Incentive Travel Bounces Back

​The public backlash reached a boiling point in October 2008 when executives at insurance giant AIG spent more than $400,000 for a trip to the luxurious St. Regis in Monarch Beach, Calif., a week after the firm received an $85 billion bailout from taxpayers.

"The reality is, [travel incentives are] back because these programs work, especially in decentralized organizations," says Melissa Van Dyke, president of the Incentive Research Foundation.

At Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, group sales are about 20% higher than a year ago, and incentive meetings comprise about 65% of all group sales at the resort. Sales will increase again in 2012, says Mark Benson, the resort's vice president of group sales. "Incentive travel is showing the fastest rate of growth in all group business," Benson says, adding that the resort sold about 200,000 group room nights this year vs. 146,000 a year ago.

The Incentive Research Foundation has found that spending now averages about $2,500 a person, and 67% of trips include some type of meeting or business aspect.

The backlash has eased, and industries have started to take the clamps off incentive travel. "If we had to put a score on it, it's probably 85% to 90% back," says David Peckinpaugh, president of Maritz Travel, a meeting management company.

http://www.incentivesolutions.com/2016/01/07/resea...

Great Incentive Travel Planning Means that, Rain or Shine, We Still Dine!

​This is a throwback story of a time my whole incentive travel team as well as the hotel banquet staff worked so in sync together it was almost too smooth.

Picture it – Early December on the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, right in front of the Nao’s restaurant of the Paradisus Palma Real. The sand is still warm from the hot day, the air is crisp, and the moon is shining bright without a cloud in sight. The décor company had just finished setting the beach, and the banquet staff had set the final water glass down on the table. The party was ready to start. This all came together 15 minutes before guests were to set to arrive to an open-air beach party complete with a live band.

As we began to put our final check lists away into our bags, we were all hit with some water. Being close to the beach, we all assumed it was just some sea wash that caught the right gust of wind until, out of nowhere, this little cloud of doom appeared and torrential downpour ensued. My colleague Mattie and I pressed ourselves against a wall with a small awning just big enough to keep us mostly dry while we stared out at the table settings that were just placed so perfectly. If you have ever been to the Caribbean, you are well aware that it may rain even though every meteorologist said you had 0% chance of rain all day. For the 15 minutes before everyone was supposed to be there, it rained so hard that the wine and water glasses had begun to overflow. Sheer panic was the only emotion you could read from the face of the travel and event planning team. As soon as it stopped, we all ran out to assess exactly how bad the rain was.

It was bad.

Without skipping a beat, the banquet manager assures us that it’s no problem and begins giving commands to his team and whistling. We all stood there in awe as we watched our soaking wet party get transformed into a dry again dinner beach party. Within 45 minutes of the last rain drop, the team at the Paradisus Palma Real had flipped everything around as if nothing happened. All while guests enjoyed the bar in the sand.

Morale of the story is that, as corporate event and meeting planners, we think we can prepare for everything. This is not always the case and, instead of getting angry about what’s going or gone wrong, we have to try to find a way to make it a positive. I doubt that team at the hotel would have been very receptive if we all just screamed and blamed them for the rain. Just take a deep breath, analyze what is going on, and move towards the most positive result as efficiently as you can with a smile. You might surprise yourself and I guarantee your client will look beyond the disaster if you handle it with confidence and a grin.

Justin

Justin Rieling

Associate Account Manager at The Incentive Solutions Group of Companies, consisting of:

    Incentive Solutions

    Loyaltyworks

    Travel Solutions

678-514-0213

jrieling@isicorporate.com

http://www.incentivesolutions.com/2015/12/23/great-incentive-travel-planning-means-that-rain-or-shine-we-still-dine/

Benefit from our incentive travel and event management experience.

​Leverage our extensive network of travel agent, cruise line and hotel partners.

Elite group travel is considered the ultimate motivator and can drive powerful performances among sales teams and sales channel partners, delivering significant returns on program investment. It’s the perfect business incentive!

Our knowledgeable team of travel and program administration experts will work with you directly to deliver all of the cultural, financial and logistical services and support necessary to create a memorable corporate travel incentive—including meticulous program design, planning and budgeting. Our people are the among the best in the industry and know how to manage all the important contractual details for hotel, group airfare and transportation, then offer proven methods for effective event management, itinerary planning, promotional communications, on-site operations and logistics management, as well as post-trip program effectiveness measurement.

