Wondering about the "I" in M.I.C.E.

Ever wondered what the "I" in M.I.C.E. stands for? Its something of a mystery to those who are not part of our industry. The Incentives business is a big one.....actually a huge one. I daresay most or all organisations/companies use some form of incentives to motivate staff to exceed performance expectations. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book.....er..I mean management tools. The introduction of a travel package or holiday as the incentive is, however, somewhat recent.

In order for a travel package or holiday to function as a "incentive", it has to have a very strong appeal to the employees participating in the incentive programme. The programme will not work if the prize at the end of the race is not perceived as attractive. So how does one characterise an "attractive" incentive travel award? I would look at a few things:
- the travel itinerary has to be unique, customised to a point that it is not something that a holiday maker can buy off the shelf;
- the overall perception of the award has to be one of "high value", "luxury" and the elements of the award needs to deliver on this perception via the treatment of the award winners, the type and quality of the accommodations, the food & beverage etc;
- at the end of the day, the award winners should walk away one of the most memorable experiences of their lifetime;
-details of the travel award - destination, accommodation, activities - need to be made known to employees at the start of the incentive programme so that they have a clear picture of the prize that awaits them.

With the aim of making every award winner feel like royalty, incentive travel programmes put great demands on the organisers. But that is the fun part - the challenge to be creative, to come up with unique itineraries, to put special touches into simple day-to-day activities etc......I leave this with you for now.