Corporate Travel Destinations

Hard Rock International is planning a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hungary, near the Austrian and Slovakian borders.

They expect to open in early 2012, and the hotel will have more than 600 guest rooms. 

Beautiful Acapulco has been attracting visitors since the Spanish arrived in the early 1500's.  For more than 200 years, the city's geography provided an ideal haven for Spanish galleons loaded with precious cargo, which prompted an annual merchant fair.  It's a tradition that has continued, with the city playing host to many large conferences at meeting hotels and the Acapulco Convention Center, which features more than 180,000 sq.ft. of total event space.

Acapulco is the original Mexican resort, linked to the Hollywood jet set of the 1950's and '60's, and still features a vibrant nightlife. 

Acapulco is still one of the exotic and popular corporate travel destinations that your incentive trip winners will love.

Looking for a new venue for your next incentive trip?  Or maybe you would prefer a "tried and true" destination.  Here are some great ideas, presented in the Showreel Incentive Destination videos. 

Alaska is one of those dream destinations.  Imagine seeing the aurora borealis, or magnificent glaciers.  During the summer it is the land of the midnight sun, while in the winter months, there is little or no sunlight in many areas of Alaska – making summer the more popular time for visitors, although those wishing to see the aurora borealis will have to brave the winter months.

Why not think about hosting your next corporate meeting event in Alaska?  There is something for everyone.  Outdoors men will be in heaven!  Fishing, hunting, hiking, and many more activities are available.  Want to hunt for gold?  You can do that too.  Or why not book a group cruise through the inside passage to see glaciers and whales? 

The sky's the limit, and Alaska cruise events are always popular, especially for those attendees with families.  So give it some thought for your next corporate meeting event.  Cruise events are generally much more economical than land based events, since cruises are all inclusive.  So you can stay within your budget and plan a meeting event that your attendees will be talking about for the next year.

The South Pacific is a destination that never fails to fascinate and attract visitors looking for spectacular natural settings.  The major destinations – Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti and New Caledonia – each have their own allure for capturing your particular client.   Give these spots consideration when planning your next incentive trip:

The Cook Islands

With direct, non-stop flights from Los Angeles, and a good exchange rate and hotel specials, the Cook Islands are a popular destination in the South Pacific.  There is only a 3-hour time difference from the West Coast of the U.S. A beautiful escape from the  rush and everyday stresses, attendees will enjoy the natural environment, beaches, and unique culture.

Fiji

Forbes.com recently rated Fiji among the top 15 cheapest countries for American travelers.  Affordability, good exchange rate, great airfares, and hotel specials  have made Fiji an attainable destination for travelers in the current recession.  

Tahiti

The friendly Polynesian people, cultural experiences, over the water bungalows, extraordinary cuisine, and activities in a pristine environment re just a few of the factors that fill out the image of a South Seas paradise for a vacation to Tahiti.

New Caledonia

One of the best kept secrets in the South Pacific, New Caledonia has a sophisticated French atmosphere, year-round tropical climate, fine gourmet dining, and a variety of accommodations.  The capital, Noumea, a cosmopolitan city, offers an aquarium, museums, historic sites, good nightlife with 2 casinos.  At the same time, there are extensive wilderness areas within 43 Parks and Reserves ideal for eco tours.  

Give the South Pacific some consideration when planning incentives and corporate events.  You'll be glad you did.

Although we all have secret answers for where we would like to send some of them, if it involves our jobs as travel planners we want to do our best. Regardless of our own politics, we often have to send someone to a tropical island resort when we would rather send them where there is plenty of brimstone. Ah, well.

So where are the best destinations for politicians? Chances are that if you have been in government travel planning for awhile you already have some favorites picked out. However, if you’re just starting out in government or non-profit event planning and have been asked to plan a politician’s trip, there are some things to consider.

First, what does the group want the politician to see? Would it be better for the person to witness the downtrodden side of the destination, or would the organization prefer that she see the beautiful sights in the area? This may depend on for what reason the organization is having her travel.

Second, what do they want the politician to do while he is there? If they need a great deal of his time, they may want him close by. If they just want him to have a more relaxing trip, perhaps an outlying suburb with golf courses–and plenty of contact with the right people–is in order.

Of course, there are other considerations as well. For instance, how long will the person be staying? What else would she like to get done while she’s there? What sort of transportation and security will be required? All those things will have a bearing on how you approach a destination for politicians.

