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• January 3, 2024
• Team Building

Post: Employee Incentive Travel Programs

Employee motivation is a cornerstone in the overall performance of any organization. Besides monetary compensation, it has been proven that employees respond positively to the added benefits that their workplace brings them. That’s why many organizations are adopting Employee Incentive Travel (EIT) Programs to keep the spirits up. How do you design an incentive travel program? Why should organizations consider the option? What are the benefits of a travel incentive program? These are some of the questions we will cover in this article.

What is an Employee Incentive Travel Program?

An Employee Incentive Travel Program is a recognition program for rewarding exceptional employees with an all-expenses-paid trip to their favorite destination. The essence of the travel incentive program is to reward high-performing employees and motivate the rest to reach the desired standards. 

Some organizations also offer these incentive programs to employees for their loyalty and years of service. 

Benefits of the Travel Incentive Programs

Incentive travel has many benefits, mainly impacting the company’s overall performance. According to Forbes , employee recognition is vital to improve performance and work ethics. Besides improving overall morale, employee appreciation makes them feel they’re part of the company, creating a hospitable working environment that boosts productivity. Here are some common benefits of incentive travel Programs:

Increases Employee Engagement and Motivation

A travel incentive program helps improve focus and motivation, with employees knowing they can earn a well-deserved vacation based on their performance. It creates a serene environment that boosts engagement, with every worker performing at their best. 

Improves Satisfaction and Morale

Job satisfaction is critical to employees’ performance and work ethics. Having something positive to look forward to improves the workers’ morale, which reflects on their performance. A company can reach its objectives and desired goals promptly when everyone executes their roles as required. 

Increases Brand Loyalty

In a world where many workers feel unappreciated and undervalued, brand loyalty is becoming a rare virtue. However, introducing a travel incentive program could counter this feeling by creating a positive workplace culture of inclusivity. Employees tend to be loyal to a brand that appreciates them, with some even bringing in new clients. 

Strengthening Team Relationships

Besides being a getaway, corporate incentive travel programs may also act as a team-building exercise that helps create and strengthen worker bonds. Vacationing together and experiencing new things establishes long-lasting relationships between colleagues, translating to a positive working environment. 

How do You Design an Effective Employee Incentive Travel Program?

Any effective workplace policy should consider inclusivity and fairness when creating it. The same applies to designing an incentive travel program. As a rule of thumb, you should clarify what employees need to do to earn a spot. You could use a point-based system, where workers earn points for every workplace achievement. 

Choosing a preferred destination also boosts morale and motivation. Although a tropical destination is ideal, always consider employees’ needs and interests when picking a spot. 

Make it clear whether the program applies company-wide or targets specific departments. Picking a target audience also helps to tailor the program to their specific needs. In most cases, many companies have multi-department incentive programs to boost morale and motivation. 

It’s proven that having a company-wide incentive program might discourage some from participating due to the increased competition. However, targeting departments narrows down the competition, making everyone believe they can win. 

A budget is also crucial as it determines the destination and the overall experience. Budgeting in advance allows for determining the trip’s length and the activities included. 

Planning for logistics, like accommodation, traveling plans, activities, and meals in advance eliminates the pressure of last-minute cancellation. Only work with the best incentive travel program logistics agency. 

Types of the Incentive Travel Programs

Corporate incentive travel programs take different forms depending on the company’s goals and objectives. However, here are some common incentive travel programs found in many organizations today:

Performance-based Incentive Travel Programs

Every company has predefined performance metrics and awards this program to high-performing employees or teams. Some objectives include meeting project milestones, achieving sales targets, or surpassing key performance indicators (KPIs). It is the most common incentive trip in many organizations. 

New Product Launch Incentive Travel

Companies are known to launch new products regularly and offer this program to a team that helps to launch the product successfully. Market impact is crucial to any new product launch, and motivating employees responsible for this throughout the entire process translates to a successful project.

Sales Incentive Travel Programs

The program is commonly offered to outstanding sales teams and individuals in sales-driven companies for reaching or exceeding the pre-determined sales quotas. The travel incentives might include taking a holiday to a desired destination, staying in a luxury hotel, fine dining, or spa treatments, depending on the company’s budget. Sales incentive trips are usually recommended to motivate employees and achieve desired goals.

Customer Service Incentive Trips

Customer service employees might receive these incentive rewards for their outstanding work helping clients with queries or technical problems. The employee with the most positive client feedback receives the incentive trips, which might include water sports activities or theme park tickets. Doing so improves the customer service department, which helps to retain clients and even get referrals for outstanding work. An all-expenses paid trip eliminates the poor customer service record as everyone is focused on the travel incentives for top-performing employees.

Years of Service Incentive Travel

By offering work anniversary incentives , companies can show employees who have been committed to the company for many years. It’s meant to recognize their years of dedication and hard work during that period. Many companies go overboard to show how they appreciate the veterans by offering incentives like staying at a luxury cruise ship or a vacation to an exotic destination. 

Leadership and Management Development Travel Incentive Programs

The program is reserved for executives, like managers and supervisors, for their outstanding work guiding their teams to reach the objectives. Awarding employees who show initiative and stand out in their roles is also common.

Why Should Organizations Consider Incentive Travel Programs?

Besides motivating employees to perform at their best, travel incentive programs also create a harmonious working environment, especially when the incentive is aimed toward a team. In this case, collaboration and teamwork is the key to getting the reward. In return, the company experiences growth and progress as everyone works together toward a common goal. 

Workplaces can be stressful, especially when trying to reach objectives and goals. Creating an incentive travel program can spice things up, making employees look forward to working days. It also helps them develop the mental resilience to deal with everyday workplace stressors, knowing there is a reward once the project concludes. 

Which Program Works Best for an Organization?

Every organization is different, with varying objectives and projects. Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the type of incentive travel program to offer, it helps target departments, as this helps increase competency and performance. 

In this case, members of these departments will have to perform exceptionally to get a chance at winning a spot. 

However, it’s crucial not to alienate any department, as this will be seen as favoritism and generate opposite effects. If an organization cannot afford to sponsor multiple travel incentive programs, it should have one where everyone is eligible to participate. Alternatively, an organization can rotate the programs yearly, with each department receiving a fair shot. 

Keep Employees Motivated

Employee Incentive Travel Programs are crucial for rewarding outstanding workers and motivating others to perform at their best. The programs aim to recognize rising talent and exceptional performers and appreciate long-serving employees. It’s a way of creating a hospitable working environment and alleviating pressure from everyday work. 

Before setting up an incentive travel program, it’s best to consider logistics, budget, a desired location, and the target audience. A successful incentive travel program promotes inclusivity and a fair chance for every employee to participate. It could be awarded to an individual or a team based on the company’s policies and objectives. 

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Meetings and Incentive Trends for 2024

• February 8, 2024

Written by: Crystal Zawilinski, CMM, CMP, CEM | Sales Director, Meetings and Incentives

At the start of the new year, we can expect to see new trends that will shape the meeting and incentive trip industry and determine the success of future events. Let’s dive into what’s new for 2024!  

