Executive Group Travel Blog

Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the best fit for MICE travel.  Unfortunately due to limited meeting space the Caymans are a better fit for Incentive Travel over meetings or conferences unless those are under 250 guests.  Grand Cayman has seen a recent surge of business in the last two years given the lack of Zika concerns and also having been missed by Hurricane Irma.  The recent renovation of the Westin, current Margaritaville project and Kimpton new build has increased the number of resort hotel rooms available to help keep up with demand.  One key factor in choosing the island of Grand Cayman is safety.  It is said to be one of the safest islands in the Caribbean in terms of violence, theft, and also food/water quality.

Force Majeure Clause:

Force Majeure Clauses have continued to evolve over the past decade and is currently one of the most negotiated clauses in hotel contracts.  The reason for this is the recent surge in natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes, along with an increased amount of terrorist attacks.  Also there has been a recent surge in travel warnings for risks such as Zika Virus and civil unrest in the past 18 months.

Let’s start with a definition of Force Majeure before we jump into further detail.

Jonathan T. Howe, Esq is an expert on this subject and has published a great industry resource on the Meetings & Conventions site:

http://www.meetings-conventions.com/Resources/Planner-Basics/The-Law-and-The-Planner/What-Does-Force-Majeur-Really-Mean-/

In this piece he defines Force Majeure as:

“The legal concept of force majeure (French for “greater force”) means impossible to perform.  Thus, if a force majeure circumstance makes it impossible for the parties to fulfill their contracted duties, they are relieved of any liability for failing to perform because of the intervention of the superior force.  But the inability to fulfill contract terms is excused only for the duration of the force majeure circumstance.”

Due to the improved airlift into Salt Lake City from the East Coast, Park City, Utah has become a top choice for both winter ski vacations and spring/summer outdoor adventures.  Park City, Utah is just a quick 35 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport and has both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort, as well as the Utah Olympic Park.  Guests can enjoy a bucket list experience of a Bobsled ride or explore Park City from above through hot air balloon rides.  Historic Main Street has been revived with restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.  It's one of the top upcoming destinations in the US for year round adventure options!

 Overall Jamaica is a somewhat disappointing location in terms of hotel products for MICE travel.  The hotel product is a step down from Cancun and Punta Cana and unfortunately the service is a further step down.  The beaches lack the beauty of Punta Cana and the hotels lack the elegance of the 5 star Cancun/Riviera Maya properties. The one benefit is the water/food is a step up from the two other locations.  Guests are less likely to get sick but still encouraged to only drink bottled water. The airlift is also a little quicker from most East coast cities.

There are a few different approaches when trying to set your flight budget for next years trip or even a trip 24 months away.  There will always be some risk when it comes to flight cost but there are options to help mitigate the risk.  Flight costs are constantly changing and in the last few years they have trended downwards due to competition but airlines are now fighting back by introducing basic economy fares at essentially no lower fares.  This will increase ancillary revenue to the airlines in the short term.  Plus some experts in the industry are predicting airline prices are expected to rise in the near future.  Here is a great article from Meetings & Conventions on the 2018-2019 forecast: Meetings Industry Forecast 2018.

The Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings, and Events (IMEX) is the largest trade show and hosted buyer program in the country.  IMEX America just concluded its 7th year in Las Vegas this October and it was how I began my career in Incentive Travel.  With over 3,200 exhibitors, 130 countries represented, and 180 education sessions available IMEX was the perfect platform for me to dive into this new world.

Five Large Meetings Hotels with over 14,000+ Square Feet of Meeting Space.  These properties are also a great fit for Incentive Trips that need over 60 sleeping rooms as they have appropriate space for group breakfasts and event backup space.

1.  Four Seasons Ritz - 282 Sleeping Rooms, 45,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space

2.  Tivoli Lisboa - 306 Sleeping Rooms, 17,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space

3.  Epic Sana - 311 Sleeping Rooms, 30,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space

4.  Intercontinental Lisboa - 331 Sleeping Rooms, 14,000 Square Feet Meeting Space

5.  Ritz-Carlton Penha Longa - 194 Sleeping Rooms, 30,000 Sq Feet Meeting Space

On Site Gifting Experiences

An important part of the incentive industry is the on site gifting experience.  This experience continues to evolve and companies are providing more creative on site ideas.  The most common experience has become the sunglasses fitting from companies such as Maui Jim, Ray Ban, Revo, and more.  Another growing segment is watch gifting from high end options such as Tag and Movado to middle tier trendy companies such as MvMt to local island specialties such as the Island Watch Company.  The key to on site gifting experiences is trying to match the gift with the location.

Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas has been recovering from the 2014 Hurricane for the last few seasons and hotels are finally reopened and travelers are returning!  It is currently one of our top 10 Hotel Destinations for Incentive Travel in 2018 and the all-inclusive properties can be a great fit for most MICE travel.  As we mentioned in our April blog growth is the story for Cabo currently so it will be very interesting to see what it will look like in 2020 once the hotel surge is completed.  The Hard Rock Los Cabos will compete in the incentive space with approx 600 rooms and 26,000 square feet of meeting space expected.  And don't forget for those looking for 5 star non-all inclusive options, the Ritz Reserve, the Four Seasons, Nobu, and Montage are all opening in Cabo sooner rather than later! 

Overall St. Thomas and the USVI's overall have struggled in the MICE space.  The reason behind this is the high number of timeshares compared to hotel rooms.   In 2017 they ran some great incentives to drive tourism to USVI's but most of this focus was on leisure travel instead of incentive travel.  

Conde Nast: The U.S. Virgin Islands Will Pay You to Visit in 2017

Here is a quick review of the main hotel players in the MICE market in St. Thomas.