Incentive travel planners may find themselves arranging travel packages for a variety of winners, including some with high salaries and others with more moderate incomes. Because of this, planners must ensure that all of their participants will be able to enjoy their travel awards equally, particularly if staff members at different pay rates will be traveling to the same destination at the same time. Fortunately, there is a very simple, convenient way to accomplish thus that is sure to appeal to all of the participants that receive travel awards: cruises.
Incentive cruises are an excellent option for incentive travel and provide an all-inclusive travel package that will allow each of your winners to fully enjoy their travel incentive, regardless of their personal budget. With included meals and snacks, complimentary room service, first-run movies at no charge, use of fitness facilities at no additional cost, free onboard activities, nightly entertainment and duty-free shopping, travelers at all income levels will find incentive travel cruises an appealing, enjoyable experience.
Opting for incentive cruises also provides additional benefits to the incentive travel planner and the company paying for the travel awards. As a cost-effective option that is simple to organize and sure to encourage employees to perform, cruises are an ideal choice when it comes to planning incentive travel.
You do not have to make every meal a stylishly themed function when planning your next corporate meeting or incentive travel package, but there should always be at least one fun food function, and possibly more. Of course, creating a memorable meal takes more time, effort and money, but it is well worth it to ensure that your attendees will be talking about your event for months or years to come.
Even if you are working with a slim budget, or have many other planning components that require your focus, you can plan a themed function with ease and for less by working with your venue using these three tips:
The simple answer is yes and no. Of course, you already know that you do not have to be certified to enter the field of meeting and incentive travel planning. While some employers might require a certification in order to qualify for positions with that particular firm, there are plenty of uncertified incentive travel and meeting planners doing quite well in the industry. That being said, industry certifications are almost always a good idea, regardless of your field. Meeting planning is no different.
When you become certified, you will receive recognition of your skills and professionalism from your peers and the meeting and incentive travel planning industry, and will also enhance the first impression potential clients receive when you hand them your business card or they visit your website. People love to see letters after any professionals name when they are considering procuring their services. This alone could be reason enough to seek certification. On top of increased recognition and an improved perception of your abilities, industry research carried out by Meeting Professionals International shows that certified planners earn more than their uncertified counterparts.
Industry certifications include:
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) offered through the Convention Industry Council • Global Certification for Meeting Management (CMM) offered by Meeting Professionals International • Certified Incentive Travel Executive (CITE) offered by the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives • Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) offered by the International Special Events Society • Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP) offered by the Association of Destination Management Executives • Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) offered by the Destination Marketing Association International
Luxury hotels offer upscale temporary accommodations, meeting rooms and close proximity to business centers and local attractions, but for smaller groups of attendees there are also other viable options that provide an enhanced travel experience and can save money for the host company. Opting for private accommodations can cost less than reserving multiple rooms and meeting spaces in high-end hotels and can offer many added benefits, such as private pools and hot tubs, fully-furnished kitchens, well-equipped meeting rooms, private parking, and even well-stocked game rooms.
Luxury villas, chalets or castles are unique lodging options that are ideal for small- to mid-sized meetings, executive retreats and incentive travel, and many choices are located near important centers of global business in England, Germany, Japan, South Africa or various locations through the United States. With stylish, upscale décor, comfortable private rooms with en-suite lavatories and desirable urban or rural locations, private villas and castles allow attendees to relax in the lap of luxury and avoid crowded, tourist-packed hotels during their stay.
Private accommodation options are also ideal for entertaining business partners or local clients between meetings and provide a more relaxed, comfortable atmosphere for doing business. The next time you are planning a corporate meeting or incentive travel package, consider offering unique private accommodation options that provide affordable luxury and exceptional privacy.
Without a doubt the word “green” has taken on new meaning over the last 20 years, and everyone is concerned about it. There is even a lot of talk about environmentally friendly green meetings, and at some point you as a meeting planner are going to come face to face with some very specific client concerns about this issue. Here are some things to think about when planning a green business meeting or event.
Green Hotels
Hotels are becoming more energy conscious, and many new hotel buildings are LEEDS certified. From solar panels and recycled/recyclable materials to geothermal and wind power, hotels are looking for ways to become more energy–and cost–efficient. In fact, many of them will help meeting planners find ways to make your meeting or event more environmentally responsible. Some hotels even have cost-effective organic food offerings, as well as a no-phone book policy.
Green Incentive Destinations
If you and/or your clients are concerned about the environmental impact of incentive travel, think about keeping your events closer to home. Of course, your participants may like to do special non-event activities, but every area has something special about it to appeal to almost everyone. If you can’t find an appropriate venue locally, think about finding travel options that are environmentally friendly and use mass transit when possible.
Of course, there are other things you can do that would warrant a blog all by themselves. Going paperless is one idea, and there are many ways to approach this idea. Recycling on a major scale for large events is a critical part of green meetings. Avoid products that use plastic, shun disposables, and take advantage of local products. You can probably find many other smaller ways yourself that will add up and give your meeting the green stamp of approval.
Source: TheMeetingPlannersGuide.com
Cruising can provide an excellent travel perspective to incentive winners. An incentive cruise offers a variety of ships from which to choose, and luxury amenities such as spas, gourmet dining and sports facilities, in addition to meeting rooms.
Planners will appreciate the pricing structure, as well. Cruise meetings typically offer a savings of as much as 40 percent over land based hotel venues, since everything is included in one price.
Incentive travel buyers may choose one of three cruising options:
All inclusive pricing allows incentive buyers to get more for their budget on sea than on land, thanks to the all inclusive aspect of cruising.
