Historically, rewards and recognition programs go a long way in encouraging employees achieve business goals and objectives. While small organizations prefer to award their clients with monetary incentives larger corporate houses are promoting the culture of organizing incentive travel events to provide their employees an often much needed relief, a casual environment and to better communicate as a team.
Here are 6 interesting tips to nail your next incentive travel event-
1- Determine Objectives In Advance
Every incentive travel event has an objective behind it, establishing these goals and objectives before the incentive campaign begins goes a long way in better managing such events. “Is it 10 percent growth over last year? Is it launching a new product? Or is it a team building trip?” These questions need to be dealt with and interesting concepts of engaging activities can then be designed to cater to the demands of the employees.
2- Decide on a budget
How much is the organization willing to spend on the incentive program. In addition to the award trip or event itself, the budget also needs to cover the communication, and engagement strategies leading up to it. Organizers need to have teasers and keep unveiling information at regular intervals to keep people excited. Also, determining the budget in advance can help you book a destination of travel much ahead when can lead to huge savings on advance bookings. Not only budget clarity helps you in better organizing the event but it also helps in efficiently curbing the expenses to make the employer happy as well.
3- Have a Theme
Themed incentive travels generate more anxiousness in employees than a regular get away. Interesting themes like king and queens, royalty of Jaipur and Beach Bonaza are the most trending options recently. Also the theme of incentive travel can be decided through an option of voting though the employees themselves. This opportunity will make the employees decide on how they want to be treated at the event and also help in generating more curiosity about it.
4- Focus on the Target Group
Select the target group for the program. This could be management, employees, salespeople, or anyone else. Discover what the target’s values, interests and preferences through paper surveys or interviews. Then browse our corporate incentives guide to match up preferences with available packages in your budget range. Once you have the target group in mind, careful fabrication on team building games, relaxation techniques and networking opportunities need to be done to help resolve the issues in the team, if any and help others realize the contribution of every member in the organization
5- Entertain and Not Strain
Most agencies in an attempt to outdo their competition and expectations by employers organize some out of the box activities to engage the employees on incentive travel events. These activities range from incredibly difficult obstacle courses to competitive games and adventure sports. In most cases as a result of these activities are injured and strained employees who instead of going happily to their workplace land up in the nearest hospital instead. The motive of incentive travel is to entertain the participants through mutual discussions and activities that build them up as a team and hence the activities at such events need to be light on mood yet enjoyable from every perspective.
6- Evaluation
The end of an incentive travel should always measure the success of the program based on the original goals and objectives. At this stage financial and behavioral metrics both need to be considered. Surveying employees can help an agency realize you what was the most memorable part of the event? Did it was motivate them? The evaluation is a great tool for an agency to learn better from their current endeavor and help them to better manage upcoming events like these.
