Corporate Travel Destinations

When most people think of meetings, they imagine themselves stuck within the confines of four walls sitting around a table for several hours. For this reason, when a meeting planner suggests the idea of meetings at sea, some organizations may balk at this notion. Many mistakenly believe that a hotel or resort would be most budget-friendly than a cruise ship charter. From conference rooms equipped with the latest in technology to on-board rock climbing walls, a cruise ship charter can offer an organization a fresh perspective on meeting spaces.

Group cruise planning is a great way to get employees outside the four walls of the conference room and motivate them to be more creative and innovative. For example, meeting at sea may be held in suites or villas with their own private decks. For organizations looking for team-building exercises, a cruise ships can offer mixed-use sports decks for employees to participate in a variety of activities. A meeting planner should keep in mind that event planning does not have to be held in a venue with the traditional four walls. In order for organizations to encourage their employees to look beyond the four walls, event planners have to look beyond the four walls, too.

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.

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.

If you are looking for an exciting, innovative venue for an upcoming convention, conference or trade show that will ensure great attendance with its wide-ranging appeal, you may want to consider hosting your next event on a cruise ship. Whether you opt for a dockside charter or an event at sea, cruise ships – which can accommodate up to 5,000 people – will significantly increase the appeal of your event.

Attending a conference or convention on a cruise ship will be something new and exciting for most people, and will be enticing enough to convince indecisive folks that they should definitely attend.

Cruise ships offer a self-contained venue with all of the services and amenities you need for a successful event or meeting at sea and can be organized in a way that will support a variety of event budgets. They also provide the opportunity to have a willingly captive audience for your event, particularly if you opt for a full-ship charter, which allows you to customize the entire venue and schedule, including liberal logo placement to increase awareness and recognition of your brand.

When you opt to host your next conference, trade show or convention on a cruise ship, it is sure to be a memorable event that will have the attendees talking about you and your planning services long after they are back on shore, ensuring that they will remember your company name the next time they are in need of event planning services.

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.