corporate incentive travel jobs

• January 3, 2024
• Team Building

Post: Employee Incentive Travel Programs

Employee motivation is a cornerstone in the overall performance of any organization. Besides monetary compensation, it has been proven that employees respond positively to the added benefits that their workplace brings them. That’s why many organizations are adopting Employee Incentive Travel (EIT) Programs to keep the spirits up. How do you design an incentive travel program? Why should organizations consider the option? What are the benefits of a travel incentive program? These are some of the questions we will cover in this article.

What is an Employee Incentive Travel Program?

An Employee Incentive Travel Program is a recognition program for rewarding exceptional employees with an all-expenses-paid trip to their favorite destination. The essence of the travel incentive program is to reward high-performing employees and motivate the rest to reach the desired standards. 

Some organizations also offer these incentive programs to employees for their loyalty and years of service. 

Benefits of the Travel Incentive Programs

Incentive travel has many benefits, mainly impacting the company’s overall performance. According to Forbes , employee recognition is vital to improve performance and work ethics. Besides improving overall morale, employee appreciation makes them feel they’re part of the company, creating a hospitable working environment that boosts productivity. Here are some common benefits of incentive travel Programs:

Increases Employee Engagement and Motivation

A travel incentive program helps improve focus and motivation, with employees knowing they can earn a well-deserved vacation based on their performance. It creates a serene environment that boosts engagement, with every worker performing at their best. 

Improves Satisfaction and Morale

Job satisfaction is critical to employees’ performance and work ethics. Having something positive to look forward to improves the workers’ morale, which reflects on their performance. A company can reach its objectives and desired goals promptly when everyone executes their roles as required. 

Increases Brand Loyalty

In a world where many workers feel unappreciated and undervalued, brand loyalty is becoming a rare virtue. However, introducing a travel incentive program could counter this feeling by creating a positive workplace culture of inclusivity. Employees tend to be loyal to a brand that appreciates them, with some even bringing in new clients. 

Strengthening Team Relationships

Besides being a getaway, corporate incentive travel programs may also act as a team-building exercise that helps create and strengthen worker bonds. Vacationing together and experiencing new things establishes long-lasting relationships between colleagues, translating to a positive working environment. 

How do You Design an Effective Employee Incentive Travel Program?

Any effective workplace policy should consider inclusivity and fairness when creating it. The same applies to designing an incentive travel program. As a rule of thumb, you should clarify what employees need to do to earn a spot. You could use a point-based system, where workers earn points for every workplace achievement. 

Choosing a preferred destination also boosts morale and motivation. Although a tropical destination is ideal, always consider employees’ needs and interests when picking a spot. 

Make it clear whether the program applies company-wide or targets specific departments. Picking a target audience also helps to tailor the program to their specific needs. In most cases, many companies have multi-department incentive programs to boost morale and motivation. 

It’s proven that having a company-wide incentive program might discourage some from participating due to the increased competition. However, targeting departments narrows down the competition, making everyone believe they can win. 

A budget is also crucial as it determines the destination and the overall experience. Budgeting in advance allows for determining the trip’s length and the activities included. 

Planning for logistics, like accommodation, traveling plans, activities, and meals in advance eliminates the pressure of last-minute cancellation. Only work with the best incentive travel program logistics agency. 

Types of the Incentive Travel Programs

Corporate incentive travel programs take different forms depending on the company’s goals and objectives. However, here are some common incentive travel programs found in many organizations today:

Performance-based Incentive Travel Programs

Every company has predefined performance metrics and awards this program to high-performing employees or teams. Some objectives include meeting project milestones, achieving sales targets, or surpassing key performance indicators (KPIs). It is the most common incentive trip in many organizations. 

New Product Launch Incentive Travel

Companies are known to launch new products regularly and offer this program to a team that helps to launch the product successfully. Market impact is crucial to any new product launch, and motivating employees responsible for this throughout the entire process translates to a successful project.

Sales Incentive Travel Programs

The program is commonly offered to outstanding sales teams and individuals in sales-driven companies for reaching or exceeding the pre-determined sales quotas. The travel incentives might include taking a holiday to a desired destination, staying in a luxury hotel, fine dining, or spa treatments, depending on the company’s budget. Sales incentive trips are usually recommended to motivate employees and achieve desired goals.

Customer Service Incentive Trips

Customer service employees might receive these incentive rewards for their outstanding work helping clients with queries or technical problems. The employee with the most positive client feedback receives the incentive trips, which might include water sports activities or theme park tickets. Doing so improves the customer service department, which helps to retain clients and even get referrals for outstanding work. An all-expenses paid trip eliminates the poor customer service record as everyone is focused on the travel incentives for top-performing employees.

Years of Service Incentive Travel

By offering work anniversary incentives , companies can show employees who have been committed to the company for many years. It’s meant to recognize their years of dedication and hard work during that period. Many companies go overboard to show how they appreciate the veterans by offering incentives like staying at a luxury cruise ship or a vacation to an exotic destination. 

Leadership and Management Development Travel Incentive Programs

The program is reserved for executives, like managers and supervisors, for their outstanding work guiding their teams to reach the objectives. Awarding employees who show initiative and stand out in their roles is also common.

Why Should Organizations Consider Incentive Travel Programs?

Besides motivating employees to perform at their best, travel incentive programs also create a harmonious working environment, especially when the incentive is aimed toward a team. In this case, collaboration and teamwork is the key to getting the reward. In return, the company experiences growth and progress as everyone works together toward a common goal. 

Workplaces can be stressful, especially when trying to reach objectives and goals. Creating an incentive travel program can spice things up, making employees look forward to working days. It also helps them develop the mental resilience to deal with everyday workplace stressors, knowing there is a reward once the project concludes. 

Which Program Works Best for an Organization?

Every organization is different, with varying objectives and projects. Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the type of incentive travel program to offer, it helps target departments, as this helps increase competency and performance. 

In this case, members of these departments will have to perform exceptionally to get a chance at winning a spot. 

However, it’s crucial not to alienate any department, as this will be seen as favoritism and generate opposite effects. If an organization cannot afford to sponsor multiple travel incentive programs, it should have one where everyone is eligible to participate. Alternatively, an organization can rotate the programs yearly, with each department receiving a fair shot. 

Keep Employees Motivated

Employee Incentive Travel Programs are crucial for rewarding outstanding workers and motivating others to perform at their best. The programs aim to recognize rising talent and exceptional performers and appreciate long-serving employees. It’s a way of creating a hospitable working environment and alleviating pressure from everyday work. 

Before setting up an incentive travel program, it’s best to consider logistics, budget, a desired location, and the target audience. A successful incentive travel program promotes inclusivity and a fair chance for every employee to participate. It could be awarded to an individual or a team based on the company’s policies and objectives. 

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15 Corporate Incentive Travel Program Tips for 2024

You found our list of the best corporate incentive travel program tips !

Corporate incentive travel programs are initiatives that offer all-expenses paid trips and experiences in exchange for extraordinary performance. For example, a trip to Thailand or Mexico. These programs aim to motivate employees and raise morale, loyalty, and productivity.

Travel incentive programs are one example of employee incentives and employee engagement ideas , and can be a popular employment benefit .

This article includes:

• incentive travel examples
• incentive trips for employees
• group travel incentive programs
• corporate incentives besides travel

Here is the list!

