Despite the site switch — and, in fact, a complete change in conference dates — qualification levels are on par with Penn Mutual's average. It appears that the quick action of the team saved the incentive contest. But Acton says credit for the success extends beyond the trio doing the negotiating and the site-search legwork: “There were a lot of people involved in the process.”

Adds Beauchamp, “It was the teamwork between Penn Mutual and Maritz as well as the teamwork of internal partners including our Web team, graphic design team, and communications people. It was not only finding the site, for which our partnership with Maritz was invaluable, it was also turning around the material and promotions and creating the excitement that motivates producers.”

In the end, Beauchamp adds, the decision to cancel was not difficult. “It was the right thing to do for our company and potential attendees, and we were able to build a strong case that made good business sense.”

Sidebar: Mexico: Getting Back to Great

Official warnings about travel to Mexico because of the H1N1 virus have been lifted. Cruise lines have returned to Mexican ports. And tourism officials are doing all they can to show meeting planners why Mexico belongs back on their short lists of meeting sites.

“We know that Mexico will come back as a premier destination,” says Leanne Acton, CMM, AVP, field recognition and event planning, who had to cancel two incentive programs headed for Cancun because of attendee uncertainty about the destination, even though the meetings weren't scheduled to take place until March 2010. “Our dilemma was that, to promote an incentive conference, we needed the ‘Wow’ factor to exist [a year prior to the meeting]. It is during the qualification period that we need to have people excited about the destination.”

“Mexico is going to have an uphill battle in gaining back attendees, but it's definitely one that it can win, and has been working hard to do so,” says Eli Gorin, CMP, president of boutique meeting management firm gMeetings Inc., in Aventura, Fla., who has long experience bringing groups to the country.

Mexican tourism officials have launched a Web site to keep planners and travelers updated. Visit www.mexico-update.com to get the very latest.