Travel Insider: Nine Olympic Skills Incentive Travel Planners Must Master
August 25, 2008
Planning an incentive travel program is an Olympic sport that calls for skill and endurance
By Brian Martenis
As an incentive travel planner, you are granted the extraordinary task of giving other human beings the best times of their lives. Not to take away from premiums, gift cards and the like, but in this writer's opinion, nothing as a motivator comes close to a well-run incentive travel program. Nothing is remembered as long and nothing will achieve a set goal more effectively. It's almost Olympic status, really.
Think of it: You are making their choices of what to see, eat, drink, experience and what they will always remember. Sure, running incentive travel programs might not technically be Olympic, but it certainly is on the same type of scale for you and the people involved.
Bringing Home the Gold
1. Destination Dilemma
The first Olympic task is choosing the correct destination for the group you want to motivate. It needs to be exciting, desirable, well priced and safe. English should be widely spoken and, hopefully, US currency should be accepted. All food should be common to the land visited without being too exotic. It needs to be on the beach with pools and everyone needs an ocean view. It needs a great spa, gambling, golf and it can't be too far from, or too close too, the airport. Food must be the best and abundant. Play off games should be available when applicable, and in general this "heaven on earth" should not require too long of a flight. Help a guy out, Zeus?
2. The New Rules of Flight
Your second Olympic task is now finding an airline that really wants to do business with you. Years ago, I could go check in at any airline with my business card and get a space available upgrade. Airlines called me often and I was favored with complimentary first class site inspection flights. (That's when first class was really first class too!) None of this exists any longer—including the airlines true interest in your group. Now constantly in a state of dire finances, airlines are understaffed and need revenue. Their interest is in filling seats and it's now a matter of first come, first served. Good luck, Hercules.
3. Currency Concerns
If planning internationally, keep in mind that the US dollar is still weak and the fluctuations in currency value can be very difficult to deal with. Some countries are combating this with guaranteed US dollar rates, years out. The savvy planner can find these suppliers or can negotiate on this concept. The Olympic planner can actually make the weakened dollar work for them. The US dollar will be back, but not tomorrow and this fact must be dealt with today. Is there a god of currency? Appropriately enough, it's Hermes.
4. Safety and Prevention
"Take off your shoes, Achilles." Did you ever consider that there would come a day that you would plan your footwear for more convenient airline check-in? Today new, but very real, safety issues are the norm. Remember when you could buy an unused airline ticket from a newspaper ad? ID requirements? Never. Your task is to make your guests are as comfortable as possible, and be very sympathetic with those who have been stopped, searched and generally inconvenienced. It is a shame but it must be dealt with. The important thing for you is not to take ownership of it. You cannot control what the airports are doing to keep people safe. You also don't want it to reflect on your program either. Be aware and distance your self as much as possible.
5. Breaking Mortal Time Constraints
Your fifth Olympian task is being in several places at one time, and handling multiple situations at once. Here is a true example: Picture yourself in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the transport coaches are out front on a narrow street, so they cannot sand there long. The tour should have left already and people are still grabbing another last coffee. One sleepy-eyed client asks, "Could I just grab a quick breakfast?" What do you do? Try to fill the first coach and send it off. Several clients are running into the hotel to run to their rooms for their passports. They heard you needed your passport for the tour. (Sigh.) Coach number one is off, coach number two almost loaded, number three is coming around the corner and clients are still coming off the elevators. "I'm sorry, sir, but the coach must move," the policeman tells you in Russian. Is there a time god?
6. Embracing Cultures
Your sixth Olympic task is learning to deal with suppliers from another culture. This may seem like the fun part—and it is. But it can also get very "old" and have you ripping your hair out in due course of time. To be honest, the American philosophy of "the customer is always right" is not always the case in other countries. You had better study local customs and be very specific with your instructions. I'm not going to point any fingers, but I can tell you that dealing with food and beverage (F&B) wait staff and hotel staff in other countries can be very interesting. There are going to be instances where you absolutely will not be able to get what you want. There will be times when they will conveniently not be able to understand you. Some cultures will actually be very obvious about looking down on you as an ignorant, uncultured American. "That's not the way it is done here" is often heard. I think, in general, we as American's go to great lengths in the hospitality industry to meet needs and cultural differences. Where's the love, Aphrodite? Bottom line: As an American with a group abroad, you better be realistic.
7. Patience Is a Virtue
Being patient is an Olympic-sized skill. Be patient with your guests and with your suppliers. We have already established the fact that some countries are not the easiest to get along with, and some clients are no exception. You are in the perfect position to do well or fail miserably. When faced with the adverse—such as an irritated front desk person, waiter or unreasonable client—adopt an "if you can't make it, fake it" attitude. Stay in control. Stay cool, serene and let them do all the yelling. Let them finish and then see what you can do. If there is really no solution, you must calmly state this, lower your eyes and prepare yourself. Over the years I have been shouted at, threatened, pushed—you name it. "Let me see what I can do" is the only thing you can say. Think of it as your Academy Award winning role. It works for me.
8. Channeling Creativity
You'll need to find you inner Muse to be creative constantly. Believe it or not, this is more difficult than it sounds. Every aspect of your program needs to be examined as an opportunity to be special. One of the most important features of your production is a constant welcoming feeling—a warm comfort and security that you must create. Giving someone a free weekend in Miami is not an incentive travel program of Olympic proportion. You are creating from the moment the program is kicked off (sometimes a year away from the trip) until the "thank you" cards are mailed. Nowadays, a DVD of the trip is an excellent addition to that card. Call on Pan for additional ideas.
9. Wellness Wins
Your ninth skill is staying healthy. You will find that when many people leave the incentive travel business one of the reasons they give is because they were tired of being sick all of the time. You need to be up early each morning. Stay away from Bacchus and save your drinking, partying and overeating for the well-deserved relaxed days at home. Believe me, I've had my share—a broken foot in Portugal (the night before departure); a parasite in Acapulco (street vendors) and more nasty hangovers then I care to remember. But those experiences.have taught me that "less is more." And it pays to behave. As I have said, you are not a guest and this is not your party. Your reward is a job well done.
After 10 years as Sales Promotion Director for one company and 19 years as Sales Incentives Manager for another, INCENTIVE online columnist Brian Martenis is currently managing director of Incentive Worldwide Travel, a division of Philidelphia-based Gil Travel. Brian brings to this company nearly 30 years of designing and implementing very successful incentive travel programs all over the world. Brian is passionate about every aspect of his programs and is often asked to write and speak about incentives, incentive travel and motivation. He can be contacted at brianm@incentivewt.com.
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