Meeting Trends:  

• Technology Integration: Advanced technologies like AI, data analytics, and immersive experiences will further personalize and enhance the meeting experience. We can expect to see more virtual and hybrid events with augmented reality and gamification elements.
• Focus on Wellbeing: Meeting planners will prioritize attendee well-being with wellness activities, healthy catering options, and stress-reduction initiatives. This will help attendees relax, recharge and stay focused during the meetings.
• Sustainability Emphasis: Sustainable practices like eco-friendly venues, carbon-offsetting programs, and locally sourced food will gain greater importance. This will demonstrate a company’s commitment to the environment and social responsibility.
• Experiential Events: Meetings will increasingly incorporate interactive workshops, team-building activities, and cultural immersion experiences to drive engagement. This will help attendees connect with each other and the destination.
• Shorter, More Frequent Meetings: Shorter, focused meetings and more frequent gatherings will replace traditional long conferences to improve efficiency and engagement. This will allow attendees to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and network with peers.

Incentive Trends:

• Personalized Rewards: Incentive programs will increasingly offer personalized rewards and experiences catering to individual interests and preferences. This will make participants feel valued and appreciated.
• Focus on Purpose: Socially responsible experiences and volunteering opportunities will be incorporated into incentive programs to attract purpose-driven travelers. This will help companies align their incentive programs with their corporate social responsibility goals.
• Technology-Driven Engagement: Gamification, virtual reality experiences, and personalized itineraries will enhance engagement and motivation in incentive programs. This will make the experience more enjoyable and memorable for participants.
• Emphasis on Health & Wellness: Incentive travel will prioritize wellness retreats, healthy activities, and mindfulness experiences to cater to employee well-being. This will help participants relax, recharge and improve their overall health.
• Domestic Destinations: With ongoing uncertainties around international travel, domestic destinations and shorter regional trips will gain popularity for incentive programs. This will help companies reduce costs and ensure the safety of their employees.

In conclusion, meeting and incentive trends are constantly evolving, and it’s essential to stay up to date with the latest industry developments. At Fox World Travel, we are committed to helping our clients plan successful and memorable meetings and incentive trips that align with their goals and values. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your next meeting or incentive trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us !

Crystal Zawilinski

Sales director, meetings and incentives.

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Trends and Technology of Meetings and Incentive Travel

Companies across the globe are reviewing options for motivating their employees and exciting their clients through meeting technology options and in-person events.

In this third episode of  Your Window Seat Podcast, TI brings together Mary Ellen Hulett, our in-house Group Travel Partners Specialist, along with the CEO of  Groupize , to discuss the latest trends in meeting and incentive travel, and to learn about new technologies that bridge the gap of in-person, hybrid and virtual meetings.

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An Overview of Corporate Incentive Travel in 2021 and Beyond

It’s the ultimate form of reward: an all expenses paid trip to a once in a lifetime destination complete with food, fun, excursions and an extra seat on the plane for the guest of your choosing.

The incentive trip is a way to thank your company’s top performers with an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately due to its travel and social appeal, it became another activity halted at the onset of the pandemic. And although the coronavirus remains unpredictable, the meetings and events industry did turn a corner in 2021. With face-to-face events starting to take place, we thought it was an appropriate time to check in on one of our favorite capabilities: planning incentive trips.

Are they still taking place? What will incentive programs look like in 2022 and beyond? Are there alternatives that can compete with these experiences? We detail all of that and more in this post.

The current state of corporate incentive trips

With concerns around travel and safety, are incentives still taking place? The short answer is yes, especially in our US region. Although at BCD M&E we have yet to see numbers that match 2019 levels, requests for incentives were received at the start of 2021 and began to take place over the summer. Due to the emergence of the Delta variant, however, a few programs did postpone until 2022.

In the UK, our team did plan a small number of incentive trips in 2021 as well. These events have been more challenging in this region due to continued lockdowns throughout Europe.

One consistent theme of the incentive programs planned this year was a client eagerness to execute. “This year, it seems like our customers are full steam ahead in getting incentives back,” Event Manager, Katie Spooner, tells us. Regardless of the destination, people who were invited were very excited to attend and the programs that operated were a great success. “One client had an event with 100% attendance which didn’t even happen before Covid.”

Current Trends in Incentive Travel

In addition to an excitement around getting back to travel, a few trends emerged in planning safe incentive trips. In 2021, most incentive trips were to domestic locations such as California and Hawaii in the U.S. This is due to clients being risk averse and looking for destinations with the least likelihood of restrictions for travel and gathering. This trend is expected to continue into the first quarter of 2022 and until Covid is under control.

Customers also opted for smaller group sizes and locations with great outdoor space. One customer in the UK requested that we utilize local suppliers who had been hit hard by the pandemic.

Members of BCD Meetings & Events’ Global Leadership Team present Platinum Circle winner with award during the company’s 2020 incentive trip.

Planning Incentives in a Post-Covid World

At BCD Meetings & Events, we host an annual incentive program of our own, Platinum Circle, with the next trip set to take place in early 2022. As with all incentive trips occurring in this new normal , many new considerations must be top of mind to ensure a safe event delivery.

Selecting a Safe Location

This year, BCD M&E’s Platinum Circle winners and their guests will enjoy a stay at the Hotel Xcaret Arte all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. As with most venues, the resort has placed information on safety precautions at the forefront. Additionally, hand sanitizer is placed throughout the location and signs reminding guests to wear masks indoors posted frequently. Hotel Xcaret Arte also offers complimentary on-site Covid testing with results available within 8 hours for attendees returning to countries requiring a negative result upon re-entry.

Photo from TravelPulse

Communication

Another key consideration for planning incentives is working closely with our clients to get the Covid conversation started as soon as possible. Establishing company policies around vaccination, testing or other precautions attendees must take prior to the trip allows for timely communication to deliver this information.

Communication campaigns also offer the opportunity to ease any concerns of the trip’s participants. It’s imperative to advise on all of the safety steps taken and provide information on where their questions can be addressed. If an attendee doesn’t feel comfortable attending, they’re provided with options including forgoing the current trip for a future one.

What will incentives look like in 2022?

With success seen across US incentive trips in 2021, our team sees a bright 2022 for these programs with the number expected to increase. “We have a lot of solid groups already booked for 2022.  Assuming we continue to progress in getting Covid under control, we anticipate that the numbers of incentives we plan will grow exponentially,” says Senior Experience Designer, Mindy Hanzlik. Our US has also picked up several new clients for 2022, resulting in a need for more staff to actualize these programs.

As far as international incentives, requests have been received for as early as the second half of 2022, with many more for 2023 and beyond.

Visit bcdme.com/careers to see current job openings

In the UK, those incentive programs that took place in 2021 are expected to continue in 2022 as well. But, the team is anticipating more requests to come in for the following year (2023) as uncertainty around Covid remains in this region.

