Spiegelworld’s Atomic Saloon Show

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a luxurious experience for top performers, without increasing the budget and while exceeding the highest expectations from incentive trip attendees.

Sound like an impossible job that only Tom Cruise can accomplish? Welcome to the world of corporate event planners tasked with the challenge of offering increasingly memorable experiences that encourage employees to surpass their production year-over-year.

How are incentive trip organizers navigating this challenging reality? By leaning into a trend seen across all meetings and events that gives attendees greater control of their experiences.

Each moment, starting from pickup at the airport, becomes part of the journey. And while attendees’ free time isn’t exactly free for the companies paying for the incentive trips, it is more affordable than providing plated meals at five-star hotels and resorts and organizing all of a group’s activities for two to three days.

If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because there is a catch, says Min Choi, the chief marketing officer at a P&C company, who masterminds the company’s incentive trips. “The fear becomes that you diminish the trip so much that it is no longer considered high-value,” he warns. “There is some short-sightedness with the budgets.”

If the reward is less desirable, employees may not exert as much effort to earn the prize. Production then suffers and overall revenue could slip, which damages the ROIs that incentive trips provide companies, says Ashley Lawson, vice president and co-owner of Achieve Incentives and Meetings.

One of the most painful pieces of feedback Lawson says that she has heard is attendees saying they couldn’t remember where they did an activity because they all run together. “You want programs to stand out. You want them to be meaningful. You want people to remember where they were,” she says.

Changing Patterns

Despite ongoing geopolitical and economic concerns, incentive programs appear to be protected from worst-case fates felt by other events, says Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, CEO of the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence.

“Because incentive travel has measurable ROI in driving sales results, stakeholders aren’t likely to remove it from their offerings,” Gregg says, noting incentives recovered quicker than other segments from the pandemic “because they couldn’t be replicated online.”

Gregg reports significant growth with all-inclusive resorts, cruises and luxury properties in high demand, a finding Dan Surette, chief sales officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts, agrees with. Omni is seeing RFPs delivered more than a year prior to the incentive trip, an indication corporations see the value in the programs, says Surette.

The trips are prized commodities among Millennials and Generation Z more so than seasoned workers, according to the Incentive Research Foundation’s 2024 preferences report. The study finds that 93% of younger workers described incentives as either extremely motivating or very motivating, compared to 86% of Generation X and Baby Boomers.

Planners are adjusting according to the coming-of-age of new top performers who may have different priorities than their elders. Providing free time is certainly a priority and is seen in a variety of ways.

Surette notes excursions are generally shorter than they used to be. “Activities are no longer than two hours,” he says.

Planners are increasingly opting for hotels and resorts near other amenities. “You have the capability of being close to downtown, that walkability,” says Rohin Singh, senior sales executive at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, noting the appeal of the luxury property he’s worked at since 2002. “Sometimes, attendees want to get out of the resort, and they have that access.”

Companies may opt for beach, countryside or desert locations outside of a major city, anticipating attendees will extend their stay to explore tier 1 destinations. For instance, attendees participating in a takeover of a French vineyard for the incentive would naturally be inclined to spend extra days abroad to see Paris, Choi comments. Likewise, award winners may spend a night or two in San Francisco before a program in Monterey, says Michele Stephenson, CEO and founder of MDS Events.

Confirming the trend, the IRF report finds that more than half of inventive winners (57%) chose to extend either before or after their booking dates.

Stephenson is currently in the planning stages for an incentive that puts almost the entire agenda in attendees’ hands. She says that, except for a few meals, there is almost no programming. “It’s an experience. The company pays for everything, and then the attendees just get to enjoy it how they want to.”

Creative planning can add experiences at unexpected times. Choi suggests hiring private cars for transport if the final destination is more than an hour from the airport. Attendees can then request stops at a restaurant, shopping center or other attraction en route to the hotel. “It can be such a great experience as opposed to an awful two-hour transfer.”

