Corporate events are standard across many industries. But what if you took these events abroad? For many organizations, they do exactly this every year. These events are known as incentive trips, and they have their own unique challenges and needs compared to your traditional corporate events. Today, we’ll help you understand how to plan for incentive trips effectively and how our team supports you along the way.
What Are Incentive Trips?
Incentive trips are typically internal rewards for achieving a specific business goal. For example, sales-based businesses may set a revenue goal for their employees and incentivize reaching this goal by offering an exclusive trip to those who achieve it. Many companies refer to this group as the “president’s club.” Other tiers may offer different rewards, but incentive trips are often reserved for the top earners.
Incentive trips can be abroad or within the country. It’s an excellent way for companies to celebrate their employees, bring awareness to their mission, and share exciting updates on where the company is going.
These trips can be specifically tailored to your team’s preferences and what would best work as a reward for a job well done. Whatever you want out of these trips, we can make it happen!
5 Tips for Incentive Trip Planning
So what does planning for an incentive trip look like? Because these trips are so customizable, it’s not an exact science. However, at Akire Events Agency, we’ve had our fair share of experience in planning these events, so we know the best tips to help make your incentive trip successful!
1. Start Planning Early
If you’ve ever planned an international trip with friends or family, you are already familiar with the time that’s needed to get all the details right. When you’re doing this for your corporation, you could be planning for tens or hundreds of people—planning early becomes essential.
We often recommend businesses start planning their incentive trip anywhere from 2 to 3 years in advance. This timeline not only allows you to have ample time to iron out the details, but it also provides time for you to announce some exclusive benefits and excursions that employees can expect when you announce the sales goal at the beginning of the year.
Plus, the earlier you begin the planning, the smoother the execution will be. For example, international shipping can take up to 30 days. Getting ahead allows you to anticipate what you need, avoiding last-minute shipments that may not be able to be accommodated at your destination.
Not every detail has to be planned by the time you reveal the trip to employees, but it can help to incentivize them further!
2. Set Your Event Boundaries
It’s fun to dream about what you can do with incentive trips, but it’s essential to have realistic boundaries in mind. When you work with our team at Akire Events Agency, we dream big within your company’s reality. Considering your budget, the number of attendees, the timeline, and your objectives, we can design an incentive trip that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.
You don’t even need to have all the ideas finalized. If you just know you want an island retreat with a specific budget, we can do the work to find the best tropical spot for you and your team, with special events catered just for you!
For example, when we planned an incentive trip for a company in the past, they knew they wanted a tropical retreat but sought our expertise to determine the best way to make the trip special within their budget. We helped them find the ideal island location and added a little surprise by booking a private island for them to have a personal concert with Fleetwood Mac!
The world’s your oyster with incentive trips—you just have to first determine your guardrails.
3. Know Your People
The goal of incentive trips is to, well, incentivize. In order to do that properly, you must know what would be a good reward for your team. A corporate event planning agency can help you find the best opportunities, but you know your team best. There are several methods you can use to find the best incentive trip for your team:
- Plan an event to a location that most people may not be able to access by themselves (e.g., a cruise along the Greek Isles, an all-inclusive resort, a tour of Europe, etc.)
- Survey your team to discover their hobbies or dream destinations (e.g., if your team has a lot of hikers, a mountain trip will serve them better than a tropical retreat)
- Research current trends in popular destinations
- Work with your planning partner to find excursions that will personalize the experience (e.g., private chef, helicopter rides, horseback riding, etc.)
4. Expect the Unexpected
No event is without its hiccups, especially travel trips. You must be prepared for whatever the day may bring. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the hiccups as much as possible.
For example, one of the most avoidable hiccups is passport handling. It’s vital to remind your team that they’ll need an updated passport and physically bring it with them. Multiple reminders, as well as providing special passport bags or pouches, can ensure everyone has a passport ready to go.
Other things that we’ve seen pop up as challenges include visa requirements and, more rarely, vaccination requirements. Much of this can be easily fixed by planning early and doing thorough research on your destinations. We’ll work with you to anticipate any potential issues and have backup plans in place in case the unexpected happens.
5. Work with the Experts
Ultimately, it’s easiest to plan these types of trips with the experts in event planning and execution. At Akire Events Agency, we’ve had the privilege of working with several different companies to plan their incentive trips. From providing vendor recommendations to executing exclusive excursions, our team ensures your team will be talking about the trip for years to come. Some of the benefits of working with us include:
- We have connections all over the world, getting you the best price and experiences at your destination.
- Once you’re there, you can be hands off—we handle everything from transportation to itineraries.
- Don’t have an internal travel agent or travel planning team? No worries! We can help you plan flights and book hotels.
- We are consultants throughout the planning process. We look at the purpose of your event and guide you on the best path to steward your budget well.
- Research is at the foundation of our process. We’ll take every aspect of the trip into consideration to make your event a success.
There’s nowhere we’re not willing to go—trust the experts in planning to get you where you need to go!
Are There Alternatives to Destination Incentive Trips?
While incentive trips are traditionally international or tropical, there’s no rule saying you have to go abroad. There are plenty of locations within the country that would serve as great incentive destinations for your team. Disney World, New York City, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii—there’s so much to be explored here within the states! If international travel feels too overwhelming or unrealistic for your team, don’t hesitate to explore alternative options domestically.
There may even be options within your local region. Increasingly, businesses are hosting micro-events for more human connection. For example, a private chef is a great incentive for your team, no matter where you host it.
We work with you and your budget. While a grand international trip may still be a future goal, we can help you find fun and exciting alternatives within the country, your state, or even your city.
Locally or Across the World, Akire Events Agency Has You Covered
No matter where you go, we can’t wait to help you get there. Our team is highly experienced in event planning and execution, and we personalize each project to your unique needs and goals. Whether you need help ironing out the details or you need a hands-on team at your destination, Akire Events Agency has you covered. Reach out to our team today to begin planning your next incentive trip!