Incentive travel examples

When it comes to destinations and trip experiences, possibilities are endless. Here are a few examples of incentive travel programs to give you inspiration:

• A stay in the British countryside complete with castle tours
• A food tour through Italy or France, or through your home city
• Museum crawl through New York City
• Hotel and tickets to a Broadway or West End show
• A Seine River expedition through Germany
• Weeklong country-hopping tour
• Hiking excursion in the mountains
• Wildlife interaction at a sanctuary
• Wine country visits
• Behind the scenes tour of a nearby brewery
• Weekend stay at a local bed and breakfast
• Tropical beach escape
• Historical tour of a prominent city
• Hot air balloon rides
• Passes and accommodation to a cultural festival
• Company cruises
• Glamping or camping
• Team building retreats

The items on this list provide a solid baseline for program structures, but there are many possibilities for irresistible trips that will drive employees to perform at their best.

Corporate incentive travel program tips

From soliciting suggestions from staff to leveraging social media, here are the steps for creating an effective corporate incentive travel program.

1. Ask your staff for ideas

A travel program is only an incentive if your staff wants to take the trips you choose. Instead of outright guessing, or stealthily scanning your staff’s Instagram vacation posts, ask your staff for destination and activity ideas.

First, gather plausible options for countries, cities, accommodations, excursions, and activities. Then, distribute a survey, and use the feedback to inform your selections. Consider including a write-in option on your questionnaire so employees can point you towards any useful travel resources or discount programs.

2. Determine the goal of your program

The point of an incentive program is to achieve a particular result or encourage a certain behavior. Thus, when designing your incentive trips for employees, it is important to outline the goal.

Corporate incentive travel program objectives may include:

• Specific sales targets
• Increased client satisfaction scores
• Decrease in paperwork errors
• Shorter customer wait times
• Quicker production turnaround time

The goal of the program may include multiple aims, and targets may vary by position or department.

Trips are a significant investment, and organizations expect a worthwhile return on such a weighty investment. By outlining clear goals when introducing the program, you justify the expenditure and link the reward to a clear result.

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3. Provide clear guidelines to staff

Higher management are not the only parties that benefit from having accurate expectations for the program. When announcing the initiative, provide clear guidelines to the staff so employees understand how to earn the rewards. For best results, communicate the necessary targets, performance period timeline, methods of measurement, and ultimate prizes.

You may also want to mention:

• The level of date flexibility for trips. Can attendees choose from multiple months or weekends, or will there only be one date for the trip? If the latter, then disclose the date upfront.
• Whether or not family members and guests can join the trips.
• Included amenities vs add-on options.
• Accommodations the company can make for staff with special circumstances.

Misunderstanding requirements could lead to staff missing out on the opportunity, causing disappointment. Employees want to feel that managers are upfront and honest, and clear communication fosters trust.

4. Consult a travel expert

Corporate travel programs require a great deal of planning and logistics management. Coordinating such a program alone can feel overwhelming, but travel and events companies that specialize in running incentive programs can simplify the process.

Here are some recommended travel incentive companies:

• American Express Meetings & Events
• Creative Group Inc.
• First Incentive Travel
• Peak Performance Meetings & Incentives
• Bishop McCann
• Bi Worldwide
• Fox World Travel
• Maritz Global Events
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing
• World Travel Inc

Even if you decide not to hire a third-party vendor to manage incentive trips, consider consulting a travel agent or other professional who has experience planning and executing group trips. If nothing else, then read HR blogs for advice. You do not need to reinvent the wheel; you can rely on the guidance of professionals who have seen success with incentives to shape your program.

5. Research multiple vendors

While destination management companies often advertise packages that remove the hassle from corporate travel planning, these all-inclusive offerings are not always the best options for your needs. Working with multiple event providers may be a more cost-effective solution that results in better experiences for your employees.

Consider branching out and enlisting different companies for transportation, accommodations, catering, and experiences such as museum tours or adventure sports outings. At minimum, research and compare multiple destination management companies to ensure you find the best deal and optimal level of service.

6. Negotiate exclusives

Most travel incentive companies work with organizations to create tailored, customized plans. When designing trips, securing exclusive amenities and activities can make the experience even more attractive. For instance, booking an illustrious restaurant for a private party with a special menu, or receiving an after-hours, behind-the-scenes tour of a historical site with an expert. Planning experiences that attendees cannot replicate during personal visits makes the experience feel more unique, which compels employees to work harder to secure their spots on the trip.

7. Use organizational resources

While a travel incentive trip differs from a business trip, branches in other geographical regions can be a great help to your planning process. Offices in other states or countries might be able to make an introduction to a contact such as a travel coordinator, local guide, restaurateur, or hospitality professional that can help you coordinate your trip. You might even take advantage of special corporate discounts or offerings thanks to your relationship with the sister site.

Even if your organization does not have locations worldwide, you may employ a teammate who has previously worked, traveled, or lived in your destination and can offer recommendations. Tapping into your company’s internal resources improves the journey.

8. Stick to a budget

Travel programs are rarely low-cost perks. Expenses like transportation, accommodation, meals, and entertainment add up quickly, even if your group remains local. While increases in worker output and performance often justify the price of the program, it is still important to stick to a budget to ensure a balanced return on investment.

Researching beforehand helps avoid overspending. Before you commit to a destination or travel package, ensure you understand the total cost, including any additional expenditures such as insurance, service fees, non-included meals, transportation between venues, and tips for service staff.

Remember that if employees show interest in pricey experiences that the company cannot cover, then you can compensate by scheduling free time and allowing attendees to purchase optional activities.

Here is a list of ways to spend your budget at year-end .

9. Be liberal with options

Your group is a diverse bunch with a wide range of interests. One employee’s dream trip might not be another’s. To guarantee that all travelers enjoy the experience, arrange an array of activities that suit many tastes. For example, plan a bar crawl one evening and an open mic the next. Or, give attendees the choice between wine tasting, rock climbing, or touring a museum.

When planning activities, keep in mind:

• Physical ability
• Level of socialization
• Dietary needs
• Non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers
• Price, if members pay out of pocket
• Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity

Keep these considerations in mind not only when planning activities, but also when booking trip details. For instance, steer clear of destinations with recent human rights violations or recent racial tensions in favor of diverse and inclusive locations where all guests feel welcome.

10. Focus on the experience more than the destination

While the ability to travel to a foreign country or a lively city is a major draw, the location is not as important as your team’s overall happiness. Instead of fixating on the destination, focus on the experience. You do not need to pick a flashy locale to garner interest in the program. Attendees can have fun in a neighboring town or an off-the-beaten-path destination if you plan meaningful and engaging activities.

When choosing a venue for your trip, explore unconventional options and open yourself to interesting possibilities. Aim to connect your staff meaningfully with the local culture and with each other. Keep an eye out for experiences unique to your host city, and aim to be travelers rather than simply tourists. In essence, unlock the full potential of each city, neighborhood, or business instead of relying on the allure of the destination to do the heavy lifting.

11. Offer resources and assistance

Assuming that every trip member is an experienced traveler is a mistake. Travel programs generate interest among a wide range of attendees, from globetrotters to folks who have yet to step foot in an airport. Because there may be a discrepancy in the travel knowledge within your group, offering resources and assistance is helpful. Even if your package includes transportation, members may need to book plane tickets individually, in which case you should designate a helper to answer questions and resolve issues.

