Operating incentive travel programs around “what’s always worked” might seem like a less risky route for event marketers. After all, humans are hardwired to resist change. (Even when it’s in our best interest!)
Change can trigger feelings of fear and anxiety around the unknown. And, event leaders are too overwhelmed by logistics to innovate. That’s why switching incentive travel agencies often presents a struggle.
To avoid tough conversations or because of limited capacity, some organizations are willing to accept stale incentive travel programs and service failures. Fast forward a few years, and those brands will fail to compete as their top performers jump to more rewarding roles.
As Incentive Research Foundation reported in the 2024 Incentive Travel Index, the top two reasons for incentive travel are:
- Retaining talented employees (81%)
- Attracting and retaining new generations of qualifiers and leaders (70%)
Leaders who champion more meaningful incentive travel must move past biases and misperceptions to achieve better program results. Looking at each year’s program with fresh eyes not only rejuvenates the program but also makes planning more fun.
Using discovery for more impactful incentive travel strategy
Evolving your incentive travel strategy addresses the expectations of multigenerational attendees. Strategic shifts also help brands create more personalized experiences with less budget. And expert support to navigate the dynamic global environment reduces risk.
Related: Manage risks during your incentive travel destination selection process.
How can a forward-thinking event marketer convince change skeptics to move past the status quo? In my decades of onboarding new clients, I’ve learned to listen first. Our initial discovery calls help us learn more about your current situation:
- What’s going well with your program
- Current and anticipated challenges
- Whether goals are being met
- Existing event technology
Fueling excitement for better corporate travel solutions
Building buy-in for new solutions requires first understanding the team's concerns. Everyone can get excited about bringing personalized and memorable events to their attendees. But ... there’s bound to be a “but.”
- “Our budget for next year barely covers cost of inflation.”
- “We don’t have time to re-imagine our inventive designs.”
- “We’re worried changing trip inclusions will upset earners.”
The most common barrier I hear to making changes? Event team workload. We all juggle so much. Planners say they're at maximum capacity, working late at night, plus weekends. It seems easier to rinse and repeat.
They also believe keeping things consistent makes the trip more comfortable for the attendees. True: It’s nice to know what to expect when you're going into an event. Yet comfort slides into complacency. Predictable trips stop feeling special. If attendees get too comfortable, it's easier to float through the experience without engaging at all.
Getting to know both the company and the decision-making team is critical. Data can also inspire strategic shifts. I love sharing our approach to evaluating event ROI. Sometimes people need to see numbers to understand why change is necessary.
Related: Learn what event success metrics matter most.
3 tips to plan memorable incentive trips
1. Connect with event agency experts
Leaning into agencies that operate 100+ trips a year can provide inspiration and insights to help drive change.
When I’m asked, “How do you continue to excite groups, year after year?” My answer is simple: Make it feel fresh. When each event feels incomparable, it creates a more amazing journey for attendees. Give them an experience that they could never pull off on their own.
With executive buy-in, we can have some candid dialogue and start shifting strategy. My team rolls out a transition plan that will leave everyone feeling motivated and energized to execute a successful event. Brainstorming ideas is where it gets fun.
2. Use survey and registration data to personalize
Gain insights directly from attendees to create communications that excite and motivate them based on their personas. Then, allow registration to further drive personalization on site.
One of our clients was facing plummeting survey results. Their demographics were diverse, but their approach was generic. They came to us because of our reputation for personalization. Our recommendation to them was to provide a flexible structure, leaning into the power of choice. Instead of a huge, one-size-fits-all-but-satisfies-nobody approach, we offered several premier destinations, with programs spread throughout the year. Each choice included journeys attendees could select.
Related: Learn how strategically collected attendee data informs personalized incentive trips.
3. Go local with event gifting
Reimagining the gifting experience is another overlooked aspect of refreshing your incentive travel strategy. It was once all about the newest and greatest tech gadget. Today, thoughtfulness goes a long way.
For example, we encountered an artist creating eye-catching work when we were out exploring during a site inspection. We chatted with him and discovered he was passionate about the area. We invited him to create a custom piece for our group and perhaps even come and share his story. He joined a dinner during the program, talked about how he first came to the area and why he stayed, and his passion for art. We then put a piece of his artwork into attendees’ rooms that night as a gift. The next day, everyone talked about how special it felt.
Some strategic shifts are big and bold, like offering choice in destinations and seasons. Others are small but significant, like room drops designed to foster lasting memories.
Start dreaming bigger with inspiration from our world-class incentive travel magazine.