sales incentive trip names

75 Creative Names For Incentive Programs

In the dynamic realm of modern workplaces, fostering employee motivation isn’t just a box to check—it’s the secret ingredient for unlocking exceptional team performance. Imagine a workplace where the air buzzes with excitement, and every task becomes a stepping stone towards something greater. That’s where well-crafted incentive programs come into play, offering a refreshing approach to nurturing talent and driving success.

In this article, we unveil 75 curated creative names for incentive programs, sparking ideas that align with your organization’s ethos. Let’s dive in and turn motivation into a tangible force for achievement.

Use the following incentive program names as-is or mix and match and make your own. If you are looking for something for your sales team, here is our list of names for sales incentive programs .

• Achievement Odyssey
• Star Performer Spotlight
• Innovation Ignite
• Success Safari
• Milestone Marvels
• Excellence Escapade
• Peak Performance Pursuit
• Trailblazer Triumph
• Rise and Shine Rally
• Inspire to Excel
• Vitality Victory
• Elevate Excellence
• Success Symphony
• Spark Brilliance
• Efficiency Elevation
• Champion Circle
• Momentum Mastery
• Aim High Accolades
• Dreams to Reality Rewards
• Peak Potential Pathway
• Success Fusion
• Rise Above Recognition
• Brilliance Blueprint
• Pinnacle Pursuit
• Epic Achievement Echo
• Innovate to Elevate
• Triumph Trail
• Growth Catalyst
• Shine On Spotlight
• Excellence Endeavor
• Success Synergy
• Empowerment Expedition
• Elevate Impact
• Star Voyager
• Milestone Mosaic
• Pinnacle Prestige
• Champion’s Odyssey
• Success Radiance
• Ignite Ingenuity
• Climb to Triumph
• Pathway to Excellence
• Inspiration Infusion
• Rising Star Revue
• Momentum Magic
• Accomplishment Anthem
• Elevate Enrichment
• Success Sculpt
• Bright Horizons Haul
• Innovation Illumination
• Empower Echelon
• Triumph Tapestry
• Dreamscape Dynasty
• Peak Performance Parade
• Elevate Essence
• Starlight Showcase
• Milestone Medley
• Excellence Expedition
• Champion’s Crusade
• Rise and Shine Recognition
• Journey to Brilliance
• Success Sparkline
• Momentum Matrix
• Inspire to Aspire
• Elevation Euphoria
• Triumph Trailblazing
• Innovator’s Oasis
• Growth Galore
• Champion’s Chronicle
• Pathway to Prestige
• Dream Big Bonanza
• Excellence Epoch
• Ignite Impact
• Star Rise Revelry
• Elevate Echelon

How To Invent Creative Names for Incentive Programs By Yourself

Creating a unique and engaging name for your incentive program doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Here are some steps to help you invent creative names that resonate with your company culture and goals:

1. Brainstorm Keywords

The first step in crafting a compelling name for your incentive program is to brainstorm relevant keywords. These keywords should encapsulate the essence of your program and the outcomes you hope to achieve. Consider words that reflect concepts like achievement, growth, success, teamwork, innovation, and recognition. Write down a list of these keywords as they will serve as the building blocks for your creative name.

2. Combine and Play

Once you have a list of keywords, it’s time to get creative by combining and rearranging them. Experiment with different combinations to see how they flow together. Play with word orders and variations to discover interesting and captivating phrases. By mixing and matching the keywords, you can create unique and attention-grabbing name options that capture the spirit of your incentive program.

3. Evoke Emotions

An effective incentive program name should evoke emotions that resonate with your employees. Consider the feelings you want to inspire—whether it’s excitement, empowerment, inspiration, or camaraderie. Choose words that convey these emotions and create a connection with your audience. An emotionally resonant name will not only pique interest but also encourage participation and engagement.

4. Visual Imagery

Think of your incentive program’s name as a canvas for visual imagery. Words have the power to conjure mental images and associations. Incorporate metaphors, symbols, and descriptive language that paint a vivid picture of the program’s purpose and benefits. Visual elements can add depth and intrigue to your name, making it more memorable and captivating.

5. Company Alignment

While creativity is important, it’s equally essential that the name aligns with your company’s values, culture, and overarching goals. The name should reflect your brand identity and resonate with your employees on a deeper level. An aligned name not only creates a sense of unity but also reinforces the program’s significance within the larger context of your organization.

6. Keep It Catchy

A catchy name is more likely to stick in people’s minds. Strive for brevity and uniqueness to create a name that rolls off the tongue and is easy to remember. A playful and memorable name can generate curiosity and anticipation, encouraging employees to explore the program further and get involved.

7. Feedback Loop

Don’t hesitate to involve others in the naming process. Colleagues, team members, and even stakeholders can provide valuable input and fresh perspectives. Sharing your list of potential names and gathering feedback can help you refine your options and select a name that resonates with a broader audience.

8. Test the Waters

Before finalizing the name, consider testing it with a small group of employees or trusted individuals. Their reactions and insights can provide valuable guidance in evaluating the effectiveness of the name. If the name generates enthusiasm and positive reactions, you’re on the right track. If there are any concerns or suggestions, you’ll have an opportunity to address them before unveiling the name to a wider audience.

Remember, the name of your incentive program sets the tone for the entire initiative. By following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to invent a creative and meaningful name that captures the essence of your program and motivates employees to actively participate.

Closing Thoughts

As you embark on the journey of implementing an incentive program, remember that the right name can set the tone for success. A well-chosen name becomes a rallying point, an emblem of aspirations met and exceeded. Whether you opt for the familiar or the innovative, let it be a reflection of your commitment to fostering growth, recognition, and camaraderie within your workplace. With these creative names as inspiration and the power of your organization’s vision, you’re equipped to create a thriving environment where motivation knows no bounds.

Topic: Employee Recognition

Creative Names for Employee Recognition Programs and Awards

Updated on 

February 12, 2024

Your company’s employee recognition program should look, feel, and sound like your organization. After all, your employee recognition program is an extension of your employee experience and company culture—of your employer brand .

There are many opportunities to get creative with your employee recognition programs and awards. Fun names, meaningful awards, and company-branded employee recognition create experiences employees will love and strive for.

At O.C. Tanner, we work with thousands of clients to deliver employee recognition experiences that elevate their brand and their people. Read on to see our ideas for program and award names, and get inspired by some great examples from companies like yours.

“Part of why it’s so important that we weave recognition and appreciation into the fabric of our culture and elevate the importance of its impact is because now, more than ever, we understand that recognition, just like compensation and benefits, is a fundamental part of the associates’ experience at work.” — NICK ROSENTHAL , SENIOR ASSOCIATE IN HR COMPENSATION, CAPITAL ONE

Peer-to-peer recognition programs and awards

Peer-to-peer employee recognition programs are the fundamental recognition experiences offered in platforms like Culture Cloud by O.C. Tanner . These programs encourage teammates and coworkers to share appreciation with each other through notes, eCards, and points to spend in an online award store.  

Make sure your peer-to-peer programs and awards mirror your company values and culture. Let’s take a look at some catchy peer-to peer-recognition program names.

• Applause Express
• Elevate Others
• Celebrate Great
• Elevate Excellence
• Peak Performance
• Thanks to You
• Mark the Moment

Capital One, a leading financial company, named its peer-to-peer employee recognition program ONEderful to highlight its company culture fueled by personal and organizational success. Their program encourages connection among teams to create a ONEderful workplace.

Above-and-beyond recognition programs and awards

When your employees do something that deserves a little more than a simple “thank you,” it’s time to use some above and beyond recognition awards. Nominations for these awards can come from peers, leaders, or cross-departmental teammates.  

Giving these awards a name is important: it highlights the accomplishment clearly and helps others understand the values, great work, and commitment that went into receiving the award. Here are some award names to inspire you as you name your own top-performer employee recognition program:

• Excellence in Action Award
• Went the Extra Mile Award
• There When It Counts Award
• Gold Heart Award
• Champion of Others Award
• Hero of the Year Award
• Top Achiever Award
• Early Bird Award
• Night Owl Award

Don’t let the awards stop there. Your company likely has many other values you may want to highlight through your awards. Use this list as a baseline and get creative.

It can be hard to know when to give an above-and-beyond award nomination. Use this guide to purposeful appreciation to find out the best time to share appreciation and awards.  

Team recognition programs and awards  

When your employees achieve greatness together, present them with special, uniquely named awards. Here are some examples of names for team awards:

• We Are the Champions Award
• Tireless Teamwork Award
• Come Together Award
• Super Sales Squad Award
• All Together Award
• The Dream Team Award
• Stronger Together Award

Employees with strong connections to their team are 10x more likely to thrive at work. — GLOBAL CULTURE REPORT, O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE

Career anniversary and years of service programs

You have top employees who have dedicated many years, sometimes their whole careers, to supporting your company.  

Make sure you mark employees’ special career anniversaries with a program that reflects the full scope of their impact. Here are some years of service program names to inspire you:

• Creating History Program
• Milestone Memories Program
• Workiversary Celebrations Program
• Your Journey Program
• Years of Excellence Program
• Past, Present, and Future Program

Career anniversary platforms like Culture Cloud by O.C. Tanner help your team automate years of service celebrations while still providing a personalized, meaningful touch to the experience.  

CIBC, a major banking corporation, created its Moment Makers program , powered by Culture Cloud, to celebrate employee anniversaries and every moment in between. This program allows CIBC’s HR team to track and plan for upcoming milestone employee anniversaries across its 45,000 employees.

Don’t forget about employee retirement celebrations

Arguably, one of the most important milestones in an employee’s career is their retirement. Your career anniversary program can and should extend to celebrating your retiring employees with special awards, gifts, and personal comments and notes from leaders and peers.

Awards for completing company goals and initiatives

In addition to recognizing the little and big wins for individual employees and teams, it’s important to celebrate when you achieve major company goals and initiatives.  

Taking time to appreciate these achievements as a company builds unity across teams and departments that may not interact as often. Company-wide celebrations connect everyone to a shared sense of purpose and accomplishment.  

Encourage employees and teams to reach company goals by developing an inspiring award program. These programs can encompass initiatives like safety and wellness, or goals like manufacturing output and product launches. The variety is endless with these appreciation awards, so here are some program name ideas to get you started:

• Safety Catch Program
• Walking and Wellness Program
• Crossed the Finish Line Program  
• Ready. Set. Done. Program
• Inclusion and Connection Program
• Don’t Forget You Belong Program

Initiatives , powered by Culture Cloud, is your place to track goal progress and share awards for completing major milestones as a company. From finishing IT security training to volunteering as a team, Culture Cloud Initiatives gives your leaders the flexibility to reward employees for the activities that are important to your company.

Learn how Bluescope, an Australian manufacturing company, appreciated employees after reaching a huge financial goal for the year.  

Create a unique employee recognition program

Remember, the names you use for your recognition program should reflect your company culture. This will help your employees feel that you made an effort to create something special just for them. And it’s okay to be playful. Often, the more fun and personal your program names, the clearer it is that you took time and thought to create them. Just make sure the message of the award or program is always sincere.

Use these names, but even better, use them as inspiration to create your own names. The more you can tie your award and recognition program names to your company’s purpose, the more your employees will feel they are directly contributing to that purpose. Create programs that perfectly fit your company—and, more importantly, your people.

Learn more about the power of aligning your company’s purpose and employee recognition strategy to elevate your employee experience.

6 Reasons To Choose O.C. Tanner for Employee Recognition

Here are six reasons why O.C. Tanner is the ideal employee recognition partner—based on client survey data and testimonials.

Employee Recognition

Large Multinational Energy Company: Reducing Attrition With True Appreciation

Moving from transactional to true appreciation helped this energy company impact attrition.

Client Stories

Employee Rewards Strategies To Motivate and Retain Employees

Explore how monetary incentives, non-monetary perks, and recognition programs motivate employees and enhance retention in organizations.