Our specialized approach to travel planning is leaps and bounds ahead of traditional incentive travel planner methods. We give you the flexibility to choose all of the time and cost savings services you need without incurring extra expense. What a luxury! We are an experienced team with deep understanding of the incentive travel business.

To receive more information on our reward program options, schedule a tour of the entire collection of rewards, or see a demo of the online rewards technology platform, please call 1.866.567.7432 or send us a message.

http://www.incentivesolutions.com/group-travel-rewards/

Studies on How Event Planners Help Negotiate Group Travel Contracts

​Hotel Contract Strategies

1. Everything is negotiable. Not only are room rates and food beverage costs negotiable, but other items that may not be obvious are on the table, as well, including phone/Internet access charges, fax send/receipt feeds, overnight mail surcharges for sending/receiving packages through the hotel, bellhop and housekeeper gratuities, resort fees, established banquet menus/pricing and more.

2. Beware: hotels can cancel your meeting. If a better piece of business comes along, a hotel can cancel your meeting or event.

3. Keep hotel profit margins in mind when negotiating. If agreeing to attrition or cancellation, don’t pay full price for unused rooms or uneaten food. Profit margins for sleeping rooms and group food/beverage are high, so there is plenty of room for negotiation.

4. Require post-event reports. Use historical spend data to leverage better deals for future meetings with hotels and other suppliers.

A Look at Partial Force Majeure Strategies

1. While force majeure clauses are probably raised most often when a meeting has to be entirely canceled, meeting planners should not assume that cancellation of a meeting is the only time the clause can come into play. Instead, given the right circumstances, it is possible for a properly drafted force majeure clause to also save an organization from having to pay attrition and other types of contract damages.The concept is sometimes referred to as “partial force majeure,” and the idea is that a party should be excused from paying damages not only when there is the complete cancellation of the event, but also if any portion of a contract cannot be complied with due to circumstances beyond that party’s control.

5 Tips for Creating a Bulletproof Hotel Contract

1. Last year, the average hotel daily room rate and revenue per available room (RevPAR) was the highest ever recorded by STR, a global provider of competitive benchmarking, information services, and research to the hotel industry. Occupancy for the first quarter of 2015 was also the highest ever recorded by STR for hotels worldwide.

2. According to Freitag, a 66.8 percent occupancy rate in the U.S. is the highest STR has ever recorded for March. The industry also set a record with more than 100 million rooms sold worldwide, and RevPAR increased in the U.S. for the 61st consecutive month.

3. “Hotels are no longer bending over backwards to win your business,” explains Brooklyn, NY-based Roxane Kramer, a global account executive at ConferenceDirect, a full-service meetings solution company. “Plus, they are tightening their contract terms. Distinctly less flexibile, hotels are writing their contracts in their best interests.”

4. “When the hotel issues the contract, it is typically one-sided and missing key cost savings and risk-reduction clauses,” she adds. Clauses that are missing in hotel issued contracts according to Woodin include resell, so in the event of cancellation, the group and the hotel shall negotiate to establish mutually acceptable dates for a subsequent meeting to be held no later than twelve months after the original meeting dates and the hotel shall credit 50 percent of any cancellation paid against the subsequent meeting.

Tags: event planners, Event Planning, incentive travel, research, studies, Travel Incentives​

Negotiate Group Travel Contracts

​One of the major challenges of corporate events and group travel is contract negotiation. With large groups come large responsibilities, so hotels and resorts want to secure their profits and liabilities with contracts.

 If you’re part of an organization that hosts one group travel event a year, you might be able to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with one hotel or resort after patronizing it year after year, building up a reputation as a reliable, safe client. 

Consider another option, though: a group travel service can negotiates thorny contracts on your behalf, because they have experience and deal with travel contracts all the time. They can use their large network of hotels, resorts, agents, and cruise lines to your advantage. 

http://www.incentivesolutions.com/2015/12/15/5883/

How Can an Event Planner Help You Negotiate Group Travel Contracts?

​One of the major challenges of corporate events and group travel is contract negotiation. With large groups come large responsibilities, so hotels and resorts want to secure their profits and liabilities with contracts. If you’re part of an organization that hosts one group travel event a year, you might be able to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with one hotel or resort after patronizing it year after year, building up a reputation as a reliable, safe client. Consider another option, though: a group travel service can negotiates thorny contracts on your behalf, because they have experience and deal with travel contracts all the time. They can use their large network of hotels, resorts, agents, and cruise lines to your advantage. With group travel planners’ expertise, they can be on the lookout for clauses that can be renegotiated in your favor.