Alternative options

If an incentive trip isn’t an option for your group at this time, there are alternatives to consider for a rewarding experience. Many of our customers are still opting for virtual events, such as award ceremonies complete with celebrity hosts and musical performances.

Gifting experiences are also a great way to place tangible rewards into worthy hands. Imagine an internal dashboard where employees can track performance metrics and select high value or luxury items upon achieving professional goals. In North America, our ASPIRE by CORE Rewards offering aims to create strategic performance improvement programs. ~

Related article: How to Track Success of Your Performance Improvement Program

Originally published Nov 29, 2021 11:23:12 AM Last updated on Dec 28, 2022 11:41:22 AM

Written by BCD Meetings & Events

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What Will Incentive Travel Look Like in 2020 and 2021?

Every facet of the MICE industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic , and that includes incentive travel, where trip rewards have come to a screeching halt along with much of the business world.

“The incentive travel industry has been devastated by the pandemic,” said Jenn Glynn, president of SITE and managing partner for Meeting Encore. “The majority of incentive travel programs have been postponed to 2021. A few smaller programs for late fall remain on the books.”

And while governments around the globe are starting to loosen restrictions on travel and gatherings, Glynn noted that corporations are particularly nervous about duty of care and remain in a “wait and see” mode.

“Everyone is waiting for the holy grail, aka the vaccine,” she stressed.

So, how might incentive programs change and proceed as we go into 2021, and what resorts and destinations will be able to bounce back? Glynn, along with a few other seasoned incentive travel professionals, gave us their best guesses.

Local Destinations Are Key

Travel experts predict that local travel and drive-to destinations might come back first, and that extends to incentive travel—an industry segment that often favors travel to long-haul international, bucket list destinations.

Because of risk management purposes, Adam Tillotson, regional director of sales at Prestige Global Meeting Source, said a lot of his clients are shifting to considering domestic locations.

“It’s tough to schedule an international trip when you don’t know when the borders will re-open or if a quarantine will be in place,” he said. “My initial discussions have unanimously been about domestic destinations.”

Tillotson predicts domestic resorts in desirable locations with favorable airlift will lead the pack to recovery.

“Phoenix/Scottsdale, LA/Orange County/San Diego, Southern Florida will all find a more rapid recovery as they’re easy to get to and offer a surefire incentive quality experience and great inventory.”

He also noted secondary destinations like Monterey, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Savannah, Georgia may have a positive path forward.

[Related:  CSR Activities Are Becoming a Must for Incentive Travel Programs ]

Jaclyn Bernstein, president and partner of ACCESS New York Metro, is stationed in one of America’s hardest hit cities by the pandemic. The key to incentives and meetings recovery for New York City, she said, may be the region’s corporations thinking local.

“We all want to hope that things will bounce back, but there needs to be a realistic approach,” she explained. “If [a company] says, ‘Okay, we are doing our meetings local, and we are in New Jersey, then let’s drive into New York and do our incentive there.’ There’s so much business and commerce here. Maybe it’ll help kickstart restaurants, transportation, etc.”

When will international incentives come back? Wayne Wallgren, director of global development at GlobauxSource, thinks it’s still far off.

“If you had a program in France or Italy or Spain, I just think it’s going to be a little longer process than any of us had hoped for,” he said. “People’s comfort level is what’s going to drive this.…I think, the moment the vaccine is out the door, then there will be a desire to get back to as close to normal as we can get.”

The Resort Experience: Cleanliness and Buyouts

Most incentive planners agree that resorts with a robust cleanliness and sanitation plan and a detailed list of precautions they are taking to comply with social distancing guidelines will immediately be considered over other properties. Additionally, buyouts of resorts may be an attractive option, as an incentive group can control the environment and minimize risk for attendees.

A recent study from the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) stated an example from one of its April 2020 focus group experts who signed three new programs for drive-to venues.

“These programs are scheduled as early as August 2020,” the study stated. “All feature mostly outdoor, experiential programs, and the resorts are small enough that clients can buy them out. This incentive travel provider reports that her team has pitched this option three times and sold it each time.”

Bernstein added that planners and attendees will value resorts that can come to them with pre-designed room setups for popular incentive events, like the awards dinner at the end of a program.

[Related:  Meeting Planners Signal Events Recovery in Q1-2 2021 ]

“Before it was more about creative setups,” she said. “Now it’s a throwback to a simple timer in a sad way; we just can’t be fooling around with a bunch of setups. [The hotels] are going to have to get proactive for incentive recognition dinner setups when guests walk up to receive an award.”

Individual Incentive Travel and Other Reward Alternatives

In some cases, planners have seen 2020 incentive travel trips replaced completely with alternative prizes.

“Virtual gifting, online awards and the rise of cash and gift cards as fulfillment for these programs continues through 2020 in lieu of incentive group travel,” Glynn noted.

Another alternative Glynn said she’s seeing rise significantly is individual incentive travel.

“Individual travel programs combine both individual and group components, i.e. travel on your own and meet up with the ‘larger’ group for the gala dinner at the end,” she explained.

Tillotson has noticed this trend, too.

“For most all of my incentives, the focus has predominantly been on individual time vs. group time,” he said. “But for those that had done group activities in the past, we’ve talked about any number of ways to re-deploy that money, from resort credits, room upgrades, gifting, etc. Basically, ways to make the trip special without requiring more than a welcome reception and awards dinner.”

Will individual incentive travel become an evergreen preferred option to group incentive travel? Although it’s a good fix during the pandemic, Bernstein doesn’t see it as a permanent change.

“The individual incentives take away from getting together and sharing your success in front of your peers,” she mused. “For the most part, the companies enjoy it; it incentivizes people to do better in the future because of the recognition. I don’t see it going away, but I believe it may take a while to come back.”

[Related:  How Sustainable and Safe Events Practices Can Coexist in a Post-Shutdown Environment ]

Creative Interim Solutions

Through the uncertainty of travel programs in 2020, Glynn has seen many SITE members on the agency, DMC and experiential side finding ways to bring their products into the virtual realm and offer teambuilding and other culture-enhancing activities to unify remote workers.

“Now virtual FAM trips are emerging which foster business continuity, allowing destinations to be explored remotely,” she said. “Some agencies have also found ways of staging company recognition events delivering gourmet meal kits to qualifiers’ homes and conducting the ceremony online while qualifiers and significant others enjoy a special dinner.”

And although no one can predict how long the industry will be in limbo, a pause in incentive travel is only temporary, Glynn believes.

“Incentive travel creates lasting memories and strengthens relationships, benefitting both the qualifier and the company,” she said. “The ROI of a properly curated incentive travel program will always outweigh cash rewards. We will see a comeback, but our industry will be forever changed.”

Key Takeaways From IRF’s COVID-19 Report

The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) released its report, “COVID-19 and Disruption in the Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events Industry: Adaptation and Recovery,” in June.

