How to plan an incentive trip: a step-by-step guide
Corporate incentive travel programs are more than just a travel trend. Designed as a perk or a reward, the travel experiences you provide can improve employee engagement and retention, boost productivity, and in turn, support business growth.When it comes to successful incentive trip planning, the devil is in the details. If you want the lowdown on how to plan an incentive trip for your organization that actually incentivizes business results, this quick guide details everything you need to consider.7 steps to plan an incentive trip
1. Set clear goals for the trip
The first step in planning effective incentive travel trips is defining what outcomes your organization wants to achieve by delivering such a memorable experience.As much as employee incentive trips are designed to reward the hard work of top performers, you’ll also want to keep your company goals in mind. When rewarding employees with travel, you might also want to consider:- Will this trip help foster better teamwork?
- How might this trip help motivate employees to work towards specific business goals?
- Can we design this trip to help inspire loyalty and employee motivation in the future?
With your goals in mind, you’ll have a better idea of what type of incentive travel experience you want to plan, including how to determine the types of destinations and activities that align with the objectives.For example, a trip designed to foster better teamwork and interpersonal connections might be best suited for a small ski resort or mountain town where team members have lots of opportunities to engage in small groups.On the other hand, a trip designed to motivate or inspire loyalty might be better suited for a far-flung, “bucket-list” destination like the Caribbean or Hawaii.3. Choose the right destination and dates
With your objectives and budget firmly established, your next task is choosing when and where the trip will take place. For this, you’ll need to take into account:- seasonality of your potential destinations
- availability of hotels and resorts
- potential conflicts with other corporate events
- potential holiday conflicts
While there are plenty of incentive travel destinations to choose from, you’ll want to research places that align with both your trip objectives and budget.You’ll also want to consider options that include activities that align with the interests and preferences of your team members. After all, incentive travel is distinct from business travel, and you should prioritize rewarding and motivating employees, rather than imposing itineraries that may not suit their preferences.You’ll also need to consider the region or country’s local culture, safety, sustainability, and suitability for both your trip objectives and team members.Once you’ve narrowed down a list of potential destinations, stack up your list of destinations against date availability and seasonality to narrow down the best option.Then, once you’ve finalized the destination and travel dates, make sure to plan the trip in advance. This will help you secure better booking rates for travel and accommodation, ensuring availability while also saving you money in the process.Need help booking and managing your company’s incentive trips?
Find out how TravelPerk can help you plan memorable, hassle-free experiences.4. Plan the itinerary and activities
A detailed itinerary makes for a successful trip. When planning activities consider the duration of the trip and ensure that the itinerary includes enough activities without overwhelming travelers. Striking the right balance is key!You’ll also want to ensure that employees can enjoy free time in addition to team-building exercises.Consider the diverse interests, preferences, and demographics of all employees and incorporate activities that are enjoyable and engaging for everyone.For example, you might consider planning wellness activities, networking opportunities, or other events depending on preferences and your destination.As a bonus, make the trip extra special by planning unique experiences and activities that employees wouldn’t be able to do at home.5. Coordinate logistics and travel arrangements
Now that your itinerary is set, you’ll need to arrange accommodation and transportation for your employees.Look for hotels or resorts that can accommodate your group size, provide a range of activities, and offer excellent guest services. Additionally, make travel plans that cater to the needs of the entire group, regardless of where they’re traveling from, and make arrangements for employees to be able to get around at the destination.Planning group travel trips can be daunting, and even with the expertise of professional travel planners and travel companies, it's normal to feel overwhelmed by the logistics involved.A corporate travel platform like TravelPerk can really help to simplify incentive travel planning processes. We take care of every detail—including sourcing destinations, making hotel and flight reservations, managing check-ins, arranging ground transportation, and even reserve prepaid dining options—to make trip planning a hassle-free experience.Just ask Hotjar. Initially, they planned all company retreats and corporate events in-house—which took a week of dedicated work just to book the travel for their small team of 20. Not to mention the back-and-forth email threads for accommodation options, ground transportation, itinerary planning, and more.With their growing team of 70? That would be impossible.So they turned to TravelPerk. Now, team members are able to book their own travel and accommodation based on company policy and overall company trip plans, which gives employees more control and flexibility and removes a TON of admin work from the finance team.6. Communicate and engage with participants
Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful trip. Once arrangements have been made, provide regular updates to employees, communicate details about the itinerary and activities, and remind them of what documentation they’ll need to prepare—especially for international travel.If you’re planning an incentive trip, whether offsite or on-site, don’t get lost in long email threads and endless calendar invites: TravelPerk Events allows you to both arrange travel and accommodation and collaborate and communicate plans all from one place.This way, you can easily share trip details, logistics, agendas, and itineraries with attendees and keep them updated on details or changes to the plan.7. Measure the success of the incentive trip
Finally, decide how you’ll measure the success and impact of the trip once it’s over.Asking employees to evaluate their experience will not only help you iron out any logistical details, but will also help you create benchmarks for any subsequent trips.A short survey is an easy way to gather feedback from employees about their experience. Ask them what was done well and if they have suggestions on any opportunities for improvement. After you collect feedback, senior leaders can evaluate the impact of the experience on your initial trip objectives to help better align goals and experiences in the future.Provide memorable experiences with successful incentive travel management
How you plan incentive trips can make or break the experience.A well-planned getaway will result in improved productivity, loyalty, and engagement, and also help boost company culture and morale. On the other hand, a lack of a well-prepared plan results in a waste of time, money, and effort. At worst, a poorly-planned trip can backfire, resulting in lowered morale and company loyalty.If you want to make booking and managing effective incentive trips effortless, TravelPerk can save you both time and money. We bring decades of experience to the travel planning process, while also negotiating exclusive discounts on your behalf.?)
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