Category Archives: Blogs by Anne Thornley-Brown

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Local Incentive Travel: A Cost Effective Option

The good news is that corporate incentive travel and luxury business travel are recovering.

With the economic recovery on simmer rather than at a full boil, some companies are still proceeeding with caution. They have not released the hold that they placed on their incentive travel programmes in 2008.

For these companies,  local incentive travel is an option worth pursuing to:

  • reward your team
  • express appreciation to top tier clients
  • stretch your budget
  • boost the local economy

If you keep travel time to no more than 2 hours by ground transportation, your team can enjoy a longer stay at your chosen destination.

What does a local incentive travel initiative look like? It could involve a short excursion and an overnight stay at a local hotel. It could take the shape of a 3 or 4 day stay at a local resort. Small teams should consider boutique hotels, inn and lodges to stretch their budgests.

You can kill 2 birds with one stone by including some facilitated team building and a short business meeting on the itinerary. (The operative word is short or it will feel too much like work. An initiative that gives back to the community should also be a key component of foreign and local incentive programmes.

Here is a sample itinerary that builds in enough downtime and still incorporates enough meaningful business activity for companies that are gun-shy about media criticism (i.e. think AIG effect):

Day 1:

  •  Travel to a local destination.
  • Snack
  • Opening remarks by CEO
  • Orientation and group check-in
  • Lunch
  • Relaxation
  • Opening reception
  • Dinner

Day 2:

  • AM: Relaxation
  • Lunch
  • PM: Facilitated Team Building Exercises and Team Briefing for Outdoor Challenges

Day 3:

  • Full day of team building including outdoor team activities and challenges
  • Debriefing

Day 4:

  • AM Relaxation – Choice of free time and leisure activities
  • AM Short business meeting before lunch
  • Lunch
  • PM Philanthropic Activity
  • Gala

Day 5:

  • AM: Relaxation
  • Lunch
  • Departure for home mid-afternoon

If you need to shorten the itinerary, then philanthropic team building  is an option to consider. Since your destination is local, employees could have the option of paying to extend their stay and have spouses and children to the resort for the weekend.

You’ll find many options for local team building at our corporate team building blog. Here are just a few options to consider based on your location:

With local incentive travel, you can create a blockbuster event within the scope of your budget. It’s an option worth considering for companies that are not ready to dive and re-activate their foreign incentive travel programmes.

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Dubai Incentive Travel – New and Improved

Dubai Incentive Travel – New & Improved

by Anne Thornley-Brown, MBA, President
Executive Oasis International

Burj Khalifa, Dubai – World’s Tallest Building

I’ve travelled to about 23 countries and worked in 11. It’s not too often that one gets to visit a place where everything is sparkling shiney and new but that’s a perfect description of Dubai. Dubai is a futuristic Arabian nights fantasy that has emerged from the sand dunes during the past 5 years so there are always new things to see and do. I’ve been going there since December, 2000 and there is always a fresh adventure or attraction awaiting the visitor. I make a point of building these adventures into the incentive trips and team building retreats that my company, Executive Oasis International, designs and facilitates for its clients. I just got back from Dubai. What changes did I notice? What new adventures have we added to our line up?

New & Old Landmarks

When I first went to Dubai, the clock was the most prominent and recognizable landmark in Dubai.

Then it was the Burj al Arab.

Now it’s the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. I blogged about it and and shared photos when it was under construction a few years ago. I finally got a chance to see it. For days I could not get a clear snapshot, everything was hazy. On my last day, just before I boarded the bus to go to Abu Dhabi for my Etihad Airways Flight, there it was gleaming, sparkling and new.

Sparkling New Hotels

I stayed at this brand new Jumeirah property on the Jumeirah Palm Islands last week. They hosted my clients before we all headed off to the luxury Bedouin camp for an overnight desert safari.

Here is the opening ceremony from just a few months ago.

Here is another property that has opened since we were last in Dubai:

Luxury Desert Team Building

Executive Oasis International has een offering desert team building in Dubai for some time now. We just offered our most recent team building retreat a week ago for one of our client’s from Saudi Arabia. Come, take a glimpse at what goes on during a team building retreat at a luxury Bedouin camp. I’ve just blogged about it.

Luxury Desert Team Building in Dubai

We’re always looking for something new to add excitement to our desert team building sessions. So, when a Saudi Arabian company engaged us to design and faciltiate their team building retreat, we put our heads together, did some brainstorming. The client came up with some ideas and we came up with some ideas. We built a number of adventures into their time in Dubai.

Other Great Dubai Incentive Travel Experiences

World’s Most Luxurious Dhow Cruise
Outdoor Paintball

The team loved it so much that they stayed twice as long as they were originally scheduled. Everyone agreed that it was a highlight of their trip.