IRF based its findings on interviews and panel discussions with 36 industry leaders, poll results from 250 more, and survey findings from 791 working adults around the world, in addition to reviewing news, studies and expert analysis. The report aims to inform and aid MICE professionals around the devastating effects of the coronavirus on the industry and strategies for recovery.

Key insights from the report include:

• The top concerns about participating in work or reward-related travel were the threat of an epidemic/pandemic at 33%, closely followed by severe weather at 29%.
• People are beginning to anticipate and crave travel, with a focus on new experiences at safe destinations within driving distance or that involve shorter flights.
• International travel, especially in large groups, may not return to previous norms until a vaccine and/or an effective treatment for COVID-19 is developed and made widely available.
• Program owners who postponed incentive travel programs expressed a strong need to continue recognizing and rewarding outstanding employees. When incentive travel programs were cancelled, they were often replaced by points, merchandise and/or gift cards.
• Using 9/11 and the Great Recession as reference points, and assuming a vaccine is available next year, the industry might expect and plan for a return to pre-COVID-19 revenues by late 2022 or early 2023.

Read the full report

Read next:  Back-to-Business Meetings Incentives for Planners

Danielle started at Meetings Today in March 2019 after seven years of editorial experience in the travel and food industries. She oversees all of the destination content for Meetings Today and collaborates with the team on digital content strategy and content marketing initiatives.

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July 5, 2019

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MICE Tourism: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Business Travelers.

The complete platform for all your events, posted on july 5, 2019, mice tourism acronym stands for meeting , incentive travel, conferences and exhibitions ..

The acronym MICE is a general term for the events industry itself. Despite involving different sizes and complexities, all of these event types got one thing in common. They’re all strongly related to business travel . Today, there are several webinars on business travels that highlights the features of MICE tourism and how you can leverage on them

Globally, this industry alone generated more than US$ 1 trillion worldwide in 2017. By 2025, this amount it is predicted to grow to an outstanding US$ 1,5 trillion mark. In addition, according to the same research, Incentive Travel is the modality experiencing the highest peak in the next months or even years.

What is MICE Tourism ?

The MICE Industry can be broken down into four big groups. Those groups sum up what the meetings industry is and, in general, have a similar overall purpose. Still, they have slight differences among themselves.

1. Meetings

• Business meetings could be anything from director-only board annual general meetings to a training seminar . Basically, any group of people gathering in a common location, for a common reason, is a type of meeting. Other examples include: strategic planning , shareholders meeting , management meetings , etc. 

2. Incentives

• Incentives are a way to motivate or reward associates, dealers or any employee of a company, according to their previous performance or as a way to build teamwork. As the context of travel varies, they can count with advisory of local convention bureaus of the targeted destinations. According to a survey done by The Incentive Search Foundation , Incentive Travel is a fundamental corporate culture builder. Some results about it’s effect include: 54% of respondent corporate buyers reported that they budget for it increased from 2017 to 2018. Resort retreats , annual summits and familiarization tours or even a day trip are common examples. Therefore, both the hospitality industry, as well as the tourism industry benefit directly from this kind of event.

3. Conferencing

• Corporate conferences usually gather a group of people by profession or personal interest in a specific field, looking for information exchange and discussion about a certain topic. These conventions require complex planning and itinerary organization well in advance. They differ from meetings mainly because of scale. A corporate or government conference / convention can have hundreds of participatory meetings happening simultaneously inside it as part of a program. Annual gatherings of industry associations and organizations are a big component of this sector.

4. Exhibitions

• Exhibitions are also known for their extensive planning. They usually are highly produced trade shows that bring products to their audience. Financial, Pharma, Beauty, Insurance, High-tech and other lead industries populate the largest exhibition centers with senior executives. They could be either businesses selling to other businesses (B2B) or straight to the final consumer (B2C). Larger fairs , despite having a clear target, might combine both modalities in the mix.

As MICE event has a limited duration, it can boost the economy of a whole city, country or region. Major international congresses exponentially increase hotel occupation and service consumption of local services. Thus, MICE events are considered one of the main solutions for the seasonality of destinations. There are so many opportunities in the meetings industry, that it might even become the main economic activity of a country.

Travel companies like Wowfare can help businesses plan and book MICE events, ensuring that all aspects of the trip are taken care of.

Besides, one needs to go out there and explore. MICE travelers are often keen to try a stay-cation . That means, after attending to a corporate event, visitors and participants can dedicate some time to get to know more about the place and it’s attractions. 

Tourism or Events Industry?

Firstly, buyers of MICE travelers usually are professional associations or corporations. Looking at that, it’s easy to understand that MICE is a strong and inseparable intersection of the Tourism and Events industry. Large groups always traveled on business.

Secondly, in modern times, DMO’s (Destination Marketing Organizations) and DMC’s (Destination Management Companies) proved the power of MICE tourism. Through the last decades, they generated long-term economic growth and development to their destinations. Look at Singapore, for instance. It is continuously cited in the 1st  position of Meeting City ranking of Union of International Associations (UIA) . It’s calculated that over 800 conventions take place in the city-state every year. In other words, that represents 8.5% of all the top international events in the planet.

In conclusion, MICE business model thrive by keeping up to date with corporate and entrepreneur tendencies. And that also includes selecting appealing destinations. For instance: cities like Orlando , Florida (FL) and Chicago , Illinois (IL) are ready to hold over 200 corporate conferences every year .

If we talk about Europe, research reports say that the beautiful and charming cities of Germany, for instance, generate an annual turnover of 290 billion Euros . In Spain, it generated 178 billion Euros in 2018, representing 14,6% of the country’s GDP . It’s an incredible growth rate that brought Spain to the Top 10 tourism market economies in the world, with China, Japan, Hong Kong, USA, France, Italy, India, Germany and United Kingdom. So it means that the events segment is bringing development, money and structure to theses venues, businesses, governments, etc.

Looking from inside: what experts in the field say.

  “I have no forecast to work in any other industry” , says Paula Lewis, Marcomm professional that organized events to brands such as Visit Florida and Choose Chicago.

That pretty much sums up how professionals in the field are in love with what they do. “The order here is: this industry is relationship driven. So it’s about understanding what makes people make decisions and with which frequency, what brings them happiness and what motivates them. Their psychological psyche makes MICE industry a perfect place to continue to grow personally and professionally ,” she continues.

After all, we can say the meeting and the tourism industries are walking entirely hand-in-hand . They ignite and model each other in a cycle that, when successful, can transform places. Because of that, businesses are increasingly incorporating experiences to their marketing strategy. But who are these traveler and what they look for? Many countries now use an electronic visa system, i.e. e-visa . Thanks to this, you do not have to carry the documents,and do everything almost automatically and remotely,which in the end will allow you to travel without restrictions almost all over the world. To streamline this process, services like VisaFly provide efficient and convenient e-visa solutions for hassle-free travel planning.

