One of the largest problems that incentive meetings have is a loss of control over attendees who would rather be at home cleaning their bathrooms. Even participants who enter a business meeting with the best intentions can become bored and restless if equipment is malfunctioning or there are lengthy pauses in the presentation due to an agenda that isn’t working out as planned.

A great way to guarantee quick results at an incentive meeting is to hold your meeting in a venue that offers desirable after-meeting entertainment options that is not available until all work is completed. When your meeting is composed of busy individuals who have other things to do, they will settle down and do their best to complete the work-at-hand in a fast and productive manner.

Combining a structured incentive trip with fun participant activities requires some creative thinking and a calculator. In reality, a business incentive meeting can be held in any appropriately setup conference room that comes complete with reasonably priced comfortable accommodations, food and beverage choices, and an easy-access location that allows for all transportation concerns.

Cruise ships have luxury accommodations, free food, no transportation needs after reaching the point of departure, and conference room facilities that are available with state-of-the-art equipment for passengers to use. These floating hotels also offer quality entertainment options, health spas, room service and activities for traveling family members to enjoy themselves too.

A few quick clicks on the calculator will show you how the price of a cruise meeting will beat the traditional lodging, restaurant, and transportation costs of a business incentive meeting from many locations inside of the United States today. Even with airfares involved to get to the port-of-departure, with many of the vacation industry discounts being offered today, a cruise can be the most economical way to conduct your next business meeting. In fact, a cruise can save you as much as 40 percent over the price of a land based venue, due to the fact that it is all inclusive.

An all inclusive cruise event can save you up to 40% compared to hotel venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.

There are two driving forces behind the push for stay-cations: the current economic crisis and the green movement. As individuals and families are feeling the pressure of financial hardships and increasing numbers of people are committing to lowering the impact their lifestyles have on the environment, the world of vacations and travel is changing. More and more people are opting for cost-effective day excursions or nearby travel destinations that require less transportation and inflict less damage on the environment, while still being filled with fun activities and opportunities to make lasting memories. This new form of vacations is being called stay-cations by some, and companies are beginning to jump on the bandwagon to apply this idea to their incentive travel programs and corporate events.

The benefits for companies that opt for incentive travel destinations and corporate event locations that are nearby include significant cost savings, particularly in regards to transportation costs, and a positive public image that shows a commitment to limiting your company’s carbon footprint. Both of these can be very enticing and are often enough to convince a company to bypass exotic locations and opt for staying close to home. This can certainly help a planner keep things under budget, but it also puts additional pressure on the incentive travel or event planner to come up with an enticing nearby destination and appealing entertainment options that will please participants who may be accustomed to boarding a plane and heading to an exotic locale.

Parallel to an overall cultural shift towards buying local and taking local vacations, many companies are also shifting towards planning meetings closer to their headquarters and forgoing high profile resorts and hotels. There are multiple reasons for meeting locally, as well as a number of benefits that may not be immediately recognizable, but can serve your client companies well. As a meeting planner, you need to be aware of this shift and anticipate the needs of your clients as they take steps to save money and time by moving their meeting locations closer to home.

Opting for more affordable options that offer a good value for their money, including well-equipped meeting facilities, necessary amenities and lower transportation costs, allows companies to hold meetings, complete trainings and achieve their goals while spending less time and money doing so. The time saved by hosting a meeting at a drive-to location allows more time for completing tasks and doing business, and assists companies to stay within their budget during difficult economic times. By selecting smaller, nearby cities that are within driving distance, companies can also significantly lower their travel expenses, making their meetings more cost-effective.

Meeting locally can also offer excellent image management opportunities by showing that the company is supporting local businesses and vendors, particularly if you make it a point to ensure local catering and other services are used whenever possible.