07 Sep 10 What kind of inclusive incentives can be had on a cruise ship?
Cruises are popular for many reasons, but one of the most appealing reasons to businesses is the fact that cruises come with all sorts of travel incentives that are built right into the price. Inclusive incentives are popular with businesses for so many reasons, including:
- Easy pricing – Inclusive pricing is great, and inclusive incentives are simply amazing. What kind of incentives, how about food, fun, activities, and possibly even souvenirs?
- Less time spent shopping around – Nobody like spending their day calling 100 different caterers trying to see who will offer the best deal on a specific set of meals. The good news is that no caterers need to be called as the cruise price has top notch meals and a staff ready to serve them on call 24/7.
- Plenty of options – Want to make sure that you and your guests are pampered? Ask for free time with a certified massage therapist or personal trainer be included with the price of each participant.
- Some cruise lines go the extra mile – Concierge services are truly amazing, and can add a little something extra. Don’t be shy when asking, because you might be surprise to find out that some cruise lines offer business customers a wide range of time and money saving services such as special assortments of alcohol and even access to branded products/gift baskets made to order and placed in the cabins of participants prior to the cruise.
Tags: Assortments, Branded Products, Business Customers, Caterers, Certified Massage Therapist, Concierge Services, Cruise Lines, Cruise Price, Cruise Ship, Extra Mile, Free Time, Fun Activities, Gift Baskets, Money Saving, Personal Trainer, Rsquo, Ship Cruises, Time And Money, Top Notch, Travel Incentives
02 Aug 10 Cruise Ship Meeting Secrets
While many people planning cruise ship meetings simply make the meetings on cruise ships somewhat similar to landlocked meetings, this does not have to be the case. In fact, planning meetings and events on a cruise ship that do not take advantage of the inherently unique nature of a cruise ship are missing the point. Follow these helpful tips to take full advantage of even the secret features available to planners of cruise events:
Alternative meeting environments – want to book a large meeting room? Ask about the theater or onboard dining halls. Chances are good that one or two such rooms are reserved for possible meetings, but may be freed up once the ship leaves port.
Super-alternative meeting environments – want to have a face to face while getting a massage in one of the onboard spas? Go for it!
The menu is not necessarily limited – cruise ships are extremely competitive when it comes to dining and lodging. This virtually assures that any ship is likely to have a wonderful assortment of top notch chefs are always on hand and are probably climbing the walls wishing that somebody would order something that is not on one of the many menus.
Compensation – Booking larger groups and venues can result in special forms of compensation once the hard price limit is reached. Free cabin upgrades, exclusive access to a little known VIP gym or club could be the result for those that know to ask.
Tags: Assortment, Case In Fact, Chefs, Climbing The Walls, Cruise Events, Cruise Ship, Cruise Ships, Dining Halls, Environments, Forms Of Compensation, Helpful Tips, Large Meeting Room, Meetings And Events, Menus, Missing The Point, Planners, Secret Features, Spas, Top Notch, Vip
17 May 10 Increase Productivity with an Incentive Cruise Event!
In this day and time when the economy is uncertain and resources are scarce, event planning can be difficult. However, it is important for organizations and corporations to offer their employees some incentive to motivate them and encourage them to continue to increase their productivity levels. An incentive cruise is a great way to do just that. An incentive cruise rewards top-notch employees and provides organizations with the opportunity to further increase their productivity and profitability. An incentive cruise is not just about fun-in-the-sun, but it is also about personal and professional growth.
While incentive cruises do provide employees with the chance to visit exotic destinations and enjoy various types of entertainment, cruise meetings are also an important component. Meetings at sea are an excellent way to encourage new ideas and fresh ways of thinking. Outside of the office and away from the pressures of the daily grind, employees may find the space to be more creative and think more clearly. Meetings at sea are low pressure as everything the organization needs will be provided. Meetings at sea may also cost less than traditional land meetings usually held in big cities at expensive locations. When event planning, organizations should seriously consider cruise meetings.
Tags: Corporations, Economy, Event Planning, Exotic Destinations, Fun In The Sun, Incentive Cruise, Incentive Cruises, Increase Productivity, Notch Employees, Opportunity, Productivity Levels, Professional Growth, Profitability, Top Notch
29 Jan 10 Four Tips for Saving Money on Lodging
Whether or not you are planning an event on a limited budget, getting a great deal is always a bonus. When you can save your employer or corporate clients money on expenditures like lodging, they are sure to take notice and will be delighted to know they can trust you to work the best deals possible when planning their events, meetings or incentive travel packages.
