The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence has expanded its Certified Incentive Specialist program, adding an online option for certification in motivational experiences and incentive travel. The program, for SITE members with five or more years of experience, was launched in 2013 and until now has been run as a two-day, in-person workshop.
The CIS syllabus covers a broad range of topics, from determining the need for incentives to identifying the various suppliers involved in an incentive program to a planning and delivery overview as well as marketing issues. Nearly 1,000 incentive travel professionals have earned the CIS certification to date.
In other SITE educational news, the association launched a new online learning portal in April, where members and nonmembers can access online courses providing entry- to mid-level incentive travel education. The courses, usually $99 for members and $169 for nonmembers, are being offered free to members through June 30. Twelve courses are currently available with titles such as “Incentive Travel Budgeting and Marketing,” “Selling Incentive Travel to Business Leaders,” and “Guidelines for a Successful Site Visit.
“The support of the SITE Foundation and generosity of our sponsors enables us to continue to develop new curriculum and resources that provide incentive travel professionals the ability to take a more proactive role in planning their own professional development,” stated SITE CEO Kevin Hinton, CIS, who says the association hopes to eventually create industry-wide standards for job descriptions, performance appraisals, and compensation.