Consider also providing:

• Passport and visa application assistance
• Packing tips
• Applicable CDC advisories and vaccine information
• A guide to cultural norms in your destination country
• Travel medical and insurance resources
• Currency exchange services
• Safety recommendations and emergency contact information

You can equip the group with helpful literature, hold informational sessions, and create online forums where attendees can ask and answer questions, too.

12. Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews

While the trip acts first as an incentive and reward, the vacation can serve as an educational tool, too. By incorporating cultural experiences, you expand teammates’ worldviews, teach empathy, and develop soft skills that enhance employees’ abilities to interact with clients and colleagues.

To capitalize on the effects of the trip, select a destination that pushes staff out of their comfort zone and introduces new viewpoints and experiences. To achieve this end, the destination does not have to be a foreign country. Every country is culturally diverse, and workers benefit from visiting a new region, or even connecting with a distinct subculture close to home. The trip can be an opportunity not only for employees to relax and have fun, but also to grow.

13. Maximize team bonding

Being in an unfamiliar place together can bring a group closer together. Shared experiences are the root of team building, and group trips establish common ground and memories that form a foundation for continuing relationships. Group travel incentive programs can not only save companies time and money, but also supercharge group development. One of the best approaches to travel programs is to maximize team bonding potential by planning group excursions and team building activities and scheduling time for group reflection.

By dedicating Slack channels, social media groups, team chats, pre and post trip sessions, and shared online photo albums to the trip group, you can further fuel interactions between members.

Here is a list of team building ideas to try.

14. Leverage employee testimonials and social media

Organizations devote significant resources to travel programs. One way to optimize return on investment is to leverage employee testimonials and social media as a way to market company culture and motivate colleagues to strive for future travel incentives.

A few suggestions:

• Distribute a survey at the end of the trip. Make the survey completion a scheduled activity, or incentivize feedback by holding a prize drawing in tandem.
• Ask employees to submit photos and captions to the marketing team for the company social media page
• Coordinate a social media takeover campaign where trip attendees schedule content for company social media channels
• Encourage attendees to tag posts on personal accounts with the company handle and a specific hashtag.
• Dedicate blog posts to the experience
• Compile a highlights reel of the trip by editing together video clips
• Allow participants to speak about the trip on a company podcast
• Invite attendees to speak at information sessions for future trips

Most folks appreciate having a platform to share their stories and experiences. This user-generated content has many uses both internally and externally, such as in recruitment materials, marketing projects, and employee engagement campaigns .

15. Offer alternatives to travel

Although travel is an enticing incentive, it is not a universal motivator for all employees. Familial obligations, health complications, fear of flying, or a distaste for travel are examples of conditions that might prevent staff from reaping the rewards of the program. To better suit the needs of your entire organization, offer alternatives to trips, such as material bonuses or more localized experiences. Examples might include a chartered day at a nearby winery, tickets to the hometown sports team game, or extra paid time off. Read the next section for more suggestions on non-travel incentive rewards.

Other corporate incentives besides travel

Travel is not viable to every employee’s circumstances. For a more universally appealing incentive program, consider offering alternatives to travel. The following list offers a few suggestions.

Bonuses are the most common employee incentive. Monetary rewards give employees more autonomy over their winnings, since staff has the discretion to use the extra cash as they see fit. Not to mention, a financial award sends the message that the organization shares extra profits with staff, thus compelling employees to generate more revenue for the company.

When introducing financial incentives, it is important to explain a clear bonus structure so that the staff has a solid understanding of expectations and performance metrics.

2. Extra paid time off

Instead of scheduling a trip for employees, you could offer extra paid time off so that employees can travel when, where, and with whom they prefer. Through this method, your staff may opt for a staycation instead, choosing to use the extra time to catch up on errands, develop side hustles, spend time with family members, or relax at home. This approach signals that the company values employees’ personal time and appreciates work life balance. Plus, offering extra time awards employees more freedom to customize their prize.

3. Concerts

Concerts are close-to-home adventures. Music and nightlife enthusiasts love the chance to attend live performances. Access to sold-out or exclusive events, good seats or entry into VIP areas, and other perks like complimentary food or merchandise sweeten the deal. Partnering with a corporate-facing event company or local concert venue can help you net discounts and special offers for your employees.

4. Sporting events

Tickets or company box seats at a sporting event are an enticing prize for sports fans, salespeople, and anyone who relishes the energy of a live game. Best of all, since seasons consist of many games, you can divide the performance period into multiple benchmarks, and employ ticket giveaways as an ongoing motivator. Also, sports inspire attitudes of camaraderie and teamwork which you can channel into your workplace.

5. Technology

New gadgets and upgrades hit the technology market daily. Keeping all gadgets updated can be a challenge, so technology rewards are tempting incentives.

A few suggestions for technology incentives:

• smartphones
• video game systems
• action cameras
• smartwatches and fitness trackers
• wireless earbuds
• 3-D printers

Consider offering technology upgrades for personal use, work use, or a mix of both. For example, promise to buy high-tech printers for the winning department.

6. Parking spots

Parking can be a surprisingly effective employee motivator, especially if you work in a city with scarce or expensive parking options. Even if the office building houses a company garage, employees may eye a desirable spot. Winning a prized parking spot or a complimentary pass checks one box off of the proverbial to-do list and makes the morning commute less hectic. If parking is not part of your employee benefits package, then consider offering the amenity as a prize.

7. Fitness classes

Fitness is important, but not always inexpensive. While many companies offer wellness credits, gym memberships, or exercise classes as perks, bonus fitness services can make attractive prizes.

Here are some ideas for fitness incentives:

• Home gym equipment
• Subscription to online Yoga classes or Peloton
• Personal trainers
• Workout wardrobes
• Fitness trackers and smart devices
• Unusual exercise classes like parkour or circus aerobics

Even if your company provides regular exercise options, an upgraded fitness experience can serve as extra motivation.

8. Charity donations

Monetary gain is not a universal motivator, and at times philanthropy can drive efforts more effectively than cash rewards. One alternative to material prizes is to donate an agreed amount to a charity of the awardee’s choice.

Pro tip: Allow employees to suggest charities that fall within prescribed guidelines instead of picking from a limited list to ensure that workers can raise money for a cause they are passionate about.

9. Task management services

While you may not be able to give your employees extra hours in the day, gifting task services is the next best option. Hiring professional errand-runners frees up time in your employees schedules for relaxation, self-care, and self-improvement.

Suggestions for task services:

• Grocery deliveries
• Laundry and dry cleaning services
• Cooks or professional meal preppers
• Cleaners or organizing consultants
• Childcare services

Consider gifting credit towards multiple-service providers like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack so awardees can choose the most useful options.

10. Meals with executives

Lunch or dinner with a member of the C-suite serves the dual function of providing a complimentary meal along with quality time with higher management. For best results, offer one-on-one meetings or small group experiences so that every awardee has ample opportunity to interact with the executive. Similar bonding opportunities include golf games, tennis matches, hikes, creative classes, winery or brewery trips, or video game showdowns.

11. Massages and self-care

Some workers might not treat themselves to massages, spa-days, and other self-love splurges, but will indulge if gifted an activity. Pampering experiences inspire employees to achieve a goal while emphasizing the importance of self-care.

