In 2008 & 2009, many companies put their incentive travel programmes on hold due to “optics” or a decline in corporate performance. Some companies are not ready to re-instate their foreign incentive travel programmes. Instead, they are on the lookout for memorable and unique experiences closer to home to reward their team and build customer loyalty.
Inspired by the day I spent with BMW Canada at their Toronto Advanced Driver Training Programme and my recent visit to Montreal during the Formula 1 (F1) Montreal Grand Prix in June, I decided to showcase luxury driving experiences around the world. Luxury driving incentives offer great possibilities as an alternative to foreign incentive travel.
Remember, if you do want to offer any of these incentives for your team, it’s important to make your plans early as all of these experiences sell out quickly.
This blog entry is light on text and heavy on incredible, fast action videos. Pick a location close to you:
This experience was great fun and a sure-fire strategy for improving the driving skills of your sales teams and the other members of your team who are on the road.
It’s a combination of classroom instruction and exercises in a BMW training vehicle on their closed track.
When? July
Full Day: 20 People
Half Day: Two Groups of 16
This is the video of the oversteering exercise that I shot during the day I spent with BMW Canada. I learned a lot . The instructors were very supportive but I must admit that I was too much of a “fraidy cat” to make may car spinout when it was my turn to try it. Oh well, next time.
Every October, adrenaline junkies get to experience the thrill of racing like stunt drivers down one of Malaysia’s tallest hills. Take a peek at what happens.
Sepang International Circuit
BMW Advanced Driver Training
Kuala Lumpur
Formula 1 (F1) – Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix
When? April
Other Destinations
BMW Advanced Driver Training
Also Available in Japan, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, South Carolina
When You’re Ready to Go
Whether you decide to stay home in 2010 and 2011 or you’re ready to venture further afield, we’ll take you there. Executive Oasis International would be pleased to arrange:
a day excursion to a local adventure with time for your business meeting
a full package bundling a luxury driving experience with transfers, hotel, transportation to and from the track, meeting facilities, business facilitation, tours, excursions, gala awards dinner
Contact Executive Oasis International for more information about any of these luxury driving exeriences for corporate events and incentives:
Corporate Incentive Travel: Giving Your Team a Sense of the Local Culture
by Anne Thornley-Brown, President,
Executive Oasis International
Specializing in escorted Incentive Travel and sales incentive trips.We provide one stop shopping and will help you plan and organize your next incentive trip to any of our featured destinations.
Anne is @executiveoasis on twitter.
Stop: Even if you don’t have the budget for international travel this year, here is how you can still give your team an international experience without getting on a plane:
I’ve often wondered why companies fly their sales and executive teams halfway across the world just to lie on the beach and get drunk at the bar. Particularly in these challenging economic times, companies can do that at home at a fraction of the cost. A foreign incentive trip or retreats provides an opportunity to give your team a rich, unique and memorable experience. All you have to do is build a few experiences into your itinerary that provide a glimpse of the local history and culture of your incentive travel destinations.This is easier to do than you may think and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time.
Before your trip, you can use social media to provide an orientation to the destination. During your sales incentive trip, visit one of the many cultural centres, heritage villages and museums that are designed to give visitors a glimpse into the history and culture of your chosen destiation. Here are a few ideas:
Take a 2 night trip to Kuching in Malaysian Borneo. Spend an afternoon at the Sarawak Cultural Village. You’ll explore the 7 major ethinic groups that have influenced Malysia’s culture and visit traditional homesteads.
Take a day or overnight trip to Malacca, a virtual time capsule into Malaysia history with traditional Malay, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese influences. There is even a full size replica of a historical Sultan’s Palace.
Explore the Edo-Tokyo Museum with replicas of traditional buildings and interactive exhibits that provide insights into Tokyo’s rich culture and history.
Stay at a traditional Ryokan for 1 or 2 nights.
Be mesmerzied as you take in a traditional Kabuki performance at the Kubuki-za in Tokyo
Contact the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and arrange for a cultural showcase and a cultural officer to familiarize your group with the history and cultures of Canada’s First Nations people.
Visit one of Canada’s oldest Black communities at the Buxton Settlement.
