Does Your Incentive Program Have the "Blahs?"
by Sandi Cottrell


If your company has been operating an incentive travel program for many years, how can you be sure that the program is motivating your audience to strive to be “winners”? Do you review your incentive program and the return on investment on a regular basis? Do you really know how participants perceive the travel award?

An incentive travel program is defined as an “extraordinary travel experience”…an experience that an individual couldn’t possibly duplicate independently. Over the past several years the industry has seen a profusion of incentive travel rewards that are little more than group tours, including a lovely resort, a couple of nice meals, and a few other amenities.

How can you ensure that your program has the “wow factor” that will create a high level of motivation? Ask yourself:

• Does the destination you have chosen, and its available activities suit the demographics of your group (a wide choice of activities, the type of golf facility to which they are accustomed, a spa, etc?) These priorities will be different, depending upon your audience.

• Does the program include elements that a guest couldn’t arrange on their own? An evening at a private castle, behind-the-scenes event at a film studio, an opportunity to cruise on an exclusive yacht, or similar event can be planned, depending on the destination.

• Have you included special “pampering” touches such as personal travel kits for each guest, expedited hotel check-in (room keys distributed at the airport, for example) massage stations upon arrival, creative welcome gifts in each room, personal notes from the company CEO? These are just a few ways to make your winners feel special.

• Do all of the travel suppliers involved in the program understand that the purpose of your program is to reward your top achievers? Hotels and other suppliers often categorize all corporate events as “meetings”. Educating your suppliers on the purpose of your program helps ensure special treatment for your guests.

• Have you included an interactive element, such as a team-building event? These types of programs build camaraderie and morale. It is also important to include enough free time for your guests to explore the destination on their own.

• Have you successfully created an aura of prestige through effective communications with the audience? The motivation to achieve entrée to a “club” of high achievers plays an enormous part in the success of a program. Have you remembered to include spouses and guests in your promotion? A strategy of promotion via both internet/intranet as well as print is most effective.

• If you include an awards presentation, have you created an enjoyable, fun production, or is it a stiff and stressful banquet?

• Have you included a launch of the following year’s program during the trip?

• Have you followed up with a remembrance of the program sent to each guest after the program? A photo album or video are traditional follow-up gifts that are often the best way to prolong the enthusiasm of participants.

A successfully designed incentive program is a self-liquidating investment. The reward should be paid for by the increase in profitability that is attached to the goals of the program. If you find yourself eliminating the touches that create the “wow factor”, perhaps you would be better served by planning a shorter trip or choosing a less costly hotel, and maximizing the creativity, clever touches, and personal attention to guests. These elements are remembered long after the program, and may be the key to making your program more highly prized by those you hope to motivate year after year.


Published with the permission of Sales and Marketing Strategies & News, and Human Capital Strategies & News.