Reasons why MICE professionals and brand delegates love live events

It is a must to maintain an updated network of contacts and good relationships you your peers. And corporate events are excellent opportunities to meet experienced MICE professionals, visitorsand o ther MICE delegates. Creating connections, learning and keeping up with best international standards are a vital part of this industry.

Brand awareness

Corporate events strengthen the positioning of companies and increase their power within the market in which they operate. In other words, social gatherings, parties, conferences and celebrations are responsible for showing the public that business is going well. Leading associations, such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI), take these opportunities to show off their best workforce and how they have a vibrant community.

It is worth mentioning that the projects that are well positioned, are more likely to approach and retain customers, as they are well regarded by the public. It means that, in addition to notoriety for the market itself, the company also stands out before the competition and gains credibility with potential customers.

Professional development

The corporate events work on the development of the professionals already working in the company, through lectures, congresses and training opportunities.

The great advantage is in the technical improvement of employees, who can use their knowledge to improve production processes.

The development of professional skills also occurs when the company launches a new work organization, or proposes different management methods.

Thus, instead of tiring training, the event can be the ideal environment to communicate something, in a friendly way, about the work of employees.

Encourage teams and co-workers

Lack of motivation is one of the problems that most affects companies in Brazil. In addition to compromising productivity, demotivation also has negative consequences for the employee, such as increased stress, Burnout syndrome and even depressive conditions.

Therefore, corporate events can function as a motivating action, especially when aligned to meet the wishes of employees.

It is important to listen to what employees have to say, as they feel valued and, consequently, improve productivity.

Who are MICE travelers and what they look for.

“ MICE is a very particular type of tourism. It’s probably the most customer-centric industry ,” states Tracy Fuller, President of InnovativEvents and Event Heroes. She completes: “And to understand the client’s needs, you need to interpret beyond what they say.”

MICE events are useful for a no number of occasions. Let’s say: a company that spies their competitors must be present to the events where they’ll be. Not spying in an illegal way. It’s a compromise of keeping up with the latest trends and not staying left behind.

Another example of frequent MICE traveler is the solo expert that is going to prospect clients for their consultation services. These visitors are clearly attending to events to execute this particular activity. Thus, creating the possibility of exchange of information among this number of people is fundamental. Each one of these agents need to be in mind when planning incentive trips. Also, with Arangrant’s help, businesses can optimize their offerings and provide business travelers with a seamless and rewarding MICE tourism experience.

Sometimes, reasons people gather can also be Ideology. After all, what could be better for our ego than finding people who think like us? We, human beings, tend to look for belonging and a sense of community. So that can also be considered an Incentive Travel or a Meeting, as these participants are after a specific objective.

Above all, the secret to be highlighted here is: who’s the client? For the Event Planner, DMC, PCO, or Live Marketing Agency, the customer is a corporation or association in the pursue of having a successful event organized. For the event itself, the customer to take in consideration is the larger audience, composed by the attendees and visitors.

Audience types

In a general way, a good beginning is to clearly know how these travelers differ from leisure tourists.

MICE travelers also usually spend 17.5% more than leisure tourists . That includes expenses on lodging, hotel booking, food & beverage, facilities, air tickets and ground transportation to and from the congress they’ll attend. But as well, their demands and expectations might also be one level higher.

Key takeaways

Incentive travel, whether they’re large events or exclusive meetings, involve a lot of prior arrangement. So it can increase the value, predictable satisfaction and revenue for clients, agencies, suppliers, vendors and destinations.

Usually, we’re speaking about decision-makers here. However, don’t take it for granted. When planning a MICE, aim to start from the beginning, asking yourself the 5 W’s and the 2 H’s first:

• 5 W´s: What, to Whom, Why, Where and When.
• 2 H´s: How? How much ?

These are the most fundamental questions for common problem solving you’ll need to sort out when you start planning any MICE event . That’s the only way to reach goals, meet expectations and build up real, branded, rich and memorable experiences.

And whether you’re planning to break in the industry or are a experienced professional, there are also great resources on professional trade organizations and associations websites, such as IAPCO – International Association of Professional Congress Organizers . They have tons of updated info to help event pros and students to keep up to date

Did you like this content?

Don’t forget to check these other essential checklists to master event planning skills:

• 7 ways to market your event for free.
• How to choose a keynote speaker for your corporate event.
• Three steps to enhance your marketing strategy with recurrent events.

About the Author / InEvent

You might also like, 2 responses to : mice tourism: the ultimate guide to understanding and meeting the needs of business travelers..

This guide on MICE tourism is mind-blowing. It breaks down complex concepts into easy-to-understand. It’s like a friend guiding you through the world of business travel. A must-read for anyone in the industry.

I’m thrilled to hear you found our guide on MICE tourism so helpful and easy to understand. We aimed to demystify the intricacies of the industry and provide valuable insights for professionals like you. It’s wonderful to know it resonated with you in such a meaningful way. Thank you for your kind words and for recommending our guide to others in the industry. If there are any specific topics or areas within MICE tourism you’d like us to explore further, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re here to support your journey in the world of business travel.

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Smart Meetings

Incentive Lessons from SITE

by Morgan Saltz

December 19, 2023

SITE CEO Annette Gregg analyzes incentive travel for 2023 and predicts trends for 2024

Annette Gregg, CEO of Society of Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) , was the speaker at this December’s Smart Meetings’ Smart Chat Live! webinar, “Incentive Meeting Trends from SITE 2023,” focusing on incentive travel in 2023 and predictions for 2024. Gregg gave insight into the post-Covid incentive travel strategies, citing and analyzing the 2023 Incentive Travel Index survey results published by the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) .

Understanding the trends of the year behind us and preparing for the year ahead with educated predictions from an industry expert such as Gregg can guide meeting professionals on how to plan and execute memorable incentives, keep their finger on the pulse of the industry and prepare for the unexpected. The link to the webinar and the Incentive Travel Index are below with a synopsis of some of the key points discussed by Gregg.

View Incentive Lessons from SITE Webinar here

Read Incentive Travel Index Survey Results 2023 here

Hard Power vs. Soft Power

The motivation behind investing in incentive programs was analyzed in terms of the difference between “hard power” and “soft power” business strategy. Gregg explained the definitions and the differences—hard power refers to the tangible financial benefits and promoting company policy that can increase by “dangling the carrot” of desirable incentive rewards, while “soft power” is a more humanitarian approach to incentives. “Soft power” motivated incentive programs focus on the benefit in more abstract ways such as creating a positive company culture and developing stronger interpersonal relationships to encourage teamwork.

When asked which of these “powers” was a greater motivator for the surveyed industries (automotive, direct sales, finance and insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and health care, and technology), every industry showed soft power as being the more dominant motivation. A noteworthy 70% of the survey participants from the technology industry and automotive industry cited soft power as the benefits of incentive travel. Understanding the motivations behind incentive programs is essential for planners to create an individualized experience to meet the client’s needs.

