What are key factors influencing the success of incentive events? What are the top travel incentive trends and challenges?
Staying ahead of the curve is crucial for event planners and a new snapshot report from SITE shares insights into the evolving landscape of incentive travel and motivational events.
SITE’s new snapshot report, “Incentive Travel & Motivational Events,” dives into the current trends, challenges, and opportunities faced by corporate planners who are at the forefront of designing impactful incentive experiences.
The biggest challenges cited by corporate planners? Rising costs and inflation. As expenses soar, the challenge is grappling with maintaining program quality without compromising the experience. Other top concerns include lack of team support, untrained talent, layoffs and climate change.
When it comes to destination selection, safety, health, and security are now crucial for planners.
Preferred supplier partners were ranked with destination management companies (DMCs) first and then hotel reps/sales directors, followed by event agencies. Further down the list were talent and entertainment agencies and AV companies, with local affiliate office or branch and national tourist board/destination marketing organization (DMO) considered low priority.
SITE CEO Annette Gregg emphasizes the importance of this research: “In today’s dynamic and rapidly changing event landscape, staying informed through data-driven insights is more critical than ever. Our latest study offers a detailed view of what’s on the minds of industry professionals who are responsible for creating memorable and effective incentive travel programs. We are proud to partner with Hilton to bring this invaluable information to our members and industry colleagues.”
The report, supported by Hilton, reflects the perspectives of nearly 100 global corporate event organizers and aims to be a crucial resource for industry professionals.
“At Hilton, we recognize the critical role that incentive travel plays in driving motivation and business success. Supporting actionable research like this is a cornerstone of our commitment to the incentive industry. We believe that informed, data-driven insights are essential for strategic decision-making and planning. This report provides a comprehensive view of current trends and challenges, and we hope it serves as a valuable resource for planners and suppliers alike,” said Kim Napolitano, executive director, industry relations & intermediary group sales for Hilton.
Key findings from the report include:
- Destination selection: safety, health, and security are now as crucial as destination appeal and infrastructure.
- Professional development: a significant portion of planners have over a decade of experience, highlighting the depth of expertise in the industry.
- Partnerships: DMCs and hotel representatives are seen as vital partners, more so than local affiliate offices.
