find ourselves with."

Meyers has been flying all over the country touting Smartbox, but he's clearly most at home in the Brookside, Morris County, home he shares with his wife, Barbara, and their three children. He's happiest running to the kids' ballgames and activities but is proud to have the Smartbox brand picking up steam from their New Brunswick, U.S., headquarters.

Smartbox offers several experiences, including:

• "Fun for All" (think family photo package, mom-daughter day-spa adventure) at $49
• "Adrenaline" (surfing lessons, drives around a test race track — and it's not in a minivan) at $299
• "Serenity" (day spas and other pampering) at $119
• "Gourmet Retreats" (overnight stay at swank hotel with five-course dinner, spa treatment, etc.) at $369.
• "Table for Two," the most popular Smartbox offering. For $99, patrons can enjoy a three-star dinner at top Zagat-ranked New York City restaurants.

Every box comes with a booklet to give the recipient the chance to select every aspect of their experience, which means there will be no gift receipts for husbands buying things that moms are bound to return. Unlike other gift cards, Smartbox gifts don't expire. You also can combine them with other offers if you'd like to extend your vacation.

You can pick up Smartbox at Bed, Bath & Beyond, select Sam's Clubs, Papyrus or order at bn.com or smartbox.com. Meyers is also working to build the support in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, adding more partner restaurants, hotels, inns and experiences. In addition to moms, Smartbox says the experiences can serve as great business-to-business tools or incentive programs for corporate employees.

"We're making inroads throughout a number of companies in the greater New York area and all over the U.S.," Meyers said. 

He's also partnering with renowned chef David Burke, a New Jersey native who owns Fromagerie in Rumson, to make Mother's Day special for five truly deserving moms. Through Smartbox and its work with the Children's Aid Society in New York City, Burke is giving needy children the chance to give their mothers a free gourmet meal at Fishtail, his new seafood restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

So, what'd he get his wife for Mother's Day?

"It's a secret," Meyers said.

But he's hoping it's a home run.