Incentive Travel

An incentive travel program that involves a cruise can be really exciting; not only is it invigorating and refreshing, a cruise trip can be a great employee motivation program that successfully blends business with pleasure.

Event planners may organize cruise incentive trips that involve a lot of exciting activities on board.

When it comes to cruise trips, you are definitely spoilt for choice. There are so many cruise trip options available around the world that you may not know which one to choose. One way of choosing ideal and favorable cruise trip destinations is through word of mouth. If a particular cruise trip destination has been recommended as worthwhile, companies or event planners are encouraged to try it out. Another option is to do research online or go through travel brochures to find out a suitable cruise trip destination.

When companies organize an incentive travel program, they expect it to be exceptional, even more so when they outsource the service to an event planning industry. The event manager needs to make sure that guests are constantly entertained and have a great time. In case of a cruise trip, the job is even more challenging- the event manager needs to come up with creative entertainment programs to keep the guests amused.

There are countless numbers of places that you could go for that unforgettable cruise trip. You could choose from Caribbean to Alaskan tours that are famous for their rich landscape characterized by exotic sights. The Caribbean offers a beautiful experience for cruise tours. It is also an ideal region to explore for a first time cruise trip, and the best time to visit is between October and April. The diverse architecture you get to observe while on the cruise is mind blowing and the color of the water, turquoise is also warm and revitalizing.

At a time of economic stagnation when business is low key and the profits are difficult to come by, there is hardly any industry or organization that does not feel the affects.

The event planning industry, like every other business, feels the ripples of this setback, though perhaps not in a very severe way. This vibrant and robust industry of event planners is bound to consistently attract customers- there will always be corporate groups willing to outsource services for the purpose of organizing events. The only difference will be in the decline of investments and cutting down on lavish expenses.

Here are some handy tips to help event planners organize their events at low costs:

Less grandeur more interaction

The event planning industry is all about high value and high profits. In order to make an impression, corporate groups don't hesitate to put up a lavish show to appease their clients, new recruits or even their very own employees. However with the recession hitting the economy, it becomes necessary to cut down on extravagant settings such as expensive interiors. These days event planners are resorting to audience interaction. Meetings no longer begin with a long, tiresome one-sided speech, but in fact involve all members of the audience. This helps to break the ice between people in an event and also keeps them interested. It really makes sense to make events interactive instead of spending opulently on the interior settings.

Minimal expenditure on food

Food is always an important part of an event, and most business meetings are characterized by great food. As the standard of the food directly reflects the standard of the corporate group sponsoring the event, it becomes important to serve impressive and good quality food. However with the economic setback, many companies are cutting down on expensive food and serving affordable meals instead. There are many ways to make your food look attractive, even if it is not something extravagant. Get as creative as possible and present your food in appealing ways. Good food does not always mean expensive cuisines gathered from all parts of the world- you could present some affordable food from your local caterer and present it in innovative ways.

It also helps to know that people have become a lot more health conscious and serving fresh food such as salad and fruit drinks would actually be easy on your budget, compared to rich food that is not so health friendly.

Resort to online methods

With technology making life easier, you could use the online media to get work done. For example, for a business seminar, you could send online invitations to all guests instead of printing cards and sending them across. This will not only save you time but also cut down expenses.

MIAMI, FL (Sept 29, 2009) - In what will be a bold foray into cyberspace and revolutionize the cruise meetings industry, global cruise event specialist, Landry & Kling, announces the worldwide debut of Seasite.com, the first online cruise portal dedicated solely to serving the cruise meetings market. And the timing couldn't be better because cruising slashes 25-40% off the cost of a land-based meeting or incentive trip, helping event planners adapt to today's shrinking budgets.

Driven by sophisticated technology, super rich content and robust search capabilities for meetings-at-sea; Seasite puts incentive and meeting management companies, corporate or independent meeting planners and other group and event organizers in total "cruise" control. The single most comprehensive source for savvy, do-it-yourself planners and novices alike, Seasite delivers all the tools, ideas and resources needed to launch a successful incentive cruise event or meeting-at-sea. There is no cost or membership fee to use Seasite.com.