Even if you have to extend your sales incentive trip by half a day or a full day to make time to build a cultural excursion into your itinerary, it will be time well spent. You’ll broaden their horizons and provide your team with a truly memorable and meaningful experience of a lifetime that they would never be able to have back home.
by Anne Thornley-Brown, President,
Executive Oasis International
My tale about Singapore will start at the end instead of the beginning as the ending gives the entire adventure context and meaning. I’ll continue my Singapore adventure in anther blog entry. Some other time, I will write about Little India, Chinatown, and Sentosa. Today, I will focus on the 1st and last time I saw Singapore.
Benefits for Your Executive, Marketing & Sales Teams
First I want to raise an important questionWhat does all of this have to do with incentive travel and sales incentive trips? When one travels, one never knows what they will observe or encounter. During my first trip to Asia, I saw several products and service delivery concepts that had not yet hit North America at all or to any great extent:
upgraded facilities in business class lounge
enhanced business class service on Singapore Airlines
huge billboards atop buildings from which movies were projected
an outdoor food court with servers presenting menus from many restaurants (Cuppage Terrace)
Manicure and pedicure salons
a digital camera
internet cafes
the Hello Kitty craze created when the dolls were offered in McDonalds Happy Meals
Any of these ideas could have been implemented “ahead of the curve” or modified and applied to a range of businesses including retail, restaurants, hotels, and advertising. For example, some of the features of business class lounges could be used to create waiting rooms or lounges to ensure the comfort of a company’s best customers when they have to attend a meeting at your office. If anyone knows of companies that have used any of these concepts, I look forward to your comments.
That’s why a sales incentive trip is of tremendous benefit. It can really broaden a team’s horizons and expose them to market trends before they hit your country. This can help organizations scan the horizon, see what’s coming next and design innovative campaigns and develop service bundles well ahead of the competition. Think this sounds too much like work for what is supposed to be a “fun” trip to reward your team? All you have to do is add a creative spark. Weave the exploration and the process of discovery into an urban safari or an Amazing Race. Presto rather than just a frivolous activity, you’ve given it bottom line significance. The key is to debrief and mine these experiences to identify how you can use them when you return home.
The Last Time I saw Singapore
The last time I was in Singapore, it was during the Great Singapore Shopping Sale. Yes, I shopped. It was during that trip that I picked up a travel tip that I’ll pass on to you. I spend hours shopping in the fabulous stores in the Orchard Road area.
After shopping at one of the large malls, it was so busy that I just couldn’t get a taxi. So, I walked over to a local hotel, and in no time at all, a taxi whisked me back to my hotel.
Travel Tip:If you’re ever having trouble getting a taxi, just head over to the nearest hotel and the doorman will get you a taxi in no time.
The next day, I had a business meeting near Raffles Hotel. I had been to Singapore many times and even taken a ride on a bumboat near Raffles. However, I had never visited Raffles Hotel or tried its famous Singapore Sling. So, I decided to head over there. Raffles Hotel, Afternoon Tea & a Singapore Sling Raffles Hotel has a lot of character. I meandered through the beautiful gardens. Then I entered the lobby and stared at the high ceiling. Based on the foliage in the garden, the decor, and the ambiance of the hotel, I could easily picture the rich and famous of a bygone era strolling by.
Even though I didn’t have a reservation, the concierge arranged for me to have a seating at the Afternoon Tea, which was (as usual) sold out. The room where tea was served was bright and spacious. There were guests from every corner of the globe. In Asia, afternoon tea, is more like what the British call High Tea. Yes the scones and sandwiches are present but, often, it’s a full buffet with meat, vegetables and a variety of deserts. The tea at Raffles Hotel was no different and I finally had a chance to try the Singapore Sling. I found it strong as I am not much of a drinker but it was refreshing and delicious. Finally having a chance to sample this local delight was almost like a toast. “Here’s to all of the beautiful days and incredible nights that I’ve spent in Singapore. May there be many more!”
The First Time I saw Singapore
My Singapore adventure began in January, 2000. When I left Toronto for my first trip to Asia, there was a snowstrom that was so severe that the time spent waiting on the runway and in de-icing on the runway was prolonged. As a result, I missed my connection to Singapore in LAX. We landed before the flight had departed but it was too late for me to make the connection. Air Canada graciously put me up in a hotel in Los Angeles for the rest of the day. It was then that I discovered that I had forgotten my backup overheads in Toronto. At that time, before USB drives, I always brought a set up back-up slides as an extra precaution. Thank heavens for Business Depot. I had e-mailed the sides to my Yahoo account. (I am not called the Back-up Queen for no reason.) In no time at all, the colour overheads were printed off inserted into folders and placed in binders.
