One of the biggest perks of being a travel marketer is the opportunity to visit some of the most incredible places in the world. Of course, catering to hundreds of guests on an international incentive trip rarely means a relaxing day at the beach. But experienced event professionals know that checking out a location can inspire new ideas on how to have a good time and leave the place better than you found it.
It takes first-person experience to determine where to send a group. The last thing your team wants is to arrive at a destination that looks good in photos online but is disappointing when hundreds of people get to know it up close.
Incentive trip Site visit #1: selecting a pre-sale destination
Ideally, the process of choosing a destination takes place long before the event starts and attendees arrive on site. Your pre-sale visit is a chance to ensure that the hotel accommodations meet expectations, including access to sites and activities that will appeal to your group. You want to know up front if this is the right hotel for you to host an event that will truly reward your audience.
Even if you’re having an incredible time as an individual, venues need to perform on a large-scale. Are they staffed in a way that ensures each individual is given the level of attention you experienced? What about transportation? Perhaps a water taxi could be a fun and efficient alternative to being stuck in traffic on local roads.
Incentive trip Site visit #2: Operational research for event design
To get the most out of a site visit, you need to take a strategic approach. Remember: you are looking for an experience for a diverse group of future event attendees. You will probably relax on the beach and dine in fancy restaurants – all for the sake of research, of course. Take notes. The main purpose of the trip is to gather information that will help you best design the event, so document what you did AND how each experience made you feel.
Ideally, your guests won’t spend the entire day in bed, but the quality of the accommodation does matter. It may sound silly, but I like to ask for the worst room when reviewing a venue. If I can have a great experience there, it makes the grade. Bring a taste of the destination into each room and consider other ways to activate the senses.
Imagine that your accommodation overlooks vineyards. This can be the impetus for a check-in question or an in-app quiz to find out their beverage preference. (Red? White? Sparkling? Non-alcoholic?) The onsite team can order it to be enjoyed from the balcony after check-in with a handwritten note that cements the special touch.
When we hosted Ecolab in Singapore, we made sure that every guest’s room overlooked the harbor. We included a bottle of champagne, a sweet treat, and a map with the nightly light show schedule so that visitors don’t miss out on the magic.
Shop around
Check out local stores that sell items that can make great giveaways throughout the event. Choosing sustainable brands and diverse suppliers is linked to corporate CSR goals.
If guests have a free day or afternoon to stroll around the Paris neighborhood, ask for housekeeping, set up a relaxing body scrub and lotion set from a nearby boutique. Let them know that the brand gives back 10% of its revenue to local lavender farms.
Embrace the culture
Street musicians create the soundtrack to a trip, and there’s nothing like seeing a city through an artist’s lens. Book creative locals to add more authenticity and vibrancy to your event.
Offsite events offer the opportunity to truly customize experiences that your attendees could never do on their own. Focus your budget on travel highlights that will provide guests with a VIP experience. For example, enhance a standard catamaran experience by adding a stop at a restaurant rented just for your group. Guests will exclaim: “This is exclusive, just for us? Amazing!” As an added touch, place large monogrammed beach towels on the boat during boarding.
