Employee incentives that fly: Why incentive travel is not just a jolly holiday

By Joanne Kelly, Head of CR Events

Businesses can reap the rewards when implementing incentive programmes, from a stronger staff performance to achieving higher product sales.

Whether it’s given as a team prize for meeting set sales

targets, or an annual trip for your high performers,

incentive travel can be the powerful business tool to drive

optimum performance and recognise hard work.

Incentive travel encourages your employees to become more successful in your business, by:

Giving personal value – makes staff feel appreciated, an asset to your company and part of something special

Motivating them to work harder – encourages staff to engage in your company and deliver better results before the trip and after, when they come back buzzing with excitement

Boosting company morale – generates excitement across the team, which creates a good working atmosphere

Inspiring other employees – the excitement that develops before and after a trip can filter down across the team, inspiring others to work hard to earn similar rewards

Improving staff loyalty – these staff incentives can act as a big business benefit, encouraging employees to stay with a company for years to come

How can incentive travel be used?• Within a three - six-month employee incentive programme:

Channel partner incentives

engaging your reseller partners so that your

product is at the forefront.

Sales incentives

targeting sales teams to promote and sell a

specific product.

Employee engagement

motivating and inspiring staff, to increase

productivity.

• Activities such as sales floor days can take place before the trip to boost motivation, performance and start generating the excitement right from the outset.

Types of travel incentive trips 1. A once-in-a-life-time-style trip to a long-haul destination the employees might not have visited.

Trips include Hong Kong, Tokyo, South Africa, San Francisco and Rio de Janeiro.

2. A trip with a different experience to a holiday destination employees may have visited…. just with something a little extra/out of the ordinary.

Benefits of Incentive Travel trips

Building team dynamics Educating and developing new skills

New experiences, cultures and surprises

Building team dynamics Incentive travel isn’t a holiday with family. It’s a trip away with colleagues,where they can build some important relationships. Employees working in an international business can meet company staff from international regions, creating new working relationships too.

Staff can also take part in activities that strengthen team dynamics further –consider white water rafting on Africa’s Zambezi river, or boating together around Croatia’s coastline.

Educating and developing new skills

Incentive travel can be educational. From training days and product launches to visiting a company’s production plant or headquarters.

This is a chance to include a session on new solutions, product development and future strategy, building on their knowledge and providing them with the tools to head back to work and continue to strive to achieve better business performance.

There’s also the opportunity to build practical skills and learn some new ones – from a workshop teaching how to make sushi to constructing a robot to play in a game of robot football in Tokyo.

New experiences, cultures and surprises

Incentive travel can allow employees to visit places they haven’t been, while experiencing new cultures, cuisines and activities. Imagine enjoying a meal at a cliffside restaurant in Montenegro at sunset, or an early morning private Tai Chi session on Hong Kong’s waterfront.

Although employees receive a full trip itinerary, there’s always room for some surprises too – maybe a private session feeding elephants in South Africa, or a private tour of Victoria Falls.

In summaryIn adding values like stronger working relationships and skill sets, alongside tastes of new cultures and memorable experiences, travel incentives don’t just help your employees’ performance take off – they can make it fly.

Your staff are provided with long lasting memories attributed to your business.

When recognised for their performance they will feel appreciated and a valuable asset to your business –dedicated, committed, loyal and inspired to do more.

About CR EventsWe do Events...really well. From team events and sales floor activation days to large-scale

conferences and bespoke once-in-a-lifetime incentive travel experiences, we've got it covered. Our knowledge, expertise, passion and processes are designed to help you get the most out of

your event and ultimately your investment.

Winners of multiple awards – including The Drum UK Event Awards, C&IT Excellence, CRN Sales and Marketing, Incentive and Motivation, and Eventia.

To find out more about our ideas for incentive travel and get the most from your employees, get in touch.

Visit us: www.corporaterewards.co.uk / www.cr.events

Call us: 0370 405 2020

Email us: hello@cr.events

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