Incentives: great results or a waste of time?
With incentives programmes, you can achieve great results, but if you’re
not addressing specific needs, you might waste a lot of time, energy and money.
As experienced incentive organisers, we at SEAUTON know exactly how to make
your next business incentive a success. These are our most important dos &
don’ts.
DO:
1.Integrate at least one extraordinary or memorable activity; when in Riga, make the effort to go to the legendary bobsleigh track at Sigulda and experience the adrenaline and strong G-forces on the 16 corners of this track.
2.Choose a less obvious destination in Europe: take people to a place
they probably haven’t visited before, such as Cadaqués, Montenegro, Ohrid, the
Azores, …
3.Combine two destinations and create contrasting impressions: the vibe
of Edinburg vs. the green Isle of Sky, or a large port like Split vs. the sunny
island of Hvar.
4.Don’t be afraid to use a personal approach: incentive programmes with
multiple activities to choose are often very much appreciated by the guests. It
allows them to compose their own personal incentive programme, which makes the
experience even more unique and intense.
5.Give your guests a teaser or a souvenir: with this small gesture, you
make sure that people look forward to their trip and that it will stick in
their minds afterwards. It could be anything, from a personalised trolley for
everyone who is travelling with your group to a personalised bottle of wine to
enjoy after the trip.
DON’T:
6.Avoid activity overload: especially if you’re staying at an
exceptional location, it would be a pity if your guests didn’t have the time to
enjoy the hotel facilities or have a look around in the area.
7.Avoid long transfer times: short transfer times can be stressful, but
long transfer times are not a good idea either. So avoid them if you can and if
you can’t, think of something to keep your guests animated.
8.Don’t integrate any activities you don’t like: the whole idea of an
incentive trip is that everyone is having a great time together. And yes, that
means you too.
9.Don’t keep everything a secret: people will certainly love the
surprise effect of an unknown destination or a specific activity, but they also
need to have some idea about what they will be doing and where.
10.Don’t assume everyone will have travel insurance: check with your
guests whether they have insurance before your departure.