The Biggest Stressors – and Must-Haves – for Senior Incentive Planners

The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) has released its latest snapshot report on incentive travel and motivational events. It surveyed 79 senior incentive planners working directly in companies and corporations. Some findings highlight current stress points and the challenges facing incentive travel.

Stressors: Rising Costs and Geopolitics

Almost all respondents (95%) expressed concerns about rising costs and inflation. Supporting this finding, Global DMC Partners reported that their DMCs saw a 30% increase in pricing across airfares, accommodations, staffing, and other essentials in 2024.

Incentive planners work almost exclusively with five-star and luxury properties, so vendors will monitor this closely. Should budgets for incentive travel fail to match pricing increases in the long run, this could spell trouble for high-end properties that rely on group business.

Despite budgets being a major concern, “value for money” was only the fifth most popular criterion when considering destination selection. “Destination appeal” and “infrastructure” were the top two choices, followed by “safety, health & security” and “connectivity.” 

Almost half (49%) of respondents are concerned about geopolitical instability, the second biggest concern after rising costs and inflation. They also call out the safety and security of participants and in-destination sociopolitical stability as “red line” items that would negatively impact destination selection or the success of incentive events.

The findings highlight the constant issue of securing an appealing destination with great properties that is safe and well-connected but still offers value for money and is not impacted by geopolitical situations.

Must-Haves: Inclusivity, Local Partnerships and Personal Interaction

The report emphasizes the importance of creating an inclusive environment for incentive groups. When respondents were asked to select absolute requirements for incentive event destinations, delivering respectful and equal treatment for all participants was the top choice. 

Inclusivity also applies to different generations. Incentive travel and destination experiences can involve strenuous physical activity, but this can exclude many potential participants. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that survey respondents selected “cater for all generations” as the third most selected absolute destination requirement.

Absolute requirements for incentive event destinations (Top 3 only)

1. All treated equally with respect
2. Luxury, 5 star
3. Cater for all generations

^{(Source: SITE IT&ME Survey of Corporate Event Organizers July 2024)}

Looking at what partnerships incentive planners value the most, it’s clear that local partnerships are a must. Planners value their relationships with their counterparts at the host property the most. In close second comes the value of local expertise through their chosen Destination Management Company (DMC).

Topping the list of preferred industry resources are events industry trade shows (83%), and personal recommendations (67%). Familiarization trips (fam trips) were the third most popular choice selected by 62% of respondents. All three top choices reinforce the idea that the events industry thrives off personal interaction. Almost half (41%) of respondents said DMOs were a preferred industry resource, yet this came in lower than online research, selected by 54%.

Preferred industry sources (Top 6 only)

1. Events Industry Trade Show (83%)
2. Personal Recommendations (67%)
3. Fam Trip (62%)
4. Online Research (54%)
5. Association Events (51%)
6. DMO (41%)

^{(Source: SITE IT&ME Survey of Corporate Event Organizers July 2024)}

Tenured Leaders with Mixed Roles

While a sampling of 79 people cannot define a whole sector, it is striking that the vast majority of respondents, primarily based in North America, were tenured professionals. Over three-quarters (78%) have more than 10 years of experience, and 48% have worked in incentive travel for over 20 years. 

Despite their extensive experience, companies take very different approaches to integrating their role. As a whole, they sit across varied departments and report to a variety of different leaders. The most common reporting structure was within marketing, but this only applied to 27% of respondents. Almost as many (24%) reported directly to the CEO. Reporting to the head of events (19%) and the head of sales (13%) was also selected by a significant number, yet only 4% reported to the head of HR.