Meetings themselves can be incentives, especially when they are held in exotic locations or on group cruise events, but that is not always practical for run of the mill meetings. There are other ways to make average meetings a bit more interesting than they have been in the past with proper incentives. These same ideas have proven to be very popular in meetings that are non-compulsory as well. Here are three ideas for anyone looking into ways to liven meetings up:

Favors or gifts – inexpensive gifts or favors are a great way to keep participants happy and on-task. These favors should probably be a combination of useful items that relate to the meeting or business in general along with one or two gifts that simply make participants happy. Vouchers for coffees at the local coffee shop are great examples as they are inexpensive and appreciated.

Branded products – Pens, notebooks, USB memory keys, shirts, caps, coffee mugs, and other items that are stamped with the corporate logo make for great ways to liven a meeting up and add morale to a room. Consider offering on or two very special branded products to those who perform the best or meet some special criteria.

Offer something tangible – One reason that many people do not like meetings is that many meetings go nowhere. Offer tangible results and check back in on those results and see how the mood can liven when those who are frustrated now feel engaged.

Some businesses have only thought about incentive planning, but others have fully realized just how effective incentives can be. One common myth that holds some businesses back from presented incentives of any kinds is age old: those who do not receive the incentive will become less productive. While there may be some truth to that in very specific cases, smart planning can ensure that this never happens. Here’s how:

Big incentives for a few, small incentives for everyone – Not everyone can get to go on the company incentive cruise and rub shoulders with the top brass. That does not mean that other workers should go unrewarded; smaller gifts such as $5 to $20 gift cards given out on a frequent basis are inexpensive ways to increased productivity and boost morale.

A kind word – While some people might think that a kind word is an empty gesture, try giving the kind word out in the form of a positive moniker at a meeting and watch the results. If Kathy from accounts payable has not missed a single day of work all quarter, call her out to take a bow and let it be known that she seems impervious to the flu. If this is handled properly, nobody will be calling in sick when they are not truly sick for a while because they also would like to be publicly praised.

If you have the position of coming up with incentive ideas, one thing to keep in mind is that many people are being more concerned about the environmental impact of travel. This is especially true of younger employees who earn rewards from their companies. Here are some travel ideas that may help you present the best possible package.

Eco-Conscious Regions

First, travel to eco-conscious regions is always a plus. Costa Rice is a big favorite. It has more variety in its indigenous life than any other place on earth of the same size. It is also proud of its eco-conscious image: its motto is “No Artificial Ingredients.” How can you go wrong?

You can go wrong with places like that by providing unfriendly travel. Make sure the you present your client with travel and accommodation options with the smallest impact on the area.

Even though you can rent cars in Costa Rica, find top-notch resorts and restaurants, you might give another option to you client’s employee. Offer the option of having all portions of the trip be eco-friendly (even though it cannot, admittedly, be zero impact) and all the food options be low impact.

Once you have a good idea for a destination, contact their tourist board to find the best options for the best prices. If you have a meeting planner buddy in that country, contact her as well for the inside scoop.

All of this may take you a little longer than usual, but you make a big splash with the client and help ensure a good ROI.