Previously known and booked purely as a comedy act—a diversion or a break from the “real” conference content—The Water Coolers have now developed a keynote presentation called “Getting to Great Performance” that aims to teach as well as entertain. While attendees are cracking up, they’re also learning how to deal with obstacles keeping them from getting to the next level of their careers. Through singing and acting, the performers share tools for handling workplace distractions, coworker relationship issues, and job stress.

The comedy troupe Four-Day Weekend (pictured above) also offers business- and communication-oriented keynotes and teambuilding workshops, as well as a ton of laughs and gorgeous voices. They’ll also work as emcees (solo or in pairs) throughout multiday conferences or for an awards gala or other special event.

Going “behind the scenes” is the quintessential activity for incentive qualifiers, because planners always strive to provide experiences people couldn’t organize on their own.

The Stafford London’s Executive Concierge Frank Laino (otherwise known as the Keeper of the Keys, pictured above) can show them the secrets of London during a three-hour walking tour. The 105-room Stafford is in St. James Place, which is defined by its four corners—Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, and Green Park.

As “the right hand of Royalty” since the 1600s, the environs of The Stafford London are part of a rich legacy. Tour stops include Spencer House in St. James, the city’s only private palace to survive intact, built as the London residence for the first Earl Spencer (Princess Diana’s forebear) and now owned by Lord Rothschild; Clarence House, residence of Charles Prince of Wales and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall; and Red Lion, a Victorian Pub.

A couple of other keys you might want to ask for: those unlocking the hotel’s own 380-year-old wine cellar and its contemporary penthouse with views of London’s iconic skyline.

If you’re tired of hotel meeting rooms and sick of stale air conditioning, a new pitch from The Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds could be for you: Try a breath of literal and figurative fresh air by considering a campground for a small meeting, retreat, or teambuilding session. The Go Camping America Web site highlights some meeting-friendly campgrounds or you can search the site’s 3,100 facilities nationwide to find just what you’re after: golf, oceanfront, close to the city—even accommodations in yurts (like the one pictured above, at Normandy Farms Camping Resort in Foxboro, Mass.).

“Authentic” may be an overused word, but planning an incentive event that helps attendees fully appreciate the location they’re visiting enriches their experience—and their feelings about the company giving them that experience.

San Diego–based Destination Concepts along with Executive Chef John Shelton and his team at the Hotel Del Coronado recently worked with a financial company meeting planner to create a final-night gala for 650 qualifiers incorporating The Del’s history as L. Frank Baum’s inspiration for the Emerald City.

Starting in “Kansas,” attendees gathered at (elegantly appointed) picnic benches to enjoy farm favorites like fried chicken (with a gourmet twist—the chicken was served in cones with a compressed melon salad and molasses gastrique), before moving as a group into a fantastical “Oz” in the hotel’s Crown Room. Décor included a rustic serving station designed like the magician’s trailer from “The Wizard of Oz” movie and a sparkling ruby slipper chandelier (pictured above). In addition to food stations, “Dorothy” and her companions wheeled food carts along the room’s yellow-brick road. The Tin Man served bisque in tin cups, topping each serving with olive oil dispensed from an old-fashioned oil can.

Set the tone for a more relaxed, engaged business session by varying the furniture set in your meeting room. A mix of couches, rounds, bar tables, and benches gives a room set more interest, lets attendees choose their comfort zone, and sparks conversation.

AFR Event Furnishings partnered with Omni Hotels & Resorts for its 2014 series of Be Collaborative education and networking events in eight cities around the U.S. “The positive feedback has been unanimous,” says Anne Scales, national account manager, AFR. “It’s been great to see how everyone’s attitude and mood changes when they walk into a room that is inviting, relaxed, and inspired.” Browse your options at the AFR Events Web site.

Your meeting attendees want to maintain their healthy habits while they’re on the road, and you want them alert and energetic. Have it all when you build a conference menu full of colorful superfoods, says Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D, president and chief exercise officer at X-Bytes Inc. Work with your hotel chef to use as many of these and other superfoods as possible:

Blue/purple: blueberries, beets

Green: spinach, avocado, green tea

Yellow: eggs, yellow peppers

Brown: dark chocolate, nuts, chickpeas, brown rice

Red: strawberries, red peppers

Orange: mango, pumpkin, carrots

White: cauliflower, coconut

Check out Dr. Kim’s short exercise videos too, and throw one into a general session for a fun, stress-free, sweat-free meeting break that boosts circulation and energy.

Accessible from any Internet-enabled device, the new Social Q&A Web app allows meeting attendees to submit questions to presenters or executives and to vote on all posted questions, thereby revealing which questions are most important to the entire group. Social Q&A also allows trainers or presenters to solicit feedback from attendees post-event, or to collect and prioritize questions pre-event. Run out of time during the live Q&A? Send answers to attendees as a followup with the Q&A Snapshots feature.

Social Q&A requires a monthly subscription, even for a one-time event. (You can cancel the subscription once the event is over, according to FAQs at the company’s Web site.) Check it out first with a free trial you can set up in seconds.