The Case For Seasite.Com

"We understand that cruising for many planners is virtually uncharted territory," states Josephine Kling, Seasite's CEO. "Seasite.com demystifies the entire process by providing easy access, depth of information and the tools and resources needed to successfully navigate the waters. Combining high-tech innovation with high-touch service, Seasite offers a winning formula for the relationship-focused meetings industry because our experienced Cruise Advisors provide the human touch."

Over the past 25 years, thousands of businesses and professional groups have discovered the advantages of cruising. The experience - once reserved just for the elite - is now an everyman's getaway, like going to a hotel. Except it costs so much less due to all-inclusive pricing.

As the cruise industry keeps growing, it's impossible to keep track of all the ships and details that are essential to planning a well-run cruise event. Kling adds: "We've often thought there should be a 'Meeting Planner's Guide to Cruising,' and finally realized we were best qualified to create it. So, we've downloaded the Landry & Kling brain-trust and combined it with technology, allowing you to connect with the entire group cruise industry through Seasite."

Seasite.com's innovative technology opens up the untapped world of cruising for planners, connecting cruise lines and meeting professionals like never before. Cruise sourcing can now be as easy and efficient as planning hotel events. For the first time, planners can find ship meeting facilities online and compare departure dates, itineraries and cruise brands all on one site, eliminating the need to phone multiple cruise lines or search multiple Web sites in vain.

Features of Seasite.Com

High-tech software turns Seasite users into knowledgeable planners and educated cruise buyers with 24/7 answers, ship-sourcing tools and the first group cruise RFP online, all supported by Seasite's Cruise Advisors, who are trained by Landry & Kling. One single RFP is sent to multiple cruise lines, generating electronic bottom-line quotes for a quick and accurate "apples to apples" comparison.

Seasite's robust search capabilities allow planners to drill down and refine searches by cruise line, ship rating, size, capacity of largest function room, cruise style (floating resort, boutique ship, sail ship, river boat), by port or day of departure, destination, cruise length and much more.

"Planners Guides" offer comprehensive ship data harvested exclusively for Seasite and never-before published - not even on cruise line Web sites - including meeting space grids, an inventory of guest rooms by category, function room capacities, outdoor function areas, group dining information, photo gallery, 360 degree tours, AV equipment, communications technology and more.

Seasite provides impartial access any day, any time, to 35 cruise brands (over 250 ships), and its meeting-friendly search criteria even allows one to search for charters of a specific size plus three other specialty searches. A simple click compares ship choices, along with maps, itineraries, ship profiles and essential meeting planning data.

The Knowledge Center is a repository of useful tools and advice designed for all levels of expertise, such as operational checklists and timelines; comparison of using a cruise verses a hotel; how to overcome obstacles and myths about business at sea; distance between airports and seaports; sample day-by-day agendas; cruise contract terminology; advantages and challenges of full ship charters; a cruise event feasibility quiz; case histories; speaker logistics; global holidays and much more.

Users will find the Great Ideas! section to be the "go to" place, with its recommended "Gems," (rare and hard to find, short cruise opportunities), the "Top 10" list featuring best ships and itineraries for groups, and "Quick Picks" serves up cruise ideas based on group size. Other value-added elements on the site include Cruise Line "Mini-Sites", a Supplier directory, Destination information and a blog for planners to share their onboard experiences with cruise meetings and rate ship performance.

For cruise lines and other suppliers, Seasite significantly expands market reach to corporate and event planners way beyond traditional methods. Through this unprecedented global distribution channel, Seasite.com finally puts cruise sourcing on par with hotels, so group travel buyers can easily compare price/value - their main focus in today's economy.

Seasite's Founding Cruise Line Marketing Partners

Nine cruise lines are committed to making event planners' lives easier. They are Seasite's Founding Marketing Partners: Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Regent, Silversea, Celebrity, NCL, MSC, SeaDream and Sea Cloud. They recognize the need for a new distribution channel for cruises dedicated to increasing corporate/incentive/association and all other group business, and they view Seasite as an innovative productivity tool that will expand the global cruise industry.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888- 713-1371.