University venues can be an intelligent choice for conference events

These days planners are looking for alternatives to higher-priced hotels. One natural substitute is a university venue. Collegiate meeting spaces offer excellent service, good accommodations and first-rate audiovisual technology often for a lot less than typical convention center or hotel venues.

When budgets are tight,  universities become very attractive for planners, especially for regional meetings.

Nonprofit groups, state and federal agencies and youth and sports camps tend to use collegiate conference space because it can be had at a reasonable cost.   A significant percentage of the event business university venues receive is comprised of youth groups and camps. 

Campus venues offer great price points, ambience and variety in terms of destinations, and universities typically offer groups enviable recreational facilities, including swimming pools, tennis and racquetball courts – much of which more typical meeting venues can't compete with.

For those groups with sophisticated technical needs, college and university campuses offer superior computer labs, have A/V equipment built in, and great Internet connections. 

While most colleges provide a getaway, many are located close to thriving metropolises with a multitude of entertainment options.

The new Montage Deer Valley will be open in time for the 2010 ski season.  With high ceilings, expansive windows and panoramic views of the ski slopes and sub-alpine valleys, the Montage Deer Valley will have ski-in and out access to popular Deer Valley resort.

The hotel site, located adjacent to the Empire Canyon Lodge in Empire Pass, Deer Valley® is bustling with activity.

It’s an impressive spectacle, in defiance of the pervasive economic “doom and gloom.”

The efficient progress of the hotel speaks to the developer’s long-term commitment to their plan.

The refined mountain retreat will feature 174 guest rooms and suites, a 35,000 square foot spa and 15,000 sq ft of meeting and event space.  All rooms are fully equiped with Wi-Fi, LCD TV's, DVD players and gas fireplaces – and then there is the gorgeous view!

Why not plan a team building meeting and ski event in 2010?

montagehotels.com

The Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas completed a multi-million dollar renovation this year that touched every room in a different way.  Styled after 1920's era Hollywood, the hotel is a Four-Diamond resort where no two guest rooms are the same.  The Warick Melrose offers 184 luxury guest rooms including 21 suites and a Presidential Suite, many with a dramatic view of the city.

The Warwick Melrose is convenient choice among Dallas TX hotels, centrally located in the Uptown Oak Lawn and Turtle Creek area, five minutes from Love Field Airport and twenty-five minutes from D/FW International Airport. Within minutes from the Market Center, Downtown, the Convention Center as well as the West End and McKinney Avenue entertainment areas.

With 6,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel and Four-Diamond Landmark Restaurant can accommodate your groups of up to 300 people.  

warwickmelrosedallas.com

Incentive travel planners who work with corporate groups are faced with clients who just don’t have a large budget to spend, these days. Smaller businesses are trying to cut out luxuries with the hope that no one will say anything, and larger companies–especially those who accepted bailout money–are trying to regain an image of competence and frugality. Incentive travel is a scary proposition for them both.

Enter the incentive cruise. These are often much more affordable choices for people who love to travel in general, and could be your answer to the problem of affordable incentive travel. Why? Because cruises are relaxing, cruise lines have expanded their ports of call, and a cruise is typically all inclusive.  A cruise can save you as much as 40% compared to a land based hotel venue because almost everything is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare. You spend nothing more for linens, florals, lighting, labor or state/city taxes, which saves your client money and gives you time to devote to your business agenda and attendees.

You may also save yourself some headaches other than financial ones. If you have a small incentive travel group that is from a foreign culture, you might consider a cruise that will appeal to that culture. For instance, let’s pretend Irish music and culture has become all the rage in Eastern Europe. You have been hired to find a cruise for a group of Eastern European business people. Your logical choice will include Ireland, and expand to the other British Isles if there is time just for a bonus.

Cruises can, indeed, be a port in this financial storm the world is in right now. Next time you are trying to find an affordable incentive travel program, take a few minutes and check the cruise lines.  The best place to start is Seasite.com – The Online Cruise Meeting Marketplace

Seasite.com makes it easy to plan an all inclusive incentive cruise.

• One Site – All Cruise Brands
• Puts Cruise Sourcing on Par with Hotel Site Selection
• E-RFP Streamlines the Entire Process
• 24/7 Access to Global Cruise Opportunities for Groups
• Pricing is the Same as Buying Direct
• Impartial and Objective

If you are planning a business incentive travel package, make it easy for yourself and delight your attendees when you go to Seasite.com and start sourcing an incentive cruise package.