Sandals Resorts’ Luxury Meetings & Incentives Collection includes 15 resort locations in Jamaica, St. Lucia, The Bahamas, Antigua, Granada, Barbados and Turks & Caicos.

A famous philosopher (OK, it was Jimmy Buffett) once said, “If there’s a heaven for me, I’m sure it has a beach attached to it.” Considering the popularity of beach destinations for meetings and incentives, there are plenty of meeting planners charged with site selection who just may share that same philosophy.

Mike Farmer, vice president of group travel business development for Merdian Enterprises in Hazelwood, Missouri, has been in the incentive travel industry for more than 25 years. He listed the factors that make the Caribbean a popular beach destination for groups. “Most of the incentive programs and award trips go in the spring when everybody wants to get away from the snow. The Caribbean offers a chance to get into the warmth. Generally speaking, you don’t have to go too far to get to the islands, and that is certainly attractive compared to European destinations. And, of course, there are the beaches. The opportunity to get out and play in the sun is probably the biggest reason that it’s such an attraction.”

The Bahamas

Last September, Farmer attended the Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange hosted by The Cove Atlantis in The Bahamas in partnership with Site. “It’s definitely one of my favorite Caribbean destinations,” he explains. “It’s a little expensive, on the higher end of the Caribbean hotels from a price perspective, but the Atlantis resort has everything you could ever want in a group travel destination. At The Cove, you’ve got the great suite product with nice, high-end service. You also have signature, name-brand restaurants…Bobby Flay, Chef Nobu, things like that. You’ve got that wonderful water playground that they have. There’s nothing else like that in the world. In addition, you’ve got a beautiful beach and shopping in downtown Nassau. It’s a complete destination in one small area, and it’s got great golf.”

Atlantis, Paradise Island is an ocean-themed resort offering 3,400 guest rooms including The Cove, a resort within a resort that features 600 oceanview suites. Atlantis is also known for having the largest open-air marine habitat in the world. Its 141-acre waterscape contains more than 20 million gallons of fresh and saltwater lagoons, pools and habitats that house more than 50,000 marine animals. But it’s not all play and no work. The conference center can accommodate up to 4,000 attendees and includes the 50,000-sf Imperial Ballroom, 40,000 sf of prefunction space, 30 breakout rooms, and three boardrooms. There are 21 outdoor event spaces — totaling 300,000 sf — that take advantage of tropical settings including, of course, the beaches, lagoon, waterscapes, marine habitats and more.

Another major player soon will be entering the market in Nassau. A new $3.5 billion development called Baha Mar is scheduled to open later this year. Being promoted as “The Bahamian Riviera,” the complex will include these upscale hotels: The Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, which will contain 1,000 rooms, the 200-room Rosewood at Baha Mar, the 300-room SLS at Baha Mar and a 700-room convention hotel, Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar. Following extensive renovations, the 694-room Meliá will join Baha Mar. The complex also will include a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the 30,000-sf ESPA spa, the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas and Waterside Place, a shopping and dining complex. The Convention Center at Baha Mar will offer more than 200,000 sf of meeting and event space along with a 2,000-seat performing arts center.

Also of special interest to planners, thanks to the Tax Information Exchange Agreement the Bahamian government signed with the United States, The Bahamas is a tax-deductible destination for American companies.

The Numbers Game

Lorie Thomas, CMP, CMM, director, events and trade shows for Concur, an integrated travel and expense management solution provider based in Bellevue, Washington, had to get creative when she ran into a common dilemma that many planners face. She had to reserve her room block for an incentive program long before she knew what the final number of qualifiers would be.

Thomas had initially booked a block of rooms at The Westin St. John Resort in the U.S. Virgin Islands. When the number of qualifiers exceeded expectations, she was able to reserve some additional rooms at the 96-room Westin, but not as many as she needed. Her solution was to book an additional room block at the 166-room Caneel Bay Resort, an even more upscale property located seven miles away. Using two hotels instead of one presented a few more challenges. First of all, she had to determine who would stay at the overflow property. She did this by selectively looking at the attendees’ job titles, and then she relied on her personal knowledge of the personalities involved to decide which property would be the best fit. The Westin had a more active setting whereas Caneel Bay was more laidback.

She says that this challenge actually turned out to be a blessing because everyone had the opportunity to experience two very different properties on the island. “The cool thing is I was able to work with both resorts and get permission for my group to experience both products,” she notes, “so nobody could really complain about the fact that one person had something better than the other.” She arranged shuttles to take guests back and forth between the properties, and all group events were held at The Westin. Also, as guests were shuttled back and forth, they were able to see more of the island’s natural land preserves than they would have by staying at one property, so that turned out to be another plus. Three-quarters of the island is a national park.