Budget Predictions

Gregg says budgets are expected to be significantly higher in 2024, yet this might be a result of companies investing more in incentive travel. “They are seeing it as a positive recognition tool and a powerful business driver,” says Gregg.

However, the survey also revealed the participant’s concern regarding “channel relationships” or a company’s “supply chain” in a post-pandemic industry. “A lot of our buyers are concerned about the relationships right now,” says Gregg, “and their ability to get these programs done effectively, efficiently and within budget.” Gregg surmises this hesitancy is a result of the pandemic causing huge turnover rates and a new workforce with less expertise.

Read More: Smart Chat: Annette Gregg on Incentive Travel and Leadership

Expanding Horizons

As the incentive travel began to recover after Covid created a new reality for the industry, planners were playing it relatively safe when it came to picking destinations and activities. However, two years out of what is considered the start of the “recovery period,” incentive planners and travelers are choosing more ambitious and creative itineraries now travel has become more treasured than ever. As Gregg told webinar attendees, “Nothing replaces travel.”

“What we’re seeing is that two years post-recovery, we’re getting braver,” says Gregg. “Our future bookings over the next three years are people getting experimental—they’re trying new destinations.”

The Incentive Travel Index supported Gregg’s analysis. 71% of the respondents reported their incentive programs were increasing their partnerships with destinations never used before, while 53% reported increasing their partnerships with all-inclusive resorts. The lowest increasing interest for incentive travel was for cruise ships and urban destinations.

The Generation Situation

Another factor affecting the emerging trends in incentive travel is the multi-generational demographic of incentive travelers and the differing expectations and interests they may have. While hesitant about generalizing the values of an entire age range, Gregg does agree it is something to consider.

“There’s a controversy of…can you really generalize by demographic or shouldn’t we go with value graphics and what people value? But, you know, you have to start somewhere,” says Gregg.

Yet when analyzing the results of the Incentive Travel Index that includes both the younger generations of professionals but also includes all other age ranges, Gregg is sure about what thing.

“Here’s what we know to be true,” says Gregg. “Whether it is that (younger) specific generation or just today’s travel in general, they want authenticity and they want immersion. They want personalization.”

Gregg recommends planners work with Destination Management Companies (DMCs) to learn insider information on their destinations and gain access to unique experiences and activities. Gregg has done the research and encourages planners to take advantage of DMCs.

“The better (planners) can work with their DMCs to really unlock those unique assets of the destination—those things that have never been done before, even if it’s a little scary—these are things that are going to really make a lasting impression.”

Read More: Incentive Travel: A New Generation

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Cost Savings for Corporate Meetings, Incentive Travel, and Channel Incentives

“Vacation inflation” is ratcheting up airfares and hotel costs for leisure travel, business travel, and corporate events. With pent-up demand, higher fuel costs, and labor shortages, the meeting cost per attendee is a whopping 25% higher than it was in 2019, according to the 2023 Global Business Travel Forecast , released this month by travel management company CWT and the Global Business Travel Association.

If you read no further, remember the adage that meeting, motivation, and marketing are not costs – but investments . Properly designed, each investment will deliver an ROI.

For Q4 and 2023 planning, these bright ideas will save a few Dollars, Euros, or Pounds and maximize your company investments in people and pipelines.

Hotel Contracting Savings

The most significant savings opportunity is at the very beginning – picking the hotel and destination. By using eRFP tools, dozens of hotels in multiple markets can bid on a meeting to locate the best bargains. The Brightspot Strategic Sourcing team is staffed with CMPs (certified meeting professionals) who average 20 years of experience, and we offer complimentary site research and hotel contracting. These sourcing pros leverage industry relationships, buying power, and utilize best practices in hotel contracting to unlock cost savings . These methods also shorten the total cycle time to contract and shield clients from persistent follow-ups by hotel sales reps. Like fitting in a puzzle piece, placing your meeting in the right hole on a hotel schedule will bring extra savings.

Second-Tier Cities

Hot spots are top-of-mind but be warned they are jammed-packed with revenge travelers. Second-tier cities can offer huge savings and still have excellent airport access. Instead of 1 st -tier Austin and Miami, consider San Antonio or Tampa. Nashville has soared in popularity (and cost), so look at Charlotte, Indianapolis, or Louisville. Try San Jose rather than San Fran.

Be Flexible

It is truer now than ever that flexibility will produce big savings. Planning ahead is important in a sellers’ market. More lead time yields discounts. If lead time is short and hotel occupancy is high, then hotel revenue managers know that the remaining rooms can be sold to last-minute corporate bookings at full rate. Hotels function like airlines. Advance bookings for hotels are cheaper. Another tip is to be flexible with the meeting “pattern,” meaning the days of the week. Tuesday to Thursday might be preferred, but Sunday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Friday could fill an open spot at lower rates.

Talk to the Chef

Novices pick meal options off the catering menu, but meeting planning pros build custom menus in collaboration with the chef. To save costs effectively, ask what other groups are eating that week to consolidate purchases and preparation. Hotels like these questions because they can help them effectively utilize labor when hotels are short-staffed. Also, you should consider local, seasonal ingredients, which can improve food dishes and reduce delivery costs when fuel is high.

Public Trade Show to Private Roadshow

Tradeshows are expensive, exhibit booths are costly, and attendee travel can be restricted by company policy or jam-packed calendars. While companies still feel obligated to appear at the #1 show in their industry, some companies are shifting strategies to reallocate second-tier show budgets to private roadshows that bring the content, demos, and experts to the prospects’ locale. Roadshows can be structured as demand generation events, sales blitzes, product launches, lunch-and-learns, or customer hospitality experiences. Benefits include creative gatherings, unique venues, cultural draws, one-stop planning, and cost savings from less travel and smaller venues. Plus, it’s nice to have high-quality, less-rushed conversations with a customer away from competitors’ ears and pitches. To learn more about roadshows, check out 5 Roadshow Tips for Success .

Pre-Plan with Quick Estimates

To assist with advance planning and budget estimates, take advantage of this meeting cost calculator to make what-if calculations. Input locations, hotel rankings, number of days, meals, and more to get a grasp of how the cost is affected.

INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Save 16% in Mexico

Meetings and conferences in Mexico enjoy a waiver of the 16% VAT (value-added tax). While legally, the 16% discount applies only to meetings, savvy planners can recategorize their incentive trips with minor tweaks to their event name and agenda without forcing top-selling winners to sit in a ballroom for 8 hours. The 2022 IRF Destination Preferences Study reported that Mexico remains one of the most booked destinations overall and that participant appeal had risen too.

All-Inclusives Save & Avoid Surprises

All-Inclusive resorts are thriving in 2022 and looking strong for 2023. CEOs love that their president club trip winners never need to open their wallets. Meeting planners like that their budget has zero surprises. And CFOs smile, knowing that all-inclusive resorts offer the lowest net costs because the resort gives volume discounts. See Brightspot’s review of Top All-Inclusive Resorts for Incentive Travel and Meetings .