Another personalization trend is providing gift cards, a practice which IRF data says increased 42% during North American incentives from 2023. Stephenson’s client provides $1,000 to go shopping while other companies may offer a card for a couple to enjoy a nice restaurant on property or within the destination rather than having a group dinner. It allows for a more intimate moment for the couple and does less damage to the budget.

“One hundred dollars is probably enough to cover dinner for the attendee and their spouse,” Choi says. “But when you are planning for a group it typically costs $200 per couple.”

Site Selection

The most important decision is where to host the incentive. The Caribbean, Mexico and Western Europe remain popular destinations, but Gregg senses a shift. “Our data shows incentive travel professionals taking their programs to new destinations they haven’t tried before,” notes Gregg.

As a case in point, Sante Fe, NM — a destination Stephenson has never used for an incentive — is among the final four her client is choosing from. The others are Cabo, Mexico; Monterey, CA and Nashville, TN, which Stephenson notes has the benefit of a large downtown and big airport. “You are walking distance to any place that you want to do anything,” she says of Nashville. “There’s so many entertainment options at people’s fingertips.”

Willingness to try new destinations opens the door to smaller destinations, particularly those in close proximity to a major city with strong airlift. For example, a planner can place an incentive in Victoria, British Columbia, a scenic island between Vancouver and Seattle. Likewise, Park City, UT, a popular resort town that has been home to the Sundance Film Festival, can resonate with corporations due to its short distance from Salt Lake City.

Choi suspects American companies will react to ongoing economic turmoil by opting for domestic programs. U.S. destinations are generally cheaper to fly into and have more transportation options should weather disrupt schedules, he notes, adding it’s nearly impossible to make up lost time from a cancelled flight from the U.S. to Europe.

Mike Uhl, regional vice president at HelmsBriscoe, was able to organize a budget-friendly incentive in Maui in the fall, during a slower period than the holiday peak season. “We were able to get a really good deal,” he says, noting his client is looking to return to the destination for its next incentive given its popularity among top workers.

“When you tell somebody that he or she is going to win an incentive trip and they’re going to Maui, that’s a pretty good motivator,” says Uhl.

Charleston, SC, and Napa, CA, are among well-regarded incentives destinations in the continental U.S. The challenge, Choi notes, is mixing up the type of destinations annually. While a beach might be fun one year, planners may want to freshen up the trip the next by heading to a mountain town (Aspen, CO, for example) or a desert location (Scottsdale, AZ is a hotbed for incentives).

“You don’t want to replicate the same kind of experience,” he says.

Singh says The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota benefits from groups looking for a break from popular Florida destinations like Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg or Miami. “Clients are seeking fantastic value from second-tier cities because they want to offer a different experience,” Singh reports. Sarasota, for instance, has top-notch beaches and golf like other Florida hotbeds, but is generally cheaper than its counterparts and has unique venues like The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Lawson says a little bit of research can go a long way to stretching out your budget. She points to Mexico’s 16% tax rebate on ground arrangements when holding a meeting or conference in Mexico as a great saver. On the flip side, destinations like Venice and Barcelona that are fighting overtourism and seeking greater conservation of resources like water, are implementing extra fees to visitors. Of note, the U.S. will soon implement a $250 “visa integrity fee” that could be a turnoff to global or foreign companies.

A Twist on the Familiar

Conventions and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and venues across the country are responding to the desire for escapism during incentive events.

Broadway is an undeniable attraction in New York, as are musician residencies and shows in Las Vegas. Yet, planners can work with local partners to find opportunities many attendees have yet to enjoy for themselves.

Spiegelworld, with a variety of venues and experiences in Atlantic City, NJ, and Las Vegas, NV, specializes in “fully immersive entertainment,” says Spiegelworld’s Chief Marketing Officer Lindsay Sanna. “We don’t just build theaters,” says Sanna. “We really dig into a story and build a world that you’re escaping into.”

One of the company’s venues, The Hook in Atlantic City, features a 75-minute production that pays tribute to the destination’s glory years with acrobatics and dancing. “Nothing makes me happier than when someone gets into the venue and then the show starts and you see their jaw drop,” says Sanna.