Your place for the latest scoop on sales trends, techniques, and career advice.

Home » Blog » Sales Incentive Trips: A Great Way to Reward Your Biggest Performers

Sales Incentive Trips: A Great Way to Reward Your Biggest Performers

• Kevin Harris
• October 25, 2018

Let’s face it: there’s just no better way to warm up in the dead of winter than being whisked away on the company’s dime to a tropical location as you soak up the sweet rewards of a hard-earned break.

Travel incentive programs in sales go by many names – President’s Club, Diamond Club, The Winner’s Circle – but they all signify the same thing: a fantastic travel reward bestowed on the top-performers typically to a warm-weather destination .

Sales organizations have long used travel incentive programs to help motivate individual performance and achieve lofty business goals. But if your organization doesn’t currently offer such a rewards program, use this as a brief primer to set one up – shown through the lens of what we do at memoryBlue.

What is a Sales Incentive Trip?

A sales incentive trip is equal parts reward, recognition and relaxation. Top-performers get a break to recharge their engines and renew their energy, while also earning the recognition they deserve from upper management. In fact, many of the standout sales pros who make it on these trips will capitalize in one additional way – they’ll use it as valuable time spent getting to know company leaders at a personal level outside the bustling office environment.

At memoryBlue, we call it “ The TOPS Trip ” because the aim is to recognize the entire top half of our SDR and management team. This travel incentive program goes well beyond the typical top 10-20% range offered by most other companies. We’re taking things another step further by also offering this trip twice per year to our whole team instead of just one annual trip (the way many companies handle things).

The upcoming trip, which will take place in late November/early December, has a performance cutline at the end of October. Entry for the trip is based on a variety of classic sales development metrics to go with minimum standards that every winner must achieve. Employees must have a minimum of three months of time on the job to qualify, as well, which enables leadership to make sure enough work has been accomplished to merit the reward.

How Should You Set Up a Sales Incentive Trip?

According to travel incentive experts On the Vine , the following three elements need to exist in every great travel rewards program:

• Plan an amazing trip that will appeal to as many employees as possible – High employee participation and enthusiasm for the program will ensure the highest results.
• Set achievable sales goals – All sales members who reach the set goal become a part of the President’s Club and are rewarded with the trip.
• Track and monitor program results – Using a tracking system that makes program goal tracking clear to the sales team will encourage participation.

In our case, we’ve planned the memoryBlue getaway to the sensational Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica ! Our crew is absolutely chomping at the bit to make it in and it’s not hard to understand why when you read about this paradise:

“This beachfront resort boasts a contemporary design with tasteful authentic décor and 450 spacious guest suites that provide views of the beautiful ocean, jungle, or mountains. Guests can let their taste buds go wild at one of our world-class dining options with flavors from all over the world at five à la carte restaurants, a buffet, a grill and a café. Or they can enjoy a refreshing cocktail at one of our seven bars & lounges. Surrounding the resort is a fisherman community and the mountain range of Guanacaste, which offers guests with a variety of exciting tours and excursions.”

One of the pools at the Dreams resort in Costa Rica.

The sales goals we’ve set are incredibly reachable and rewarding half of a massive team like this (over 80+ SDRs and managers are eligible to achieve entry) demonstrates just how much we believe in the power of a travel incentive program.

We keep our entire staff continuously updated on overall trip inclusion standings through large display monitors found across the sales floors of all our offices as well as a daily report emailed to the entire company. This scorecard details who’s in and who’s out if the cutoff for the trip was today.

In this fashion, we generate and keep alive a daily buzz about the reward while keeping entry motivation high with a large group of individuals. There’s an incredibly powerful motivational effect when you see your name so close to the finish line for earning such a great reward!

Get Going on a Sales Incentive Trip

If your sales team or company doesn’t currently offer a travel incentive program, get off the fence and start planning one now. Aside from the benefits outlined above, stand-out employees also see these trips as important achievements and noteworthy career honors. They know that future hiring managers notice things like this as an indicator of a high-level employee. It boosts morale and fosters a competitive spirit that pays dividends to the bottom line.

If you’re interested in learning more about our unique sales culture at memoryBlue and the additional ways we reward our staff, read more about it here .

Kevin Harris is the Director of Marketing at memoryBlue. A seasoned professional with over 23 years of experience in public relations, marketing and content management, Kevin oversees all major internal and external communications programs for the firm. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from James Madison University.

The Five Elements of a Successful Sales Incentive Trip Program

• The sales incentive trip is an important piece of the total sales compensation program
• When designed and deployed appropriately, incentive trips can drive additional performance
• Organizations should consider five critical elements when designing and managing a sales incentive trip

Sales roles are demanding and high-stress positions for every organization. Sales employees have to prospect, build relationships, manage opportunities and perform myriad other tasks in order to achieve short-term and long-term revenue objectives . These roles typically have high turnover rates, and replacing sales reps costs companies hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Companies need to optimize their hiring process, infrastructure and compensation philosophy to create and sustain a successful sales organization.

One way organizations reward top performers and retain top sales talent is running a sales incentive trip program (also known as Winner’s Circle or President’s Club). When positioned, promoted and executed properly, incentive trips can help drive improved results and foster a competitive environment — and they can be cost-neutral.

• Alignment. The sales incentive trip is an opportunity to promote alignment between functional groups that make up the revenue engine by recognizing both quota-bearing and non-quota-bearing employees. Although some companies limit attendees to sales reps, others foster a more inclusive environment by including sales overlays, sales engineers, marketing and sales support. Another option is to offer multiple versions of an incentive trip. For example, the top sales performers can attend the President’s Club trip, while a second tier of top performers attends a “circle of excellence” event. Each type of incentive program can reward attendees with gifts, dinners or monetary awards.
• Transparency. Create a calendar-year or fiscal-year incentive trip schedule. The schedule should include hard deadlines to calculate winners (beginning of the year or fiscal year), announce the next year’s trip (early Q1), design and set qualifications for next year’s trip (Q1), assess the most recent trip’s feedback (Q2), and plan the incentive trip (Q3). It is in your company’s best interest to plan early and lock in discounted pricing.
• Accountability. Create clear ownership and consensus with a committee and a formal charter. A steering committee should include executive leaders, sales stakeholders and non-sales functional stakeholders. Non-sales stakeholders may include representatives from finance, legal, HR and the compensation team. Sales stakeholders may include sales leadership, top sales reps, sales operations and sales enablement leaders. A charter should include program vision, objectives, scope, milestones, timelines, risks, and roles and responsibilities for each committee member.
• Fairness. Complement existing compensation plans and set attainable thresholds for reps to qualify for the sales incentive trip. Setting unrealistic targets or thresholds can actually have the opposite of the intended motivational effect as reps immediately decide they can’t compete effectively. Create targets that are attainable and quantifiable. Sales reps should have control over the key performance indicators to qualify for the incentive trip, and targets should fit within existing sales compensation plans (e.g. reps must attain 150% of quota to qualify). Do not set qualifications on activity or judgment (e.g. filling out opportunity plans or needs to meet a “qualified” state on the basis of the manager’s discretion).
• Connectivity. Consistently communicate and market the sales incentive trip throughout the organization. Spread posters around the offices and incorporate reminders into the employee portal site to create and maintain excitement. Present data on a monthly and quarterly leaderboard. Communicate results in a way that enables sales employees to easily understand the calculations behind them.

Hiring, developing and maintaining a high-performing sales organization is not easy. Best-in-class companies have incentive programs that align with company goals and are understood throughout the organization. The sales incentive trip is an important piece of the compensation program. Create excitement and incent your best performers with a sales incentive trip. Your company will experience lower turnover and increased sales tenure.

• B2B Research
• Sales Operations

Grow Your B2B Revenue With Customer Obsession

Stop extracting customer value -- and start creating it. read our report to learn how to sustain b2b success with a customer-obsessed growth engine that creates buyer value and revenue., focus on customer value to deliver b2b customer growth, brand is a long game: the tangible value of b2b brand investments, get the insights at work newsletter, thanks for signing up..

Stay tuned for updates from the Forrester blogs.

Help Us Improve

• English (UK)
• English (CA)
• Deutsch (DE)
• Deutsch (CH)

The complete guide for incentive trips for employees

How to plan an incentive trip: a step-by-step guide, what to consider when planning an incentive trip, setting clear goals for the trip, setting a budget, choosing the destination and dates, need help booking and managing your company’s incentive trips, planning the itinerary and activities, coordinating logistics and travel arrangements, communicating and engaging with participants, measuring the success of the incentive trip, provide memorable experiences with successful incentive travel management.

See how TravelPerk’s can streamline incentive trip planning and manage all your travel needs in one place.

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

• See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
• Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
• Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.
• Business Travel Management
• Offset Carbon Footprint
• Flexible travel
• Travelperk Sustainability Policy
• Corporate Travel Resources
• Corporate Travel Glossary
• For Travel Managers
• For Finance Teams
• For Travelers
• Thoughts from TravelPerk
• Careers Hiring
• User Reviews
• Integrations
• Privacy Center
• Help Center
• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Modern Slavery Act | Statement
• Supplier Code of Conduct

• Virtual Experiences
• In-Person Experiences
• Hybrid Experiences
• Social Calendar [New]
• Experience FAQ
• Features & Benefits
• How Pricing Works
• Client Testimonials
• Happiness Guarantee
• Blog Articles
• Video Library
• View Experiences

15 Corporate Incentive Travel Program Tips

By: Angela Robinson | Updated: May 01, 2023

You found our list of the best corporate incentive travel program tips !

Corporate incentive travel programs are initiatives that offer all-expenses paid trips and experiences in exchange for extraordinary performance. For example, a trip to Thailand or Mexico. These programs aim to motivate employees and raise morale, loyalty, and productivity.

Travel incentive programs are one example of employee incentives and employee engagement ideas , and can be a popular employment benefit .

This article includes:

• incentive travel examples
• incentive trips for employees
• group travel incentive programs
• corporate incentives besides travel

Here is the list!

Incentive travel examples

When it comes to destinations and trip experiences, possibilities are endless. Here are a few examples of incentive travel programs to give you inspiration:

• A stay in the British countryside complete with castle tours
• A food tour through Italy or France, or through your home city
• Museum crawl through New York City
• Hotel and tickets to a Broadway or West End show
• A Seine River expedition through Germany
• Weeklong country-hopping tour
• Hiking excursion in the mountains
• Wildlife interaction at a sanctuary
• Wine country visits
• Behind the scenes tour of a nearby brewery
• Weekend stay at a local bed and breakfast
• Tropical beach escape
• Historical tour of a prominent city
• Hot air balloon rides
• Passes and accommodation to a cultural festival
• Company cruises
• Glamping or camping
• Team building retreats

The items on this list provide a solid baseline for program structures, but there are many possibilities for irresistible trips that will drive employees to perform at their best.

Corporate incentive travel program tips

From soliciting suggestions from staff to leveraging social media, here are the steps for creating an effective corporate incentive travel program.

1. Ask your staff for ideas

A travel program is only an incentive if your staff wants to take the trips you choose. Instead of outright guessing, or stealthily scanning your staff’s Instagram vacation posts, ask your staff for destination and activity ideas.

First, gather plausible options for countries, cities, accommodations, excursions, and activities. Then, distribute a survey, and use the feedback to inform your selections. Consider including a write-in option on your questionnaire so employees can point you towards any useful travel resources or discount programs.

2. Determine the goal of your program

The point of an incentive program is to achieve a particular result or encourage a certain behavior. Thus, when designing your incentive trips for employees, it is important to outline the goal.

Corporate incentive travel program objectives may include:

• Specific sales targets
• Increased client satisfaction scores
• Decrease in paperwork errors
• Shorter customer wait times
• Quicker production turnaround time

The goal of the program may include multiple aims, and targets may vary by position or department.