Here are some examples of self-care incentives:

• Manicures and pedicures
• Salon appointments
• Meditation session
• Career consulting or meeting with a life coach

These prizes send the message that companies care about employee wellbeing as well as performance.

12. Extraordinary events

Though some folks use the term incentive events interchangeably with incentive trips, at-home events can offer the excitement of travel minus the forms, transportation costs, or downtime at the airport. Extraordinary events give employees opportunities to socialize, participate in new experiences, and make memories with colleagues.

Some examples of event incentives include:

• Improv or standup comedy shows and workshops
• Cooking classes with renowned chefs
• Laser tag tournaments
• Winery or brewery tours
• Cocktail party at the CEO’s house
• Amusement park trips
• Early access to a new venue
• Special sales or product trials

Limiting the number of spots at these events and awarding entry only to high-achieving employees makes the occasion feel more special and motivates staff to strive towards a goal.

Final Thoughts

Travel is one of the most common bullet points on bucket lists, which means that trips serve as a powerful motivator. By affording employees opportunities to travel, you expand their world views and supercharge their relationships with teammates, all while rewarding extraordinary efforts and results and assigning great value to your workers’ contributions.

Next, check out this list of employee wellness program ideas and this list of incentives to return to the office .

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FAQ: Corporate incentive travel programs

Here are answers to the most common questions about corporate incentive travel programs.

What are corporate incentive travel programs?

Corporate incentive travel programs are motivational campaigns that reward top-performing employees with trips or special experiences. The aim of these programs is to increase staff loyalty, morale, and productivity. Incentive programs typically target specific goals such as fulfilling sales quotas, meeting product development deadlines, or raising customer satisfaction scores.

What are some good corporate incentive travel program tips?

Some good corporate incentive travel program tips include:

• Ask your staff for ideas
• Determine the goal of your program
• Provide clear guidelines to staff
• Consult a travel expert
• Research multiple vendors
• Negotiate exclusives
• Use organizational resources
• Stick to a budget
• Be liberal with options
• Focus on the experience more than the destination
• Offer resources and assistance
• Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews
• Maximize team bonding
• Leverage employee testimonials and social media
• Offer alternatives to travel

Though travel programs require extensive planning and organization, following the proper steps can ensure that your program pays off by raising employee output and morale.

What are good companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs?

There are many providers who offer and arrange trips and engaging events for corporate incentive programs.

Here are some recommended companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs:

When selecting a partner organization, research multiple providers and choose an option that fits your company’s budget, company culture, and particular needs.

Do corporate incentive travel programs work?

Travel programs can be powerful motivators. Employer-sponsored trips are an attractive reward, especially when the experiences include exclusives such as exclusive tours, private accommodations, and company parties. Travel programs are an especially compelling incentive for sales teams, though the perk can motivate a vast variety of positions and departments.

Though travel is a hefty investment for organizations, the corresponding rise in productivity is significant. Plus, funding trips signals that employers value their workers efforts and personal growth.

What makes incentive travel programs effective?

Clear goals and benchmarks, measurable metrics, smart internal marketing, meaningful experiences, and attractive awards are all factors that make incentive travel programs effective. The best determinant of the operation’s success is the level of foresight, consideration, and communication that goes into the planning and execution of the program.

Besides travel, what can employers offer in incentive programs?

Some non-travel incentive program rewards include:

• Extra paid time off
• Sporting events
• Parking spots
• Fitness classes
• Charity donations
• Home services
• Meal with an executive
• Massages and self-care
• Extraordinary events

Not every team member is able to travel, yet providing alternate rewards allows dedicated employees to reap the rewards of their efforts.

What is the difference between a corporate incentive program and an employee benefits program?

Organizations offer employee benefits across the board to all workers, although benefits packages might vary depending on position and band level, and individual candidates may be able to negotiate a more attractive package. While benefits programs are ongoing, built-in rewards, incentive programs are auxiliary, often limited-time offers. Corporate incentive programs exist to motivate employees to hit specific targets within a particular time frame.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Incentive Travel

Guide, help, costs, ideas, and tips for incentive trips, planning an incentive trip.

So you’re thinking about hiring an incentive travel agency? Good for you and better for your audience! Incentive travel is a tried-and-true tactic for nearly half of all businesses in the United States. Whether you want to boost sales, retain your top-performers, or simply build a more cohesive corporate environment, incentive travel will be the catalyst that moves your goals to the finish line.

With US businesses spending over $22.5 billion on incentive travel annually, you can rest assured that an investment in a top-class incentive trip is going to pay off. However, like everything in life, there is a right way to plan and execute incentive trips, and a lot of wrong ways.

Spent on incentive trips from US companies per year

Of US businesses have an incentive travel program

courtesy of The Incentive Research Foundation

Who am I motivating?

There is no one-size-fits-all incentive trip. Understanding your target audience is the first step in designing an effective set of program rules and selecting a destination that will keep your participants excited.

It’s time to put your personal preferences aside and take the time to examine who you’re motivating. Start with the demographics (the data) and psychographics (the feelings) of your audience to focus your thoughts keenly.

It’s easy enough to collect data on gender, age, and income to form a demographic profile, but it’s only one half of the full picture. Psychographics are the often overlooked attributes of an audience that play into deciding how to properly incentivize and delight your group. On average, are your participants more intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Do they have the capability to improve their performance? What’s their current level of motivation without the possibility of winning a trip?

Once you have a better understanding of not just who your audience is, but how they think, you’re ready to start organizing them into what the marketing world calls “personas.”

“Probably no aspect of program design has a greater impact on outcomes than understanding the audience.”

Rodger Stotz

Incentive Research Foundation

Who is your target audience?

Demographics

Gender Age Income Job Role Location

Psychographics

Motivations Capabilities Attitudes Interests Aspirations

Crafting Personas

Personas are fictional profiles of a standard member of your target audience created using the most common demographics and psychographics from the group. Using these personas helps those managing and executing the incentive trip get a feel for who they’re trying to reach.

From the below three personas, we can see the differences in what it takes to motivate them, how they’ll each take advantage of a trip, and the impact it would have in their everyday performance. Most importantly, we have a better grasp of what destination would serve as a prize worthy of their aspirational goals.

Abel is a sales rep for a tech start-up.

Income: $120,000

Abel wants some free time but also loves any type of high adrenaline activity. Don’t waste your budget on $300 centerpieces and unidentifiable hors d’oeuvres. Abel’s good with a buffet. But throw in a great band at the after-party, and he couldn’t be happier.

Destination preference: Los Cabos

Gifting preference: Maui Jim Sunglasses

Karen sells beauty products, and lots of them!

Income: $60,000

Make sure there’s a dance floor, because she and her team are going to live it up at the award’s ceremony. A spectacular venue and gorgeous décor will make them all feel special and appreciated.

Destination preference: Paris

Gifting preference: Local artisan shopping experience

Paul is an Inside Sales Rep at a telecom call center.

Income: $45,000

He’s looking forward to a fancy hotel and looking like a rock star to his +1 at the awards ceremony. Throw in a welcome gift and a day-pass for the local hop-on hop-off tour bus, and you will have Paul’s loyalty (for at least another year).

Destination preference: San Francisco

Gifting preference: Room credit for a nice dinner at the hotel

Destinations

Selecting an incentive travel destination.

As you’ve seen from understanding your audience, selecting a motivational destination can be a delicate mix of both science and art. This is where the expertise of an experienced incentive travel professional can be extremely valuable.

