Corporate Travel Destinations

Meetings need to be impressive, especially when they are open to the public and/or consumers. Even meetings with partners, suppliers, and industry peers are important enough to plan ahead for. The problem is that quality always comes at a price, and it is difficult to find the right balance between quality and price. Follow these simple pieces of advice to strike the best deal:

• Balance – Start by understanding that there is a balance between quality and price, and be willing to make a definitive line in the sand to ensure that you do not spend too much or cut costs too low.
• Negotiate – Nearly every service can be negotiated with, so be willing to see how flexible caterers, chair rentals, and even facility management companies are. Chances are good that they may be more flexible than you might initially think.
• Distribute the cost – Costs can be distributed to the participants in some cases via ticket pricing and/or over time with financing. If the company has a credit card with a long no-interest introductory rate, that might prove helpful when paying for services that do not have their own financing/payment options.
• Consider exchanges – Does your company have a valuable service to offer? If so, consider bartering to save even more money. Such an exchange could even result in referrals down the road that make working at or near cost a good idea.

Corporate travel is not just average travel. Corporate travel is designed to award top-performers within a company or organization for their hard work, dedication, and innovation. Top-performers and first class employees deserve more from their employer than simply mediocre and mundane corporate travel. Of course, in uncertain economic times the extravagance of corporate travel has to be balanced with the financial resources available for incentive travel expenses. However, businesses do not have to choose between quality and value when planning corporate travel. They can enjoy both by booking cruise ship charter.

An incentive cruise is an ideal way to award top-performers and motivate others within the organization. By choosing to conduct meetings at sea, businesses can save approximately 40 percent compared to land-based incentive travel. Travel incentives such as a ship charter are excellent because they are all inclusive. Cruise event participants can enjoy premium services, accommodations, dining, and entertainment on an incentive cruise. A cruise ship charters' inclusive incentives will be attractive to even the most well-seasoned traveler. Since a cruise event may be less expensive than land-based travel, group cruise planning is a real value to the business. Therefore, businesses do not have to sacrifice quality or value if they choose an incentive cruise for their corporate travel.

While smaller meetings and events on cruise ships are all well and good, there is another option that is actually even better for those who truly have a need: chartering and/or buy-outs.  Ship charters are surprisingly affordable, as it gives the cruise company a chance to earn their overhead without spending as much on marketing, but there is so much more to consider:

• Some meetings need to be secretive by nature, and buy-outs/chartering ensures that none of the other passengers might be eavesdropping. On the other hand, companies that host cruise meetings where others can see them might not only seem more open and honest, but they may seem more attractive to investors.
• A buy-out of all cabins on an existing cruise ensures complete access to all facilities at all hours. In short, you are calling just about all of the shots save for the course. Even then, the captain of the ship might be amenable to arranging longer stays in Port A and skipping Port B.
• Complete concierge services is also typically available on charters. This should be no surprise since the concierge usually serves the guests. Since all the guests are your invitees, all you have to do is kick back and relax and let someone else sort out their problems.
• There are big and small charter cruise ships available. Do not worry if all you have are a hundred or so participants as there are smaller cruise ships that are ideal for the task at hand. Even a smaller cruise ship is still an enormous floating meeting and entertainment facility.

Large events, meetings, and seminars have traditionally be scheduled at conference centers and/or hotels, but that is all changing now. Cruise ships are the new ‘it’ place to host events of almost any size, for many good reasons. Here are a trio of very good reasons to consider:

• Go places, do things – One of the top reasons to opt for cruises over more traditional meeting environments is the fact that cruise liners take your places while you work instead of taking you to places to get work done. Add to this the limited distance between work and play, and cruises are nothing if not efficient and convenient.
• Amazing facilities – Hotels come in different quality levels, usually measured in stars. Cruise ships are an all-star affair, and every passenger is made to feel like an all-star. Putting a dollar value on having meeting participants felt like that are having their every whim met is nearly impossible.
• Affordable – Meetings and events held on cruise liners are surprisingly affordable. Why? Because one companies is providing everything. Instead of distributing the overhead of a catering company, a hotel, and a conference center over each participant, cruise liners have a single overhead to distribute. It is all about cost of customer acquisition, and that is what makes cruise meetings affordable.

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.

A meeting planner is very aware of the different tastes and preferences that individuals have. There is always the chance that the group incentive destination will not be approved by all participants. For this reason, it is important that event planning be taken seriously and the same attention to detail given to each group event. The travel destination of choice should be carefully considered by the meeting planner and should take into account, when feasible, the preferences of attendees. If a travel destination was not well-received by the majority of attendees, then it may be wise to choose another locale or venue.

