Since 1980, the annual SITE Crystal Awards Recognition Program has provided industry acclaim for world-class organizations that excel in the design of unique, memorable group travel experiences that deliver measurable benefits for their clients. Today, the awards serve as a benchmark for incentive travel programs and are regarded as the highest honor in the motivational events and incentive travel industry.
“The Crystal Award is the most prestigious form of recognition in the global incentive travel industry,” said Rhonda Brewer, president of SITE. “It not only recognizes the outstanding organizations that win them, but also showcases the innovative ways planners can create extraordinary motivational experiences to maximize human potential and achieve tangible business results for their companies. This year, 40 programs were submitted for consideration from companies in 18 countries — the largest number of submissions in the past 10 years. This is a great indication of the strength of the incentive travel industry worldwide.”
During the SITE Global Conference 2015, held October 23–25 in New Delhi, India, seven companies were recognized for creativity in program design, marketing, corporate social responsibility and, most important, business results. Incentive programs held between May1, 2014 and May 1, 2015 were eligible, and entries were evaluated by an independent panel of judges. The winners included tourism organizations, incentive agencies, destination management companies and their clients, from a variety of industries worldwide. This year’s winners are:
Excellence in Incentive Travel – Africa/Middle East: Dragonfly South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
Excellence in Incentive Travel – Asia/Pacific: Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India, and Travelieer SA de CV, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Excellence in Incentive Travel – Europe: Iceland Congress, Reykjavik, Iceland
Excellence in Incentive Travel – North America: USMotivation, Atlanta, Georgia
Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility in an Incentive Program: Walthers DBS, Douglasdale, South Africa
Most Effective Incentive Marketing Campaign: MEET TAIWAN, Taipei, Taiwan
Best Destination-Based Experiential Incentive Travel Program: Inspiration India, a brand of Incentive Destinations, Gurgaon, India
The SITE Crystal Awards Recognition Program is sponsored by the IMEX Group, the worldwide exhibitions for incentive travel, meetings and events.
Case studies showcasing all 2015 award-winning programs can be viewed at www.SITEglobal.com/crystals2015.