Target and Skeet Shooting
Keeping Your Cool in Dubai

We’ve all heard about Ski Dubai, a place where Emiratis, expats and visitors can cool off and enjoy some winter fun. Now you can kick things up a notch and have more fun in the snow:

You can also chill out by heading over to the Middle East’s only ice cafe. Take a peek:

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Corporate Incentive Travel: How to Request Proposals

Corporate Incentive Travel: Requesting Proposals (RFPs)

by Anne Thornley-Brown M.B.A., President
Executive Oasis International

This post is inspired by what has been landing in our inbox as well as recent conversations with other incentive travel houses, team building providers and event planners.

The following scenario is becoming more and more common.

  • A member of staff sends an e-mail requesting an urgent quote
  • The information provided is at best sketchy.
  • When the prospective supplier responds and asks clarifying questions, may times the e-mail is never answered.
  • Early in the process it becomes clear that the person making the inquiry hasn’t got a clue about objectives, the purpose of the trip, budget, or what is to be included.
  • At other times, there is a delay and to expedite the process, we send out a short document with a couple of options and request feedback about which are of interest so that we can prepare a full proposal
  • Typically, there is no response or a reply that they are awaiting feedback. Feedback to obtain very basic information takes weeks or months. Often, it is never received

Once a proposal has been submitted it turns out that either:

  • the budget is significantly lower than what was indicated
  • no budget has ever been allocated
  • no authorization had ever been given for a trip and the person making the inquiry was just being “proactive” based on what happened last year

The initiative is scrapped or put on hold. Sometimes, the whole process is stalled at the starting gate. Basic information is never provided and the prospective client vanishes into the stratosphere. This scenario happens so often that suppliers have invented for the term “falling off the face of the earth”. It’s poor business etiquette and it reflects very badly on a company when employess display it.

I would be interested in some feedback as to what is going on in corporations that is creating this scenario.

  • Why are the employees who are tasked with obtaining quotes given only minimal information?
  • Why is there such a delay in providing even the most basic information?
  • Are companies no longer briefing employees about basic etiquette for dealing with prospective suppliers?

Since these scenarios are becoming more and more prevalent, I decided to prepare a guide to how and when to request proposals for incentive travel.

You’ll also have access to a free downloadable tool to assist you in pulling together the information needed when requesting quotes for sales incentive trips, team building, sales rallies, and other corporate events.

When to Request a Quote

It’s really quite simple. Request a quote when:

  • A member of the senior management team has given authorization for a sales incentive trip
  • A budget has been approved
  • The company is in a position to make a decision within 5 – 10 business days of receiving the quote
  • Alternatively, there is a clear and specific procurement process with definite timelines, checkpoints, and decision making criteria


Information Basics for Incentive Travel Quotes


I realize that some of the information we’re covering in this blog entry is very basic. Unfortunately, it may be basic but it no longer seems to be common practice. I’m not sure why and can only guess that maybe people are so overwhelmed with heavy workloads that they’re cutting corners. As a time saving tool and to assist you in pulling it all together, we’ve included a downloadable:

Free Incentive Travel RFP Planner[.DOC]


When requesting a quote, the following information is essential.

  • Group Size
  • Purpose of trip (i.e. strictly recreational to reward the team, combination of business and recreation)
  • Preferred dates (minimum of 3 options)
  • Preferred destinations (all of them)
  • Objectives/ Expected Outcomes
  • Is facilitated team building to be included? This will require 2 – 3 days plus an orientation.
  • Class of accommodation required (i.e. 4 star, 5 star, 6 star, 7 star
  • Double or single occupancy
  • Is the group open to a night of camping out?
  • Are tours required?
  • Is a gala or awards dinner required

In addition to this, it is also helpful to know what the company has done in the past so that there is no duplication in the proposed options.

RFP Best Practices: A Matter of Courtesy

Once a decision has been made it is extremely important to contact everyone who submitted a proposal to:

  • Inform them of the decision
  • Provide feedback about why they were not selected

It is never acceptable to just disappear. The provider must close the loop with all of the venues and suppliers they contacted on your behalf.

Follow-up

Once a company has gone through the time and trouble of preparing a proposal, expect to hear from them with updates about once a quarter. It is certainly not acceptable to delete e-mails without reading. If circumstances change and the company no longer requires incentive travel services, politely contact the service provider, inform them of the change in status and ask to be removed from the distribution list.

Dealing with prospective suppliers in a less than professional manner, reflects poorly on your company and will, over time, tarnish its image and hurt it’s reputation in the marketplace. When all is said and done, this all comes down to common sense and common courtesy. Unfortunately, these commodities don’t seem to be less and less common and that’s unfortunately.