Some incentive providers, such as Incentive Solutions in Atlanta, GA, can provide travel planning services along with their travel rewards. Because Incentive Solutions offers hotels the promise of repeat business, they have more influence and can often negotiate much more favorable contracts. Here are just a few of the tricky, group travel contract clauses, listed by the Global Business Travel Association, that event planners can help you with:

• Cancellation Cancellation fees and clauses are in place to protect establishments from losing money should you cancel your trip. That’s understandable—hotels and resorts lose quite a bit of money if you cancel a large block of rooms and they don’t have time to rebook them. Beware of other cancellation policies in your contract, however.Travel and event planning services can help you avoid clauses and policies that could disrupt your trip. If the above example should happen when you’re planning a group outing, experienced travel planners know how to quantify what the hotel will pay you if they cancel your event. They also know it’s best to centralize and automate the room reservation process through an online registration system. That way, you can ensure that wait-listed attendees will fill in any reservations that are cancelled, keeping your room block booked and fulfilling your contract commitment.Cancellation clauses and fees are usually unavoidable, but event management experts can help with registration and contract negotiation so that you can reduce potential losses.
• Attrition Attrition is very closely related to cancellation. Specifically, it’s the term used for the compensation establishments receive for rooms or cabins that are removed from the market when your group reserves them. Attrition clauses, like all things in a group travel contract, are negotiable. Establishments may be open to the idea of removing an attrition clause, especially if they are dealing with a trusted, repeat client such as an incentive travel planner. Even better than no attrition clause, you may be able to include a clause stating there will be no attrition penalty.If you do pay attrition, an event planner can help you make compromises such as paying it on a cumulative basis, rather than per-night. This way, you can avoid paying full price for any rooms you don’t use or food and beverages you don’t consume.
• Force majeure A force majeure (French term meaning “superior force” or “great force”) clause is meant to absolve both parties (hotel and attendee) of liabilities in the event of an emergency beyond their control. Extreme weather, government regulations, and disease threats are all considered force majeure events. If hotels, resorts, cruise lines, etc. are prevented from fulfilling their duties by force majeure events, they rarely offer a refund provision.Force majeure clauses typically come into play when an event or trip has to be cancelled in its entirety. However, an event planner can help you establish policies such as “partial force majeure” in which you can protect yourself from paying extra attrition fees if an event out of your control disrupts—but doesn’t entirely cancel—your trip. For instance, you may be hosting an event in Florida in February, a trip most attendees can make without disruption. A blizzard in the northeastern U.S. may detain attendees from that part of the country, however, forcing you to cancel 25% of your reservations. It may not be sensible to cancel the entire event, so you can rely on a partial force majeure agreement to avoid being penalized with attrition fees.
• IndemnificationIndemnification clauses exist to protect one or both parties from financial loss, and to place responsibility of damage or neglect on the party most capable of preventing it. Most contracts include provisions requiring you to indemnify the hotel for any claims or liabilities they incur as a result of negligence or omission by your organization or people associated with it.Travel planners can help you tweak and negotiate this clause so that, for instance, you can specify whether the hotel will be indemnified for negligence or gross negligence. Event planners can help you push back against strict indemnification clauses as, ultimately, you can’t control your attendees’ actions. You may also be able to require the hotel to indemnify your organization against claims asserted against you that result from the hotel’s acts of omissions or negligence.

Cancellation, attrition, force majeure, and indemnification are just a few clauses typical in group travel contracts. While many of the basic clauses themselves are unavoidable, there are still ways to protect yourself and avoid being subjected to biased provisions and preventable fees. Incentive group travel and corporate events should be about learning, networking, getting to know colleagues, and having a great time. An event planner’s expertise can help negotiate a contract that works out best for you, in the end, so you can focus on hosting the best event possible.

