Corporate Travel Destinations

When organizations contact a meeting planner, they are often trying to plan corporate travel on a budget. Many organizations find themselves in this financial dilemma. They understand the need for business travel incentives, but because of they unstable economy their budgets are a bit constrained. Deciding where and how to save money when planning incentive travel can be somewhat tricky. Organizations do not want to be extremely frugal with destinations, accommodations, or dining because this can make incentive travel unappealing. For organizations that desire assistance with incentive planning, a meeting planner may suggest the organization scrutinize their program content. By eliminating unnecessary program content, an organization may be able to save thousands of dollars.

One meeting planner determined how much a company could save by eliminating bottled water from a 3-day meeting. It was determined that the company would save over $65,000 by not offering attendees bottled water. As one can see, small incidentals can have large expenses. While eliminating bottled water may not be right for every organization, this example shows the effect that seemingly insignificant items can have on an organization's business travel budget. By carefully scrutinizing a meeting's program content, organizations may be able to save a bundle.

Many people are conscious of what they eat, and they try to make healthy choices when dining out. As a meeting planner, it is important to offer corporate travel participants the option of enjoying healthier fare. From snacks to business dinners, a meeting planner should be aware of the food choices available to corporate travel participants. Because traveling can be stressful and stress can lead to unhealthy eating, it is essential that healthy food options be available throughout the day. Instead of choosing restaurants with buffets or food stations, selecting restaurants from which corporate travelers can order off the menu. While a meeting planner cannot make a corporate traveler make wise food choices, they can offer then the opportunity to do so.

Providing corporate travel participants with healthy snacks and ensuring they have plenty of water is also an excellent idea. Snacks such as fruits and nuts or smoothies and protein shakes can be great alternatives to other types of unhealthy snacks. Having plenty of water at their disposal will also help corporate travel participants to stay well-hydrated, which can boost energy levels and prevent unhealthy eating. A meeting planner cannot guarantee that meeting participants will eat healthy while traveling, but a meeting planner can make healthy eating possible.

When event planning, one of the biggest costs to a company or organization is entertainment. Tickets to a play, show, or concert can be costly, even when group rates are offered or discounts applied. While entertainment may seem like a luxury that can be disregarded, a meeting planner knows the importance of entertainment to the overall success of an event. It is imperative that companies provide meeting attendees with the opportunity to experience world-class entertainment. Providing meeting attendees with the opportunity to experience world-class entertainment on a budget is possible. A meeting planner can open a new world of possibilities to companies and organizations with incentive cruise meetings.

When planning corporate travel, meeting planning, or incentive planning, choosing a cruise for a meeting venue is an excellent idea. Meetings at sea can save an organization approximately 40 percent of the costs typically associated with land venue meeting such a hotel or resort. There are many various types of entertainment offers on-board a cruise ship; therefore, even the most discriminating of cruise participants should be able to find a show or concert with which they will be well pleased. For a small cover charge, cruise attendees can enjoy great entertainment without having to fight traffic or find their way around town.

According to the American Society of Travel Agents, the top corporate travel destinations include states such as Florida, Nevada, and California. Cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, and San Francisco are popular destination sites, and trips to cities such as these can ideal for corporate incentive travel. However, when incentive planning for employees that perform over and above par, corporations may want to consider offering an incentive cruise for these top-notch employees. A cruise event is a break from the norm of land-based venues, and the lure of exotic destinations may be more motivating for many employees.

Top incentive cruise destinations for meetings at sea include the Bahamas, Aruba, the Virgin Islands, and Barbados. These Caribbean destinations are perfect getaways, and can help employees relax and unwind. Because the Caribbean is within close proximity of the U.S., 3-4 days cruises can be easily arranged. Corporate meetings held at sea can be very productive as employees are given the opportunity and venue to think creatively without the limitations of office walls. This time away from the office may be when some a corporations employees are the most innovative and imaginative. Other popular cruise destinations include Vancouver and Whistler, Australia, and Croatia.

A recent survey conducted by MeetingNews found that most meeting planners expected meeting budgets to increase or stay the same over the first six months of 2010, when compared to meeting budget trends over the last six months of 2009. This optimistic outlook may be further proof that companies across the country are beginning to recover from the recent recession. The survey, which included 220 participants, found that only 19% of responding meeting planners anticipated further budget cuts or smaller meeting budgets in the first six months of 2010. Additionally, seventeen percent of respondents actually reported increased spending in the last half of 2009, showing that some companies continued to prioritize meeting spending during the economic downturn or were already beginning to enjoy financial recovery at that time.

Just over half of the survey participants (51%) expected meeting budgets to stay the same during the first half of 2010. These results support the hope that deep budget cuts are now behind us for the most part and indicate that things may start looking up for the corporate travel and business meeting industries. This is good news for meeting and travel planners who learned tips and tricks for cutting costs without losing quality during the economic downturn and will now be in an excellent position for providing exceptional planning services with increased budgets.

There are many reasons for corporations to plan events close to their base of operations, but those reasons might be overshadowed by the benefits of selecting far away destinations. Here are the top four reasons to plan a corporate meeting far from the office.