Seasite.com, the first online group cruise planning portal, allows planners capitalize on the value of cruise meetings and incentives. Cruising can slash the cost of land based venues by 25-40%, allowing planners to persevere with today’s shrinking budgets. Why not make your next corporate incentive event a meeting-at-sea ? Take a look at Seasite.com today!
People all over the world are struggling with the effects of the recession. It has hit the United States pretty hard and many people are just grateful to have a job. Incentive travel is a good means to lift the spirits of your staff and keep them motivated to do more locally and globally.
Many corporations select a charity and sponsor various events to raise money or supplies for their cause. This could be through employee blood donations or food donations or outright monetary gifts. Philanthropic gestures can be combined with incentive travel. Exotic locations offer the opportunity for tourists to help the local economy in personal and significant ways.
Philanthropic travel can be part of a team building exercise. Designating an afternoon during an incentive trip to get involved with a local charity just makes people feel better about themselves, creating a special bond between visitors and locals. Offering a local organization a “hands-on” rather than a hand-out is a show of respect for their efforts and leaves their dignity intact.
Try matching a local cause with one at your travel destination. For example, hunger is a world wide concern. The team that volunteers with a soup kitchen away from home returns more compassionate and wiser than when they left home.
Corporations are working on motivating their personnel through incentive reward programs. They appreciate the significance of incentive travel trips such as a cruise meeeting to improve the morale of their staff. Hitting the high seas for an adventure on a luxury cruise liner is becoming a well-liked corporate getaway.
Putting together a corporate event such as a conference or a business meeting at sea makes a lot of sense, especially when it comes to getting the greatest value from the investments.
Employee retention is a critical issue for corporations. Establishing a good rapport with your employees and keeping them happy is valuable for the continuous flow of business. Accordingly planning incentive travel rewards becomes a priority. An exciting cruise is guaranteed to keep your staff happy as nothing soothes, heals, and inspires like the sea.
The allure of the sea and the comforts of a luxury cruise ship are sure to motivate your valued employees.
An all-inclusive incentive cruise is a great choice for corporate events. A cruise offers the following advantages:
- An agreeable environment to bond and network with business associates – An exotic variety of dishes for you to relish – A completely unconventional and exciting ambiance on the move, filled with delightful surprises. – Having meetings on ships fosters camaraderie as most meetings, dining and social events take place on premises – Today?s ships offer meeting facilities and conference rooms that rival those of land-based resorts – Meeting and conference room facilities and AV equipment are usually included in the fare (as opposed to land-based programs, which usually charge extra) – With the increasing scrutiny from accounting departments or investors, many companies have been cutting back on their incentive programs at a time when morale is even more important, but a cruise program allows them to provide more value for much less.
A cruise can also be employed as a training venue for your employees who will definitely enjoy the exceptional setting. The days of strict education inside a training room are rapidly being replaced by inspired venues such as cruise ships, much to the delight of employees.
Cruise ships are well equipped when it comes to holding corporate events, satisfying the demands of the most stringent client. The best news is that these ships are easy on your budget, compared to other conventional conference venues.
Any employees who are accompanied by their families have less concern over what their spouses and children will be up to while they are in a meeting. A cruise ship provides a lot of entertainment to keep everyone busy and happy.
Another fantastic thing about a cruise is the chance to experience several destinations as you cruise along.
It’s hard to invoke the word Paris without conjuring up images of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or the Champs-Élysées. Lovers may prefer Paris in the spring, but fall brings on a feeling of its own in France’s most renowned city, and it is a good choice for business incentive travel.
If your client’s tastes lends toward fine dining, wine, or designer clothes Paris is a perfect fit. September 30 through October 8 is International ready to wear fashion week that culminates in an elegant fashion show. In October the annual grape festival at Montmartre honors the fruit of the vine in all its many forms. Many great chefs believe Paris to be home to the greatest dining experiences to be had anywhere and certainly fine cuisine is available all year long.
If sporting events are of more interest, the Tennis Masters Series might catch your eye. Held in November, the competition, also known as the Paris Open, draws crowds from across the globe. On a more whimsical note, there is another athletic event held in Paris during the autumn months.
Every fall waiters from all over Paris cluster in front of the Hôtel de Ville, balancing heavy trays of water bottles and glasses. The Course de Garçons de Café is wonderful comic relief for anyone who has been at the mercy of a Parisian waiter.
The last blog about inspiring employees with incentive travel was a synopsis of Fay Beauchine’s philosophy on getting more out of the average producer by rewarding top producers. That is only part of the story, however–the rest of the story lies with you.
To illustrate your role fully, let’s assume your client is sold on incentive travel for her top producer, and after your research into his background and hobbies, you decide that he might like a trip to Cancun. This is great since travel to Cancun is cheap due to crime waves (which don’t even affect that area) and the long-gone h1n1 flu.
While this may inspire others who would like to go to Cancun, it may not inspire everyone. Remember that you are trying to get more out of many people, not just the one getting the reward. You need to work with your client along these lines to see what would light the proverbial fire under the greatest number of backsides.
You should seriously consider working with the client to create several different options. These are options that everyone will find out about. Although you probably know that your top producer is going to pick the week in Cancun over the trip to Paris or United Kingdom, you also know the woman who plays Irish fiddle for a hobby is watching, as is the man who collects World War II memorabilia.
Know all the people you’re trying to impress and you will help your client get much better results out of everyone on her staff next year.