Savannah Bobo
Copywriter at The Incentive Solutions Group of companies, consisting of:

• Incentive Solutions, Inc.
• Loyaltyworks
• Travel Solutions

Direct Contact: 678-514-0248
Sales Hotline: (800)-844-5000

Tags: corporate events, Event Planning, Group Travel, incentive travel, Travel Incentives

Mattie Logan’s Incentive Travel and Event Planning Blog is Here: AhoyMattie.com

Peter Island

Have you heard of Peter Island? The place dreams dream of, that not even story books could give justice to? Neither had I. The luxury of my job is sometimes being able to visit the tiniest corners of the Earth that I might not have ever even imagined before. Peter Island is one of them and personally now my favorite place on this planet. The island is 1800-acres of pure paradise, in the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by British Virgin Island oasis’s and a hop, skip and jump away from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Arriving on a private ferry is truly an experience in itself, as not many places can only be accessed by small boat, or helicopter. The palm tree and hammock flanked beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters surrounding Peter Island only add to the splendor of this Caribbean gem. Hidden away on this slice of private island bliss, is the Peter Island Resort & Spa.

A luxury haven getaway that gives true meaning to the words unbelievable, astonishing and splendid. As a guest of the resort, you can take in the surrounding wonder on any one of the five pristine white sand beaches, including a spot on the coveted Honeymoon Beach which allows only one couple a day access, or while exploring the breathtaking views atop a mountain and the sunset along the five-mile loop. The food is absolute perfection and the drinks are to die for.

 I don’t know if it was the love put into making my Pain Killers or the fresh nutmeg topping that kept me coming back for more but I would gladly fly back to Peter Island for that refreshing island concoction alone. Opt for a luxury private villa, such as the Falcons Nest. This sprawling mansion on the tip top of Peter Island, which could possibly be the most jaw dropping property I’ve ever seen, has six bedroom suites, a three story waterfall grotto and an infinity edge pool overlooking the surrounding Caribbean Islands. For a mere several thousand dollars a night you could live like a true king! Every single guest room at the Peter Island Resort is truly remarkable! Whether in an ocean view room or beach front suite,

 the comfort and furnishings will leave you relaxed and rejuvenated like never before. The only thing that could rival Peter Island’s accommodations, dining, and setting is the service. I have been to countless destinations and worked with hundreds of vendors, hoteliers and suppliers all over the world but nothing compares to the genuine compassion Peter Island employees show each and every guest of the island. It is truly one of a kind and makes you leave the island a better person for ever even meeting the lovely people of Peter Island Resort & Spa.

I know a woman that once told me she wanted her ashes strewn at Peter Island. I thought it to be such an odd statement until I visited that sacred place. I get it. I believe it.

I stand by Peter Island, the people, the resort and all the memories made there. Now it’s your turn. Get out there and start planning your own Peter Island adventure…just don’t forget to pack me in your suitcase when you go!
To learn more about the Peter Island Resort & Spa, CLICK HERE

Limited-Time Group Travel Deal to Dreams Los Cabos

When hurricane Odile smashed into Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula back in 2014, it left some of Cabo San Lucas’s luxury hotels with extensive property damage. About a year later, we are now happy to say that Los Cabos is bouncing back from the devastation, having reopened many resorts such as the new and improved Dreams Los Cabos. Bringing your participants to the beautiful Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa for a corporate event or as an incentive reward will refresh and inspire them. Book your trip by December 15th to take advantage of this $179 per person, per night rate, which applies to the following travel dates:

• December 1-21, 2015
• June 1-September 30, 2016

Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa is officially open and better than ever, with major renovations completed and specials galore. If the tropical, seaside locale isn’t enticing enough, the Dreams resort also has these updated property features and amenities to offer:

• 213 completely renovated suites featuring rain showers and private balconies with breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez
• Three swimming pools, including a new infinity pool, new children’s pool, an adults-only pool and two swim-up bars
• Unlimited gourmet dining and limitless premium spirits at newly expanded restaurants and lounges
• Newly renovated Dreams Spa by Pevonia®, fitness center, and Explorer’s Club for Kids
• Eight nearby championship golf courses
• Countless area activities and sights, such as the beautiful El Arco rock formation, whale watching and world-class fishing

What are you waiting for? Take your employees or business partners on a dream incentive trip to paradise! Contact us or call us at 1-866-567-7432 today to book your group trip by December 15th.

Mattie Logan
Travel Associate Account Manager at The ISI Group of Companies consisting of:

• Incentive Solutions
• Loyaltyworks
• Travel Solutions

678-514-0219

MLogan@isicorporate.com

Services : All Inclusive , Corporate Travel , Event Planner , Event Planning , Group Travel Packages , Incentive Travel , Incentive trip

Make Your Incentive Travel Program A Success

How to Choose the Right Hotel to Make Your Incentive Travel Program A Success

CEO Steve Damerow – Keep Your Participants Happy and Make Your Incentive Travel Program a Success by Choosing the Right Hotel from The ISI Group onVimeo.