Trips are a significant investment, and organizations expect a worthwhile return on such a weighty investment. By outlining clear goals when introducing the program, you justify the expenditure and link the reward to a clear result.

Get our free team building toolbox

• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. Provide clear guidelines to staff

Higher management are not the only parties that benefit from having accurate expectations for the program. When announcing the initiative, provide clear guidelines to the staff so employees understand how to earn the rewards. For best results, communicate the necessary targets, performance period timeline, methods of measurement, and ultimate prizes.

You may also want to mention:

• The level of date flexibility for trips. Can attendees choose from multiple months or weekends, or will there only be one date for the trip? If the latter, then disclose the date upfront.
• Whether or not family members and guests can join the trips.
• Included amenities vs add-on options.
• Accommodations the company can make for staff with special circumstances.

Misunderstanding requirements could lead to staff missing out on the opportunity, causing disappointment. Employees want to feel that managers are upfront and honest, and clear communication fosters trust.

4. Consult a travel expert

Corporate travel programs require a great deal of planning and logistics management. Coordinating such a program alone can feel overwhelming, but travel and events companies that specialize in running incentive programs can simplify the process.

Here are some recommended travel incentive companies:

• American Express Meetings & Events
• Creative Group Inc.
• First Incentive Travel
• Peak Performance Meetings & Incentives
• Bishop McCann
• Bi Worldwide
• Fox World Travel
• Maritz Global Events
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing
• World Travel Inc

Even if you decide not to hire a third-party vendor to manage incentive trips, consider consulting a travel agent or other professional who has experience planning and executing group trips. If nothing else, then read HR blogs for advice. You do not need to reinvent the wheel; you can rely on the guidance of professionals who have seen success with incentives to shape your program.

5. Research multiple vendors

While destination management companies often advertise packages that remove the hassle from corporate travel planning, these all-inclusive offerings are not always the best options for your needs. Working with multiple event providers may be a more cost-effective solution that results in better experiences for your employees.

Consider branching out and enlisting different companies for transportation, accommodations, catering, and experiences such as museum tours or adventure sports outings. At minimum, research and compare multiple destination management companies to ensure you find the best deal and optimal level of service.

6. Negotiate exclusives

Most travel incentive companies work with organizations to create tailored, customized plans. When designing trips, securing exclusive amenities and activities can make the experience even more attractive. For instance, booking an illustrious restaurant for a private party with a special menu, or receiving an after-hours, behind-the-scenes tour of a historical site with an expert. Planning experiences that attendees cannot replicate during personal visits makes the experience feel more unique, which compels employees to work harder to secure their spots on the trip.

7. Use organizational resources

While a travel incentive trip differs from a business trip, branches in other geographical regions can be a great help to your planning process. Offices in other states or countries might be able to make an introduction to a contact such as a travel coordinator, local guide, restaurateur, or hospitality professional that can help you coordinate your trip. You might even take advantage of special corporate discounts or offerings thanks to your relationship with the sister site.

Even if your organization does not have locations worldwide, you may employ a teammate who has previously worked, traveled, or lived in your destination and can offer recommendations. Tapping into your company’s internal resources improves the journey.

8. Stick to a budget

Travel programs are rarely low-cost perks. Expenses like transportation, accommodation, meals, and entertainment add up quickly, even if your group remains local. While increases in worker output and performance often justify the price of the program, it is still important to stick to a budget to ensure a balanced return on investment.

Researching beforehand helps avoid overspending. Before you commit to a destination or travel package, ensure you understand the total cost, including any additional expenditures such as insurance, service fees, non-included meals, transportation between venues, and tips for service staff.

Remember that if employees show interest in pricey experiences that the company cannot cover, then you can compensate by scheduling free time and allowing attendees to purchase optional activities.

Here is a list of ways to spend your budget at year-end .

9. Be liberal with options

Your group is a diverse bunch with a wide range of interests. One employee’s dream trip might not be another’s. To guarantee that all travelers enjoy the experience, arrange an array of activities that suit many tastes. For example, plan a bar crawl one evening and an open mic the next. Or, give attendees the choice between wine tasting, rock climbing, or touring a museum.

When planning activities, keep in mind:

• Physical ability
• Level of socialization
• Dietary needs
• Non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers
• Price, if members pay out of pocket
• Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity

Keep these considerations in mind not only when planning activities, but also when booking trip details. For instance, steer clear of destinations with recent human rights violations or recent racial tensions in favor of diverse and inclusive locations where all guests feel welcome.

10. Focus on the experience more than the destination

While the ability to travel to a foreign country or a lively city is a major draw, the location is not as important as your team’s overall happiness. Instead of fixating on the destination, focus on the experience. You do not need to pick a flashy locale to garner interest in the program. Attendees can have fun in a neighboring town or an off-the-beaten-path destination if you plan meaningful and engaging activities.

When choosing a venue for your trip, explore unconventional options and open yourself to interesting possibilities. Aim to connect your staff meaningfully with the local culture and with each other. Keep an eye out for experiences unique to your host city, and aim to be travelers rather than simply tourists. In essence, unlock the full potential of each city, neighborhood, or business instead of relying on the allure of the destination to do the heavy lifting.

11. Offer resources and assistance

Assuming that every trip member is an experienced traveler is a mistake. Travel programs generate interest among a wide range of attendees, from globetrotters to folks who have yet to step foot in an airport. Because there may be a discrepancy in the travel knowledge within your group, offering resources and assistance is helpful. Even if your package includes transportation, members may need to book plane tickets individually, in which case you should designate a helper to answer questions and resolve issues.

Consider also providing:

• Passport and visa application assistance
• Packing tips
• Applicable CDC advisories and vaccine information
• A guide to cultural norms in your destination country
• Travel medical and insurance resources
• Currency exchange services
• Safety recommendations and emergency contact information

You can equip the group with helpful literature, hold informational sessions, and create online forums where attendees can ask and answer questions, too.

12. Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews

While the trip acts first as an incentive and reward, the vacation can serve as an educational tool, too. By incorporating cultural experiences, you expand teammates’ worldviews, teach empathy, and develop soft skills that enhance employees’ abilities to interact with clients and colleagues.

To capitalize on the effects of the trip, select a destination that pushes staff out of their comfort zone and introduces new viewpoints and experiences. To achieve this end, the destination does not have to be a foreign country. Every country is culturally diverse, and workers benefit from visiting a new region, or even connecting with a distinct subculture close to home. The trip can be an opportunity not only for employees to relax and have fun, but also to grow.

13. Maximize team bonding

Being in an unfamiliar place together can bring a group closer together. Shared experiences are the root of team building, and group trips establish common ground and memories that form a foundation for continuing relationships. Group travel incentive programs can not only save companies time and money, but also supercharge group development. One of the best approaches to travel programs is to maximize team bonding potential by planning group excursions and team building activities and scheduling time for group reflection.

By dedicating Slack channels, social media groups, team chats, pre and post trip sessions, and shared online photo albums to the trip group, you can further fuel interactions between members.

Here is a list of team building ideas to try.

14. Leverage employee testimonials and social media

Organizations devote significant resources to travel programs. One way to optimize return on investment is to leverage employee testimonials and social media as a way to market company culture and motivate colleagues to strive for future travel incentives.

A few suggestions:

• Distribute a survey at the end of the trip. Make the survey completion a scheduled activity, or incentivize feedback by holding a prize drawing in tandem.
• Ask employees to submit photos and captions to the marketing team for the company social media page
• Coordinate a social media takeover campaign where trip attendees schedule content for company social media channels
• Encourage attendees to tag posts on personal accounts with the company handle and a specific hashtag.
• Dedicate blog posts to the experience
• Compile a highlights reel of the trip by editing together video clips
• Allow participants to speak about the trip on a company podcast
• Invite attendees to speak at information sessions for future trips

Most folks appreciate having a platform to share their stories and experiences. This user-generated content has many uses both internally and externally, such as in recruitment materials, marketing projects, and employee engagement campaigns .

15. Offer alternatives to travel

Although travel is an enticing incentive, it is not a universal motivator for all employees. Familial obligations, health complications, fear of flying, or a distaste for travel are examples of conditions that might prevent staff from reaping the rewards of the program. To better suit the needs of your entire organization, offer alternatives to trips, such as material bonuses or more localized experiences. Examples might include a chartered day at a nearby winery, tickets to the hometown sports team game, or extra paid time off. Read the next section for more suggestions on non-travel incentive rewards.

Other corporate incentives besides travel

Travel is not viable to every employee’s circumstances. For a more universally appealing incentive program, consider offering alternatives to travel. The following list offers a few suggestions.

Bonuses are the most common employee incentive. Monetary rewards give employees more autonomy over their winnings, since staff has the discretion to use the extra cash as they see fit. Not to mention, a financial award sends the message that the organization shares extra profits with staff, thus compelling employees to generate more revenue for the company.

When introducing financial incentives, it is important to explain a clear bonus structure so that the staff has a solid understanding of expectations and performance metrics.

2. Extra paid time off

Instead of scheduling a trip for employees, you could offer extra paid time off so that employees can travel when, where, and with whom they prefer. Through this method, your staff may opt for a staycation instead, choosing to use the extra time to catch up on errands, develop side hustles, spend time with family members, or relax at home. This approach signals that the company values employees’ personal time and appreciates work life balance. Plus, offering extra time awards employees more freedom to customize their prize.

3. Concerts

Concerts are close-to-home adventures. Music and nightlife enthusiasts love the chance to attend live performances. Access to sold-out or exclusive events, good seats or entry into VIP areas, and other perks like complimentary food or merchandise sweeten the deal. Partnering with a corporate-facing event company or local concert venue can help you net discounts and special offers for your employees.

4. Sporting events

Tickets or company box seats at a sporting event are an enticing prize for sports fans, salespeople, and anyone who relishes the energy of a live game. Best of all, since seasons consist of many games, you can divide the performance period into multiple benchmarks, and employ ticket giveaways as an ongoing motivator. Also, sports inspire attitudes of camaraderie and teamwork which you can channel into your workplace.

5. Technology

New gadgets and upgrades hit the technology market daily. Keeping all gadgets updated can be a challenge, so technology rewards are tempting incentives.

A few suggestions for technology incentives:

• smartphones
• video game systems
• action cameras
• smartwatches and fitness trackers
• wireless earbuds
• 3-D printers

Consider offering technology upgrades for personal use, work use, or a mix of both. For example, promise to buy high-tech printers for the winning department.

6. Parking spots

Parking can be a surprisingly effective employee motivator, especially if you work in a city with scarce or expensive parking options. Even if the office building houses a company garage, employees may eye a desirable spot. Winning a prized parking spot or a complimentary pass checks one box off of the proverbial to-do list and makes the morning commute less hectic. If parking is not part of your employee benefits package, then consider offering the amenity as a prize.

7. Fitness classes

Fitness is important, but not always inexpensive. While many companies offer wellness credits, gym memberships, or exercise classes as perks, bonus fitness services can make attractive prizes.

Here are some ideas for fitness incentives:

• Home gym equipment
• Subscription to online Yoga classes or Peloton
• Personal trainers
• Workout wardrobes
• Fitness trackers and smart devices
• Unusual exercise classes like parkour or circus aerobics

Even if your company provides regular exercise options, an upgraded fitness experience can serve as extra motivation.

8. Charity donations

Monetary gain is not a universal motivator, and at times philanthropy can drive efforts more effectively than cash rewards. One alternative to material prizes is to donate an agreed amount to a charity of the awardee’s choice.

Pro tip: Allow employees to suggest charities that fall within prescribed guidelines instead of picking from a limited list to ensure that workers can raise money for a cause they are passionate about.

9. Task management services

While you may not be able to give your employees extra hours in the day, gifting task services is the next best option. Hiring professional errand-runners frees up time in your employees schedules for relaxation, self-care, and self-improvement.

