They say everything in life comes down to timing. We launched StaffReservations in July of 2008 with high hopes. Just three months later, incentive travel would grind to a virtual halt. AIG’s relatively small incentive program for independent resellers of its insurance products became a symbol of corporate greed. As the economy sputtered, the travel & meetings industry sputtered along with it. It was hard to get planners to even try StaffReservations, even with free accounts during our beta period. Slowly though, things have been getting better –when you see a discussion of the industry’s health in a mainstream outlet (read: not one of our niche publications), it’s a good bet that the space has recovered. Signups here at StaffRes are starting to pick up as well.
According to this article from USA TODAY:
“Incentive travel is showing the fastest rate of growth in all group business,” Benson says, adding that the resort sold about 200,000 group room nights this year vs. 146,000 a year ago.
You can read the whole article at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/story/2011-09-05/Reward-travel-for-employees-makes-a-comeback/50266110/1
Media disconnect
March 28th, 2009You know it’s bad when even travel writers are jumping on the bandwagon like Rob Lovitt of MSNBC in his self-serving piece last month. This scattershot screed seems to blame the automakers and Las Vegas builders for the rash of cancelled programs of late.
The industry in general hasn’t done a very good job of defending incentive travel. While some clients have nixed programs for cash flow issues, far more have done it in fear of an AIG-like backlash. The truth is that there are plenty of companies out there who have nothing to do with the current financial disaster who know the value of incentive travel: retention of the most successful people in the organization. That’s the message that needs to get out, and sadly it’s been buried in all the “worst crisis since the Great Depression” meme that we can’t seem to get away from.
Hopefully, sites likes Meetings Mean Business and the Meeting Industry Crisis Center can make a dent in all the negative publicity. Do your part!
Tags: cancelled programs, economy, The Industry
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