Are you aware of the common mistakes you should avoid when choosing a hotel for your incentive travel program? Incentive Solutions CEO, Steve Damerow talks the importance of hotel selection, and explains what to look for when deciding on a hotel for your incentive travel program. Avoid a career breaking nightmare by letting the experts at Incentive Solutions choose the right hotel for your incentive travel program today.

Category : Employee Motivation , Incentive Travel , Steve Damerow
Tags: employee motivation, incentive travel, Steve Damerow

Website
http://www.incentivesolutions.com/2015/11/12/how-to-choose-the-right-hotel-to-make-your-incentive-travel-program-a-success/

Make Your Incentive Travel Program A Success, GA

Could Reenactment Cruises Become a Hot New Group Travel Trend?

Incentive travel is becoming buoyant again, and it’s going in the direction of cruise lines. Many people are taking advantage of the all-inclusive feel of cruise ships. With food being included and now unlimited drink packages being made more widely available, who wouldn’t want to set sail into the sunset for their next incentive group travel get-away or corporate event? Let’s travel back in time to 1912, when the Titanic set sail from England all ahead full to New York City.

We all know this unsinkable ship did just the opposite, after running into an iceberg. It was a tragedy, as many people lost their lives. Many researchers over the years have picked about the ship, gathering a plethora of information on the vessel. So much so, that Hollywood was able to create a film around the disaster. This may have been where Clive Palmer got the idea to fund a replication of the Titanic.

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer announced that he would be funding the recreation of the Titanic, appropriately naming it Titanic 2. This ship will be as close to the original ship as possible, with all of the latest technology to avoid those pesky icebergs.

The Titanic 2 is just a few inches longer than the original and has a capacity of 2,435 guests and 900 crew. The ship will include a gymnasium, Turkish baths, squash court, swimming pool, theatre and a casino, all based on the original designs. It is set to sail in 2017 across the Atlantic between Southampton, England and New York City. Passengers will have the option to pick a class to live in on their voyage, or they will offer a package that will allow them to stay in each class for 2 nights. The idea is to have every detail designed after the original down to the china patterns. There are no plans to have televisions or Internet services aboard the Titanic 2, making it easier to step into the past and truly live for a few days as a passenger of the Unsinkable Ship. Conditions in the mid-class sections will be deliberately cramped and passengers will even be checked for lice, just like on the original Titanic voyage.

Will the Titanic reenactment voyage sink to the bottom of people’s memories, or will reenactment trips become the hottest new trend in incentive travel?

Justin Rieling
Associate Account Manager at The ISI Group of Companies consisting of:

• Incentive Solutions
• Loyaltyworks
• Travel Solutions

678-514-0213
jrieling@isicorporate.com

Category : All Inclusive , Corporate Travel , Cruises , Group Travel Packages

Tags: All Inclusive, Group Travel, incentive travel

Book a Social Impact Group Travel Cruise—One of the Only Ways to

Booking a Fathom® Social Impact voyage with Incentive Solutions is currently one of the few ways you can see the colorful cultural and natural beauty of Cuba. Because of the rupture of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, American tourism to Cuba has been banned since 1961. Since the recent relaxation of embargo policies, however, Americans are now allowed to visit Cuba on “volunteer vacations.” Offer your reward program participants the rare chance to experience Cuba’s exotic wonders and make a difference at the same time.

Incentive Solutions is now offering Fathom ® Social Impact cruises to Cuba for the 2016 calendar year, with prices start at $1999 per person. Impact Travel opportunities are designed to give travelers the chance to get involved with local culture hands-on and make a positive difference in beautiful but underprivileged areas. Travelers work directly with impact partners and local residents to help with restoration efforts, collaborate with women’s co-ops, assist local students with English-learning and bring portable water to communities, all while immersing themselves in local culture and enjoying the natural beauty around them.

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Contact us or call us at 1-866-567-7432 today to book your group trip to Cuba! Don’t forget that all of our group travel services begin with free contract negotiation.

Category : Group Travel Packages , Incentive Travel , Reward Programs , Travel Deals

Tags: Group Travel, incentive travel, Reward Program, Travel Deals

Cruising Into Your Next Incentive Travel Trip

​Cruises offer a multitude of options for delivering the perfect ​incentive travel program​ that would leave your guests raving about their experience for years to come. Check out the following points when deciding if a cruise​ is right for you and your event planning needs.

