If you haven’t yet secured your 2019 incentive trip location then you are running out of time, especially if you are in search of a popular five-star incentive destination. Most clients are contracted for 2019 and turning their focus on 2020. This group of hotels is a guarantee in terms of client experience and presenting attendees with a “wow factor.” For those looking for a last minute search or getting a jump start on 2020, here is a great place to start.
The Florida Gulf Coast has a long list of hotels for MICE travel. Unfortunately the product has been a tougher sell when compared to Miami/Fort Lauderdale region of the state. A few renovations to highlight are Hilton Marco Island, JW Marriott Marco Island, Don Cesar, Vinoy, Hyatt Regency Clearwater, and Tampa Marriott Waterside. The Tampa hotel product is constantly improving with a new JW Marriott and Marriott Edition breaking ground in 2019. For those who need less meeting space they can move outside the city of Tampa and closer to one of the beautiful beaches in the area!
The 2018 incentive season has come to a close! The list of resorts below hosted our most successful President’s Club trips.
Unico 20º87º
Hyatt Ziva/Zilara, Montego Bay, Jamaica
The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba
Secrets Cap Cana
UNICO 20˚87˚ is a new player to the adults only all-inclusive scene having been open just over a year this spring. From the moment you enter the property you are taken back with the décor, welcome drink, and fresh scent.
The reception team keeps check-ins quick and comes to guests at the couch versus the traditional line-up at the desk. They appoint every guest a local host who brings you to your room and gets you comfortable with the property. The host will even provide you their cell phone number for the remainder of your stay. They will help you with anything from making dinner reservations, to spa appointments, and even coordinate getting your outdoor bath prepped. It's a nice added touch! If you return, they do their best to appoint you the same local host.
The following rating is a personal preference and is in relation to a grade as a MICE property. Meeting Space refers to indoor meeting space. Please note the below numbers are best estimates as hotels undergo renovations and their meeting space and sleeping room numbers can change.
Every time a tech company brings up Las Vegas for their annual sales kickoff event I cringe. As a millennial myself, I understand the excitement of the bright lights and hoopla of Las Vegas. It's great for bachelor/bachelorette parties, 21st birthday tilts, 40th birthday celebrations, March Madness reunions, poker events, and even an annual family vacation. It truly is one of the most remarkable .8 miles in the world in terms of man-made “wow factor.”
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.
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.
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.