Groups can pair a private showing with dinner or cocktails at Superfrico, an Italian-American establishment next to the theater. Corporations can select drinks that highlight a brand’s colors or logos to personalize the experience, Sanna says.

Discovering new activities and venues is vital as business meetings borrow from incentives’ playbook with experiential activities. That leaves it up to rewards program organizers to up their game.

For instance, it is common for a corporate meeting to include time to enjoy a massage. Incentive planners can increase the experience by sending guests to a spa center with a complete treatment package, Choi suggests.

Hotels are doing their part to differentiate themselves. The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota touts unique experiences like its exclusive access to a Tom Fazio-designed golf course usually reserved for members and a cooking course with a French culinary master, Chef Joe Bennett. “There are only 92 French Master Chefs in the United States and we have one here,” says Singh.

Choi suggests river cruises are a break from the traditional incentive. Most start in a major destination that guests may stay at prior to the program before boarding the all-inclusive boat sized perfectly for a group of between 100-200 attendees. One advantage is a river cruise offers a plethora of experiences, notes Choi. “Most of the river cruises are stops in areas that most people won’t go to on their own,” Choi says. “You can leave the ship and spend 12 hours in the city exploring it, and you feel comfortable that you’ll be able to get back in time for the next leg of the trip.”

Rewarding Experiences

With a background in nonprofit management, Lawson is heartened by the trend toward giving back to host destinations during incentives. “We’ve been doing very intentional, strategic work about bringing more social impact experiences to programs,” she says.

It’s incumbent among planners to balance the desire to do good while allowing top performers to enjoy their well-earned vacation.

There are methods to contribute to a local community without being obtrusive to the program’s agenda. Achieve recently partnered with Kind Traveler, which collaborates with lodging and destination organizations to ensure a portion of a guest’s stay funds local nonprofits. Achieve donates $10 per incentive attendee to the program, Lawson says.

Lawson also encourages planners to appeal to the reward winners’ competitive side through a fundraising activity or a challenge to donate the most books, for example, to an organization focused on literacy. Achieve develops relationships with local officials to ensure its partners are legitimate and not bad actors, Lawson adds.

Traditional corporate social responsible (CSR) activities can be woven into the three-or four-night event, but Lawson recommends making a giveback opportunity one of several options attendees can choose from during a specific time slot so it is not mandatory. Volunteering is proving popular in Achieve’s research. “This is something people want,” Lawson says.

Adding the community into gifting was a big hit at a program Lawson conceived of in Costa Rica. Achieve partnered with local artisans whose work authentically reflected Costa Rican heritage and culture. The craftspeople set up shop at a makeshift market in the hotel lobby and attendees were given branded currency that could be used to select their own gifts.

The artisans collectively earned $15,000 in one day — with many of them sharing that their earnings in just a few hours surpassed what they would typically make in two months, Achieve reports. Attendees loved it, too.

“Hands down, the artisan gifting experience was the favorite part of the incentive trip in our surveys,” Lawson says. “We even had fireworks and super adventurous activities like ziplining and ATVs on that program.”

The Undiscovered Country

The future, which William Shakespeare described as the undiscovered country, is a bit murky for incentives amid talk of tariffs and hard feelings regarding political policies. But Stephenson says “incentives are still going on.”

She expects that to hold true, albeit with challenges. Tariffs loom over all business events, as do hard feelings for new foreign policies. Choi worries that companies may, at best, hold travel budgets’ level. That leaves planners with the task of increasing the experience factor while finding ways to reduce costs.

The hoteliers interviewed for this article have yet to see an impact on incentive programs, but say they understand some companies are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Omni Hotels & Resorts, with properties in a mix of different-sized markets, remains optimistic regardless how the pendulum swings, says Surette.

Its next two major openings are Omni Fort Lauderdale in Florida (part of the city’s massive convention center campus project) and Omni Pontoque in Mexico. The company plans to host its own incentive program at both hotels in the next two years, and expects both to be desired to celebrate top performers.

“I think companies still see the advantage of incentives,” Surette says. C&IT