Suggestions for task services:

• Grocery deliveries
• Laundry and dry cleaning services
• Cooks or professional meal preppers
• Cleaners or organizing consultants
• Childcare services

Consider gifting credit towards multiple-service providers like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack so awardees can choose the most useful options.

10. Meals with executives

Lunch or dinner with a member of the C-suite serves the dual function of providing a complimentary meal along with quality time with higher management. For best results, offer one-on-one meetings or small group experiences so that every awardee has ample opportunity to interact with the executive. Similar bonding opportunities include golf games, tennis matches, hikes, creative classes, winery or brewery trips, or video game showdowns.

11. Massages and self-care

Some workers might not treat themselves to massages, spa-days, and other self-love splurges, but will indulge if gifted an activity. Pampering experiences inspire employees to achieve a goal while emphasizing the importance of self-care.

Here are some examples of self-care incentives:

• Manicures and pedicures
• Salon appointments
• Meditation session
• Career consulting or meeting with a life coach

These prizes send the message that companies care about employee wellbeing as well as performance.

12. Extraordinary events

Though some folks use the term incentive events interchangeably with incentive trips, at-home events can offer the excitement of travel minus the forms, transportation costs, or downtime at the airport. Extraordinary events give employees opportunities to socialize, participate in new experiences, and make memories with colleagues.

Some examples of event incentives include:

• Improv or standup comedy shows and workshops
• Cooking classes with renowned chefs
• Laser tag tournaments
• Winery or brewery tours
• Cocktail party at the CEO’s house
• Amusement park trips
• Early access to a new venue
• Special sales or product trials

Limiting the number of spots at these events and awarding entry only to high-achieving employees makes the occasion feel more special and motivates staff to strive towards a goal.

Final Thoughts

Travel is one of the most common bullet points on bucket lists, which means that trips serve as a powerful motivator. By affording employees opportunities to travel, you expand their world views and supercharge their relationships with teammates, all while rewarding extraordinary efforts and results and assigning great value to your workers’ contributions.

Next, check out this list of employee wellness program ideas and this list of incentives to return to the office .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Corporate incentive travel programs

Here are answers to the most common questions about corporate incentive travel programs.

What are corporate incentive travel programs?

Corporate incentive travel programs are motivational campaigns that reward top-performing employees with trips or special experiences. The aim of these programs is to increase staff loyalty, morale, and productivity. Incentive programs typically target specific goals such as fulfilling sales quotas, meeting product development deadlines, or raising customer satisfaction scores.

What are some good corporate incentive travel program tips?

Some good corporate incentive travel program tips include:

• Ask your staff for ideas
• Determine the goal of your program
• Provide clear guidelines to staff
• Consult a travel expert
• Research multiple vendors
• Negotiate exclusives
• Use organizational resources
• Stick to a budget
• Be liberal with options
• Focus on the experience more than the destination
• Offer resources and assistance
• Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews
• Maximize team bonding
• Leverage employee testimonials and social media
• Offer alternatives to travel

Though travel programs require extensive planning and organization, following the proper steps can ensure that your program pays off by raising employee output and morale.

What are good companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs?

There are many providers who offer and arrange trips and engaging events for corporate incentive programs.

Here are some recommended companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs:

When selecting a partner organization, research multiple providers and choose an option that fits your company’s budget, company culture, and particular needs.

Do corporate incentive travel programs work?

Travel programs can be powerful motivators. Employer-sponsored trips are an attractive reward, especially when the experiences include exclusives such as exclusive tours, private accommodations, and company parties. Travel programs are an especially compelling incentive for sales teams, though the perk can motivate a vast variety of positions and departments.

Though travel is a hefty investment for organizations, the corresponding rise in productivity is significant. Plus, funding trips signals that employers value their workers efforts and personal growth.

What makes incentive travel programs effective?

Clear goals and benchmarks, measurable metrics, smart internal marketing, meaningful experiences, and attractive awards are all factors that make incentive travel programs effective. The best determinant of the operation’s success is the level of foresight, consideration, and communication that goes into the planning and execution of the program.

Besides travel, what can employers offer in incentive programs?

Some non-travel incentive program rewards include:

• Extra paid time off
• Sporting events
• Parking spots
• Fitness classes
• Charity donations
• Home services
• Meal with an executive
• Massages and self-care
• Extraordinary events

Not every team member is able to travel, yet providing alternate rewards allows dedicated employees to reap the rewards of their efforts.

What is the difference between a corporate incentive program and an employee benefits program?

Organizations offer employee benefits across the board to all workers, although benefits packages might vary depending on position and band level, and individual candidates may be able to negotiate a more attractive package. While benefits programs are ongoing, built-in rewards, incentive programs are auxiliary, often limited-time offers. Corporate incentive programs exist to motivate employees to hit specific targets within a particular time frame.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

Leave a Reply Cancel

Your email address will not be published.

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com.

Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

• 45,000+ clients including Apple, Amazon, Google and NASA
• 50,225+ five star reviews on Google
• #15 on Inc 5000's List of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for 2022
• 80+ happy remote employees

We lead wildly fun experiences for teams with 1,000,000+ players to date.

4.96 / 5.0 rating on

50,225 Google Reviews

Get our free team building tool box

$49 value at no cost..

• May as well check it out?
• 100+ tested icebreaker questions
• 24+ themed Bingo generators
• 5+ PDFs (including the 8% Rule)
• 2024 team building calendar and more...

Enter your email for instant access

Sales Incentives: How To Use Them To Motivate Reps [Data + Expert Insight]

Published: March 23, 2023

Nothing boosts your team’s excitement and energy more quickly and reliably than a sales incentive.

However, motivating your reps isn’t as simple as choosing a desired outcome (like higher conversion rates) and promising a cash prize to the winner. People are driven in different ways, and people appreciate different rewards.

This is where sales incentives come into play, as you can inspire your teams and provide rewards that mean the most to them. In this post, we’ll discuss the different types of sales incentives alongside research and expert insight on implementing an effective sales incentive plan.

Table of Contents

• What is a sales incentive plan?

Types of Sales Incentives

Sales incentive ideas, expert advice on implementing an effective sales incentive plan, sales incentive plan.

A sales incentive plan is a way to motivate and reward salespeople for reaching and exceeding their sales goals. It's used in addition to a standard compensation plan.

Sales incentives are essential in keeping employees motivated, and our Sales Strategy & Trends Report found that recognition for achievements is the second most important aspect of internal sales culture to motivate sales reps. In contrast, a lack of recognition for achievements has the second highest impact on sales reps ability to succeed.

Image Source

Let’s review how you can give reps the recognition they want.

• Role-specific Sales Incentives
• Split Sales Incentives
• Presales Incentives
• Omnichannel Sales Incentives
• Analytics-based Sales Incentives

There are five types of sales incentives: role-specific, split incentives, presales, omnichannel, and analytics-based. Let’s discuss them below.

1. Role-specific Sales Incentives

Role-specific incentives are matched to individual roles and responsibilities. As salespeople have different tasks, this structure ensures you recognize reps based on their own responsibilities.

For example, a sales manager has different responsibilities than a rep that prospects and identifies leads. A sales manager can be rewarded based on their achievements against their responsibilities; the same goes for the other rep.

2. Split Sales Incentives

Split incentives are when salespeople working on the same deal or project split an incentive when a deal closes, or a project ends. With this model, you can divide incentives evenly between everyone involved or create a split amount based on custom criteria.

For example, if sales staff in two departments work together to close a large deal, you can compensate each member equally or based on their specific role. Or, reps who work in the same territory receive an equal share of commissions or revenue cuts, even if they worked alongside a team in a different location.

This is a valuable model for companies with a complex sales process that involves multiple reps. It ensures everyone involved gets recognized for their work and fosters communication and collaboration among teams because they know that working together to bring a solution benefits everyone involved.

When using this model, lay out the incentive structure and expectations ahead of time so there are no surprises when it's time to give rewards.

3. Presales Incentives

Presales incentives reward reps at different stages of the sales process before a deal has closed. At a time when salespeople see an increase in touchpoints and interactions throughout the sales process , this model motivates reps because it can help fight discouragement that might build during a longer sales process.

Many businesses offer a larger incentive once a deal closes, keeping reps focused and motivated during a short and long-term cycle. You can give a rep an incentive after they’ve scheduled a meeting with a prospect, another after a sales demo, and the final one after a contract is signed.

4. Omnichannel Sales Incentives

B2B and B2C salespeople say they communicate with prospects across an average of two to three separate channels . While communication with a lead might begin over the phone, a prospect might make a purchase online without the help of a rep.

Omnichannel sales incentives ensure reps are rewarded based on the support and value they provide to a lead, regardless of whether they’re present when someone clicks “purchase.”

For example, a business can track a closed deal back to a rep who first contacted a lead via email or when a buyer submitted their information after a product demo session.

5. Analytics-based Sales Incentives

All businesses analyze sales data to make accurate forecasts, set realistic goals and create an ideal sales cycle. Analytics-based sales incentives reward reps based on their behaviors that align with the best practices gathered from data.

For example, if historical data shows that meeting y revenue goals requires a sales cycle length of x days, salespeople receive rewards if they close deals within or in that target time frame.

Now that we’ve gone over the five types of sales incentives let’s go over the incentives you can give.

1. Monetary Rewards

You can add monetary rewards to a paycheck, give cash, or something with a cash value. For example:

• Bonuses and commissions
• Salary increases
• Gift cards (Visa or Mastercard gift cards, or gift cards to restaurants, movie theaters, entertainment options, etc.)
• Tickets to experiences (concerts, sporting events, etc.)
• Travel vouchers or travel experiences (hotels, flights, cruises, travel points, etc.)
• Team trips or company-sponsored nights out
• Technology gifts (new keyboard, pair of headphones, etc.)
• Donations to a cause an employee cares about or making a donation in their name

2. Non-monetary Rewards

Some are motivated by cash rewards, and others appreciate non-monetary opportunities. These rewards can be things like:

• Highlighting achievements in company meetings
• Website or newsletter features
• Learning and development opportunities
• Mentorship programs
• Opportunities to attend educational or professional development conferences

Many reps are appreciative of these kinds of opportunities.

3. Business rewards

Business rewards can be monetary or non-monetary but are related to your business. For example:

• Bonuses and commissions (The most effective bonus structure to motivate reps to sell is a bonus off annual performance )
• Promotions and role progressions
• Additional PTO days or PTO hours
• Extra vacation days
• Employee stock options or company stock rewards
• Work technology upgrades
• Office modifications

Once you’ve decided on an incentive structure, you want your program to be effective.

Dan Tyre , Inbound Fellow at HubSpot, shares his expert insight in the form of three key tips for implementing an effective sales incentive plan.

1. Ask for personal preferences.

Tyre says, “It’s a good idea to identify each salesperson’s preferences when you start working with them.” He says that some salespeople are turned off by public recognition and get embarrassed rather than proud when you announce achievements in front of everyone.

Some possible questions you can ask to uncover personal preferences are:

• "Would you rather get praise or acknowledgment in front of the team or in private?"
• "If you win a contest, what's the best way to announce that?" (Email, at a team meeting, at a private check-in like this one, etc.)
• "Are you motivated by stack rankings or leaderboards?"

2. Use a combination of reward types.

Using a combination of rewards and incentives ensures you’re speaking to each rep’s motivations. Some might prefer a gift card, and others want an opportunity to further their professional education.

Businesses also don’t have unlimited funds, so a combination of incentives is budget-friendly. For example, with a pre-sales incentive program, you can offer non-monetary and monetary rewards at different milestones and a commission when a deal closes.

Tyre says, "I know first-hand the effect of a physical prize. In 1983, I won a table in a sales contest that I still have. Visitors ask me questions about it to this day. My salespeople have won everything from slippers to treadmill desks. As long as the reward is personal and memorable, it'll be motivating."

