Incentive travel can be quite successful for companies if it is used and planned responsibly. One of the greatest misconceptions about incentive travel is that it is used to reward “good” work. Fortunately, most competent and conscientious adults do not require incentives to simply do their job and do it well. Incentives, if used properly, can induce more than good work in employees. It can actually foster new behavior, which can help a company rise above and beyond their current levels of productivity. Of course, travel incentives must be something in which employees will be interested, and that is why companies should consider cruise events as travel incentives.

A ship charter can provide a completely different environment that may be conducive to creative thinking. Instead of mulling over old ideas and rehashing failed plans, an incentive cruise may be just what employees need to get a fresh perspective. A fresh perspective can lead to the new behavior that companies need and cherish. Meetings at sea could open a world of possibilities as employees explore exotic destinations and escape the daily grind. Seeing the world with new eyes on an incentive cruise, employees may gain a sense of understanding they did not have beforehand.

The sad truth is that most workers do not actually throw themselves into their work these days, and many only hold on to their job because it is inconvenient or difficult to replace them. This is the situation in many businesses simply because they lack a meeting planner that knows how to turn meetings into the bright spot of any day. Here’s how:

Make meetings more interactive – Most people hate being ignored. Try to insure that everyone is listened to at a meeting by including time for each department to comment on various proposals or ideas.

Set aside time for brainstorming – If ideas are needed, then let those ideas be generated in an open environment free of critique and negativity. Nobody likes having their ideas shot down, and nobody knows when a sub-par idea will inspire someone else to come up with a good idea.

Offer small rewards for participation – Even things as silly as branded pens or a USB memory key can substantially impact how participants feel about a meeting. Never overlook the opportunity to build morale and loyalty with branded products bought at bulk prices.

Remember that loyalty is something that can spread just as easily as a bad attitude. A good meeting planner can kill the latter with the former simply by planning meetings well.

Whether you are planning a day-long corporate event or an event that takes place over a number of days, you will more than likely be asked to schedule some sort of entertainment into the itinerary. In the case of multi-day events, you will need to consider activities and entertainment options for several different time slots, since naturally there will be downtime between meetings or at the end of the day. While scheduling organized outings, entertainers, social functions or other entertainment options will certainly be necessary, you may want to consider interspersing planned activities and free time during periods of downtime throughout your event.

There are a number of advantages associated with designating certain days or evenings as free time to allow the attendees to plan their own activities. The most obvious and significant advantage is the money that will be saved, followed closely by the fact that allowing for free time means fewer events for you to plan, which makes your job easier. Experiencing significant cost savings and having less planning to do is reason enough to schedule in free time; however, there are also additional benefits of opting for self-styled entertainment options.

Scheduling in free time is sure to please attendees who would rather explore the city, go out for a drink or retreat to their rooms after a long day of meetings. It also allows you to avoid risking folks not showing up due to lack of appeal or simply being too tired after the day’s activities.

As an event or meeting planner that works with a variety of clients, you are bound to come across some who are more difficult to please or with whom you simply have a personality conflict. This can be a frustrating experience for both you and the client, but handling these situations with style, class and grace will assist you in getting through the planning process and will help you keep your good name and reputation, regardless of your client’s behavior or demands.

The most important thing to remember is that communication is the key component in any business relationship and that conflicts often occur due to miscommunication or a breakdown in communication. Knowing this, you can often avoid problems by implementing appropriate, thorough communication right from the start. Of course, this will not always resolve issues immediately, but it can diffuse many sticky situations and, if nothing else, will ensure that you did your part in maintaining your professionalism and attempting to meet your client’s needs.

It is also important to remember that, as long as you are completing your responsibilities properly and in a timely fashion, you are holding up your end of the bargain and are maintaining your professional integrity. In order to help you get through the planning process without going crazy, it is also helpful to keep in mind that this is your business and you choose who you do business with. Once you get through this particular job, you can always choose to not work with this particular client in the future.

Whether you run your own meeting planning company or are a meeting planning professional employed by a major corporation, self-promotion should be considered an integral part of your job. Many meeting planners avoid self-promotion for one reason or another, but if you do not have the confidence in your skills and the motivation to get out there and get your name known, others will likely pick up on this and may not have complete confidence in your meeting planning skills.

Self-promotion is, of course, absolutely imperative for self-employed meeting planners and is a key component in landing new clients and sparking interest in your services. Making yourself available as a speaker, writing articles for trade publications, maintaining a blog and billing yourself as an expert are all excellent forms of self-promotion that will increase awareness of your meeting planning services and will instill confidence in potential clients considering using you for their meeting planning needs.

For planners currently working for corporations or non-profit organizations, self-promotion is also important. Participating in the abovementioned activities, such as blogging about event and meeting planning, offering your expertise to partner organizations or writing articles, can increase exposure for your current employer, while also positioning you for stepping out on your own at some point or increasing your marketability to potential future employers.

While determining if alcohol will be a part of your event, there is one important occasion that is often overlooked: champagne toasts. Even clients who want no other alcohol served during the duration of their event may want a champagne toast to celebrate meeting their sales goals, welcome a new CEO or simply to congratulate their employees on a job well done throughout the year. Champagne toasts are very common, and even expected, if there is any sort of celebratory air to an event. Being easy to organize and affordable to plan, a simple champagne toast may seem like something that requires no additional thought, but meeting planners can sometimes overlook an important aspect of planning a successful toast that all attendees can enjoy.

This often overlooked component is the touchy situation that can arise when there are non-drinkers in the room. For starters, no one should be left out or made to feel uncomfortable during a toast. Therefore, it is imperative that a non-alcoholic alternative, such as sparkling cider, is readily available and is served alongside the champagne – avoiding putting an attendee in a situation where they must ask if there is a non-alcoholic option. Whether they are in recovery, adhere to religious convictions or cultural mores that forbid drinking, or simply choose to not indulge, the passing out of beverages prior to the toast should be a seamless process where no one will even notice which selection each attendee chooses.

When planning meetings and events, the venue is often the first selection made in the planning process. Selecting the right venue that has the amenities and meeting rooms to meet your clients’ needs is paramount to a successful event and must be determined before other aspects of the meeting can be planned. Due to the importance of meeting venues to your event planning process, using the same venues on a regular basis and developing long-term relationships with your contacts at these meeting venues will make your job easier, will ensure that your client receives topnotch service and can save money.

When you use the same venues regularly you will become familiar with exactly what they offer, will know what to expect and will benefit from venue staff being able to anticipate your needs. You can also receive discounts for booking multiple meetings and may even get priority for popular dates. When you build relationships with meeting venue staff, you will also naturally begin to build relationships with local vendors and will likely get tips from the staff on which vendors provide exceptional service or great prices. When you can call a local caterer and tell them that you were referred by your contact at a local hotel with which they often do business, you are much more likely to get a great price and great service, making your job easier and helping you keep your clients happy.

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 »