Effective Business Events Blog   •   5th November, 2018

Are travel incentive trips worth the money? Do you really receive a return on investment or are you just providing a free holiday for a few members of staff? Wouldn’t people prefer a bonus? These are the main questions asked by companies looking for a way to reward their staff when looking at a travel incentive trip as an option.

The answer to all three questions is a firm YES! Ask an employee what they’d like a as a reward for their hard work and they will probably say a cash bonus – and they would temporarily be happy with that. However, cash is quickly absorbed in everyday life – paying the bills, paying for kids activities, filling the car with petrol, paying off the credit card – it’s very rarely used as a reward for the person who has earned it. How many people really do book their dream holiday with their bonus? That’s why travel incentives are such a great way to reward staff and their partners – many of whom suffer when your staff work long hours, putting in the effort for your company – this is the time to reward the husbands and wives too.

Travel Incentives Are An Opportunity To Invest In Your people

A travel incentive trip should be to an aspirational destination to encourage your staff to work hard and earn their place to take part in once in a lifetime experiences – something that money can’t buy, or people generally wouldn’t pay for out of their cash bonus. For instance, many people have been to Paris – but how many have been for dinner in the Eiffel Tower itself? Many have visited New York but have they been on a dinner cruise around the Statue of Liberty or for dinner where the movie stars dine? Or for a desert evening in Dubai with their colleagues feasting on Arabic foods learning the drums? People’s lives are made richer for a wide variety of experiences.

If you invest in your people, they in turn will invest their time and efforts in their work and ultimately benefit your company and we prove this time and time again after each of our trips have taken place.

Bucket List Destinations

For the past 11 years we have arranged an annual luxurious travel incentive trip for our global IT client. Their staff work tirelessly throughout the year to earn their place on the trip. We have just returned form 4 days in New York – a must visit “bucket list” destination for most people in their lifetime. Many of the guests we see year after year, sometimes just the once but one of the guests this year told us “When I heard a year ago this year’s trip was to New York, I knew I had to sell, sell, sell to get on this trip. My hard worked paid off and I’m having the time of my life”.  He’s delighted, and our client’s sales went through the roof, more than paying for his attendance on the trip.

The Dutch team from the company compete against each other to earn their places, so much so that they hang their orange ties & bow ties for the gala dinner on the wall of their office throughout the year as a badge of honour and those who have earned their place on the trip can collect and take with them!

Just a selection of some of the other quotes we have received from just this one event include:

“I’m so thankful that I got to go on this trip and the fact that we do this for our employees. It’s an amazing experience and proof of the value we put into people. Thank you!”

“We’re so well looked after we felt like royalty. We can appreciate how much work went into the event and during it. My wife and I really want to thank you for a lifetime experience that we will remember and relive constantly”

“NYC was soooo cool. Going to try to sell as much as I can to get to Sorrento next year:-)”

“The gala dinner at the Edison Ballroom in NY was so grand we felt like we were in the movies”.

If they had received a cash bonus, would they even remember what they had spent it on in a year’s time, never mind keep reliving it?!

Cost Effective Travel Incentive Trips

Of course, luxurious trips to top destinations such as Dubai, Monaco, Venice, and Vienna come at a price and not all companies have the budget for this. It goes without saying there are a variety of more cost-effective options available. Another of our clients in IT security introduced quarterly travel incentives in a very competitive and sales orientated market place. They immediately saw an increase of 43% in their sales and their staff fought to earn their places on the trip. Some of the destinations they have visited have included Ibiza, skiing in the Alps, Budapest, Prague and Cannes which are suitable for shorter durations and tighter budgets.

And what if you don’t have the budget to go abroad? Well there are plenty of top ways you can reward your staff at home. Most people living in the UK will have been to London, but there are special experiences you can share as the UK is a top destination with so many places to see and things to do. You can privately book The View from the Top of the Shard, charter a dinner cruise along the Thames, stay in a top London hotel and host a gala dinner in a museum amongst dinosaurs are just a handful of ideas to incentive staff and treat them to new experiences.

If you are looking for something on an even smaller scale, then how about a summer party? This doesn’t have to scream out “team building” (of course that’s an option too!) but a fun fun summer party where your hard-working staff turn up on a hot day with a fairground, live music, fun games and inflatables, chill-out area with neck and shoulder massages and of course, food and a free bar. Maybe even a visit from an ice cream van! We have held many such summer parties for clients with a smaller budget wanting a one-day party – sometimes at a venue to get away from work for a day, sometimes in their own grounds if they can’t escape for a full day! We’ve had a festival theme, It’s a knockout, tropical island in the middle of the Thames, cocktail bars,  dragon boating down the Thames….there are so many ways to reward your staff and make memories.

So back to the original questions – are staff incentives and trip worth the money? Yes, without a doubt. The staff have a sense of loyalty, feel valued and following dozens of successful trips and happy guests they all want to work hard to enjoy new life experiences time and time again. The more effort they put it, the more you gain – and we have the proof.

With over 25 years experience, we know that travel incentive trips and bespoke events are time consuming to arrange and we have the knowledge to assist in suggesting destinations and putting together itineraries. So, if you need help with any part of arranging any such trips or events including flights, transfers, hotels, activities etc. please do get in touch. The world is literally our oyster!