3. Make Sure Everyone Has a Chance

Tyre says, “Your team will quickly become frustrated if the same person wins your contests over and over again.”

He says you can prevent this by creating classes of participants where people compete against their peers with the same skills and abilities (helpful for role-specific and split sales incentives). Or by creating an eligibility process so someone that dominates every single time can’t be in the running for the same incentives every time.

Create a sales incentive program that works for your business.

Motivation is an art, not a science. The different types of sales incentives discussed above are proven successful, but deciding the optimal sales incentive program for your team is always important.

After all, if reps aren’t excited about reward possibilities, they won’t be as enthusiastic about striving to achieve them.

Don't forget to share this post!

Use this template to set up a 30/60/90 day sales training and onboarding plan.

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

• Why GoGather
• All Our Services
• Corporate Event Planning
• All Event Solutions
• Conferences
• Corporate Meetings
• Incentive Trips
• Sales Kickoffs & National Sales Meetings
• Preferred Properties
• Success Stories
• Buying Guide
• Pricing Guide

What is Incentive Travel? (With 4 Examples + Top Locations)

More and more companies are considering incentive travel for their internal teams to reward employees and even external partners to incentivize sales.

But what is incentive travel? What are some examples of incentive trips? And is an incentive travel program right for your team?

This article breaks down everything you need to know.

What is incentive travel?

Let's start with incentive travel meaning: Incentive travel is the use of an all-expenses-paid trip to reward and motivate employees or channel partners for achieving specific business goals. Incentive trips can be given to individuals to use independently or designed as a group travel experience.

Incentive travel group trips can include a range of activities, from luxury cruises and beach vacations to adventure travel and cultural tours.

Most companies use incentive programs to create a memorable and unique experience that inspires participants to work harder and feel more connected to their company and colleagues. By offering these programs, businesses can boost employee morale, retention, and productivity, while also increasing loyalty and sales.

Incentive travel trips typically include a luxury hotel or resort, exciting itineraries, white-glove service, and networking opportunities that reward and connect top performers.

Who is incentive travel best for?

Incentive travel is best for companies looking to motivate, reward, and inspire employees or partners. It's typically considered a "VIP access" event.

It’s especially effective for businesses that are focused on boosting sales team engagement, improving retention rates, reducing employee turnover and burnout, and increasing productivity. Sales incentives are great ways to encourage your teams to hit their sales targets as well.

These types of attendees are typically given a qualification period to hit their target number and then selected for the trip based on their performance.

Incentive travel programs are also great for companies looking to create a stronger sense of community and teamwork within their organization.

Corporate incentive travel programs don’t just have to be for big businesses with a ton of money. With the right budget, incentive programs can be a perfect opportunity to connect your teams and inspire success.

Incentive travel is also not limited to any particular industry, as any business can benefit from incentivizing its employees to achieve specific goals. Neither is it limited to a department (though most programs focus on sales teams).

Analyzing your business needs will help you decide whether group travel incentive programs are best for your company.

What are the benefits of incentive travel? Why incentive travel works.

There are several benefits to incentive travel. It’s a highly effective way to motivate and reward employees for their hard work and dedication. As companies implement travel incentive programs in their business, they begin to realize the importance of incentive travel.

For businesses that are still on the fence, here are some of the key benefits of incentive travel :

1. Increased employee motivation and engagement

Incentive travel provides employees with a tangible goal to work toward and the promise of a reward to achieve it. It also creates competition and a sense of scarcity among employees, as not everyone gets to partake. This can help increase motivation and engagement levels, leading to improved performance and productivity, including hitting a specific sales target or quota.

2. Improved retention rates

Employees who feel valued and appreciated are more likely to stay with their company. Incentive travel programs are an especially effective way to show that appreciation, which can in turn help improve retention rates.

3. Enhanced team building and communication

Incentive travel trips often involved team-building activities that can help improve communication and collaboration among employees. They also offer a more relaxed environment in which to connect, as well as an opportunity to connect with executive leaders. All of these combine to form a better sense of community, which can help with business performance.

4. Increase company culture and brand reputation

Offering incentive travel programs can help create a positive company culture. This can make the company more attractive to potential employees, customers and partners, leading to increased success and growth.

5. Increased customer loyalty and sales

Incentive travel programs can also be used to reward channel partners or customers, which can help improve loyalty and drive sales.

Overall, there are many benefits to incentive travel trips. They offer a unique opportunity to inspire, engage and motivate attendees, and can be more effective than cash rewards or other gifts. Compare the incentive travel to cash rewards in our latest article.

What are some disadvantages of incentive travel?

Although incentive travel can be incredibly effective for some teams, there are also a few disadvantages to consider.

Incentive travel can be expensive to plan and execute, requiring substantial financial resources. Companies need to allocate budgets for travel expenses, accommodation, meals, activities, and other related costs. This expenditure can strain the company's finances, particularly for smaller businesses or during periods of economic uncertainty.

2. Perceived inequity among employees

Offering incentive travel may create a sense of inequality among employees. Those who don't qualify for the incentive or are unable to attend due to personal circumstances may feel demotivated or undervalued.

3. Distraction from work

Planning and participating in incentive travel programs can temporarily divert employees' attention away from their regular work responsibilities. While the intention is to reward and motivate employees, excessive focus on the trip itself can lead to decreased productivity and potentially impact overall business operations. Companies should carefully balance the benefits of incentive travel against the potential disruption it may cause.

Overall, we've seen the benefits of incentive travel majorly outweigh the drawbacks, but it's important to evaluate the program for your own business.

Examples of Incentive Travel Programs

Here are some ideas for your next trip:

Luxury beach vacations

A trip to a luxurious beach resort in a place like Cabo, Mexico, or Bali can be a great incentive option. This type of incentive travel program offers the chance to relax, enjoy the sun, and participate in activities like snorkeling, sailing, paddle boarding, and beach games.

Adventure travel

For more adventurous teams, an incentive travel program that includes activities like hiking, rock climbing, or white-water rafting can be a great motivator. This type of program offers unique and memorable experiences to build teamwork.

Cultural tours

A cultural tour can be a unique opportunity for teams to immerse themselves in a local culture they may not otherwise be able to. This type of program might include visits to historical sites, museums and local markets, as well as opportunities to sample local cuisine.

Wellness retreats

A wellness retreat can be a great way to help employees relax and reset, both physically and mentally. This type of program would include activities like yoga, meditation, spa treatments and healthy eating workshops.

These are just a couple of examples of the many types of incentive programs available. We encourage you to think beyond the typical go-to destinations to find an incentive program structure that works best for your team.

For more ideas, check out our top incentive travel trends for 2024.

What are the best locations for incentive programs?

The best location for your incentive travel program depends on your team, the structure of your event, and your budget. We recommend starting with those three pillars and selecting several options to compare before you select a destination.

These programs can happen in any location, whether domestic or exotic locations.

With that said, here are some of our favorite incentive travel destinations from recent years:

Perfect for adventurous souls, Costa Rica offers several activities like zip-lining, hiking and water sports. The country also has a strong focus on sustainability and eco-tourism, making it a great destination for companies with a green focus.

Hawaii offers a multitude of options for those looking to relax, explore, or a little of both. Activities like surfing, hiking, and snorkeling are popular, as well as cultural experiences like hula dancing and lei making. Those looking to unwind also have the option of simply relaxing on the beach.

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany offers stunning landscapes, historic architecture, and world-renowned cuisine. Activities like wine tasting, cooking classes, and visits to historic sites are popular.

Northern California

Northern California offers a multitude of resorts catering to those looking to escape for wellness retreats. With great weather year-round, this is a great option for companies looking to stay closer to home while still offering an escape.

With its mix of Mediterranean culture, pristine water, and gorgeous landscapes, Mallorca offers groups an amazing escape just off the coast of Spain. As one of our top-performing locations, Mallorca always offers that "wow" factor.

Not sure where to start when looking for the right destination for your team? Check out our guide to selecting the best destination for your incentive trip.

How is an incentive program typically structured?

To create an effective incentive trip program, organizations should start by defining clear goals and objectives. This involves determining the behaviors or outcomes they want to incentivize and the desired results they hope to achieve.

Next, consider factors such as timing, eligibility criteria, and performance metrics. Some companies choose to select the top percent of employees to include in their trip, some select specific departments, and others choose to bring their whole company. Whatever the selection criteria, make sure it's clearly defined and communicated to everyone involved, so they can understand how they can become a part of the group selected to go.

From there, your company can structure your incentive program by selecting destinations and activities that align with your goals, interests, and budget. Decide whether it should be a group trip or an individual reward trip.

Example Incentive Trip Agenda

According to the Incentive Research Foundation, 3 - 5 day trips are ideal for incentive trips. This agenda is created around that recommendation and designed in a group travel format.

As you build your agenda, consider what mix of leisure and business activities you want, or how much free time to provide guests. Develop activities related to group interests instead of just what's available. And considering leveraging local knowledge to find cultural activities throughout.

• Arrivals at destination, hotel check-in and welcome reception
• Group dinner
• Morning casual activities, such as yoga, spa, pool, or other
• Afternoon small groups activities on site, such as sailing, golf, kayaking, or horseback riding
• Evening cocktail reception and dinner
• Full-day excursion or private tour to nearby cultural or natural attraction (e.g. city tour, national park)
• Group lunch at local restaurant
• Evening time to explore destination or attend optional activity (e.g. cooking class, wine tasting)
• Morning volunteer event, such as school supply drive, beach cleanup, etc.
• Afternoon time to explore destination or participate in optional activity (e.g. spa day, painting class, team-building exercises)
• Evening awards dinner and celebration

This itinerary is just an example and can be customized to fit the specific goals and preferences of the group. The key to a successful trip agenda is to provide a balance of team-building activities, cultural experiences, free time for exploration, and leisure activities for relaxation. Learn how to make your sales incentive trip a success here.

Is incentive travel right for my company?

Incentive travel may or may not be right for your company. There are several areas to consider as you decide if you should plan an incentive program.

Consider whether your team would benefit from a luxury trip with some rest and relaxation. Are your teams feeling burnt out or overwhelmed? This may be a good opportunity to reset.

Are your teams not hitting their sales targets? An incentive program might be the nudge they need to perform better -- beyond just getting a cash bonus.

Or, on the flip side, are your teams hitting certain achievements beyond expectations? Maybe it's time to reward those top performers with a little incentive travel trip.

Whatever your team looks like, it's important to understand if your budget and the outcomes are right for your company. Dive further into how to plan a successful incentive trip here.

Can I get help planning my incentive trip?

Yes, absolutely. Destination management companies and event planning companies are your ideal partners to help plan your event.

GoGather is your go-to event planner for your next incentive program. We have developed and planned travel incentives across the world, from Bali to Mexico to Mallorca. We help you design VIP trips to reward your top achievers and inspire success. Let's review your company goals and develop an amazing incentive trip specifically designed for your company. Start planning with us now.

Katie Moser

Related articles.

What is Incentive Travel? Planning, ROI, & More

by J.Shay Team | May 4, 2020 | Incentive Travel

A Comprehensive Guide to Incentive Travel Programs

Get this:  93% of top-performing companies’ executives believe that non-cash incentives grant their business a competitive advantage.

You read that right!

Almost every business leader of any company in the top 20% of their vertical has said they depend on  non-cash  incentives to out-win their competitors. And by far the most effective non-cash incentive is a travel incentive program. Why? Because incentive travel programs increase production from your staff, lower attrition rate, keep your top performers humming and attract top talent from your competitors.

If your business is not in the top 20%, you should be thinking of how you can launch and sustain an effective incentive travel program. And if you are already a top-performing business, you should be asking yourself how you can  improve.

Table of Contents

What is Incentive Travel?