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One location, multiple destinations: Cruises allow for the convenience of having one central guest room while checking out numerous destinations at the same time. With a cruise, you will not have to worry about long transfers from location to location or countless different international room check-ins. Cruises provide one simple 

check-in while bouncing from site to site simultaneously​.

Unique Venues: Cruise ships can range in space from small to extremely large, allowing you many options when choosing the perfect function space for your event. From professional meeting and conference rooms to exclusive ballrooms or theater​space, the options for unique surroundings on a cruise ship are endless.

Activities and Entertainment: A plus to hosting your incentive or group travel​program aboard a cruise ship is having bountiful amounts of activity and entertainment choices at your fingertips. Each destination visited while cruising offers countless
shore excursions and tours at individual stops to explore. Top-of-the-line cruise ships offer everything from Putt-Putt courses, top-notch spa services, casinos and Broadway shows to nightly movies under the stars, dance clubs and karaoke nights. Your guests will never tire of the adventures and liveliness to be had on- and off-board a
ship.

Dining: A variety of restaurants and 24-hour eateries are at every turn on a cruise ship. Guests can enjoy fine to casual dining options on their evenings at leisure and can rest assured that the “built-in” catering services will leave group travel​ or
corporate event functions and receptions with not a stone unturned. Having all your dining needs on-board makes for a seamless event when keeping groups fed and satisfied day in and day out.

All-Inclusive: Cost and budget are top factors when choosing the right incentive trip destination for your group. Cruises​ allow for an all-inclusive experience with accommodations, food, most beverages as well as on-board activities and entertainment at one easy price. Customizable packages, such as specific, top-shelf beverage plans, are also available in order to tailor make each program specific
to your every want and need.

When considering a cruise, some guests may be hesitant being out at sea or even wary of motion sickness. In those instances, you may turn to river cruises as an alternative. While still receiving all-inclusive service​ as well as the luxury of exploring multiple stops along one trip route, river cruises provide a smaller, more intimate ship feeling while lessoning the motion sickness occurrence​s.

Whether opting for a large family-friendly adventure for your national sales meeting, or a more cozy, incentive feel, consider a cruise for your next company group travel event. Sit back, relax (or explore!) and “sea” the world!

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Mattie Logan

Travel Associate Account Manager at The ISI Group​ of Companies consisting of:

• Incentive Solutions​
• Loyaltyworks​
• Travel Solutions

678-514-0219

MLogan@isicorporate.com​

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Category : Corporate Events , Event Planning , Incentive Travel , Incentive trip , Meeting Planning

Tags: Corporate Event, Event Planning, Group Travel, incentive group travel, incentive travel, incentive trip

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Cruising Into Your Next Incentive Travel Trip

How Sales Channel Incentives Improve Manufacturing ?

​Internationally recognized manufacturing magazine Industry Today recently featured Incentive Solutions’ insights on using loyalty and incentive programs to manage channel partner relationships and reach business goals.

A new article by incentives expert and Incentive Solutions CEO Steve Damerow explains how manufacturers across all industries can use incentive technology to cultivate more positive supply chain relationships. The article was recently published by Industry Today magazine, which has been in circulation for 15 years and is the only source of manufacturing coverage that encompasses a variety of industries across the globe. Industry Today content is aimed at helping manufacturers thrive, whether in product innovation, marketing strategies or sales channel relationship management.

As Damerow’s article states, “For manufacturing industries, it was once difficult to use incentive programs effectively due to complex demands and sprawling supply chain networks. Today’s online technology allows incentive platforms to bolt onto CRM systems and make training, communicating, tracking, recognizing and rewarding channel partners much more efficient and cost effective.” Online incentive technology accomplishes all these things by allowing manufacturers to distribute a paperless rewards currency called “points” to their program participants, then maintain and track their participants’ point balances. They can then host educational tutorials, publish leader boards and track engagement levels.

When used with online technology, incentive programs can act as a reward system and marketing tool in one, which streamlines and empowers a formerly cumbersome and time-consuming process. With resources like this at their disposal, manufacturers can control a wide range of incentive sales promotions and reward a variety of behaviors that help foster channel partner loyalty and increase market share.

The success of manufacturers means the success of American innovation, which is why Steve Damerow and Incentive Solutions are excited to be counted among Industry Today’s trustworthy contributors, providing insights that analyze the current manufacturing landscape and drive industries forward.