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About Seasite.com/Landry & Kling
Seasite is the next generation of Landry & Kling, who are credited with being the first distribution channel between the cruise industry and corporate America. Visionaries who led the way in seagoing corporate meetings and incentives, founders Joyce Landry (CEO, Landry & Kling) and Josephine Kling (CEO Seasite.com) ignited the corporate market for cruises by spearheading the meetings-at-sea concept back in 1982. With their exclusive focus on events and meetings-at-sea, they have played a crucial role in advancing the cruise ship as a viable meeting venue and creating a whole new focus for the industry. Landry & Kling is renowned for its forward thinking, creativity and "industry firsts." Now, 27 years since their startup, the company has further diversified to meet the needs of the marketplace with Seasite.com, which will forever change the way event planners source and plan meetings at sea.

Their trailblazing spirit has been a recurring theme, from their early days when at the Seatrade Conference they dangled a bunch of carrots from the podium, challenging cruise lines to 'match hotels in rolling out the red carpet for corporate groups,' to being the dominate force in the 'floating hotel' phenomenon. With Seasite.com, they have responded to the changing times by creating an online "powerhouse" that will allow the meeting planner community to be more pro-active in confidently recommending cruises, taking control, and when desired, following the DIY path (Do it Yourself), independently customizing the entire experience to their needs and liking. At the same time, busy and understaffed planners looking for help in managing their cruise events can still turn to the expertise of Landry & Kling to customize their cruise programs both onboard and ashore.

In April 2009, Landry & Kling co-founders Jo Kling and Joyce Landry were inducted into the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) Hall of Fame, recognizing their significant contributions and innovations in the cruise industry. The company, which is based in Miami, the Cruise Capital of the World, is certified as a diversity supplier by WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) and was been named among the Top Small Businesses in the United States by DiversityBusiness.com.

By its very nature, incentive trips ought to have an air of luxury and definitely ought to be tempting in order for it to function as an incentive. An incentive trip simply cannot be a ordinary excursion that the possible attendees could easily throw together themselves. Incentive travel packages must be Unforgetable, meaningful, flawlessly planned and knowledgeably executed.

That being understood, incentive travel planners are under more and more pressure to reduce expenses and deliver incentive travel packages that fit into new, reduced travel budgets. As planners struggle to meet the demands of their managers or client companies, while at the same time staying within budget, incentive travel planners are now forever looking for methods to slash travel costs. The trick is to achieve ways to cut costs without cutting corners.

One way that travel planners are adapting to the changes that have come with this economic downturn is to opt for an all-inclusive meeting at sea. A cruise meeting is one of the top ideas if you really would like to inspire employees. Your meeting participants will never fail to remember the thrill of visiting many exotic destinations and just unpacking one time. Above and beyond increasing attendance, incentive trips such as an all inclusive cruise meeting can be much easier on the incentive travel budget, too.

Cruise events can save up to 40% over a comparable land-based hotel venue, and furnish incredible onboard facilities and dining choices. Additionally, cruise ships are being constructed with events in mind, e.G. Dedicated meeting facilities, leading-edge technology, flexible public spaces and large theaters that can seat as many as 1,600 people.

Meeting space and A/V equipment are complimentary with nearly all cruise lines, and the dedicated meeting facilities provide groups more privacy and technology. Fresh new meeting venues such as a cruise ship's magnificent show lounges, comedy clubs, and culinary centers can generate creative thinking and team building. And there is no shortage of fun activities and challenging sports facilities for your incentive group to take part in between meetings, offering tons of motivational appeal (and bragging rights) for attendees of every age.

Built-in activities for spouse/guest programs save you planning time and money. Family incentive cruises are easier and far less costly than land-based programs, and teens - who typically resist family trips - find cruising allows them more freedom, friends and food than any alternative venue.

If you have the position of coming up with incentive ideas, one thing to keep in mind is that many people are being more concerned about the environmental impact of travel. This is especially true of younger employees who earn rewards from their companies. Here are some travel ideas that may help you present the best possible package.