Incentive travel, also known as an incentive trip, or incentive trip program, is  one of the most popular non-cash awards  that’s used by organizations to motivate sales staff, partners, and even customers to greatly increase sales, keep their best reps from leaving, and motivate the remaining sales staff to pick it up.

Every company names their incentive travel program differently, but common names you have likely heard are:

• President’s Club
• Winner’s Circle
• Achiever’s Club

These incentive travel programs are based on annual goals. For most organizations, it means achieving production that is significantly higher than what’s expected (or average). For sales, it could mean that your representatives must achieve 115% or 120% of their annual quota before qualifying for the trip.

Incentive travel involves a getaway trip lasting more than 3 days where (almost) everything is funded by the company. The trip is often hailed as the ultimate reward experience for your top performers within any department, although Sales is the most common department leveraging any incentive travel.

Now you may be thinking, “Sending X number of top performers on a 3-day all-expenses paid trip must cost a fortune!” But think of this: by requiring employees to significantly surpass their quota to qualify, your bottom line experiences a MAJOR boost. Incentive travel allows for a huge return on your investment !

What Kind of ROI Can You Expect from a Travel Incentive Program?

A professionally planned and executed incentive trip has an almost 20% increase in productivity  in the short term (<6-month mark) , creating an ROI of 112%!!

In the long term, the IRF has proven that productivity increases by  44-48% in the long term (> 6-month mark), f urther pointing to incentive travel as the most lucrative form of rewards.

Every year C-levels huddle together to talk about how they can improve sales by 3, 5, or possibly even 10%. If you aren’t already leveraging incentive travel, it can be one of the most straightforward ways to hit your annual goals, and then some.

What’s Included in Incentive Travel?

Most incentive trips are fully funded by the company – end to end. This includes:

• Lavish destination
• Luxury hotel
• Included allowance
• Nightly dine-around options
• Air travel & transportation
• Awards ceremony
• Central theme
• On-site staffing
• Entertainment

Incentive travel programs are an enormous amount of work to plan and execute, many times beginning over a year in advance of the trip… but the awards are enormous.

Why Host an Incentive Travel Program?

The  Incentive Research Fund (IRF) , through extensive study, has found that  non-cash rewards significantly increase production , lower attrition rates, and build a company’s culture.

When looking specifically at non-cash incentive methods, incentive travel stands out as the most lucrative option.

Tangible non-cash rewards, on the other hand, can linger in in a reward earner’s memory for years. Experiential travel rewards, for example, create lasting memories and positive associations with the organization that provided the reward (Jeffrey, 2017).

Lower Attrition Rate

If you haven’t seen our  master class video on the value of internal events , attrition rates are lowered by over 30% with a professionally planned travel program.

The average cost to replace an employee is 150% of their first year’s salary and is one of the most expensive costs for any organization: losing tenured top performers. A 30+% decrease in attrition is huge!

Build a Company Culture

Don’t let your company be known for the cubicles, the clock-in, clock-out 9-5 hustle, and year-end plastic trophies. There are plenty of others that already have that reputation locked up, and it’s not a label that employees are proud of. Implementing an annual incentive trip is one of the top events you can leverage to build a company culture!

An incentive travel program gives your employees an annual goal to strive for, creating teamwork and dedication from January through December. Additionally, it creates memories that extend beyond the 4 walls of your business, affecting your employees on a personal level.

Types of Incentive Travel Programs

While incentive travel programs are usually targeted towards sales teams, companies can offer the incentive to top individuals in other departments to create healthy motivation throughout the organization.

Sales Programs

Over 50% of companies that use non-cash incentives use a sales incentive travel program to boost revenue. Organizations will usually announce their destination and resort at the tail-end of their  sales kickoff , and set forth the requirements. This caps off  a rally event  with a powerful and motivational sales goal that a sales team will strive for over the next 12 months.

Channel Programs

Channel incentive travel programs are experiences provided by a manufacturer to a retailer for meeting their predefined goals. While a sales staff is an in-house source of income, a business often depends on a large source revenue from channel sources.

Channel partners often have multiple products or services in their portfolio,  even from competitors;  offering non-cash-based incentives are an amazing way to ‘move the needle’ in your favor.

Why Incentive Travel Works

A professionally executed program alters human behavior. As we all know, motivation is a powerful thing. It can completely change our perspective on why something is important and how bad we want it.

The benefits of an incentive travel program are numerous, and affect behavior through several angles:

Recognition & Trophy Value

As a sales guy, making the club is the ultimate goal. Everyone’s quotas and associated ‘earnings packages’ usually vary, so hitting the qualifying mark for President’s Club is universal for all sales staff (ex. 115% of quota).

This creates a competitive nature that reps, as well as management, actively discuss. It doesn’t matter what level you are as a sales rep, on the lead generation team, inside sales, field sales, or management. Because of this, almost every salesperson trying to hit the qualifying mark for their incentive trip thinks of the actual status first, and the money comes after.

Sentimental/Memories

Cash evaporates quickly, but trips create memories as well as bonds. Those memories and bonds get tied to your business creating loyalty, motivation, and appreciation.

This is a large reason why top earners tend to stick around longer at companies that provide incentive programs.

Incentive Travel Program Mistakes to Avoid

Not all incentive travel programs get rave reviews from your attendees. If you’ve been a part of even just a couple, you are aware that top-performers can be hard to please. There are high expectations and if you want to meet and exceed them, it’s important you avoid making some common mistakes.

Here are the 3 of the biggest mistakes we see organizations make with their incentive travel programs:

• Incorporating Too Many Work Functions

In our experience, the most negative feedback from trip attendees is the number of work programs that are inserted into a trip. Companies need to remember that while you absolutely should incorporate key company get-togethers, they should not involve actual work, and be  extremely  limited.

• Ignoring Group Dynamics

10 of your sales team members hit it out of the park and qualified for your annual incentive trip. Awesome! What’s not awesome, or very helpful, is assuming all 10 people will want to go on a golfing trip to the Dominican Republic or an Alaskan cruise.

Before you put a deposit down and start booking rooms, it’s a good idea to take the temperature of your attendees before making any concrete plans. Simply send out a survey providing a few choices to understand the needs and preferences of your group.

• Not Choosing the Right Destination

When adding those potential destinations to your survey form, be sure you brainstorm to come up with good ones. What makes a BAD destination? A couple of things:

• A) It’s one that’s not easy to travel to for most participants (multiple stops and long travel days required), or…
• B) The destination isn’t exotic or unique. The entire goal of an incentive travel program is to  motivate  your staff to perform better than they ever have. You can’t send your top performers to San Diego or even London and expect it to have the same revenue-boosting effects as if you had chosen Iceland or Argentina!

Having said that, domestic incentive trips still produce a positive ROI because the overall expense of your company is lower.

Speaking of great incentive travel destinations…

Top Incentive Travel Destinations

It can feel overwhelming trying to decide which destinations are worthy enough for your top earners. What should you do, throw darts at a map?

From our experience, here are the top incentive travel destinations that appeal to a majority of people:

West Ireland

Rugged coastline, friendly locals and rustic pubs, Ireland has a charm all its own. While Dublin is a top tourist destination, cities on the Western coast such as Galway and Clare offer a more authentic feel.

Lisbon is breathtaking, there is no denying. Incentive travel programs we’ve planned that sent their teams to Portugal were wildly successful. From touring rugged mountains to stunning palaces and quaint wineries, Portugal has something for everyone.

How can you send your team to another planet but not have them leave this one? Send them to Iceland. The landscape is other-worldly. Blue lagoons, Northern lights, geothermal baths, an incentive trip to Iceland is a trip your team won’t soon forget!

West Indies

From Antigua to St. Kitts & Nevis, the West Indies are glorious. We’ve never met one person that didn’t say yes to a trip to an absolute tropical paradise, replete with 5-star luxury accommodations!

Final Thoughts on Incentive Travel Programs

If your company is not already in the top 20% of your business vertical, incentive travel should be one of the first items your sales leadership discusses for their annual goal-setting meetings.

A professionally planned trip produces 112% ROI on average, and an increase in almost 20% of productivity.

Don’t be the company that has the mindset of, ‘We can’t afford to have a President’s Club this year’.  Based on study findings , your business should be asking,  ‘How can we afford not to have an incentive travel program this year?’

If you are looking for assistance with in creating the perfect incentive travel program, we’d love to wildly impress your executives and sales team!  Click here to get a call scheduled  with our expert incentive travel team to discuss further.

You might also like…

Ultimate Guide to Incentive Travel Planning for Corporate Events

Ready to elevate your company's performance with incentive travel planning? This comprehensive...

Hot Destinations for Incentive travel in 2024

There are certain priorities every incentive travel program should include: luxury accommodations,...

Top US Cities for SKOs in 2024

Choosing the right destination is important for any corporate event, but it’s particularly vital...

Best European Destinations for Presidents Club 2024

Planning your 2024 President’s Club getaway? Wondering where in the world to send your team that...

Domestic vs International – Which is Best for Incentive Travel?

One common question we often get from event planners is, “Should we host our incentive trip...

Risk Management for Incentive Travel Programs

The world can be a dangerous place. Natural disasters, contagious outbreaks, political upheaval,...

J.Shay Team is the generic alias for our event staff that want to submit work anonymously.

About Author

Subscribe for the Weekly!

Connect with us, looking for something.

Privacy Overview

Your browser is very old. Please upgrade to a different browser to properly browse this web site.

5 Unique Incentive Trip Ideas

Sales Incentive Trip Ideas

Nearly 40% of u.s. businesses now use incentive travel to reward and recognize their top-performing employees, salespeople, and channel partners, according to the incentive research foundation..

With more businesses offering incentive trips as a reward, and consumers experiencing more on their own (and sharing their experiences on social media) you might be asking yourself, “How do I make this incentive trip unique enough to be memorable and motivating for years to come?” Here are some unique incentive trips we’ve planned and how we make them that way.

• Make it have an inspiring theme
• Make it a learning experience
• Make it a game
• Make it exclusive
• Make it a journey

Incentive trips should have an inspiring theme

A little bit of creative thinking can go a long way. When you tie all of the elements of an incentive trip back to a main theme or purpose, the experience becomes more memorable. A nice dinner in a sculpture gallery was infinitely enhanced when attendees were invited to celebrate the essence of human movement. Strolling through the garden, attendees were immersed in acrobatic Cirque performances; and inside the gallery, paintings were mimicked by living replicas in the lavishly set dining room. Additionally, guests enjoyed an interactive cooking display with a celebrity chef, as he showcased creatively designed canapés. Learn more about this inspiring theme here: The Art of the Human Spirit.

Incentive trips should be learning experiences

An incentive trip becomes transformational when participants are offered an educational opportunity. To foster an emotional attachment to the client brand and its coffee products, this Origin Experience trip featured education unique to the Costa Rican coffee origin location, its farms, mills, people, and culture. Throughout the five-day event, participants visited five farms, a co-op, and a mill where the hulling, polishing, cleaning, sorting, and grading of the coffee bean takes place. While participants were able to experience coffee harvesting techniques, they also experienced so much more than that. In the words of an attendee, “This experience has been life-changing for me personally and at work. I am even prouder to be a partner and feel very blessed to be part of such an amazing company.”

Incentive trips should include a game

There’s no better way to get incentive travel participants engaged than to immerse them in a game. At a Las Vegas event, we scripted and designed an experience that navigated winners through a dramatic and theatrically choreographed “Bond-like” production. Complete with villains and heroes, the interactive cash game included six separate performances and various on-the-spot awards, all while delivering our client’s executive messages. The Grand Finale topped off the celebration with lavish prizes, blasts of confetti, and an entrancing light show. Read more about the incentive event here: One Night. Three Hours.