About Incentive Solutions

Incentive Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in Atlanta, GA. Part of The ISI Group, consisting of Incentive Solutions,Loyaltyworks, and Travel Solutions, Incentive Solutions offers online rewards, travel incentives, and debit card reward programs. Since its creation, Incentive Solutions has been an innovator in the incentive industry by utilizing emerging online technologies that help companies increase sales, engage and motivate employees, encourage customer loyalty, create positive work environments, and enrich sales channel relationships.

Incentive Solutions
1-866-567-7432
2299 Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 150
Atlanta GA 30341

Incentive Programs: Why Is It Better to Build with Modules?

​One of the most important qualities your incentive program can have is the ability to change when necessary. Your organization has multiple parts that make up the whole; shouldn’t the same be true of your incentive program? You should always be able to update your program’s goals, reflecting particular objectives for certain groups or individuals. The program should grow with your company. According to the Performance Improvement Council, one of the mistakes managers make in executing incentive programs is expecting the program to bear fruit after only a few simple steps of implementation. Instead, incentive programs should be viewed as fully integrated marketing plans designed to modify your employees’ behavior.

Aligning all your goals is the best way to execute an incentive plan and meet your company’s unique needs. Atlanta-based incentive company Incentive Solutions uses modular technology for all incentive programs because modules are the best way to build a custom, multi-functional program that can incorporate many goals.

For example, what if you want to implement. . .

1. an incentive program for distributors that focuses on increasing sales
2. another program for your inside sales team that focuses on boosting revenue and product knowledge
3. a safety reward program for your warehouse employees

All of these programs and others are possible with modular incentive program technology. You shouldn’t have to push multiple departments—or even multiple individuals within a department—toward a single, one-size-fits-all goal. Rather, multiple employees and multiple departments should all be motivated to achieve separate goals and objectives that promote their particular success. Let’s look at several Incentive Solution modules that help you isolate specific goals and apply them to as many departments as necessary.

Organizational Structure and Advanced Reporting

Incentive Solutions created an Organizational Structure and Advanced Reporting module to help you understand various promotions and programs as they relate to different departments and individuals. Which kind of promotions receive the best response?

Which individuals respond well to short-term promotions? Is one group more motivated than others by a particular module? The Organizational Structure and Advanced Reporting module helps you answer these questions and adjust your incentive program accordingly by providing extensive reports on incentive program usage. The organizational and reporting features allow your department heads to run their own promotions and manage their own objectives.

Performance Tracking

The Performance Tracking module is a powerful and flexible hub for sales promotions. The module allows you to set up multiple promotions and set the parameters and restrictions of each. In other words, you can challenge group A to push X amount of a product to the most relevant regions, while running another promotion challenging group B to sell Y percent more replacement parts. The Performance Tracking module allows you to define specific sales goals, which are the most successful kind. It also allows you to track those goals and find out how well your employees and partners are following them.

Total Recognition Suite

Incentive Solutions also provides a Total Recognition Suite module that is ideal for Human Resources (HR) departments. HR employees won’t be able to join promotions and sell products like a sales team—instead, their goal is creating a positive and supportive work environment.

With the Total Recognition Suite, they earn recognition through a peer-to-peer, social media platform. Just like you reward salespeople with large point balances for closing big accounts, you can reward HR personnel for closing client issues in a timely manner and coming up with creative solutions to problems.

Learn and Earn

Modules like Learn and Earn focus on motivating employees to fulfill their training and stay educated on important department issues. The survey and quiz options in the Learn and Earn module can be used in a Safety Incentive Program. Since safety education is so crucial in many industries and departments, and quizzes can help you make sure your employees are up to date on policies for preventing and reporting accidents and safety violations.

All of these features can be mixed, matched, tweaked and perfected into the exact kind of incentive program your organization needs. Incentive Solutions program modules were created in response to customers’ feedback concerning their employee engagement challenges. You can choose to focus on department-specific incentive programs like Sales Incentives, or expand opportunities for earning rewards. Incentive program modules offer you the tools to be as exact or inclusive as you need to be to develop a targeted program that produces measureable results.

• 
 
• Steve Damerow
  CEO of The ISI Group
  sdamerow@isicorporate.com
  Direct Contact: 678-514-0203

Check out our SlideShare on Building Incentive Programs that Drive Results:

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