1. New scenery and events shake things up, and there is nothing that will help get the creative juices flowing better than change. Staring at the same walls every day has employees trapped in the same rut, and an exciting change is likely to yield exciting results. A trip to the local park might not be as exciting as business cruise to a sun-drenched tropical getaway.
2. A cruise event might also be a great idea, as it combines both work and play. Team building exercises tend to work best when participants know each other well. Is there anything better than well-planned corporate travel/events to encourage teamwork?
3. Inclusive travel options mean that a cruise meeting or weekend retreat can be had at a fixed price. No more haggling, no more uncertainties, just a known quantity. This will keep the event planning sessions short and the accountants happier as well.
4. Employees, partners, and supplies may all appreciate incentive travel options. Rewarding performance and loyalty are excellent ways to build rapport.

When it comes time to plan a large corporate retreat, savvy meeting planners and/or event planners need to consider at least four different factors.

Distance & Travel – how far will the destination be from all parties? Remember that organizations with far-flung offices will need to find ways to transport the relevant from those offices to the destination in question. This can become an expensive venture rather quickly, but planners can mitigate this by planning ahead.

Scheduling & Jet Lag – Corporate travel is always a combination of work and play. Whether it is a cruise meeting, incentive travel, or a retreat, event planners should always try to strike a balance between work and play. Remember that jet lag may be a factor to contend with, so start off slow with events and meetings if possible.

Allergies & Location – Planning an outdoor event or a team-building getaway in the woods might sound great until Susan in accounting turns out to be allergic to the grass and Bob from sales cannot stop itching for some reason. Remember to consider allergies before planning any corporate event. If guests are being brought into the event, be sure to inquire as to their health needs.

Food & Drink – Many corporations prefer to self-cater, but it does not really matter who does the catering if those who have certain dietary needs are not being met. With vegetarian and vegan lifestyles becoming more popular, and a handful of religions taboos on foods, it pays to spend a good deal of time on food.

Some travelers swear by self-catering accommodations and would not dream of spending the night in a hotel during business or leisure travel. Other travelers cannot stand the thought of not having 24-hour reception, 24-hour room service, at least one on-site restaurant and concierge services.

Self-catering lodgings have either kitchenettes or fully-equipped kitchens, and often have other convenient amenities, such as laundry facilities, DVD and book libraries, swimming pools, fitness centers and reserved, private parking. They range from urban apartments to country cottages and offer more privacy than hotels. However, they usually do not offer the same range of amenities and services that guests will find when staying in luxury hotel rooms.

Self-catering apartments are ideal for holding small business meetings and entertaining clients and prospects. Additionally, the ability to cook some meals in the apartment – rather than dining out for every meal – is a cost-saving measure that is convenient and appealing to many travelers. Of course, a nice hotel room is also good for entertaining potential clients and customers, but a private apartment has the added benefit of giving the impression that your company maintains an apartment for use by its employees when they travel on business. This type of impression will not go to waste on prospects of a particular ilk and can assist in leaving a positive image of your company in your prospects’ minds.

Many companies are trimming their budgets to adjust to the changing economic climate. When it is time to cut costs, the travel budget is usually one of the first items on the chopping block. For some companies, this may mean canceling travel plans altogether, but for others it simply means finding ways to stretch your corporate travel dollars and get a bigger bang for fewer bucks.

One option that has recently increased in popularity is staying close to home. When business meetings, team building activities, retreats, conferences and incentive travel take place closer to home, this can significantly cut down on transportation costs, as well as increasing attendance. However, opting for nearby destinations and venues comes with its own set of challenges, including creating excitement about the event and maintaining its appeal when you do not have an exotic location to rely on to do that for you.

Here are three ways to make your local event more appealing and create excitement among attendees:
1. Choose a unique venue. Think outside of the boardroom and opt for a museum, wild animal park, theme park or docked cruise ship.
2. Spring for better entertainment. If your budget will allow you to have a well-known headliner, this alone can make up for the lack of an exotic setting.
3. Invite an enticing guest speaker. A well-known guest speaker may or may not be more affordable than a great headliner, so check prices for both before deciding which will work better for your particular situation.

Carbon emission offsetting is a controversial topic. There are three basic schools of thought: those who wholeheartedly support it, those who believe it lets folks off easy and puts off finding other viable solutions, and those who think it is simply a money-making scheme. While not everyone believes carbon offsetting is the answer, it is certainly growing in popularity and is one way corporations can take an environmental stand and offset carbon emissions that are inevitable when travel and events take place.

If you are interested in learning more about carbon offsets for corporate travel and event planning, there are several websites dedicated to educating the public and offering offsets. Websites like carbonfund.org have carbon calculators for travel, business events and conferences, weddings and other activities, making it simple to help your clients estimate the amount of carbon their event or transportation will create. This allows them to determine the amount of offsetting they would like to undertake – if any – to mitigate the carbon emissions associated with their business meeting or corporate travel.

The bottom line is that offering carbon offsets for corporate travel and events is a simple way to expand the services you offer to corporate clients. Those who are interested in offsets will appreciate the convenience, while those who are not interested can simply not take part in that particular service. To find carbon offset sellers, visit Ecobusinesslinks.com, which has a list of non-profit organizations and for-profit companies offering carbon offsets.