Incentive trips should be exclusive

Not just any trip to Rome, the highlight of this incentive trip was the access granted to the group to many areas not normally open to the public. The guests enjoyed a private tour of the Vatican museums, including a tour of the Sistine Chapel where permission for photography was granted. Special approval was also received for dinner to be held in a beautiful, intimate “behind the curtain” room within the Vatican museums, where the group sipped wine and listened to the Vatican choir, led by the famous choir director, Monsignor Colino. The evening was capped off with an exclusive performance by an opera-caliber tenor and soprano that moved the audience to tears. More on this trip to remember here:  The Italian Job

Incentive trips should be a journey

This group experienced an authentic desert adventure outside of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico during their trip. Participants caravanned through the desert in enclosed off-road vehicles and enjoyed themed pop-up stops along the way. First a thirst-quenching smoothie stand and then a history stop; where a naturalist guide spoke about the local flora and fauna and how/why people settled in Cabo. The final stop was the crown jewel of the day. The caravan ended at a beautiful beach that seemed to appear out of nowhere. A surprise brunch was waiting in a lovely white tent at the edge of the water. The group enjoyed champagne and an elegant brunch before taking a coach bus back into town. Read more about this group’s adventures here:  Keeping It Real For a Millennial Audience.

Ready to create unique incentive trips?

• Driving Engagement
• Maximize Sales & Profit
• Motivating Performance
• Recognizing Achievement
• Retaining Talent

Global Group Incentive Travel

Related insights.

Creative Communications Matter: Maybe More Than Ever

A Return to Travel

We unleash the potential for greatness inside everyone.

Can you spare 5 minutes?

What is incentive travel? (4 Incentive travel program examples)

Free holidays for your staff—what’s that all about?

Isn’t incentive travel just frivolous corporate spending, used by giant organisations with more money than sense?

Although corporate incentive travel can be expensive and difficult to deliver, it is still one of the most effective ways to motivate individuals , reward desirable behaviour and boost performance.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about incentive travel and how it can help you reach your company goals. ‍

What is incentive travel?

Incentive travel motivates or incentivises a group of people by rewarding top performers with an all-expenses-paid trip. Organisations can decide to offer the travel perk to individual employees , departments, partners, or VIP clients.

You can use travel incentive programs to achieve your core business objectives like boosting quarterly sales figures, improving the quality of interactions between employees and executives, or nurturing relationships with high-spending or loyal customers. This is done by setting clear and attainable objectives that your target group will strive to achieve in order to win a place on the trip.

So what are some examples of incentive travel programs and what they can achieve? ‍

4 Incentive travel program examples

Incentive travel programs can be used to achieve a variety of desired outcomes from improved employee engagement to client spending incentives. Let’s take a closer look at four possible uses of corporate incentive travel programs. ‍

1. Employee motivation

One of the best ways to overcome organisational challenges such as low productivity, employee turnover and poor customer service is by developing travel incentives for staff. Motivating your employees with attractive travel rewards is an effective strategy for boosting employee engagement , altering attitudes, fostering teamwork, building morale and embedding new company values.

An employee motivation travel program is designed to bring your workforce together and inspire group interaction through an itinerary of teamwork exercises and experiential activities. This isn’t a free holiday, rather, it’s a purposeful team-building retreat with clear desired outcomes.

Example: Your technology scale-up has grown rapidly and you now have a large workforce with employees working remotely across the globe. Daily tasks are running smoothly, but your team isn’t motivated and the company culture is stagnant.

So, you reach out to a third-party retreat planner to help you organise a five-day team-building retreat in Honolulu full of unique team-bonding activities and carefully selected team-building games . The itinerary is specifically designed to strengthen interpersonal relationships and improve communication. ‍

2. Rewards and recognition

Incentive travel can be used to exemplify desirable behaviours and reward top achievers. Actions like bringing in big clients, promoting company values and going the extra mile should be encouraged by offering incentive awards.

Because these trips are offered as a reward or recognition for exemplary behaviour, the itinerary focuses more on pleasure and leisure activities rather than workshops and training events. After all, the idea is to motivate other employees to perform better, not deter them.

Example: You run a successful restaurant franchise and you want to generate more positive online reviews. At the beginning of the year, you announced that the top five servers to have their names mentioned in the most five-star reviews would win a trip to Tuscany, Italy .

The trip sounded fantastic, with relaxing vineyard tours, delicious cuisine and a luxury hotel. Excitement for the trip started to build and soon enough, the five-star reviews started rolling in. 

By the end of the year, five top-performing servers were rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to the picturesque region of Tuscany, Italy. ‍

3. Sales incentives

Sales incentive trips work in a similar way to rewards and recognition, but in this case, they’re geared towards more quantifiable corporate objectives such as increased sales and revenue.

Before planning the incentive group travel, you must first establish the requirements for attendance. To drive better sales figures, you should set goals slightly higher than what your employees would typically achieve.

These incentive travel programs are designed to be a reward, so the agenda should be made up of pleasurable activities including relaxing dinners, unique experiences, evening entertainment and free time to explore the destination.

Example: You own a company that sells renewable energy contracts door-to-door. You notice that your sales figures have started to drop and you want to do something to inspire your sales team to up their game.

You consider offering a cash bonus, but quickly decide a once-in-a-lifetime experience is more likely to resonate with the whole team and inspire them to make more sales.

You set new speculative yet attainable sales targets and announce a free employee holiday to Mammoth Lakes, CA , for anybody who achieves them.

The employee incentive travel program successfully motivates your team to push for more sales and your revenue starts to improve. ‍

4. Customer loyalty

Incentive tours can equally be used to cement relationships with loyal and high-paying clients. They sweeten the professional relationship and offer an incentive for the customer to continue doing business with you.

These are usually luxury trips, with plenty of time to relax, explore and enjoy unique experiences.

Example: You own a company that provides catering for corporate events. One of your clients, a major event planner, has been enlisting your services for a long time and you want to give them a reason to continue working with you.

You decide to create an incentive travel program. Each time the event planner books your catering company, they earn points that can later be cashed in for an incentive travel award.

This could be a relaxing spa weekend in Helsinki or a sunny beach holiday in Gran Canaria . ‍

What’s the objective of your incentive travel program?

It’s easy to see why incentive travel is often confused for a free holiday. After all, incentive trips are designed to be desirable and reinforce certain behaviours.

They wouldn't work if the itinerary was full of meetings, product demos and feedback sessions.

So when you’re designing your travel incentive program, consider your desired outcomes. Do you want to encourage your top clients to spend more? Do your new hires need help integrating with the rest of the team? 

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can go about planning a trip with an itinerary that supports your goals.

Surf Office has almost 10 years of experience planning fully customised work retreats for major organisations such as Google, Shopify, Hotjar and more. If you're looking to organise a motivational team-building retreat , we’d be delighted to hear more about it!

free course

How to plan your first company retreat

Retreat Budget Spreadsheet

Are you organising a company retreat and want to make sure you have all the costs under the control?

Get a copy of our free Budget Calculator spreadsheet.

Nail the Zoom boom: 25 Virtual employee appreciation ideas

7 Modern personal appraisal methods to level up motivation

14 Creative ways to embrace International HR Day

Retain talent: 10 Causes of high employee turnover rate

Reward loyalty with our 31 Customer Appreciation Day ideas

Organize your next company retreat with surf office, 💌 join 17,000+ managers receiving insights on building company culture that people love., stay in touch, work with us.

• Brand Engagement
• Incentive Programs
• Corporate Apparel
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Our Quality
• Art Services
• The Pros and Cons of Monetary vs. Non-Monetary Incentives for Employees
• An Imminent Biotech Scientist Shortage is Coming
• Employee Recognition Programs: Ideas and Examples
• What Benefits Do Employees Value Most?
• How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace to Boost Company Profit
• What to Do About Low Employee Motivation
• How to Make Your Employees More Productive
• How to Inspire Your Scientific Team with Appreciation Rewards
• How to Develop Successful Incentive Programs That Work Better Than Travel
• The Manager’s Guide to Boosting Workplace Performance With Team Building Activities for Employees

How to Pick a Creative and Catchy Name for Your Employee Incentive Program

Congratulations! You’ve decided to motivate your team with a new rewards program. A professionally-designed program is a great way to boost employee morale and engagement. Now it’s time to name it. Although this should be one of the fun parts, finding the perfect name can be frustrating. A creative, catchy name for your incentive program makes a great first impression, helping mold how employees feel about the program even before they know what it involves. The best name for your program should fit your organization’s culture, while still sounding like something people would want to join. Here are some great ways to find that name.

Creative Names for Incentive Programs

Glossaries, thesauruses, and other naming goodness.

Glossaries are great for naming. Calls Per Agent is a call center glossary term, and your program could create its own CPA Rewards. Using an industry insider’s term as part of your program name helps to include your people from the start. It can also be a great reminder of what your organization is trying to accomplish, your industry metrics. Thesauruses (or thesauri , if you must) are also great sources for names and can help you get into your creative mode. Although browsing synonyms for “success” and “achievement” are fine starting points, look for terms related to your industry. You can get great name ideas from lots of industry sources: trade association sites, trade publications, and industry conference sites all use language familiar to you and your workforce. Browse a few of your favorites, noting likely terms that could work for your program name. Don’t forget to check for glossaries while you’re there.

Set the Theme

Creative and catchy names for incentive programs make positive brand impressions every time they’re used. Themed naming can start the process—telling people something about the program before they even know the details. Achievement and success-themed names can acknowledge the work being recognized as well (e.g. Path To Greatness; Reach the Mountaintop).

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a specific technique for generating ideas. Harvard Business Review has noted that group efforts can work against creativity, so you may be better off having the brains in question do their storming separately, at least to begin. If you want to share notes afterwards and work as a group from those ideas, we won’t tell.

Have a contest

It’s amazing how creative employees can get when recognition is on the line. Try having them compete to design logos. And who wouldn’t want to name an amazing program? Be careful of movie themes though. Your programs should have longevity. You don’t want to name a program that can be dated in a year. Remember: you are building a long-lasting brand.

Keeping It Catchy

Brevity = Wit

Keep your program name short and memorable. That probably means leaving out the word “program.”

It can be tempting to use lottery-sounding names but Millionaire Mania doesn’t capture the spirit of your employee incentive program. Unless you actually plan to hand out ingots, naming the program Gold Rush could disappoint. Although rewards should be something that people actually want to earn, they aren’t the sole motivator or even necessarily the most effective one. The best employee incentive programs combine worthwhile tangible rewards with public recognition and praise from ownership and senior management.

Whatever your final choice may be, you’ll likely use that name for years. You don’t have to nail it down right after reading this. Give yourself a few days to make sure you pick the right one. And don’t forget to have fun!

Incentive Programs That Get Results

If you now have your program name in mind, you’re off to a good start. If you’re stuck, we’d love to help. Either way, let’s talk . Inproma creates reward and recognition programs designed to help your organization reach its strategic goals. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish, and we’ll help make it happen.

Related Posts

Ready to Learn More?

Home Meetings and Incentives Incentive Travel Sales Incentives

Let's Connect!

We’re Excited to Connect! How can we best serve you?

" * " indicates required fields

• Call us (1-800-236-5095)

Grow more than sales… grow your relationship with your top sales performers

Stimulate competitiveness and elevate team efforts in a way that heightens sales, amplifies revenue, and an creates a culture committed to exceeding goals..

Go beyond the financial reward; let’s craft something together that differentiates your company, puts your competition on guard and anchors your associates through meaningful connections.

Proven Incentive Benefits

Increased sales performance.

(Source: Aberdeen Group)

Revenue Growth

(Source: Incentive Research Foundation)

Motivated Workforce

(Source: Gallup)

Employee Retention

(Source: WorldatWork)

Goal Achievement

(Source: Sales & Marketing Management Magazine)

Team Collaboration

(Source: OC Tanner)

Case Studies

Related articles.

Are you ready to ramp up your performance? Let’s chat!

Meetings & Incentives

Want to learn more, incentive travel, associate rewards, sales incentives.