Singapore Airlines
Fortunately, Singapore Airlines was able to honour my business class ticket, though the flight was heavily booked. I had heard rave reviews about Singapore Airlines and was really looking foward the trip. The business class lounge was more luxurious than any I had ever seen up until then. A full hot buffet was served, there were plush lounge chairs and couches, showers, big screen TVs, and numerous computer terminals where one could access the internet. Once on board, I was impressed by the luxurious seating in business class. It was more comfortable than any lounger with plush fabric. Shortly after boarding, we were offered hot towel service, welcome drinks, newspapers, and a little blue drawstring bag with slippers, ear plugs, sleeping mask, and toiletries. The range of choices for meals, beverages (including hot chocolate), and snacks (soup, noodles, cookies, sandwiches) was incredible. Every seat had it’s own TV console and passengers could arrange a personalized period of entertainment. After dinner, I was so tired that I couldn’t sleep. So, I selected some Chinese music and, in no time at all, I was sleeping like a baby. Why am I going into this level of detail? It is because, at the time, Air Canada and the other North American Airlines on which I had travelled had nothing even close to the amenities, service offerings, and facilitities in the business class lounge of in-flight. I’ll touch on what we can learn from this later.
First Impressions of Singapore
My first stop in Asia was in Kuala Lumpur. I have already written about that extensively. A few days later, we headed to Singapore. After I had finished my seminars in Malaysia, I headed over to Singapore with T. Saravanan and Sam Salveraj to conduct a seminar for a small group of executives, managers and HR professionals. My first impressions of Singapore that it was bright, warm, lush, and VERY clean. Definitely spotless. Since this was before the Chinese New Year, like Malaysia, there were red decorations everywhere. I noticed more decorative flowers and a lot of tiny oranges. In the hotel lobby, the Buddha was even decorated with flowers. After we checked into the hotel, it was time to head out for dinner.
The H2O Zone
Saravanan and Sam took me to The Cuppage Terrace at the H2O Zone. I fell in love with it immediately. As we entered, there were walls with water on either side and water flowing freely. It was beautifully lit up for the evening. The H2O Zone is similar to a food court but with a difference. It’s an outdoor food court with tables in the centre and restaurants on all sides. The waiters come to your table and, once they determine what kind of cuisine you prefer, they bring you menus from several restaurants and you place your order. It hit me that, here I was, a world away from the snow in Toronto wearing summer clothes, sitting under the stars , and enjoying a fabulous meal. It was at the Cuppage Terrace at the H2O Zone that I saw my first internet cafe. This was long before internet cafes opened in Toronto. I stepped inside picked up my e-mail and sent word to the folks back home that I was safe and enjoying my time in Asia. This seems commonplace now but just 9 years ago, it was an incredible experience.
Hello Kitty
On our way back to the hotel, we strolled along Orchard Road. It was bustling with activity and excitement. Chinese jugglers were performing in front of a shopping centre. We saw a Bollywood performer in full dress emerging from a hotel. Movie trailers and ads were projected from huge billboards atop buildings. (I had seen these in Malaysia as well a few days earlier.) When we approached the McDonald’s there was a huge crowd. I had no idea what this was all about. The next day at my seminar, some of the delegates told me that McDonald’s had been giving away 18″ Hello Kitty dolls in wedding costumes from various Asian countries. The Japanese dolls were about to go on the market and people had camped out overnight to make sure that they got a doll. I had never even heard of Hello Kitty so I simply didn’t get it. The doll was described to me as a mouthless cat. Through the magic of the internet, I have been able to uncover the story for you and determine that the events that I have just described took place on the evening of January 26, 2000:
A few years later, I noticed the dolls in a Montreal Chinatown store. I purchased them for about $25 and to this day they sit on my bureau as a reminder of my first trip to Singapore.
Changi Airport
Upon departure, I had a chance to really take a close look at the Changi Airport. It was beautiful. Monorails transported the passengers to and from the terminal building. There was a huge shopping centre with shops of every description, a transit hotel, lounges, a fitness centre, free kiosks for picking accessing the internet. I had never seen anything like this in North America. I purchased 2 cameras, a Samsung camera, the hottest selling model in Asia at the time, and a digital camera long before most people in North America had them.