Add a Free Day

An industry competitor surveyed all their incentive attendees on the most popular trip activity. A logical guess would be possibly the spa, golf, catamaran sailing, or zip-lining. However, the #1 choice was a day-at-leisure to enjoy the resort. The 2022 IRF Destination Preferences Study confirmed that “ample time to relax” was the most important quality of an incentive trip by 89% of respondents. And the best news? Budget impact = zero!

Lower Tax Costs

This savings requires a thinking cap or calling your friendly CPA. The fair market value of incentive trips is taxable to winners. At an average trip investment of $6,000 per person, or $12,000 per couple, many companies mistakenly report the entire $12,000 investment as taxable income, but Brightspot advises that a 30% discount is reasonable. See our Tax Rules for Incentive Programs . For a single winner, the tax savings could be $1,260 ($12,000 x 30% discount x 35% tax rate).  If the company has 100 winners, the total savings on “tax gross-ups” to winners would be $126,500!

CHANNEL INCENTIVES & SALES CONTESTS

Save with Software

Accenture’s study on overspending in channel incentives  shows that internally managed programs will often overspend by 5-10% due to three causes: complexity, decentralization, and data errors. A robust sales  incentive software platform  will avoid these pitfalls and often pay for itself by eliminating overspending and dramatically improving the lives of those managing incentive programs. If a program has over 100 participants or an award budget is greater than $25,000, Brightspot recommends searching for an incentive technology solution.

Incentives are Self-Funding

The simplest justifications are the best. Incentive programs pay for themselves, because awards occur only when sales are made. “Self-liquidating” is the technical term, and of course, effective program design of contest rules is critical to achieving this ROI. Find out more by reading ROI Evidence for Channel Incentive Programs .

Reset Strategy

The Covid pause broke the handcuffs of past precedence, so executives should seize this window of opportunity to reset incentive strategies. Cost savings can be achieved by opting not to repeat prior decisions. Refocusing reps on new products and markets that achieve higher margins is a better plan than squeezing down costs. Many companies realize new selling efforts require added learnings or certifications. Enablement is always a hot topic, especially in channel partner organizations. With reps struggling to map the steps to a complex sale, behavioral incentives are increasing in popularity. When education is incentivized, the employees and the company win.

Recognize to Retain

Bright CEOs understand The Great Resignation (or Great Reshuffle) is the biggest threat to their business, sales, customer service, excellence, and just about everything else. The enormous cost is not the incentive rewards but the cost of turnover! Now is the time to double efforts on employee recognition, invest more in culture, strengthen personal relationships, increase training and professional development opportunities, and add more fun to the workday.

Gift Card Catalog

A shocking fact is that 69% of businesses purchase gift cards at retail. Sure, it’s easy, but there are many hidden costs. For instance, wasted time is a soft cost when a mid-level manager drives to multiple stores to buy all the desired cards. Also, there are additional fees for activation and mail delivery. Weak internal controls and shipping costs add more risks and expenses. Using a gift card catalog adds efficiency, net cost savings, and branding opportunities.

At Brightspot, we strive to match your individual need with the perfect meeting, incentive travel program, or channel incentive program. Our teams do the research and background work so you can sit back and focus on the high-level decisions. Drop us a line if you want to avoid wasted time, labor, and repeated processes! Brightspot can be your helping hand every step of the way.

Previous Post Sales Incentive Programs: How to Keep Your Audience Motivated

Next post top meeting and incentive travel companies list recognizes brightspot.

Author Mike May

Mike is a wearer of many hats. President of Brightspot, author of 12.5 Steps to a Perfect Incentive Program , past Chairman of the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), and recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in the Incentive Industry. His expertise includes bucket-list incentive trips , motivational incentive program design, matching event goals with the perfect destination & hotel, cost savings strategies, global channel reward programs, and targeted communications. Mike maintains his certifications in many specialties including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP), and Incentive Professional (IP).

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Virtual Meetings & Events

Rival reality with virtual experiences from one10..

It’s a brave new digital world. Virtual meetings, training, and events can make lives much easier by removing logistical barriers to getting everyone together, but they present their own challenges. Virtual meetings are easy enough when a small team hops on to video chat — but hosting virtual meetings or events with hundreds or thousands of attendees while providing advanced technical requirements and agendas? That can be tricky.

Thankfully, One10 has decades of experience planning both face-to-face and virtual occasions. Our network of proven production partners ensures that your event isn’t just free of technical difficulties but is exceedingly productive. Creating successful meetings, events, and experiences is our bread and butter.

Nearly 60% of virtual meeting organizers have no formal, documented strategy for virtual conferences, according to a MeetingsNet survey. Ouch. Don’t let that be you.

Download our virtual meetings and events guide for better strategies today:

The Ideal Meeting? We Deliver Thousands Every Year.

Webinars, virtual conferences, meetings, and events. one10 is well versed with virtual. we remove your headaches with better solutions..

We make you look good too – all from behind the scenes. A frictionless meeting experience means harnessing the hundreds of moving pieces into a seamless and incredibly easy experience for your audience. Our veteran team of event planners goes beyond the basics to provide the most engagement with zero hiccups.

• Event strategy and design
• Overall event and project management
• Timeline and budget development
• Communications planning and execution
• Attendee registration
• Customer service
• Engagement and experiential strategies
• Data collection, management, analysis, and reporting
• Sponsorship management
• Vendor coordination and oversight

Imagine your virtual event turbocharged with longer-lasting impacts and stronger relationships with your stakeholders — all possible with One10.

Virtual Victories

Don’t let us do all the talking. listen to what some of our clients have to say about our virtual meeting and event prowess:.

Really enjoyed the setup of the virtual meeting and would actually cast my vote to have it again next year regardless of the situation.

The virtual platform was a great experience…it was perfect. The knowledge areas were well articulated just within the right timeframes.

Given how challenging 2020 has been, organizing an all-virtual conference must have been such a rough job to do. But in all the online conferences I’ve attended this year, I should say I LOVED this the most…

We promise to provide your company with the same level of service and care for extraordinary results. Watch the recorded webinar to learn how our client at BMC pivoted her event to virtual with our help.

When Success Is the Only Option

The stakes are always high when we take your results personally..

One10 leverages decades of experience to provide perfect events for our Fortune 500 clients. And we aren’t just talking about our company’s longevity — the average tenure for one of our event planners is 24 years. When you’re dealing with high-stakes events, it’s better not to pick the new kid on the block.

• Designing content that translates best to virtual
• Selecting the virtual environment — platforms and streaming services come in all shapes and sizes
• Engaging audiences and building relationships
• Understanding the challenges when not face-to-face and finding ways to create connection points
• Collecting data at new touchpoints
• Integrating with CRM platforms, including Salesforce
• Interpreting attendee digital behavioral insights

One10 supports the entire spectrum of virtual events. From 20 attendees to unlimited numbers, limited production needs to heavy production design, we handle it all. One10 can create astounding virtual breakout sessions, networking lounges, training, interactive Q&As, and much more.

