The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence debuted in mid-July a new research product called “Snapshot Report on Incentive Travel & Motivational Events.” This first edition presents survey results from 79 respondents who manage incentive and motivational programs, 80 percent of whom have more than 10 years of experience in the role.
When asked who they primarily report to, 27 percent of respondents said it is their firm’s head of marketing. However, 24 percent report directly to their CEO, “an indication of how mission-critical incentive events are for companies,” the report noted. Another 22 percent report to their firm’s owner or chief revenue officer, while 19 percent report to their head of events.
As for site-selection criteria, respondents ranked destination appeal highest, at 6.84 out of 10; infrastructure at 6.03; and safety, security, and health at 5.59.
But one related question that garnered an unexpected top response was this: What are your organization’s non-negotiable elements for an incentive destination?
While “luxury/5-star accommodations” and “the ability to cater to all generations” were the second- and third-most popular responses, the answer that came out on top was “the need for all participants to be treated with equal respect.” And on the flip side, sustainability came in last as an absolute necessity out of the eight possible responses, which the report called “surprising … given global concerns about climate change”
Lastly, respondents’ perceptions about the usefulness of different supplier partners were revealing. For instance, 86 percent said that a destination management company is either “crucial” or “helpful” to their planning and execution of a program, while 78 percent said the same about their host-property sales and service teams. And 65 percent cited an outside event agency as either crucial or helpful to their on-site work; the same percentage also cited an independent AV company as crucial or helpful.
See below for all the responses to that supplier question, from SITE’s inaugural "Snapshot Report."