For more information, also see:

Executive Oasis International is a Toronto based management consulting firm that offers incentive travel and team building retreats in Canada, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and the Caribbean.

Photo Credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg

Photo Credit: S.C. Asher

Photo Credit: Muffet

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Japan: Incentive Travel for all Seasons

Incentive Travel & Corporate Events in Japan
(Summer & Fall)

In Japan, the changing seasons and festivals provide a tantalizing backdrop for your team’s incentive trip. In addition to modern conference facilities, your team can spend some time at a traditional ryokan or a resort with an onsen. Venues for corporate events include gardens, famous samurai movie sets, and feudal mansions. However, it’s important to make your plans and book well in advance. During the summer, well-heeled Tokyo residents escape to the mountain areas to beat the heat. If you want to experience a popular mountain retreat during the summer or Kyoto’s fall colours, your planning can’t be left until the last minute.

We had an excellent response to our light on text virtual tour of Malaysia’s hills so, we’re using the same approach to this virtual tour of some of Japan’s mountain and countryside areas. Come explore the possibilities.

Summer

Due to the humidity, some locals describe Tokyo as a “blast furnace” during the summer. To find relief from the heat, head to the Japan Alps, Hakone, Toyama, or Sapporo.

Festivals: During the summer, there are a variety of summer festivals (Natsu Matsuri) throughout Japan. Almost every night, various communities throughout Japan feature stunning fireworks displays.

  • Bon Odori Matsuri is celebrated throughout the country from Jul 13 – 15.

Hakone: Temperature – 24°C – 30°C (74° – 87°F)

1 1/2 hours southwest of Tokyo by train, explore Japanese culture and add variety to your incentive travel itinerary by staying at a traditional Ryokan (Japanese Inn) or a resort with an onsen (hot spring bath).

Hakone is a stunning mountain retreat that has a number of resorts and ryokans with onsens. Give your team a break from your meetings with a vist to nearby Fujisan (Mount Fuji) and a cruise on Lake Ashi followed by a cable car ride at Mount Komagatake. The panoramic view is absolutely spectacular and on a clear day you will be able to see Mount Fuji. You’ll be able to see the lake below and even the golf course where your team can enjoy a round or two.

Chubu – Mountains : Temperature – 21°C – 30°C (70°F – 87°F)

Every time I watch this video of a journey to the Japanese Alps in the summer, I get goosebumps. I wish I could jump right into the video.

Toyama: Temperature – 22°C – 30°C (72°F – 87°F)

Offering a panoramic view of the 3,000-meter Tateyama Mountains, Toyama is comfortable to visit all year. It has 4 mineral baths including the Unazuki-onsen. Attractions include Zuiryu-ji Temple and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route where you can enjoy river rafting, cable car rides, and view from the Kurobe Dam observatory.

World Heritage Sites: Gokayama Village with ‘gassho-zukuri’ style dwellings

Sapporo : Temperature – 18°C – 29°C (65°F – 84°F)

Sapporo has a number of unique museums and attractions. Start with a tour of the Historical Museum of Hokkaido. Then visit the Bread Museum of Hokuo to learn about the Japanese art of bread making and sample freshly baked bread. There is also a chocolate factory that your team can tour.

If you’re looking for a few hours to unwind between meetings, you can let off steam at Teine Olympia, an amusement park within a forest. If you time your trip well, at any time of year, your team can take in a concert one evening at the Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara .

Shirakawa: For an interesting excursion, travel back in time this UNESCO World Heritage site, a 500 year old, traditional village with thatched roof huts.

Tohoku

It’s always cool and comfortable in this part of Japan that has numerous onsens, the ancient 4,000 – 5,550 year old ruins of Sannai-Maruyama.

Festivals:

  • Every year in August, you can enjoy the Nebuta Festival.

World Heritage Sites: Shirakami-Sanchi Mountains

Fall

Kyoto:

Festivals:

  • October 22 – the Yuki Shrine Fire Festival

Suzuka:

  • October – F1 Formula One

Hakone:

Festivals:

  • November 3 Daimyo Gyorestsu, a re-enactment of a feudal lord’s procession

One trip to Japan is not enough to see it all. So, to create a memorable incentive trip, pick your time of year and one or two areas to explore.

Once again. I have way too much material for one blog entry so I have actually had to split it into 3. The other two parts will go live soon. Next time, we’ll continue next time with incentive travel in Japan during the Fall and Winter.

For help in planning incentive travel in Japan, please visit our website. Then, contact us to let us know your requirements. For the best choice of options and to allow ample time for logistics, it is best to book your retreat at least 4 – 6 months before you intend to travel:

Anne Thornley-Brown has toured Asia 16 times and facilitated workshops and team building sessions for over 2000 executives, managers, and professionals.