Many believe that the economic meltdown of the late 2000s will forever change business, or at least make businesses more frugal during our lifetime. This is likely to be true for many industries, but some industries such as the travel industry rely heavily on the free-spending big budgets of other companies and organizations. This could be good news for meeting and event planners. Here’s why:

• With the travel industry being more hard hit than most other industries, it is possible to get some truly amazing deals by leveraging that fact. Some deals are even unreasonably good as businesses are willing to take a small loss over a big loss to keep the doors open another season and see what happens. Take advantage while you can.
• Customer service and choices have both gotten a little bit better, but only so long as they are a known demand. The travel industry has had to let a lot of talent go, and that means that customer service is stretched thin. Some accept this along with budget prices, but that does not have to be the case. Let the management know that you expect quality service at any price and chances are good that you will get it and more.
• Some of that talent may also make for excellent meeting and/or event planners. Especially the venerable hotel or cruise line concierge. These people know how to plan meetings/events, leverage industry knowledge, and may even have contacts that will prove valuable.

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.

You have just returned from a trip to Fiji. You have to check your email of course and surf the net to relax. Suddenly, the ads that you see in your Yahoo mailbox, on MSN, and on Amazon are all about hotels, air travel, and Fiji. Is that just a coincidence? Of course not. It is the result of a specific type of marketing known as behavioral advertising.

Behavioral advertising is an effective way to match consumer-buying patterns with their online browsing patterns. It works like this: the information gathered through Internet data is sold to companies that express interest in a specific segment of consumer online browsing. What is not sold includes names, addresses, or credit card numbers.

In the travel industry the scenario would be more like this: Joe Traveler booked a flight to Australia, he traveled first class, and requested a rental car at the airport. The company buying the information would not know Joe’s name simply that someone using his computer booked that flight and needed a rental.

Expedia admits to using behavioral advertising and calls its program PassportAds. The program is a bit controversial. Proponents argue that no personal identification information is given out so it’s harmless to consumers. Opponents insist that consumers are not well informed about this practice and they may object to it after full disclosure. Where do you stand on this interesting method of advertising?

There has been a lot of talk of government restrictions on corporate travel. Frivolous expenditures in other departments has brought meeting travel under scrutiny. However, if planners study the guidelines and make the government a partner instead of an adversary, they can make the recession work in their favor.

First, Look at the Bright Side

No one likes a perennial Pollyanna, but if you look at the positive things the guidelines will do it can help you work your way into a special place in the companies you serve. It will make you a better planner. When you talk to your clients your voice will have a new spirit of confidence. You will have ready solution for their problems. You will be able to give them more value. Read the rest of this entry »