Thomas faced a few other challenges, such as a tent that collapsed right before an evening event and having to ferry golfers to the nearby island of St. Thomas. But in the end, everything turned out very well. “What I’ve learned is that you just have to be really creative with your solutions and your problem-solving. It’s fun. Now I look on it as I can take on any challenge!”

Hawaii

Thomas recently attended a FAM trip sponsored by Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, which is set on 21 acres on the leeward coast of Oahu. The resort, which opened in 2011, contains 351 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom vacation villas in its two towers, along with more than 50,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space, including a crescent-shaped beach that fronts the resort’s tranquil lagoon.

What makes Aulani unique among Disney resorts (and other resorts, for that matter) is that Disney uses its legendary storytelling skills to showcase the state’s history and culture throughout the resort. Everything, from the building’s architecture to the artwork, music and guest activities, authentically reflect the Hawaiian culture to help guests feel a true sense of place and embrace the island’s aloha spirit.

“The beach access is awesome,” Thomas describes. “A lot of properties don’t have their own private lagoon. The kids’ club (Aunty’s Beach House) is amazing. We’re very family-oriented, and at most properties you have to pay extra for the kids’ program. If you’re an adult or a couple who wants to have your own private time, there’s plenty of space where you can go off to a private location.”

Thomas also praised the quality of Aulani’s Laniwai Spa, noting how important it is for properties to have a spacious spa to meet the expectations of today’s incentive qualifiers. She was also impressed by how well Aulani embraces the Hawaiian culture. “They really teach that. It’s not necessarily a Disney experience, it’s a Hawaiian experience, and that’s what I really appreciate.” The Aulani staff also can arrange to bring in Hawaiian cultural experts to lead teambuilding activities and offer other cultural experiences. “It’s the whole package,” Thomas sums up.

Kevin Harvey, manager, pre-owned business for Porsche Cars North America Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia, chose The Kahala Hotel & Resort, a secluded beachfront property in Honolulu, for one of the company’s programs. “Porsche Cars North America conducts a sales incentive each year for authorized Porsche dealerships to quality for an all-expense paid trip to a luxurious resort or destination. Typically, there are 33–40 people who attend the trip,” he explains.

The Kahala offers 338 spacious guest rooms and suites, and the resort has a private lagoon that is home to the Dolphin Quest Encoun­ter where guests can interact with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Harvey describes what made the hotel a good choice for his program. “The Kahala is a premier luxury resort and hotel. The property’s ergonomics, the culinary offerings, the exclusivity and privacy, coupled with exemplary service that exceeds expectations all encompassed my decision to choose them as the destination. …More­over, the Kahala is represented by one of the best hotel groups, the Landmark Hotels Group.”

California

In January, The Resort at Pelican Hill earned Newport Beach’s only Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award for the second year in a row. Set on 504 acres overlooking the Pacific, the luxury resort features 128 villas, 204 bungalow guest rooms and 36 holes of Tom Fazio-designed golf, most of which offer ocean views. In addition, The Spa at Pelican Hill, which has 22 private treatment rooms, earned its fifth consecutive Forbes Five Star award.

One fun way that meeting and incentive attendees can enjoy the beach while they’re staying at Pelican Hill is to take a bike tour that departs from the resort. It takes bikers along the beautiful coastal bluff and stops for a tour of Crystal Cove, a historic seaside colony that was popular in the ’30s and ’40s. The colony’s original cottages are still standing, and many have been restored to reflect their former glory. As an interesting bit of trivia, many movies were filmed at Crystal Cove, including “Treasure Island” (in 1918 and again in 1934) and the Bette Midler tearjerker “Beaches,” in 1988.

Florida

For a lively beach destination with an art deco vibe, planners may want to consider the 790-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel set in the heart of South Beach. The hotel features a 900-foot beach, an oceanfront pool and a St. Tropez-inspired cabana deck along with 65,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space. Whenever attendees can pull themselves away from the beach and pool, there are seven restaurants and bars to explore.

Last May, the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, located on 1,350 acres in Northeast Florida, celebrated its grand reopening after an $85 million renovation. The 404-room resort offers panoramic views of the Atlantic and access to 3.5 miles of pristine beach. It also features 54 holes of championship golf, 23 Har-Tru tennis courts and multiple pools, including an adults-only infinity-edge pool, a family-friendly pool and the Splash Park water playground. The amount of event space the resort offers is extensive, with 80,000 sf of indoor and outdoor venues to choose from.