Professional incentive travel managers and meeting planners are well-versed in matching audiences with the right destinations, as well as flight options, “incentive-quality” hotels, and activities that are crafted specifically for the trip.

They’ve traveled all around the globe, seen plenty of resorts from the inside-out, vetted amazing experiences, and built strong local partnerships. They know the hot-list of new openings and the properties with not-so-hot service.

according to Incentive Travel Index from The Incentive Research Foundation , Society for Incentive Travel Excellence , and Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals

Hot Spots for Incentive Trips

Keeping up with the top incentive travel destinations is a part-time job in it itself. Knowing the trends, risks, and value of each destination is just another strong reason why hiring a professional incentive travel planner is worth the line in the budget.

Here is a list of the top 20 incentive travel destinations for 2022, 2023, and beyond to draw inspiration and provide fresh ideas.

Umbria & Puglia

Undiscovered Italy

Castles & Green Countryside

Good Value for your Euro

Second-Tier Europe

Northern Lights & Geothermal Baths

Muy Mucho 5-Star Resorts

Rebuilt, Renovated, Reopening

West Indies

Secluded Island Luxury

3 Resort Options in 1

Sub-Sahara Safaris

New Zealand

Fantastic Scenery

Machu Picchu & Peruvian Culture

Journey the Malacca Strait

Bucket-list Bungalows

Deep South, USA

Lowcountry Hospitality

Say Aloha to Hawaiian Renovations

Whistler & Banff

Great Outdoors of Canada

Festival Spots

Local Extravaganzas

Wild West Glamping

5-Star Tents

Euro River Cruise

Explore Villages

Avoiding Common Mistakes

NOT a CEO Getaway

Many CEOs are avid golfers, so the 4-handicapper thinks the most motivational destination would be Pebble Beach or last year’s British Open . However, golf is on the decline with Millennials and Gen-X. It can be difficult to steer the ship away from the boss’s favorite course, but always keep the true purpose of the trip in front of everyone’s mind.

NOT an Executive Committee Retreat

The Sales VPs love the 5-star brands of Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton , but the rank-and-file folks live on 3-star budgets and feel uncomfortable with $40 breakfast buffets, $30 cheeseburgers, and $20 drinks. Sometimes there’s no need to use up the budget on high-end accommodations or dining options, especially when it comes to the comfort of attendees.

NOT the Meeting Planner Favorite

If you’re the corporate planner tasked with choosing destinations, avoid projecting your personal preferences too – whether it’s beach or mountain, historical or metropolitan, Mexico or Europe, etc. Always hold your audience’s preferences above your own (as difficult as it may be.)

Typical Agenda

Incentive trip itinerary at-a-glance.

Staying on schedule can be one of the most difficult parts of managing an incentive trip.  Providing itineraries that foster relationship-building, celebrate accomplishments, and offer some freedom and flexibility of choice will keep your group happy and organized.

Arrivals Welcome Reception Dinner

Group Activity Dine-arounds

Choice of Activity Award Dinner

Day at Leisure Dinner at Leisure

Choice of Activity Farewell Reception Farewell Dinner

Building a Budget

How much should we spend on our incentive trip.

Recent research from both SITE ( Society of Incentive Travel Excellence ) and the IRF ( Incentive Research Foundation ) pinpoint the average incentive travel budget per person at $5,193.

However, the number of nights and locations will drastically impact the budget. For example, $2,000 per person might be enough for a domestic 3-night trip to Miami, San Diego, or Las Vegas for retail managers or call center reps. But, a budget of $6,000+ per person would be necessary for a Hyatt resort in Hawaii or a 6-night trip to Italy to motivate a six-figure sales audience.

The average cost of an incentive trip per person

Budget Drivers

Number of trip qualifiers (and guests) Destination 3, 4, or 5-star Hotel Duration – # of Nights Airfares Ground Transportation

Events, Receptions, and Gala Dinners Decor & Entertainment Other Meals or Meal Allowances Number of Activities Gifts & Giveaways Promotional Communications

Zero Net Cost

Some may be intimidated by reaching out to incentive travel companies fearing cost or long commitment contracts. Rest assured that incentive travel companies work diligently to keep your business year-over-year by adding fresh ideas, impeccable service, and stringent negotiating to meet your bottom line.

In fact, when most clients ask if hiring an incentive travel company is more expensive, they discover that the ~15% agency fee is offset by savings generated by an incentive agency’s expertise in finding better rates on lodging and events, local partnerships with the best discounts on activities and dining, and avoiding hidden costs and fees ahead of time.

More often that not, clients realize there’s zero net cost overall by hiring an incentive agency due to these advantages, and that doesn’t include your valuable time as the owner of the program internally. Freeing yourself from having to plan an entire incentive trip alongside your day-to-day responsibilities can prove to be invaluable for both you and your team.

Calculate your Budget

The budget drivers are helpful in realizing what factors will need to be considered before making your cost projections, and ultimately, what your incentive trip will include and what will be left out.

But how much does each budget driver affect your bottom line?

Luckily for you, we have a handy incentive trip budget calculator that gives you a decent starting point. Play around with different “what-if” scenarios, like increasing your number of winners or choosing a domestic over international.

Unique Events

Creating unforgettable events.

Extraordinary, memorable events are what separates a top-notch incentive trip from a mere corporate-funded vacation. For new trips, experienced planners can be a huge help in crafting superior, and budget-friendly, events.

A typical schedule will open with a welcome reception on-property to facilitate new relationships and keep the schedule light after a day of travels. Creative planners will highlight the best venues, whether it’s poolside, on the beach, or on a patio or lawn with jaw-dropping views. Don’t be afraid to ask resorts if you can utilize space outside of the ballroom.

Mid-trip evenings are often filled with “dine-arounds” to take winners off property to experience popular restaurants. Or, incentive planners will tap unique local venues for a creative group dinner experience, like a Napa wine cave dinner or renting a celebrity’s private estate. You can dive even deeper into local authenticity by finding dining club parties where locals prepare a meal for guests in their own homes.

The final night is traditionally a gala dinner filled with recognition of top achievers, step-and-repeat photos, a refined menu, and upscale décor and entertainment. Creative planners will recommend the best spot, whether it’s on the beach, dressing up a ballroom, or a unique venue nearby. 

Activity Options for Incentive Trips

Unique, local, and authentic experiences are becoming the biggest trend of successful incentive trips. In years past, activities usually included golfing, spa days, and a catamaran sail. Today, it seems every destination has a zip line tour, a snorkel sail, and an ATV excursion!

Incentive travelers crave new experiences, especially the up-and-coming Millennials. Many travel planners are adding new twists to the traditional tours to stray from the beaten path and keep participants excited.

CMPs ( Certified Meeting Planners ) will collaborate with destination partners to offer activities that are unique to the location – such as cenote cave swims in Riviera Maya, Napali coast boats in Kauai, or Lord of the Rings tours in New Zealand.

Gifts that "WOW"

Incentive travel gifting is an art.

Room gifts, or “pillow gifts,” are a fun way to surprise and delight newer winners. They are simple to administer because everyone gets the same item, and they are often less expensive at $25 to $50.

Individualization   was the first trend in gifting by engraving or monogramming the standard pillow gift, such as a monogrammed bathrobe, an embossed leather item, engraved wine glasses, or a Waterford crystal bowl.