Searching for a TMC?

Partner with Fox to transform your travel program. We custom tailor it to YOUR goals and put an unmatched level of foducs on continually improving the traveler experience. Cookie cutter isn’t our style.

If you are a business traveler requiring agent assistance for a reservation, your organization's designated phone number and email address is found on your Fox itinerary. You may also call 888-369-8785 for general agent support.

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

• 888-369-8785 Toll Free
• 920-236-8000 Local

Support Links

Quick links.

Accessibility Statement   Accessibility Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

ITA Group continues global expansion, acquires Sydney-based Performance Incentives Learn More

Alert banner message text goes here... Text CTA >

A Guide to the Top Incentive Travel Destinations For 2 0 2 2

Incentive travel remains a top motivator, and many reward earners are eager for a new adventure (or just a change of scenery).

For some top performers, an upcoming incentive trip could be their first time traveling since the pandemic began—a trip they’ve been dreaming about for ages. Our experts are excited as ever to craft once-in-a-lifetime experiences to make travel dreams a reality, as well as help travelers navigate evolving safety guidelines.

Related: There are a lot of reasons to be excited about incentive travel in 2022. See our top 5 . 

Your top performers deserve the very best, a destination that will motivate them to keep putting in all that hard work. A destination that is memorable, distinctive, and perhaps not-so-traditional.

Whether it’s tropics or bustling cities, these are the 10 most attractive destinations our buyers are booking right now for incentive travel. Any of the 10 experiences will make your hard-working trip qualifiers feel appreciated and re-energized.

Classic European Sites

Madrid, Spain

Art, cuisine, nightlife, architecture—the capital city of Madrid has it all, along with a rich history to impress.

Highlights:

• Tour the Paseo del Arte museums, including the world-famous Prado, with works by the Impressionists and Pablo Picasso
• Wander the Parque del Retiro , an expansive urban park
• Listen to street musicians at Plaza Mayor , the grand central square

Hotel recommendation:

• Stay at Four Seasons Madrid , a brand-new property in the heart of the city. Walk to key attractions then return to a restful, modern retreat.

Dublin, Ireland

A small capital city with big personality, participants love Dublin for its friendly people, rich cultural heritage and happening nightlife scene.

• Enjoy the lively Temple Bar area with its many pubs and live music
• Tour the Guinness Storehouse brewery for the history of the iconic beverage
• Visit Trinity College , the oldest college in Ireland and alma mater of many literary greats, including Jonathon Swift and Oscar Wilde
• The Westbury , located in the center of town, is a destination itself because of its gorgeous central stairway and private art gallery.

Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland 

Seek out the “bonnie banks” of Loch Lomond, an inland lake made famous by the Scottish folk song of the same name, and take in the beauty of the surrounding Lowlands and Highlands.

• Explore Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park , which became Scotland’s first national park in 2002
• Journey through Dumbarton Castle in the ancient capital of Scotland
• Spend a day at the Loch Lomond Shores shopping district, which includes outdoor activities, boat trips and an aquarium
• Built in 1700 and renovated in 2020, the castle-like Cameron House is one of the most sought-after hotels in Scotland.

Sunny Tropic Locales

San José del Cabo, Mexico 

San José del Cabo offers a more relaxed atmosphere than its better-known counterpoint Cabo San Lucas. Enjoy shopping, an enchanting plaza and dining experiences, all with plenty of sunshine and miles of beaches.

• Amble through the Art District for unique shopping and live music opportunities
• Scuba-dive the coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Swim with dolphins at Dolphin Discovery
• Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve opened in 2021 and boasts ocean views and indoor/outdoor living spaces in each guest room.

Nassau, Bahamas

For a tropical experience with a healthy dose of urban energy, check out Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Originally home to pirates and hustlers, the streets are always bustling.

• Witness the pirate history of the Bahamas with the wax recreations at the Pirates of Nassau Museum
• Delve into the past at Fort Charlotte , a British-colonial fort constructed in the late 18th century
• Walk through the natural wonderland of Ardastra Gardens & Wildlife Conservation Centre
• For large group travel, stay at the accommodating Grand Hyatt Baha Mar (it has 1,800 rooms on property!). Be sure to take advantage of its new Baha Bay water park, which opened July 2021.

Palm Beach, Aruba 

One of the most popular islands in the Caribbean, Aruba is known for its white, sandy beaches and all-inclusive resorts. Don’t be afraid to wander off the beaten path here!

• Stroll through the cozy capital, Oranjestad , for shopping and restaurants
• Observe magnificent waves beat against the rocky coast at Conchi “Natural Pool”
• Climb the landmark California Lighthouse for 360° views of the island
• The Ritz-Carlton Aruba includes its own casino and is currently refurbishing all its suites.

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Costa Rica has incredible biological diversity. Discover all the beauty of its unspoiled beaches, fast-flowing rivers and national parks in Guanacaste.

• Engage in outdoor adventures such as zip-lining and rock climbing
• Take a day trip to iconic Arenal Volcano for horseback riding and hiking
• Investigate local fauna by partaking in activities like bird watching
• The Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo underwent renovations in 2021 for an extra luxurious feel. Guests staying in Peninsula Papagayo can sign up for exclusive small group eco-activities .

U.S.-Based Adventures

Big Sky, Montana

For fresh air and wide-open skies year-round, escape to the natural splendor of the mountains of Montana. Outdoor enthusiasts praise Big Sky for its variety of activities.

• Ski the famous slopes at Big Sky Resort
• Hike Yellowstone National Park , one of the most popular national parks in the U.S.
• Learn fly-fishing at some of the best rivers for the sport in the world
• For a combination of lodge living and modern comfort, book rooms at Montage Big Sky .

Nashville, Tennessee

While best known for its country music, Nashville is a destination spot for its revived downtown, festivals, shows and nightlife.

• Sample the best of downtown Nashville in the Lower Broadway District , an area popular for live music, honky-tonks, restaurants and shops
• Attend concerts at the Ryman Auditorium , the original home of the Grand Ole Opry
• Go behind the scenes of country music at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Hotel recommendations:

• The soon-to-open Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown will be adjacent to the Music City Center convention center. The hotel promises a rooftop pool with bar and easy access to downtown attractions.

Hanalei Bay, Princeville, Hawaii

Hanalei Bay, a picturesque setting on Kauai, the Garden Island, offers several pristine beaches for surfing, paddleboarding, swimming or simply relaxing.

• Play golf on courses designed to wrap around the spectacular coastline at Makai Golf Course
• Study nesting seabirds and marine mammals at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Shop for authentic carved wood souvenirs from local artisans in Hanalei Town
• 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay , formerly the St. Regis Princeville is undergoing a full renovation that will infuse it with authentic details such as native greenery and reclaimed materials. It will be accepting group business beginning in October 2022.

Mandy joined ITA Group in 2005, serving in operations before transitioning to the purchasing team as a Buyer and Supervisor. In her current role as Lead Buyer, Mandy leads the internal presale process for financial and insurance brands, conceptualizing events, building program budgets, negotiating supplier partner contracts, and maintaining client and supplier relationships. She works closely with internal sales and operations teams to bring strategic recommendations to each program. Mandy enjoys traveling, attending concerts, cheering on her beloved Iowa Hawkeyes and Kansas City Chiefs, and spending time with family and friends, especially her two sons.

You Might Also Like

• International
• Digital Issue
• Cover Stories
• Exclusive Interviews
• International Focus
• Top of Mind
• Company Spotlights
• Executive Announcements
• For You | For Your Field
• Digital Selling Trends
• Forward Thinking
• Working Smart
• From the Publisher
• Direct Approach
• Direct Selling SHIFT
• Iconic Insights
• The DSN Podcast
• Upcoming Events
• Direct Selling University
• Global Celebration
• Global 100 List
• Best Places to Work
• Bravo Awards
• Stock Watch
• The DSN Guide
• Supplier Directory
• Stock Ticker
• Supporter Program
• VIP Text Alerts

Maximize Your Incentive Trip Budget

The five strategies every direct selling company needs..

Planning an incentive trip for a large group presents unique challenges and opportunities. The Incentive Research Foundation stated that the average spend per person for incentive travel in 2023 was $6,177! With the right strategies, it’s possible to create a memorable experience that motivates your team and aligns with your budgetary goals to help alleviate some of these costs. Here are five key approaches to consider when organizing incentive trips.

1 / Choosing Cost-Effective Destinations with Tax Incentives

A smart destination choice can dramatically stretch your budget. Look for locations that are not just affordable but also offer tax incentives for hosting large groups, conferences or events. These destinations often provide significant savings that can be reallocated to enhance other aspects of the trip. Researching and selecting these locations requires understanding local regulations and leveraging these incentives to your advantage.

2 / Selecting Destinations with Ample Flight Options

Destinations with more direct flights or those served by multiple airlines tend to offer more competitive fares. This increased competition not only lowers costs but can also offer more flexibility in travel times, making it easier to accommodate the schedules of a large group.

With rising flight costs affecting flights in your incentive programs or fight credit offerings, you risk exceeding your budget. Often if attendees are responsible for their flights they will choose not to go on the incentive if the destination’s flights are costly and limited. Balancing cost with convenience and comfort is key to a successful trip.

3 / Utilizing Shoulder Seasons and Varied Date Patterns

Opting for travel during the shoulder season—the period between peak and off-peak times—can lead to lower costs and a more intimate experience at the destination. Being flexible with your travel dates and patterns, such as mid-week departures, can also unlock significant savings on accommodations and activities. This approach requires careful planning and negotiation but can result in a high-quality experience at a reduced cost.

4 / Capitalizing on New Hotels and Cruises Offering Promotional Deals

When it comes to accommodations and venues for your incentive trip, targeting new hotels or cruise lines can yield significant savings and unique experiences. Newly opened properties are often eager to build their reputation and client base, leading them to offer attractive deals and sales incentives for group bookings. These promotions can include reduced rates, complimentary upgrades and exclusive access to amenities and events—providing an enhanced experience at a fraction of the cost.

Additionally, choosing a new cruise line or hotel not only offers financial benefits but also ensures your team enjoys the latest in luxury and innovation. This strategy requires keeping a pulse on the industry to identify opportunities as they arise, and it will help to ensure that your incentive trip stands out with fresh and exciting experiences that make the most of your budget.

5 / Enhancing Value Through Third-Party Incentive Company Expertise

Partnering with a specialized third-party incentive company can significantly amplify the value and impact of your incentive trip. These companies bring deep-rooted industry connections and years of collaboration and mutual trust to the table.. These relationships enable incentive companies to not just negotiate pricing but also work for you to secure exclusive deals, value-adds and amenities that are not typically available and can dramatically elevate the participant experience without inflating your budget.

With an emphasis on maximizing value and impact, the right incentive company becomes an indispensable partner in your incentive trip planning process. Their role extends beyond simple logistics; they act as architects of unforgettable experiences, leveraging their industry prowess to deliver spectacular results within your financial framework. This approach ensures that every dollar spent is an investment in motivating your team; celebrating their achievements; and fostering a culture of excellence and appreciation within your organization.

Destination: Success!

Effective planning and strategic choices are essential for delivering an incentive trip that inspires and rewards your direct sales team. By focusing on these key areas, companies can maximize their budget, creating impactful experiences that celebrate success and foster a sense of camaraderie and motivation among participants.

Dianna Crnkovich , an Account Executive at ADI Meetings & Events , specializes in the design and execution of incentive trips for clients in the direct selling industry. Backed by a team of trailblazing woman, ADI has over 30 years of excellence, including a dedicated 15 years within the direct selling sector. ADI, led by professionals like Dianna, continues to set the standard in crafting unforgettable experiences.

From the  May 2024  issue of  Direct Selling News  magazine.

Going Global

The Future of Direct Selling is Social

Walking the Tightrope

Privacy overview.