Executive Oasis International would be pleased to work with you to plan, organize and deliver an incredible incentive travel itinerary or team building, sales or leadership retreat for your team in Singapore:
Anne Thornley-Brown is the President of Executive Oasis International, a Toronto based firm that regularly organizes incentive travel and executive retreats in Dubai, Oman, Jamaica, Malaysia, Singapore, and Canada. They provide one stop shopping service with a personalized approach to incentive travel for corporate groups of up to 60. Customized itineraries include travel, transfers, hotel, tours, team activities, and special events.
Photo Credit: (c) williamcho – Photo won Flickr Award
By Anne Thornley-Brown, President
Executive Oasis International
Anne Thornley-Brown is the President of Executive Oasis International, a Toronto based firm that regularly organizes incentive travel and executive retreats to Dubai, Oman, Jamaica, Canada, Malaysia, and Singapore. They offer a one stop shopping service with incentive travel itineraries that include travel, transfers, hotel, tours, team activities, and special events for corporate groups of 10 to 60.
Around the World on Horseback
When people ask me, how someone like me who isn’t particularly athletic started riding horses, I smile because it’s a long story. The short version is that on a return visit to Jamaica, I had the opportunity to see polo for the first time. I was blown away. The game was action packed and so fast paced that it took my breath away. Upon returning to Canada, I remember telling one of my Jamaican friends that I thought it was a pity there was no polo in Canada. She quickly corrected me and told me where I could watch polo near Toronto. I quickly became a fixture at Toronto Polo Club and GGHG. I would go almost every week and watch. I always credit Phil and Tammy Van Der Burgt and Sheila Sifton for getting me started in riding. When they encouraged me to take riding lessons, they opened up a whole new world of adventure to me. I will always be greatful to them for their support. Soon, I was heading up to GGHG twice a week. It took me a while but eventually, I did learn to walk, trot and canter. I even took a couple of polo clinics.
Horse riding opened up a whole new world for me. I soon got introduced to show jumping…. watching it, not doing it. During my riding lessons, I only jump when my instructors remember and I never remind them. Wherever I travel whether it is for business or pleasure, as long as the weather is great, I make a point of going riding, watching polo or taking in a horse show. I have ridden on the beach and taken my horse into the water to swim a number of times. I have ridden in snow, in the desert, in the mountains, and in the jungle. So what are some ideas for building riding into your incentive travel? Where can you go to ride?
Horse Riding and Incentive Travel
Pleasure Hacking and Trail Rides:At many destinations, there are places where you can go just to ride for pleasure. So whether it’s riding in the desert near Dubai, the jungle in Singapore, or on the beach in Jamaica, there are options for beginners and experienced riders
Team Challenges on Horseback: Beginners can take riding lessons and most destinations. This can open the door to some interesting team challenges. Even those who are a bit nervous around horses can participate in a tack up challenge or horse watering relay. On horseback, there are simple gymkhana games that one can use of team competitions. Beginners can participate at a walk or even while lead by another member of their team.
Horse Shows: If you time it right, you and your team can go to a horse show during your trip. You can watch international competitors compete in show jumping events, speed classes and even unique carriage events. Horse shows also provide your company with an opportunity for corporate sponsorships to promote your services and products.
Polo:At most destinations, polo is accessible and it’s free to watch club chukkas. For groups, it’s best to contact the club ahead of time to make arrangements. For charity tournaments, you have the option of reserving a corporate table or tent with gourmet meal or paying general admission, bringing a picnic or enjoying the action while you eat a burger or hot dog. Corporate sponsorships and promotional opportunities are also available at polo tournaments.
Polo clubs at many destinations have clinics for beginners. Make your plans well ahead of time and you can arrange for some riding lessons and a beginner clinic. You’ll watch videos to show you the basics, practice your shots from a wooden horse, and participate in ground scrimmages to get a feel for the basics. When you do get on a horse, participation is always within your zone of comfort whether you want to do it at a walk or, for the experienced riders, do some stick and balling at a canter.
How to Build Horse Riding into Your Incentive Travel
Timing is key. The most important piece of advice that I can give you is to contact the equestrian facilities and polo clubs at your desired destination WELL in advance. Plan your trip at a time when some interesting events are available. This is not something you can pull together at the last minute for a group. I don’t want to give away all of my secrets, here are a few ideas to get you started.