Choice   became the next trend in personalization. Maui Jim pioneered gifting experiences by bringing 12 styles of their high-end, polarized sunglasses and letting attendees pick their favorite pair of shades. Recent entrances to the gifting category include other sunglasses brands, Bose headphones and Bluetooth speakers, watches, shoes, sandals, handbags, and more.

One word of caution : executing a gifting experience in a foreign country or small island is not as easy as shopping your local megamall. Adequate inventory, shipping challenges, and high import duties can create headaches quickly.

Localization   is the most recent trend where gifts are sourced locally with artisans, which can be unique and cost-effective in foreign countries. One of our all-time, most popular gifts were custom-fitted, Italian-leather gloves in Florence.

Communications

Don't let your trip be the best-kept secret.

Far too often, the incentive promotion strategy is an afterthought. Like any successful marketing effort, an effective incentive program needs a comprehensive campaign strategy, creative theme, and rhythmic messaging to create top-of-mind awareness.

In today’s world, people are bombarded with media. Emails stuff inboxes at the rate of 200+ per day. Users glance for a nanosecond, with their index finger on the delete-key, rapidly clicking like a teenage video gamer.

It’s vital that your promotional strategy does not depend solely on a few emails. Your message must break through the clutter.

Create a Trip Website

A trip website offers dual benefits – good promotion during the qualifying period and an efficient registration form after winners are announced. A pretty web design can be easy because travel is visually engaging. A microsite serves as a central portal for the schedule, hotel info, activities, rules, and a contact page.

During registration, the online form automates data capture of the winner’s information including guest name, flight departure airport, passport numbers and expiry dates, activity selections, food allergies, and dozens of other preferences. While a microsite provides pull communications, motivational push communications must be sent too.

A clever, attractive theme can go a long way. Use the natural attraction of the travel destination for visual interest. Here’s a quick list of communication recommendations:

Teasers .   Before officially announcing the program, distribute a teaser — something that hints of events to come. It might be a small promotional item or a visually-appealing mailer to pique interest. We recommend one giveaway at kickoff and another at program mid-point to serve as an effective reminder.

Kickoff Announcement.   Custom design a promotional flyer to generate excitement and share high-level details. Promote the trip and direct everyone to the incentive website for full details.

Sales Kickoff.   If you have an SKO (sales kickoff), put together a video or PowerPoint slides. One client rolled in iced buckets of Jamaican Red Stripe beer to announce a Caribbean trip.

Graphical Email.   Create an HTML email template for year-long use.  

Postcards.   Direct mail postcards are making a dramatic comeback. Email marketing is over-saturated with declining open rates and click-through. Mail an inexpensive postcard each quarter. Mail it to their home, and you catch the attention of the family too!

Posters.   18×24 sized posters are super billboards in large offices.

Leaderboards.   Track achievements, promote competition, and give recognition with regularly-updated, online leaderboards. 

Winners’ Kits. Make your qualifiers feel like VIP’s before the trip begins with a themed winner’s kit that has some destination-specific gifts and information on what’s to come. 

High-Touch Logistics

On-site management is key.

While we focus on on-site logistics and hospitality services, it would be a big mistake to overlook the many, many more hours of pre-trip meeting planning. A globe-trotting incentive planner gives valuable advice, manages the hundreds of pre-trip planning details, and guarantees your program goes off without a hitch.

An on-site, travel manager serves as a single point-of-contact, ensuring the highest level of service. The experienced manager will coordinate transportation to the hotel, host the hospitality desk, and supervise support staff and suppliers. Additional “TDs” (Travel Directors) will ensure your winners are treated like VIPs and oversee all functions and activities.

CAUTION!  Be careful when sending internal corporate employees to manage the trip as a perk. Not only will they lack the expertise, but more importantly, if their travel was presented as a perk, they will not want to stay up until midnight waiting for delayed flights, advance breakfast preparation at 6 a.m., or sweat with vendors on event décor setup.

Just how much needs to be managed on-site?

Attendee Flight Arrivals Transportation and Pickups Hotel Room Check-Ins Hosting the Hospitality Desk Food & Beverage Management Arranging Room Drops and Pillow Gifts

Directing Support Staff Security and Emergency Planning Setting Up and Checking Audiovisual Enforcing the Schedule and Itinerary VIP Services for Winners and C-Suite and so much more…

Risk Management

The ultimate responsibility of any meeting planner or incentive travel director is safeguarding the health and safety of their travelers. Incentive travel companies are certified experts in preparing for all possibilities because they’ve seen everything that can impede on your incentive travel plans.

Work with a professional agency to create contingency plans for everything: What if a participant gets sick or hurt onsite? What if transportation breaks down en route to an activity? What about if a weather catastrophe forces a cancellation?

There are seemingly endless questions to ask yourself when preparing ahead of time to   manage your incentive travel program’s risk . Hiring an incentive pro will take the guesswork out of the equation and insure you and your group focus on having an amazing experience rather than worrying about what could go wrong at any moment.

Hire an Incentive Pro

How to hire an incentive travel agency.

If your incentive travel group is larger than 40 people (usually 20 qualifiers and 20 guests), we highly recommend that you hire an incentive travel company to take the reigns and work with you on creating an unforgettable trip.

Take Your Learning to the Next Level

This site is an informational resource for companies starting an incentive trip or looking to improve their trip with new ideas, travel trends, or tips from the experts. If you have any questions or want to discuss program needs, feel free to reach out!

gobrightspot.com

972-661-6000

[email protected]

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The complete guide for incentive trips for employees

What is an incentive trip, what are the benefits of incentive travel for employees, they’re motivated by the opportunity to travel, a chance for rest and improved work-life balance, opportunities to bond with their teams, increased job satisfaction, what are the benefits of incentive travel for organizations, it boosts motivation and productivity, productivity leads to increased sales and profits, employees are likely to stay longer at your company, top-quality candidates are attracted to travel perks, how do you structure an effective incentive travel program, decide on which type of incentive travel program you want to create, sales incentive reward programs, performance-based incentive programs, recognition incentive programs, use an online corporate travel company to help manage your trips, decide how you’ll evaluate the success of incentive trips, ask employees to provide feedback, analyze performance metrics, assess employee engagement, how do you communicate and promote the incentive travel program to employees, make a big initial announcement, create a video about the incentive trip, personalized communication, wrapping up: final tips for implementing successful incentive trip programs.

• Clearly define your trip objectives and align them with your business goals.
• Tailor the incentive trip program to match your business and its needs.
• Use an online travel company to help you plan successful, customized, hassle-free experiences.
• Communicate the program details to generate excitement and participation.
• Regularly evaluate and adjust the program based on feedback and results.

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Corporate Incentive Travel Planners

In this section, we're going to look at a real incentive travel planner job description—as described by a professional; Martin Turner, former Director of Travel, International Travel Group, and former Global Head of Events, Credit Suisse .

Delegate registration, including all pre-event communications confirming travel itineraries, dietary requirements, etc.

Travel Management

Co-ordinating travel arrangements, arrival/departure schedules, etc.

Transportation

Transport co-ordination, inc airport transfers and transfers between different venues/activities throughout the program.

Co-ordinating staff to ensure guests are supervised at every stage of the journey i.e. airport departures/arrivals, transferring to hotels, arrival at hotel, transferring between venues by coach etc.

