Even if the money is available for corporate travel incentives such as ship charters, this type of travel may simply not be feasible for one reason or another. Oftentimes, trips are complicated to plan due to scheduling conflicts. However, businesses must still hold essential meetings with their employees on an annual, semi-annual, or quarterly basis. To make these meetings more enjoyable and memorable, businesses may want to consider other types of incentives. When the travel itself or the location of the meeting is not necessarily an incentive, there are other ways that businesses can motivate employees and show their appreciation.

Favors can make excellent incentives. As a rule, incentives given to employees at meetings should somehow relate to the task at hand. The majority of items distributed as incentives should be useful and relevant to the meeting. A few of the incentive items should be things that will simply make the employees or meeting participants happy. For example, coupons or vouchers for free coffee or dessert at a local coffee shop is a great way to make employees feel appreciated. Other types of incentive products that are well-received include things such as pens, notebooks, coffee mugs, and shirts. These items should be branded with the business' corporate logo.

Meeting and event planning this year has been a challenge, due to the low or nearly non-existent budgets. With many corporations in saving mode, it comes as no great surprise that the event planning industry too has cut down heavily on unnecessary expenditure. The days of extravagant meals and rich cuisine have been replaced by a much more economical plate full of health-conscious food that causes less heart burn- both physically and fiscally.

Event planners are no longer focused on the status of a banquet rich with off season fruits or vegetables flown in from exotic countries. The new idea is to simply get it right, and get it right on the lowest cost. However, don’t get it wrong – cost cutting does not have to equate to low grade or below average. In fact the new concept of serving food at meetings and events never looked so healthy before. A platter full of assorted meals that are beautifully presented is what you are looking for. The food menu in most events these days might be missing some of the excessively rich dishes that were offered in previous years, however it tastes just as good.

Thanks to the smart work of some intelligent event caterers, a whole new look has been introduced to food items in corporate events. Eating smart and spending smart seems to be the new motto of the event planning industry in the midst of an economic crisis. A good example of one of these innovative event meals is a beautiful set of small sized glasses neatly arranged in a row with small servings of dessert in them. This is definitely not “just” cost cutting, it is indeed “stylish” cost cutting that rather pleases the eye. This concept of serving healthy and economical food is also good for the environment as food does not go waste. A few years back, event meals used to be so lavish and extravagant that half of the food would go wasted.

Fortunately, these days most corporate groups are realizing the value of food, encouraging event meals that are high on nutrition and low on costs. The modern consumer has also turned health conscious and avoids eating too many meals in conferences and other kinds of corporate events. Healthy meals offered in small quantities seem to be gaining popular ground in the event planning industry.

These are all things to consider when planning your upcoming holiday events.