Toronto
There are many stables in the GTA where you and your team can take riding lessons. The 3rd weekend in June, Polo for Heart is the perfect opportunity to reserve a corporate table, paddock or tent for your team. Your enjoy world class polo as well as activities ranging from sky diving, superdogs and superdogs to the polo pony parades with luxury automobiles.
In November, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair always has a fabulous horse show with international competitors and options to fit every budget
Jamaica
Whether you are in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios or Negril, there are places where you can go riding. You’ll have everything available to you from a beach ride where you’ll get to ride while your horse swims in the sea to a cool ride in the mountains.
Ocho Rios: Hooves
One of my favourite places to ride is Hooves. It’s one of the first places I went riding on vacation after I started taking lessons. I returned years later when I had more experience. My guide even remembered me. Both times he gave me pointers that really improved my riding. A friend of mine, polo player and reggae artist, had told me that the best way to improve my riding would be to go bare back in the wter. So, the 2nd time I rode at Hooves, when I was more experienced, I dit that. It made a huge difference. When I was back in the saddle I could feel the difference. I felt grounded and my seat was firmly planted in the saddle.
Hooves has great beach rides and up until recently, they also featured a Bush Doctor Mountain Ride. Experienced riders can sign up for private rides so that they can canter.
Who is that cantering on the beach in Jamaica?
In the following video, Jamaica’s Dry Land Tourist takes you riding at Hooves.
Montego Bay: Half Moon Resort Equestrian Centre
I recently had the pleausre of riding at Half Moon Resort. I went on 2 trail and beach rides. Without a doubt, this is the most professionally run riding facility I have seen anywhere. Trina gives MAXIMUM attention to safety. During trail rides, beginners’ horses are attached to guides horses by lead line with a ratio of 1 to 1.
Enjoy Horse Riding on the Beach at Half Moon!
During beach rides, ALL riders’ horses are attached to guides’ horses at a ratio of 2 to 1. The guides are professionally trained by Trina to a level that they give riding lessons and provide coaching customized to the level of each rider. On my first ride, one of the guides gave me a tip that corrected a problem that I had been having with posting diagonals for years. Trina gave me some coaching before I headed out the second time. It made a huge difference.
For polo, you can go to Drax Hall or Chukka Cove. July is a good time to travel if your group wants to watch some tournaments. We can also arrange polo clinics and polo team building at Half Moon Club Equestrian Centre.
At the Dubai Polo Club you can take riding lessons and polo clinics. You can also watch polo. There was even an endurance ride for experienced riders that would take you from the Dubai Polo Club to Bab Al Shams where you’ll have a gourmet dinner and spend the night. Unfortunately, this ride has been suspended because of all of the construction in the desert. I regret that I was not at the level where I could handle almost a day in the saddle but one of these days, I hope that they will resume this ride and that I will be ready.
My guide bringing me my horse, saddled up
and ready me for to ride in the desert at Bab Al Shams in Dubai.
One of my most enjoyable experiences involved cantering in the desert at Bab Al Shams. When my guide brought my horse out he cautioned me to make sure that I didn’t take the horse towards the small sand dunes or they would jump them. As I like jumping NOT I was slightly nervous very careful. In no time at all, I was cantering like crazy in the desert, even ahead of my guides. When we came back near the barn, I raced around the track over and over again. It was great fun, an awesome experience and a wonderful way to boost my confidence as a rider. Endurance rides in the desert are available at Bab Al Shams for advanced riders.
The Royal Selangor Polo Club has clinics and tournaments several times a year. Make sure that you contact them ahead of time to secure an invitation for your group. I spent a pleasant afternoon there watching a tournament. Dato’ Beh Chun Chuan of BP Polo Club invited me to join his family for the scrumptious buffet of Malaysian treats that followed. I was really pleased that, even though it was the weekend, he arranged for a member of his team from BP Healthcare group to come to Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh to attend my 2 day seminar starting first thing Monday morning. Now that’s executive commitment.
Singapore
One of my favourite Singapore memories is going for a riding lesson at the Singapore Polo Club and then riding in the jungle with the club manager. After that, it was relaxing to watch the fast action of polo.
In Singapore, whether the members of your team are beginners or advanced riders, riding lessons are available at the Singapore Polo Club. After your lesson, you can go riding in the jungle. Riding lessons, jumping lessons and hacking are also available at the Bukit Timah Saddle Club. Horse shows are held regularly so, if you time your trip carefullly, you can take in some world class show jumping in Singapore.
