Meeting Planner Careers

Group incentive travel is an excellent way for companies to reward innovative, creative, and productive employees. Because these top performers are an invaluable asset to the company, it is essential that they are aware of how much their hard work is appreciated by those in charge. In times when finances are lean, companies may be reluctant to plan incentive travel programs, such as cruise events. However, minimizing the importance of corporate travel incentives can have a negative impact on employees. When planning a travel program, there are several factors that will determine the affordability of group incentive travel.

The price of the incentive travel will depend significantly on the number of people in the group. Many times, generous discounts will be offered for group travel; therefore, organizations should not look at individual costs when determining the budget. Rather, they should consider the cost for the entire group including any discounts offered. Costs that will need to be factored in include: airfare to the desired destination, accommodations such as ship charter, hotel or resort, dinners, receptions, group activities, and entertainment. While there may be other factors that will also need to be considered, these will be the main costs associated with group travel planning.

Planning meetings and corporate events at ski resorts is an excellent idea for a variety of reasons. The most obvious reason – of course – is the delight that will exude from your attendees when they find out their next business trip is to the top of a mountain with their skis or snowboard. Additionally, meeting and travel planners will find that there are some exceptional deals to be had if you do a little online research to find the best group travel deals for ski resorts. However, one of the biggest benefits that may not be quite as apparent in the planning process is the excellent networking opportunities that come with meeting at a ski resort.

When not in meetings, attendees will have the opportunity to hit the slopes, hang out in the resort’s lounge, cross-country ski, snowshoe or even take their family sledding, if they have come along as well. All of these activities provide the perfect environment for networking while on the ski lift, trekking through the forest or sharing the sledding hill. If your group is smaller than 20, you may also consider opting for a private vacation rental near or in the ski resort, which can save money on lodgings and provide a more intimate networking environment.

There are plenty of cost-effective ski destinations within the U.S. and Canada, as well as a plethora of options overseas. Also, keep in mind that the Southern Hemisphere experiences winter during our summer, allowing you to plan a meet and ski event in the middle of the summer by opting for New Zealand, Chile or other options to the south.

Miami, FL (Jan. 28, 2010) – Planning a meeting at sea requires searching for detailed ship information and not always finding what you need. Now, with Seasite.com, the first cruise portal for meetings and events, incentive cruise and group travel buyers will find all the ship data they need in one place – at no cost.

“Everyone who procures group travel should bookmark Seasite.com to simplify cruise sourcing and planning” said Jo Kling, CEO Seasite.com.

Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, so that you can: 

1-   Search and compare cruise options; then create an online RFP and submit it to multiple cruise lines.
      (Seasite’s group pricing is the same as booking direct.)

2-   Find ship data never before offered online or in print, such as:
      - Meeting/function room capacities
      - Details about private group dining
   

3-   Identify the cruise lines most committed to groups, and search their mini-sites (all laid out the same —
      when you’re familiar with one, you’re familiar with all.)

4-   Search for a cruise anywhere in the world by any date range. Sort your results by meetings-specific
      criteria.

5-   Refer to the Knowledge Center to answer all your questions, e.g.
      -  What will your group travel budget buy?
      -  What’s a typical budget for an Association cruise?
      -  How do Cruise vs. hotel costs compare, including tax deductibility?

For cruise sourcing, visit www.seasite.com