Incentive - February 2008 - (Page 27)

Prepare the audience Don’t assume the audience knows your speaker. Even boxing great Muhammad Ali might be foreign to some people. There is too much risk in not working with a reliable partner. Having your tickets not show up can ruin everything. Autographs and pictures: a must People enjoy getting their pictures taken with famous people. They also like bringing home presents for the kids, so make sure you leave time during the appearance. The hotel and tickets are key components each night. Maybe on the ride over to the event, you can show a greatest sports moments DVD or even a sports movie like Friday Night Lights or Hoosiers. Planning an Incentive at the Game Another great option for implementing sports in your program is to develop an entire incentive around a sporting event. There is no better way to capitalize on the lure of sports than through an incentive program where winners can personally experience a major event like the Super Bowl or Final Four. Other events, like the Ryder Cup, World Cup or Olympics, come around only once every couple of years or even four. One thing that is consistent is that being able to attend a spectacular event is something that no one ever forgets. Here are seven key factors to consider when putting together a sporting event incentive program: The major components of a sports incentive are the location of both the seats and the hotel. With limited space available, clients tend to expand the list of hotels they would be comfortable staying in. This can get you into trouble. Most corporate clients would sacrifice being in the middle of the action for a better property. Tickets depend on the client’s expectations. With some clients, it might be good enough just being there. Others expect to sit in the best seats, no matter how expensive. I suggest aboveaverage seating for corporate groups. Deliver tangible memories The one thing about sporting events is people like to say they were there. Whether they were or not is always open for debate. Give your clients something that will make them remember the incentive. A glass ticket holder can sit on their desk and display proof of their good fortune for years after the event. A ball autographed by the event’s star athlete is also a nice takeaway. Prepare like a good coach P ersonalize your event and plan your own experiences First, you need to determine the time frame of your incentive. Once you know this, you can narrow down the list of sporting events to choose from. You need to then figure out the event your participants would most likely want to attend. If your payout is in the second quarter and your group is mainly middle-aged men, then I’d suggest the Masters Golf Tournament. If it is a spouse-oriented program, I might suggest the Kentucky Derby. Understand the event demographics and match them with your audience. Select a sports travel company to assist planning Illustration: Katharine Sandalls Planning a sporting event is a lot different than preparing for a typical travel incentive. Hotel space is almost nonexistent because the event organizers usually block up to 90 percent of the rooms with the local CVB. The other 10 percent of the rooms are locked up by sports travel companies who will go in and sign contracts three to four years in advance of the event. In addition, there is the element of securing tickets through a trusted source. Do the little things There are many great ideas to further enhance your sportsthemed program and give it a special feel. It could be something as easy as a themed gift, like golf clubs or autographed memorabilia dropped in the room ©2008 Tumi, Inc. Choose the right sporting event There are many things you can do to put your own stamp on a sporting event incentive and make it more memorable. One option is to bring in a famous athlete to give an insider’s perspective. A lot of athletes tend to be on-site for these events, and are willing to accept half of their regular fee. Another idea is to add your own experience. At a golf event, you might want to host a tournament for clients. If it is a racing event, you can create your own pre-race driving experience with the help of a company like Richard Petty Driving Experience. There will always be issues with any incentive program. With sports events, there are things to prepare for that you might not consider with other incentives. Sometimes, a game goes into overtime. Also, there is tight security during major events, so you will need to allow for extra time in getting into the stadium. Always make sure you know the exact time for game time as well. More often than you’d think, the newspaper will print the incorrect time. Call the stadium directly. www.tumispecialmarkets.com 800.669.3181 incentivemag.com | February 2008 | Incentive | 27 http://www.tumispecialmarkets.com http://www.tumispecialmarkets.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - February 2008

Incentive Magazine - February 2008 Editor’s Note: Archie and the Boys In The News Cover Story: On The Ball Incentives Incentive Primer: How to Use Sporting Events Incentive Interview: Jim Avery on Doing the Right Thing Employee Empowerment Motivates and Pays Dividends Hospitals, Nurses Win With Flexible Scheduling Legal Ease: Safety Programs and Unions Case Study: The Weitz Company Retains Its Boomers Potentials: Here and Now Star Power in the Kitchen Awards: Gift Card Trends for the New Year Travel News The Manhattanization of Las Vegas Classics Renewed: Monaco and France Advertiser Index Off The Cuff: Tumi’s Mike Landry

Incentive - February 2008

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