Tia Benjamins | Senior Account Executive | Opus Agency

Tiffany Cohen | Director of Client Services | Opus Agency

12 Tips to Recharge Your Incentive Trips

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You’re putting together an incentive program for your team. Awesome! First and foremost, you must determine a framework of rules that will enable participants in your program to win. This framework should reflect your company’s values, culture, and accountability. Once that’s defined, the big question remains: How do you create an incredible incentive trip? Read on!

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SKIP THE BLINDFOLD AND DARTS:

Picking a DestinationChoose your destination wisely—it will have huge implications for the tone and cost of your program.

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PICKING A DESTINATION

Jet off to foreign excitement or keep it close to home— it’s up to you.A COHESIVE TEAM fosters sound strategy and enables flawless execution. International destinations come with a sense of importance, and can be an exotic source of excitement.

They also represent a significant increase in complexity and program cost. There’s

still plenty of fun to be had without traveling long distances—domestic trips are

often excellent options, especially for programs with limited budgets.

If you can swing an international trip…

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PICKING A DESTINATION

Pick an amazing destination. Eschew the ordinary!EMPLOYEES LOVE bucket list destinations.

Higher-than-normal travel costs will be outweighed by elevated results. Popular destinations

that create buzz and excitement include Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, and African safaris.

No matter where you end up, when you’re picking a destination you should…

2“Employees love bucket list destinations”—plan your

next #incentive trip to Iceland? @OpusAgency

#eBook says yes: bit.ly/incntvs”

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PICKING A DESTINATION

Choose a location and venue that fits your team culture. ONCE YOU’VE ESTABLISHED the objectives you’re hoping to accomplish onsite, keep the specifics in mind when considering your venue.

Does the resort layout help facilitate team togetherness, or are things a little more private?

Are there outdoor and indoor options for planned activities? Will your employees feel

comfortable in this environment? These are all important questions to ask.

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DON’T FORGET TO WRITE:

Communication CampaignsOnce you’ve got your destination nailed down, it’s time to design and launch your communication plan.

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COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS

Build your incentive program around a fun, sophisticated communication campaign. YOUR COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN is much more than a “know before you go” reminder to participants.

It consists of a year-long series of internal communications that ignite excitement,

drive interest and motivation, and provide regular updates on goal progress. At

the same time, it can be a great avenue with which to reinforce the objectives

and cultural touchstones you’re looking to highlight with your program.

As for the design and style of your own campaign, you should…

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COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS

Build something modern and beautiful. CREATE A GORGEOUS, engaging communication platform that builds excitement among your employees and helps drive buy-in across your teams.

With something as important as a communication campaign, it’s worth the extra time

(and effort) to create something unique and memorable. Your attendees expect attention

to detail and a sense of welcome from the program itself. These expectations should

be mirrored in the thoughtfulness of your design and the warmth of your copy.

And when thinking about your audience, don’t forget to…

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COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS

Talk to the home team—include spouses or significant others in your communications. CREATE A MAILER that speaks to the spouse or significant other—it can do wonders to build excitement and drive engagement among your employees.

The level of dedication you’re asking of your employees has a direct effect on the

home front. Engage and embrace this relationship and use it to expand and

increase the efficacy of your communications campaign.

6“Talk to the home team”—@OpusAgency #eBook says

speak to spouses/partners for #incentive comms

programs: bit.ly/incntvs”

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PULLING IT OFF:

Event ManagementYour communication program all leads up to the big event— which should go off without a hitch. Keep these top tips in mind when managing the event itself.

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EVENT MANAGEMENT

Avoid over-scheduling your attendees. SOMETIMES, freedom is the best reward.

Fight the instinct to account for every minute of your attendees’ stay—be sure to include

blocks of time to decompress, network, and recharge. They worked hard to get here,

and some of the best teambuilding happens during the downtime, so let them

choose how to unwind!

When planning the schedule, it’s important to…

7“Avoid over-scheduling your attendees” on #incentive

trips. Top tips from the latest @OpusAgency

#eBook: bit.ly/incntvs”

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EVENT MANAGEMENT

Take a considered approach to inviting children. IT IS ENTICING to offer a fun trip for the whole family, but the logistical implications are immense.