The 15 tourism districts in Palm Beach County, commonly referred to as The Palm Beaches, are experiencing a building boom. More than 1,000 hotel rooms are expected to be added to the area’s inventory by the end of 2014, and an additional 800 rooms are in development.

The 179-room Wyndham Grand Ju­piter is scheduled to open in September. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway, the upscale, full-service hotel will include 15,000 sf of meeting space, including the rooftop Mangrove Deck, which will offer more than 4,000 sf for events. The 403-room Palm Beach County Convention Center Hilton Hotel is expected to be completed in 2016. It will be connected to the 350,000-sf Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Puerto Rico

Meet Puerto Rico recently launched a new branding and image campaign titled “On a tropical island. In the Caribbean.” It’s designed to lure group business with images of the island’s beautiful beaches, rainforests, undersea life and golf courses. Puerto Rico offers 1.2 million sf of meeting space, 14,000 hotel rooms and hundreds of non-stop flights. It offers other advantages, as well. Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth, the U.S. dollar is the official currency, and U.S. citizens don’t need a passport to enter the destination.

For planners who can’t decide between the Caribbean and the Atlantic, El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort on the island’s northeastern tip, offers the best of both worlds. It is perched on 500 acres on a cliff top overlooking the spot where the waters of the Caribbean and the Atlantic converge. The resort’s spacious 750 guest rooms and suites are allocated among five “villages,” and to arrange one of the resort’s more unique beach experiences, planners can book an excursion to Palomino Island, a private, 100-acre getaway.

Interest in All-Inclusives Grows

All-inclusive resorts, which are commonly found in beach destinations such as the Caribbean and Mexico, continue to grow in popularity with planners because meals, beverages and, in some cases, activities are included in the per-person rate, which can make the budgeting process easier and much more predictable.

“If you would have asked me five years ago, I would have told you that all-inclusives were on the downside of their popularity,” Farmer notes. “But as usual, I was wrong,” he laughs. “They just continue to grow, and companies are expanding their portfolios. The all-inclusives are a great product, quite honestly. The challenge is that you have to know what the good product is from the bad product.”

“The all-inclusives are a great product, quite honestly. The challenge is that you have to know what the good product is from the bad product.” — Mike Farmer

As one of the leaders in the all-inclusive segment, Sandals Resorts’ Luxury Meetings & Incentives Collection offers groups a comprehensive, all-inclusive program called Luxury Included. The collection is comprised of 15 resort locations in Jamaica, St. Lucia, The Bahamas, Antigua, Granada, Barbados and Turks & Caicos. Sandals’ Discovery Dining program allows attendees to choose from up to 15 gourmet restaurants at each property, and wines from Napa and premium brands of liquor are also included. Another budget-friendly advantage of meeting at Sandals Resort is that most activities are also included, such as unlimited golf (excluding Sandals Emerald Bay), waterskiing, wakeboarding and scuba diving. In fact, Sandals claims to offer “more quality inclusions than any other resort on the planet.” Sandals even offers a convenient “Event Cost Estimate” calculator on its website that enables planners to get a ballpark estimate for hosting their event at any of the Sandals properties as they begin the planning process.

Program Patterns

Farmer says that the most common pattern he sees for beach-oriented incentives is to do a four-night event. “If you’re doing an all-inclusive, you’re going to have maybe a welcome poolside event, two days of sponsored sightseeing activities and on the final night, generally a beach party. Although you do save on the budget with an all-inclusive product, one of the challenges is that you kind of feel obligated to have all of your meals in the hotel. I have had clients that have said, ‘OK, even though we’re saving overall, let’s take the final night off-property and do something unique on the island.’ ”

Giving Back at the Beach

The fact that beach programs may be more laidback than others doesn’t mean that they can’t be used to support a good cause. Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, recently partnered with Pack for a Pur­pose, an organization whose mission is to positively impact communities around the world by helping travelers make meaningful contributions for the destinations they visit.

Scrub Island has chosen to support the BVI Autism Cen­tre through Pack with a Purpose. To participate, guests simply need to allocate part of their luggage allowance (as little as five pounds) to bring supplies requested by the Autism Centre, such as books, toys, art supplies and other items. The resort will ensure that the organization receives them. Scrub Island offers 52 guest rooms and a collection of villas, and is a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Back to the Beach

There are many ways to gauge the success of a meeting or incentive program held at a beachfront location. Maybe it’s the smiles on attendees’ faces or their relaxed demeanor. Or, it could be the ultimate testimonial — the kind of response that Harvey noted. “Several of the attendees made plans to return to The Kahala on their own at a later date.” We can only imagine that Jimmy Buffett would approve. C&IT