When companies contact a meeting planner to assist them with incentive travel, there are several things that the meeting planner must know to ensure a successful trip. Many times, the company has not even considered some of the most basic elements that the meeting planner needs to plan incentive travel. In order to plan an incentive program that will right for the company, the company and the meeting planner need to know the ultimate goals of the incentive travel as well as the company budget. Companies usually have an idea of their budget, but concrete goals are sometimes lacking. Knowing these goals will be essential to incentive travel planning. Once these crucial details are determined, a meeting planner can begin designing and preparing an incentive travel itinerary.
After goals and budget have been established, a meeting planner will make a recommendation regarding the location of the event. Once the location has been approved and confirmed, a meeting planner will be responsible for negotiating a competitive travel package for the company. When a satisfactory package has been secured, a meeting planner will then begin planning events based on the company's incentive travel goals. A meeting planner will assist the company in facilitating all aspects of the trip.
It is no surprise that employees are motivated to work harder, increase sales and productivity, and improve their performance when they know that their efforts will be rewarded. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and to know that their hard work does not go unnoticed, which is why it is so important for all companies to implement some type of employee appreciation or incentive program. Some companies offer merit raises, performance-based bonuses or branded merchandise as prizes, while others choose gift cards or cash awards. While each of these options has its own particular appeal, incentive travel truly is the best, most effective choice that is often much more appealing to employees.
Here are five reasons your company should choose incentive travel to motivate your employees: 1. Incentive travel – whether it is a two-week European adventure or a weekend trip to a nearby ski resort – is far more memorable than other incentive options and will have a longer lasting positive effect. 2. Cash and gift cards are nice, but incentive travel provides your employees with the opportunity to actually have new experiences and enrich their lives. 3. Depending on your industry and pay scale, the incentive travel you offer might actually be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your employees. 4. Incentive travel, such as incentive cruises, is generally perceived to have a much higher value than the actual cost to your company. 5. Offering incentive travel is much more personal than handing out gift cards or branded merchandise and is a more meaningful expression of your appreciation.
When you are looking for destination options for your next incentive travel program, you may want to consider adventure travel. Adventure travel has taken the travel industry by storm and is a hot trend among families, couples, groups of friends and companies looking for exciting team building, incentive travel or executive retreat options.
Examples of adventure travel include:
• Mountain climbing • Rock climbing • Trekking across the desert on camels • Cave exploration • SCUBA diving • Going on a safari • Spending a week or a weekend at a dude ranch • Storm chasing • Backpacking • Camping • Exploring ancient ruins in a rainforest
There are many reasons to consider adventure travel for your incentive travel winners, including offering a unique vacation experience that they may never otherwise have the chance to experience. One additional reason why more companies are opting for adventure travel is that most options include an underlying team building component. This makes this type of travel beneficial to both the employees and the company overall, making it a more enticing option.
If you decide to opt for adventure travel as a reward for your company’s incentive program, always keep in mind that it is extremely important to choose options where everyone can participate. Low-key adventure travel, such as whale watching or bird watching is not as physically demanding as other options and may be a good choice for some companies.
Successful incentive programs will not only increase company profits but can also raise morale and inspire employee loyalty. Your ideal incentive program should include both of the following features:
Recognition of a well-done job creates greater autonomy, increases visibility within your organization, and showcases success.
"There are two things people want more than sex and money… recognition and praise." – Mary Kay Ash, Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics
"People want to feel what they do makes a difference." – Frances Hesselbein, President, The Drucker Foundation
Top recognition incentive programs to motivate staff include rewards of money or travel. People love to travel to destinations that are different from their own environment. Trips to exotic destinations such as Hawaii or an incentive cruise to interesting ports of call are among the most popular incentives.
The answer: You have to know who your end user is–for writers it’s the reader and for planners it’s your traveler, not the CEO who requests the trip.
Although this is easier said than done in some cases, it is a critical step to successful incentive planning. Although many planners just cover this by offering choices, there may be a time when you can’t do that for any number of reasons. Here are some ways to get to know your travelers.
The best way to understand those for whom you will be planning this trip is just to ask. Today it seems people don’t like to do this. The world in general gets more like a jungle every day, where survival of the fittest sometimes means just looking like you’re the fittest. Is it any wonder people are not willing to ask questions when not knowing is sometimes viewed as a sign of weakness? Read the rest of this entry »
Did you know that engaged employees perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave an organization? Unfortunately, reports indicate that as few as 6% of the total workforce are highly engaged.
If you are thinking about how to reward employees, it is essential to remember that each individual employee has their own preferences and motivations. Many companies fail to realize full employee potential because they underestimate the level of sophistication needed to design a comprehensive incentive program.
Meeting planners who design incentive solutions with individuals in mind will find themselves ahead of the competition. When employees are truly engaged, individual and corporate values will be joined and everyone will benefit.
An incentive travel program is just what corporate groups need to keep their staff happy and motivated for future work. Any employee who works hard feels the need to get appreciated. Other than giving away corporate gifts and awards, incentive travel programs are excellent ways to show employee appreciation. All employees may not like a corporate gift, not knowing what to do with it, but they will definitely like an incentive travel trip sponsored by the company. After all who does not want to travel to exotic locations and have a great time, with all expenses being taken care of by someone else!
The great news for event planners is that these days companies are not hesitating to send their employees on an all-expense paid trip as part of an incentive program. All these incentive trips need to be organized and supervised by someone and that’s where the event planner comes into the picture. Read the rest of this entry »
Incentive travel programs are one way corporations reward star employees. One of the best things about being a corporate meeting planner is the added perk of incentive business trips. If you are wondering how to plan a corporate incentive trip, it is not all that difficult. These days there are so many options available for business travel destinations that you could be hard pressed to decide on one.
In fact studies have found that incentive travel programs are one of the main attractions of event planning jobs- it is one of the main reasons why most people opt for careers in event planning and stick to it.
If you are not familiar with what an incentive program is, the answer is quite simple- an incentive program is an all expense paid trip for a group of corporate individuals as a bonus for excelling in the work force. For example, a food processing company could offer an incentive travel program to its sales staff for meeting desired goals. This is a great way to motivate employees and ensure that they retain their interest in the work, looking forward to more of such trips. Read the rest of this entry »