Incentive trips should be considered business travel. You are bringing the best of the

best together to meet, discuss, and bond with senior management—adding children

to the mix can distract from these objectives. (If you do choose to include children,

make sure to design a kid-specific track of activities.)

There’s another possible source of complication to keep in mind…

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Having contingency plans in place is certainly best practice, but even

the best laid plans can go awry. If things really go south, embrace the

madness! Rain on your event can turn into memories you couldn’t

possibly have planned.

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EVENT MANAGEMENT

Never trust the weather forecast—it can and will betray you. NO METEOROLOGIST is ever 100% certain.

It’s absolutely mandatory to have a backup plan in place for all outdoor activities.

Contingencies for rain are common, but don’t forget about the opposite problem—

sometimes you’ll need snow but the ground is dry! Come prepared with alternatives

for venues, activities, and even entire locations.

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BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE:

Effective Follow-upBeyond the successful execution of your program, it’s important to maintain momentum at the home office. Here are some fun ways to keep your incentive program running once the final flights home are wheels-up.

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EFFECTIVE FOLLOW-UP

Don’t let motivational campaigns end with the event. SENDING EMPLOYEES a trip-related gift and commemorative photograph after the fact is an easy way to cap off the incentive experience.

It’s also an inexpensive way to extend your employees’ feelings of appreciation,

and start building excitement for next year’s campaign.

When you’re choosing gifts, it’s a good idea to…

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EFFECTIVE FOLLOW-UP

Mix it up with both high-quality take-home items and novelties to use right away. A GREAT WAY to build a long-lasting memory of your event is to give attendees something they’ll use for years to come.

At the same time, providing something fun and simple, like branded sunglasses and

flip-flops for a tropical trip, sets the tone of appreciation and encourages feelings

of camaraderie and togetherness right from the get-go.

Finally, the wrap-up of your event is a great time to…

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EFFECTIVE FOLLOW-UP

Kick-start the communication platform for next year’s program. THE BEST TIME to kick off next year’s incentive program is when the current one is closing.

Spirits are high, happy memories are fresh, and people are feeling rejuvenated,

recharged, and ready to take on a new challenge. Whether it’s during closing

remarks onsite, or as part of a follow-up communication campaign,

seize the opportunity—before the tans have faded!

12“Best time to kick off next year’s #incentive program:

while this year’s is closing. #toptips in @OpusAgency

#eBook: bit.ly/incntvs”

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Tiffany works as Director of Client Services at Opus. A highly detailed, solutions-oriented

individual who is thorough in everything she touches, Tiffany makes an excellent addition to any event.

Her work ethic and attention to detail have led her to work successfully with a number of our clients

including Brocade, Charles Schwab, Good Technology, Intel, NetApp, VCE, and Salesforce.

Tiffany joined Opus in 2011, bringing over 17 years of event management experience. Tiffany has a bachelor’s

degree in Communications from Vanguard University, and a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification.

An active member of the event industry, she served on the board of directors for Meeting Professionals International

Orange County Chapter from 2009-2011, as well as the 2015 Advisory Board for Collaborate Marketplace. Her event

background includes incentive programs, trade show management, user conferences, executive summits, fundraising

events, and more.

As Senior Account Executive for Opus, Tia manages key accounts, partnering with her clients to

provide top-tier global event marketing services. Known for visualizing new ideas to help keep projects

fresh and exciting, she prides herself on adding value while remaining steadfastly focused

on the bottom line.

Tia joined Opus at the beginning of 2015, bringing more than 20 years of event marketing experience,

particularly in key positions at Northern California-based event management companies. She approaches each

new client initiative with a clear perspective and open mind, and loves using her passion, experience and drive

to accomplish her clients’ goals.

Tia resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. When not flying for business, Tia can often be found in the blue skies over

San Francisco Bay in a Royal Air Force British Bulldog Trainer.

OPUS AGENCY is a brand events and marketing agency. We create and manage hundreds of events

and campaigns every year, all over the world, including things like strategic executive-level summits,

immersive brand experiences, and conferences with 20,000 attendees. We have amazing people that share

strong values, and a specific methodology that ties everything we do to customer success. We call it TeamCS.

Interested in partnering with Opus to pull off your next killer incentive trip? Contact Kristin Waters.