A few of the popular and well-liked incentive travel destinations are Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and San Francisco, California. These locations are popular because of the excellent entertainment, attractions, and local fare available. Because the cities are popular tourist destinations, the vendors in these cities tend to cater to the needs of their guests. Feeling welcome and at-home is an important aspect of travel, and cities that thrive on tourism are typically great host cities. Even the most finicky of group incentive travel participants may enjoy trips to cities that are friendly, easily accessible, and provide a wealth of entertainment, leisure, and dining options.

Meeting planning is an undertaking that requires attention to detail. A meeting planner has to be intimately involved in all aspects of meeting planning. Detailed involvement helps to ensure the corporation gets the most for its money and that participants of the cruise event feel their time was well spent. When planning a group cruise, many of the details of typical meeting planning is already determined. However, determining which ship will be right for the group cruise event is not.

The type of ship chosen will be closely related to the type of cruise event being planned. For meetings at sea, it is ideal to choose a ship that offers the best group rate. Since there will be a large group of people for whom the cruise is being planned, choosing a ship that can accommodate large groups at reasonable rates will be essential. Some cruise ships are more adult oriented while others are more kid friendly. Cruise ships that are not designed for children will be more tailored to adult interests. The expectations of cruise event participants, the preferences of the organization, and the group rates available will help meeting planners determine which type of ship will be best.

European river cruising is generally considered a summer affair, largely due to the inclement weather that is common across much of Europe during the winter months. When most travelers are considering a cruise, they are most often looking for sunny, warm weather that allows them to explore ports and lounge in the sun when on board. While this is not an option in much of Europe during the dreary months of winter, Spain is still enjoying sun and welcoming weather, even while some countries are covered in snow or experiencing freezing winter rainstorms.

This makes Spain group river cruises an ideal option for corporate travel planners who like the idea of European river cruising, but need to plan winter travel. It is particularly appealing for those who are planning a corporate cruise for participants that live in areas that have cold winters. The participants will enjoy having the opportunity to escape the cold and spend time in warmer weather, while the travel planner will enjoy the ease and convenience of planning a corporate cruise on one of Spain’s rivers.

River cruising is most appropriate for smaller groups, since river barges are considerably smaller than oceangoing vessels. Group river cruises are particularly appropriate for executive retreats, incentive travel programs and small corporate meetings.

If you are searching for a unique, fun team building experience that will fit your budget and can take place anywhere you choose, look no further than the Corporate Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Whether you are organizing a corporate training at your company’s headquarters, or are looking for an exciting new option for entertainment at your next corporate event, there is nothing quite like a Rock Camp to get things rolling.

The consultants from the Corporate Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp will work with you to create a package that fits your needs and budget, including one-, two- and three-day options. All musical equipment is provided and no prior musical experience is necessary. This is the type of team building experience that everyone can enjoy and participate in, while also allowing employees at different levels to participate equally in decision making and goal setting.

The rock star counselors are members of touring bands and use that experience to assist your team in learning to work together as they choose a song to perform and rehearse. Some of the recognizable names who have participated in the Rock Camp as counselors include Brian Wilson, Slash, Steven Tyler and George Thorogood. The experience culminates in a confidence-building stage performance where your participants will be rocking out alongside their counselors and in front of their colleagues.

For more information, visit www.RockCamp.com.

When planning for a successful executive retreat, there is much more to keep in mind than simply finding the right venue and arranging for transportation and accommodation. Of course, these are critical aspects of retreat planning, but if you are also involved in the hands-on planning for the day-to-day aspects of the executive retreat, these seven tips will help you plan for success.

Ensuring the success of an executive retreat starts long before arriving at your destination. Here are seven tips for meeting planners to make sure your executive retreat is productive and effective:

1. Double-check your guest list. It is crucial that you make sure you have invited all of the major players and that they are on your list for receiving materials and planning logistics.
2. Determine the main goals and objectives for the retreat.
3. Distribute materials beforehand that clearly state these goals and objectives so that your participants know what to expect.
4. Assign homework to ensure that your participants are prepared.
5. Send out reminders a few days before the retreat to make sure everyone remembers to complete and bring their homework.
6. Arrange to have a professional facilitator run the business portions of the retreat.
7. Assign someone with the task of maintaining a thorough record during the retreat of who volunteers or is assigned to complete tasks, as well as the deadlines.