Here are four tips to help you same money on accommodations when planning your next shindig:
1. Be flexible. If you can be flexible on dates and days of the week, you can usually negotiate a better room rate for your attendees’ lodgings.
2. Limit Attrition. Do your best to get a solid grasp on how many attendees you expect. This will help you reserve the correct amount of rooms, avoid promising room blocks that you might not be able to meet, and establish a good relationship with hotels you may be using again in the future.
3. Opt for second-tiers and suburbs. By avoiding the top destinations, you will find that rates are much more affordable just a few miles away, or in suitable cities that just happen to not be on the A list.
4. Negotiate reservations for multiple events at the same time. If you have several clients interested in using a particular hotel for their meetings, or if your employer plans to return for an annual meeting year after year, this gives you more negotiating power when it comes to room rates.
5. Consider an all inclusive cruise event which will provide luxury accommodations, and include other amenities including gourmet meals, entertainment and top-notch meeting facilities.
Tags: 3 Tiers, Attendees, Attrition, Best Deals, Corporate Clients, Days Of The Week, Expenditures, Future 3, Good Relationship, Gourmet Meals, Grasp, Incentive Travel Packages, Lodgings, Luxury Accommodations, Meeting Facilities, Negotiating Power, Room Blocks, Shindig, Tips For Saving Money, Top Notch
18 Nov 09 How to Make Networking Fun
Whether you’re on your own or an employee of another company, you know how important it is to get in touch–and stay in touch–with almost everyone. This is so important that some people are starting their own networking clubs, and many of them are highly successful. Here are some ways to start your own networking club.
First, find out how many people might be interested in your networking group. You could go so far as to post an ad in Craigslist, but you could also post on industry-specific websites if you want to be more particular. Give yourself a few weeks to establish about how many you might expect at your first event.
Next, contact some of your suppliers. See if they would be willing to offer wares and services in exchange for invitations. For instance, you could ask your beverage supplier to bring her best offerings for samples and then give her “prime real estate” in the layout of your networking event. Make sure these contacts include properties so you will have a cheap or free place to hold your own event.
Then do what you do best and plan it. No one knows better how to design, arrange, prepare, and execute an event better than those in your field, so make sure your events are top-notch even if they are only for twenty people. And keep in mind that they don’t need to be big events–you already know quality counts.
Tags: Contacts, Craigslist, Find People, Fun, How Many People, Invitations, Networking Club, Networking Clubs, Networking Event, Networking Group, Offerings, Prime Real Estate, Quality Counts, Rsquo, Top Notch, Wares
29 Jun 09 Where to Turn in a Bad Economy
You may have some great ideas on how to save money on food, beverages, equipment, materials, and other items needed for a successful meeting. But what about the venue? Resorts and hotels are now outside the means of some companies and businesses. Where should you turn for these in a bad economy?
The answer may be easier than you think–the convention center. Not only are these facilities improving their technological infrastructures, remodeling older environments, and adding services, but they are also positioning themselves to be the answer to high-profile properties. (more…)
Tags: Economy, Environments, Equipment Materials, Flexibility, Food Beverages, Food Equipment, Hotel Resort, Hotels, How To Save Money, How To Save Money On Food, Ideal, Marketing Companies, New Technology, Positioning, Profile Properties, Proper Technology, Public Images, Remodeling, Reputation, Technological Infrastructures, Top Notch
22 Jun 09 Meetings in the Midwest
Although the Midwest is often thought of as full of dirty industrial cities and towns, the properties in those cities could well contain everything you need for a top-notch meeting. The industrious nature of these towns not only lend a hard-working, down home image to your advertised event–thereby improving your client’s image to the rest of the country–the area offers high-tech tools for your clients and participants.
If you are looking for some of the best venues with good prices and great image, you have your choice of cities from Chicago, which boasts the beautiful McCormick Place, to Oshkosh, home to a namesake convention center. All across the Midwest high speed internet, WiFi with huge numbers of access points, high-tech audio and video, displays, and extended floor space for booths and displays attract conference and meeting planners. (more…)
Tags: Access Points, Booths, Cities And Towns, Conference Venue, Floor Space, High Speed Internet, High Tech Tools, Hocking Hills, Home Image, Industrial Cities, Mccormick Place, Meeting Planners, Midwest Conference, Midwest Towns, Namesake, Oshkosh, Resort Accommodations, Ski Resorts, Top Notch, Video Displays
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