Eco-Conscious Regions

First, travel to eco-conscious regions is always a plus. Costa Rice is a big favorite. It has more variety in its indigenous life than any other place on earth of the same size. It is also proud of its eco-conscious image: its motto is "No Artificial Ingredients." How can you go wrong?

You can go wrong with places like that by providing unfriendly travel. Make sure the you present your client with travel and accommodation options with the smallest impact on the area.

Even though you can rent cars in Costa Rica, find top-notch resorts and restaurants, you might give another option to you client's employee. Offer the option of having all portions of the trip be eco-friendly (even though it cannot, admittedly, be zero impact) and all the food options be low impact.

Once you have a good idea for a destination, contact their tourist board to find the best options for the best prices. If you have a meeting planner buddy in that country, contact her as well for the inside scoop.

All of this may take you a little longer than usual, but you make a big splash with the client and help ensure a good ROI.

Hard economic times and decreasing budgets do not require that your company ought to cut incentive travel programs. Instead, there are many low cost deals that will meet your requirements and reward your employees for their hard work, without breaking the bank.

For instance, entities situated in Los Angeles, or other Southern California cities can opt for incentive travel that is a bit closer to home and much more low cost than over the top, exotic trips. Two- to four-day incentive cruises that stop in San Diego and popular Mexican ports deliver several economical options for corporate travel. Additional choices offer weekend trips to Solvang or Santa Barbara, or train trips up the West coast.

Other companies based on the East coast can opt for all inclusive cruise meetings that depart from New York for ports of call in New England, Nova Scotia or Burmuda. For those closer to Florida, the ports of Fort Lauderdale and Miami furnish terrific opportunities to see the Caribbean, Mexico as well as ports in Central and South America.

Companies that are situated in Seattle, Tacoma or the Greater Puget Sound vicinity also have a broad variety of economical incentive travel alternatives. Amtrak offers special train travel deals to the popular town of Leavenworth at selected times of the year and has regularly scheduled service to Vancouver, Canada. Seattle also has a major cruise seaport with cruise lines offering two- to four-day cruises to Victoria Island and Vancouver, or to destinations along the coast to San Francisco, California.

These, clearly, are just a a small number of choices that are existing for these three major urban regions, but regardless of where your company is based, there are low cost incentive travel deals available that will help you in showing your appreciation to employees and encourage high productivity, while helping you stay within your allotted travel budget.

The current downturn and ongoing, gradual recovery of the economy have made group cruises even more popular with event planners and incentive meeting planners. Businesses that are managing their budgets more strictly than ever before are looking to cruise meetings and cruise events both for the effortlessness of organizing and the potential for considerable cost savings.

Event planners have long enjoyed the payback of group cruise planning, including inclusive pricing that makes it simple to stay within their conference or travel budget. Additionally, when organizing incentive cruises, planning every aspect of the conference is clear-cut and convenient, because everything you desire is incorporated in the package. As an example, luxury accommodations, meeting spaces, decor, entertainment, activities, catering and audio-visual equipment are all included in the price and are easily organized through the cruise line, instead of booking several vendors to meet your needs when organizing a land-based event. Due to the all inclusive nature of incentive cruises, planners will save as much as 40 percent over the cost of a similar land-based event.

To make group cruise planning even more convenient, planners may want to think about a half ship charter or full ship charter. These two alternatives will deliver increased flexibility, and enhanced customization alternatives. This sort of personalization is certain to make your conference even more memorable and successful, whether you are planning to use your group cruise for a corporate meeting or as a travel incentive.

Even if you do not go for a full ship charter, a cruise ship offers a controlled environment with every meeting venue or restaurant in close proximity. This totally eliminates the need for transportation for participants to and from meetings or other venues once they are on the ship.

In addition, planners will save time - and companies will save money - when it comes to food and entertainment. When going for incentive cruises, the all inclusive nature of cruise ships means no need to book entertainment and all of your participants onboard meals are included in the price of your cruise meeting package.