Hotel Management

Hotel management, inc rooming lists, check-in/hospitality information, arrival times, room drops for welcome packs/gifts, etc.

Venue Management

Venue management, inc main hotel event spaces/banqueting rooms, off-site venues, restaurants, etc.

Food & Beverage Planning

Food and beverage planning, inc hotel banqueting event orders for onsite meals, and catering companies/restaurants for offsite meals.

Supplier Liaison

Liaising with suppliers for offsite activities, entertainment, and excursions .

As incentive travel sits under the umbrella of corporate event/meeting planning, another large aspect of the job includes budget management, contract negotiation, and client account management/reporting. However, unlike a lot of other corporate events, there can also be a great deal of emphasis on the creative elements.

Martin Turner is the former Director of Travel for International Travel Group and Global Head of Events for the investment bank Credit Suisse .

He began his event-planning career in Australia in 1981 and spent 16 years managing international group travel, conferences, meetings, and incentive programs for clients such as Toyota, Pepsi, Xerox, Time Magazine , and American Express.

After moving to the United Kingdom in 1997 he joined global brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide as Senior Logistics Director, before becoming Global Head of Events for Credit Suisse.

Since leaving Credit Suisse, Martin has worked for UBS, Barclays Capital, MJM Creative, and NetJets. Martin also teaches Event Management to Post Graduate students at Birbeck, Kings College, and UCL Institute of Education in London for the Ashdown Academy.

"For incentive travel events, you’re usually pitching a number of destinations to the corporate client, and then they decide which of those is most appealing. You have to attach your creative approach to each of the destinations with the same kind of verve, interest, and excitement—you can’t put all the energy into the one destination that you love.

You start by pitching the entire program, and you might have to give them four or five different destinations as options. This means you’ve got to prepare visuals, storyboards, or PowerPoint presentations for each. Usually, you have to present to a group of people who are making the decisions and, interestingly, with incentive travel—as in other corporate areas—the people who make the decisions are often the ones who have bad taste or don’t know the right direction to go in; so you have to be equally interested in all of them.

Often they’ll say ‘look, we’ve done South Africa, or we’ve done Thailand’ and there’ll be certain destinations, like Cuba or Rio, that maybe they’re quite keen on. Regardless of the destination, what’s vital is that you come up with a phenomenal program for each of the options you’re pitching.”

"You also need to consider how jet lagged they’re going to be. I have a rule of thumb, from experience, that you always have your first night event of any kind—the welcome party—in the hotel. Because if you’ve just flown in, checked into a hotel and unpacked, you do not want to go and get on a bus and go somewhere offsite—you just don’t.

However, that doesn’t mean you can just roll out a bog standard drinks reception in one of the hotel’s function rooms."

Avoid Obvious Choices

"It’s so easy in this business to just accept what suppliers give you, whereas I always want to push people to come up with something better. If I’m planning an opening dinner, I’m always very interested when I go on a site visit, to look at the various spaces within a hotel—to see whether we could have dinner by the pool for example. I absolutely do not want to put people in one of those typical ballrooms—and hotels will always try to do that because it’s the easy option. Please, I’d rather stick a pin in my eye!

I often look at spaces that they have, think about how big my group is and ask myself how special do I want to make it? Is there some sort of space in the hotel that isn’t generally used for events, but that looks really interesting and could be fun to use? Of course, sometimes you have to really twist the hotel’s arm to make things happen that are a little bit different."

Authentic Experiences

"Then you have to come up with activities and excursions for the rest of the program. I like to approach it as, ‘how can you get under the skin of the destination?’ How do you create experiences for people that go beyond the regular tourist experience?

For example, when I was doing a program in Beijing, I took everyone to the Hutong area where they had afternoon tea in real people’s houses, then they went on a tour on bicycles to experience it like people who are living in Beijing would.

That’s something they’re going to come back and talk about at a dinner party. It’s the authentic experiences that make it amazing. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that it means spending lots of money, and it doesn’t."

Simple Experiences Often the Best

"Another example is an incentive program I did for a pharmaceutical company’s top performers who were coming into Australia. They all flew in overnight and because of that we left the first day open for them. I met them all at breakfast; I went around and said to them all, ‘you have the day free today, but would you like me to organize something for you to do?’ They all said yes and so I said, ‘I’ve got something great in mind and I’ll get you back here by three thirty.’

I called the hotel and told them I wanted picnics for everybody, and then I ordered two mini vans and took them all off to a kangaroo wildlife park where they fed kangaroos and koalas. Then I took them for a picnic on Palm Beach, where they film the TV show Home and Away, and we sat under the trees and had lunch. I knew of a secret place up there where we could go and buy big bags of fresh tiger prawns, so they all sat there and peeled and ate them.

These were really rich people with staff, yet they all thought it was wonderful—because often the best experiences are the simple ones that people maybe aren’t used to. It’s not necessarily about spending tons and tons of money."

Authentic Hollywood Experience

"Of course, sometime you do have big budgets and you can really spend, but I still think it’s important to use the budget to create something authentic or unusual.

I once had to create a program for some of Time Warner’s most senior clients; the CEO of Sony and people like that. I had a group of 20 top CEO’s and their wives, with a pretty much unlimited budget to do something in Los Angeles. Everyone was quite sniffy about doing something in Los Angeles at first, like ‘urgh, LA; freeways and smog—boring.’ But I wanted to give them the Hollywood experience they’d never had; something that was really authentic—not the usual cliché Hollywood walk of fame type of thing.

That’s often the problem when you do incentive travel; you work with a local DMC (Destination Management Company) who knows the location, and they’ll just try to offer you the same old thing. Most of them hate me because I don’t want to settle for that. I’ll say ‘I’m sorry we’re going to dig deeper than that and come up with something original.’"

George Clooney, Barbara Eden, and George Hamilton

So, on the first night we did a dinner in the house that was used in the film The Bodyguard , which had just come out. Then the next morning, I arranged for the actress Barbara Eden from I Dream of Jeannie to come and join us for breakfast, then we all went up to her house to play tennis. Later, we did a cigar and whiskey evening with George Hamilton.

On another day, George Clooney hosted us on the set of Batman when they were shooting scenes in Wayne Manor. Then we sent them off to the Hollywood Bowl with picnic baskets by Wolfgang Puck.

On the last night we took over an amazing house up in the Hollywood Hills and I tracked down three Oscar winners—for screenplay, music, and costumes; I knew I wouldn’t be able to get actors—and we sat one winner at each table to tell them wonderful stories about life in Hollywood. We even used their Oscar statues as centerpieces surrounded by flowers.

Adding Creative Touches

"The thing with incentive travel is that you have to be phenomenally creative and come up with programs on a daily basis that are going to wow the audience—because they have been going on these trips for years and they’ve seen it all before.

You’ve got to apply that creativity to every aspect of the experience, from the big picture stuff to the small details. For example, you often have to provide a “turn-down gift” to be left in each guest’s hotel room with a letter explaining the following day’s activity or events. So you have to think about what wild and amazing thing can you do to make this more creative?

I remember doing an incentive program that was in London that had a dead day in the program where they could just spend more time touring the city. But they’d already had the chance to do that anyway, so I said lets lay on a surprise trip.