Your Virtual Event, Elevated

The strongest virtual offerings are from one10..

The upside of virtual events? The possibilities are endless. Increased participation, audience data, new networking tools — all without the physical limitations of space. We do more than just convert in-person events to virtual. We develop new experiences like nothing you’ve seen before.

Virtual Experiences

Curated, customized live digital experiences.

These aren’t thrown-together Zoom meetings. These are highly interactive and engaging virtual events that One10 customizes to spec. Our events offer enjoyable and memorable experiences that weave in seamlessly with more complex virtual meetings:

• Dynamic kickoffs
• Celebrity chef luncheons
• Exclusive entertainment and live-streamed performances from top-performing artists
• Thoughtful keynote addresses from thought leaders
• Fireside chats with professional athletes

We make it possible to create a custom series of virtual experiences that will inspire your teams to higher performance levels. From interactive training to meet-and-greet opportunities with celebrity experts, One10 will be your guide to bringing memorable and engaging virtual experiences to life.

Audience Activities and Insights

Virtual experiences offer more opportunities for interaction. Audiences have more options like choosing from a variety of fun pre-meeting experiences. Creative offerings like yoga, meditation, games, and more do wonders to keep your stakeholders engaged throughout the entire event.

During and after the event, you will have access to an array of data points like attendance, topics, content engagement, what the most popular sessions were, interests, survey responses, and much more. This all allows you to improve your virtual events and meetings every time.

Measuring Success

At One10, our strategic approach to data and analytics help you make sharp, calculated business decisions that drive results. Through research, analytics, and measurement, we can tell you when and how far you’ve moved the needle. And through our strategic alliance with Vivastream, we’ve learned that they’ve seen five times the attendance for virtual conferences compared to in-person events.

Get More from Virtual

Virtual events can start to become complicated as the variables stack up, but One10 delivers smooth experiences that impress. Receive stellar, stress-free results from the experienced event management professionals at One10.

Drop us a line below to start planning a virtual event that will be a cut above the rest.

We’d Love to Hear From You

Whether you want to schedule a demo, learn more about our solutions or simply chat – we are happy to answer any and all questions.

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See How Virgin Voyages Plays a Role in Incentive and Celebratory Travel

Embark on an unforgettable journey with Virgin Voyages’ fleet of chic, yacht-inspired ships – where intimate gatherings reach new heights. Picture hosting your event on vessels that have won countless prestigious awards including every single category in the Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards.

Discover an even more compelling reason to consider Virgin Voyages with their Fair & Flexible Fares. Once you step on board, say goodbye to stress and unexpected expenses. Enjoy a seamless experience featuring inclusive Wifi, gratuities, invigorating group fitness classes, refreshing drinks, top-tier award-winning entertainment and more – all completely covered.

Don’t miss this chance to explore why hosting your event with Virgin Voyages is an unmatched experience. Join us for an exclusive webinar like no other!

P.S. Can’t make it? Sign-up and we’ll send you a copy of the recording.

Featured Speaker:

Jason Maltais is a seasoned veteran of the Corporate Charters and Incentives industry, boasting over two decades of invaluable experience from Carnival Corp and Norwegian Cruise Lines. With a career marked by expertise and innovation, he has now embarked on a new journey with Virgin Voyages.

As part of their team, Jason eagerly anticipates revolutionizing the landscape of incentive meetings by showcasing the unparalleled experiences awaiting aboard Virgin Voyages’ iconic Lady Ships. His dedication and passion for excellence promise to redefine corporate events at sea.

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News | Jane Fonda Day declared in LA County; she…

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News | Jane Fonda Day declared in LA County; she pushes for action on climate crisis

Activist and actor fonda gets recognition from la county board of supervisors.

Fonda, 86, received a proclamation in her honor from Third District Supervisor and board chair Lindsay Horvath during a live presentation at the board meeting held in downtown Los Angeles. Fonda, wearing a black beret, delivered brief remarks about political activism and environmentalism. She was greeted by applause and a standing ovation.

Jane Fonda gives Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath a hug after she proclaimed that April 30th is “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jane Fonda listens as Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, left, proclaims that April 30th is “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, left, and Jane Fonda with the proclamation announcing that April 30th is “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jane Fonda listens as Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath proclaims that April 30th is “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jane Fonda speaks to the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting after Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, left, proclaimed that April 30th is “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jane Fonda at the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting for “Jane Fonda Day” in Los Angeles County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The Board of Supervisors proclaimed the day in recognition of the actress and activist’s “lifelong commitment to climate advocacy.” (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

The iconic actress is a two-time Academy Award winner and has starred in numerous classic movies during a lengthy Hollywood career on the silver screen, and on TV and Broadway. She is the daughter of the late actor Henry Fonda.

“See dad, I wasn’t always bad,” she said. “I’m kind of blown away. I cannot believe there is a Jane Fonda Day.”

Horvath did not specifically mention Fonda’s protest against the Vietnam War in 1972 that caused a huge reaction at the time and can still cause objections among some older veterans. But her motion did reference that the actress was inspired to keep speaking out for peace and justice by her activity during the Vietnam War era.

She credited the actress with starting the One Billion Rising movement in 2012 to end violence against women and members of the LGBTQIA community. “One billion people annually rose not only to end violence against women and girls but to protect the Earth,” Horvath said.

“She is a strong example of how we must all put it on the line to protect our planet,” Horvath said. “Jane has been a tireless champion for environmental activism.”

In 1972, Fonda made headlines when she protested the war in Vietnam by visiting Hanoi and denouncing the war in the media. Fonda was photographed sitting behind a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. That unfolded while U.S. troops were fighting the North Vietnamese. The photo sparked outrage among veteran groups, giving  her the nickname “Hanoi Jane.”

Ralph Beltran, 68, though not a veteran, said while growing up in La Verne he remembered many men who fought and died in Vietnam. After hearing about the motion for creating a Jane Fonda Day, he strongly objected and asked that the county rescind the action.

“What she did was disgusting. It was a slap in the face to all those veterans who died (in the war),” said Beltran during an interview. Beltran, who lives in Covina, is retired from the L.A. County Parks and Recreation Department.

During a 10-minute response, Fonda, born in 1937, reminisced about growing up in Los Angeles with green hills in the winter, beige ones in the summer, songbirds, vibrant oak trees and clean oceans. She said Los Angeles County has lost millions of birds and has smoggy air, with more people getting sick with cancer.

She advocated for keeping the provisions of Senate Bill 1137, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022, that prohibits new oil wells closer than 3,200 feet from homes, schools, nursing homes and hospitals. The law is on hold pending the outcome of a ballot measure in November in which a yes vote upholds the bill’s provisions.

Fonda wants the public to vote for the ballot measure to protect about three million Californians who live near oil wells.

“When you go into the ballot box, have climate in your heart,” she urged.

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