We just left a Swiss Army knife on everyone’s pillow that night as a turn-down gift. In the morning, we flew them to Geneva, and then helicoptered them on to Zermatt to have lunch up a mountain. They were then helicoptered back to the airport and flown back to London. They left at seven in the morning and were back by seven in the evening, but they’d had a long lazy lunch up in the mountains of Switzerland. Well they loved that!”

I generally always work with a DMC when it’s an international destination, for the simple reason that I believe you’ve got to have local experience and knowledge. If you’re organizing a dine-around at local restaurants, you need to know the reputable places to go—that their health licenses are all good—otherwise you could end up somewhere terrible.

You need to know things like whether your coach transport is insured, or that they have a driver who knows what he’s doing. They also come in handy early on when you’re pitching the initial ideas to your clients, because you’ll need to have several options on hold; you should never pitch something that you can’t give someone. So I tell the DMC to hold things on option for two weeks. I tell them I’ll be presenting to the client on this day, I will let you know what their feedback is, the client will be advised that we’re holding all the destinations, and they have to commit to one of them by this date. The worst thing that you can do is suggest things to a client that you actually can’t deliver. Researching and reserving all the options is a big part of the process early on."

Communications Materials

"The next step is how you communicate the program to the people attending. Again, that comes back to being as creative as you can.

For example, if you’re doing an incentive program to New York you might send out a beautiful box with a big apple in it, accompanied by a scroll outlining the details of the program. There are all sorts of things that you can do to be creative when sending invitations out to people.

Project Plan and Budget

All of this might sound really creative and exciting, but of course, there’s a lot of the job that isn’t very glamorous. Behind all of this, you really need to have done a complete project plan for the entire thing; identifying the deliverables on every single aspect in the program.

Along with that is the finance. You need to be a budget person. You must be able to understand and control budgets—and if you don’t have Excel skills then you have to go out and get them, because you have to do a really good budget.

Personally, I love doing the budgets, but a lot of people don’t like them. I love them because they make me feel safe. Once I know that I’ve accounted for everything in the budget, it becomes a visual checklist, and I know that I actually have everything covered. Once you’ve got everything mapped out in a budget, it gives you the opportunity to go through and examine the details. For example, have you budgeted for water to be on board the transfer coaches from the airport to the hotel, because you are going to a tropical destination and it’s going to be hot?”

"Your DMC can help you book all sorts of things, from coaches to restaurants, and even things like turn-down gifts. Anything you can buy or source locally is the way to go.

If you start trying to take things from your home country to an international destination, you’ve got to get things into the country, you might have customs issues, you have the risk of something getting damaged in transit, or what happens if you suddenly have another three people attending and so you don’t have enough of something? You really want to try to get everything locally with the help of the DMC."

"What I try to do for the simplicity of accounting is to centralize as much billing as possible; so the more of the smaller things that you can purchase through the DMC the better, and that makes your life easier as well.

Of course, in addition to your project plan you then also have to have a payment plan, because if you have monies that are due to all of your suppliers, you have to balance that with when you’re billing your client. You need to have that money coming into your account first; you can’t be carrying the costs for the client.

You’ve also got to make that really clear to your client at the offset and people who have been doing incentive travel for a long time understand that. Often, you are talking about lots of money; some of these programs can run into £1, 2, 3 million depending on whom you are dealing with.

It’s a hugely responsible job, which means you have to pay just as much attention to being a budget person and a strategic planner by putting together a thorough project plan. Being creative is fantastic but it’s absolutely useless if you don’t follow up with all of the other stuff.”

Someone may be assigned to managing the events office to deal with all the calls and messages that come in, because often the number of the event office is publicized to wives, girlfriends, families, assistants, and colleagues and they all phone in with messages that need to be delivered—there’s a whole on-site office that has to be run.

That person might also be coordinating all the turn-down gifts every night—which often happens on an incentive program— because people only deal with information when you give it to them, so you have to drip feed it throughout the program.

So you do that in a turn-down note, often with a little gift, which is delivered to every guest’s hotel room. It’s a hugely responsible job to make sure that all those things get delivered to the right hotel rooms and sometimes you have to send one of your staff to go round with the hotel team to make sure it goes to all the right rooms.

Then sometimes the gifts are personalized, so if a signed copy of a book made out to John gets delivered to the room in which Peter is staying you’ll be screwed, and you can’t trust the hotel staff to get that right."

Food & Beverage

"Another area of the event you might be responsible for is the catering; all the food and beverage in the hotel, or all the offsite catering. Often that’s split between two people because it’s very difficult for one person to do both, because you’re either onsite or offsite.

Entertainment & Activities

The other thing on an incentive program is that you usually have large amount of activities that people sign up to do. It’s a bit like being on a cruise ship, but on land.

Sometimes you’ll have staff that’ll be responsible for nothing else but dealing with the optional program—which might be horse riding one afternoon, then kayaking another

Then there are all the gala dinners and they usually have some form of entertainment, so someone has to be responsible for the talent.

This might involve getting them into the venue, making sure that they get their rooms, that they get fed and have transport arranged to get them home, or that they rehearsed and had time to do a sound check in the room before the guests arrive.

Supplier Management

So while you might be working with a DMC on site, what you don’t do—ever—is relinquish responsibility to the suppliers that you work with. You need to manage them and your expectations, so there’s a huge amount of things to balance on-site.”

Read the pros and cons of being an incentive travel planner by Martin Turner, former Director of Travel, International Travel Group, and former Global Head of Events, Credit Suisse .

• Corporate & Incentive Travel
• Association Conventions & Facilities
• Insurance & Financial Meetings Management
• Destinations
• Perspective

Redefining Extraordinary

Budgeting for life, certifications, continuous connections, aiming for the ‘it’ factor, cyber safety, relax & recharge.

It’s not a secret that amazing, personalized incentive travel programs lead to brand loyalty.

One of the keys to event management is for meeting planners to think long-term in creating solutions to stay within budget. Planners can tap into that same forethought when budgeting and planning in their personal lives, including for their own retirement.

Certifications are diversifying and establishing multidisciplinary event planning practices that offer everything from tradeshow planning to corporate-specific event planning to virtual and hybrid events.

In today’s corporate meeting and event landscape, the use of mobile apps — such as event registration, customized agendas and real-time notifications — is enhancing the way attendees experience events.

Attendees don’t just want to be taken to a luxury beach spot and left alone. They want to experience local customs, local foods and feel welcome.

Whatever type of meeting you have and wherever it’s held, understanding your legal obligations — whether under U.S. law or the laws of the local jurisdiction — should be among your first steps in the planning process.

In an age where technology controls many facets of a business, attention to cybersecurity is becoming paramount as meeting planners recognize how technological breaches can rob corporations and meeting attendees of vital intangible assets.

As the industry and the nation continue to recover from the COVID pandemic and record-breaking inflation while grappling with worldwide turmoil, wellness is crucial.

If you are a planner who likes to think big, Texas has a lot of room for the way you work and play.

What to do, where to stay, what to experience — Greater Miami is a city on the move.

Mexico is an ideal destination for meeting planners and attendees alike,” says Stacy Roberts, senior vice president of operations, for Global DMC Partners.

Vulnerability creates a beautiful meeting ground for authentic human connection. Unfortunately, several factors in today’s world inhibit many people from feeling safe enough to be vulnerable and authentic.

As event organizers, it is our job to make sure that we’re cultivating a place in a space where people feel valued.