Incentive - September 2008 - (Page 65) “Everybody is looking to you for the answers, and if you’re panicked, it’s going to ruin the event. president of Philadelphia-based United Incentives, recalling one harrowing experience. It’s how planners deal with the unexpected that separates the best from the rest. So how do you handle disaster on the road? CHOOSE PARTNERS YOU CAN TRUST. The success of any incentive trip depends on cooperation among various service professionals, and it’s when things go awry that the mettle of these relationships is tested. Unfortunately, that’s exactly not the time you want to learn whether your partner is looking out for your clients or its own bottom line. After 9/11, when many trips were thrown into upheaval, Hurwitz remembers that some of his European partners were less understanding than others about Americans’ sudden reluctance to travel abroad. The best partners, he says, “jump in and not only solve the problem, but make [the experience] better than it would have been.” Successful incentive professionals spend many years cultivating relationships with hotel general managers, carriers and destination management companies (DMCs) so that when the time comes, they’ll have the ability to call in a face-saving favor. When choosing a partner in a new area “you don’t necessarily go with the cheapest,” says Haigazian. “Look at [the company’s] past clients and how long they’ve been around. We make sure they’re established and can open doors that wouldn’t otherwise.” BE PROACTIVE. The best way to keep an unexpected setback from ballooning into a trip-ruining catastrophe is to anticipate it. That means regularly checking the news and weather in host countries as well as the flight status for all participants, before they head to the airport. If there’s a malaria outbreak or a military coup at your destination, you want to know about it ahead of your client. “Really sit down and brainstorm about all the things that could go wrong,” says TMobile USA’s Cloud. STAY COOL, COMMUNICATE. No matter what is thrown at you, don’t let attendees see you flustered. “There’s always an answer. You just have to be calm and find it,” says Cloud. “Everybody is looking to you for the answers, and if you’re panicked, it’s going to ruin the event.” At the same time, keep talking—clamming up when the client knows something is wrong will only increase their concern. “It’s when there’s a lack of information that people get frustrated,” he warns. –Joe Cloud, T-Mobile USA DESIGNATE A POINT PERSON. Many people may work on parts of a program, but assigning a point person from your staff who follows a trip from beginning to end ensures there will be someone on hand who knows the ins and outs of both the client and the destination. “By the time you go, you know everyone concerned,” says Haigazian. “If a problem arises, you’ve done the site inspection, you know who’s who, and you know where to go, whether that means finding another restaurant, another tour or anything else.” CALL FOR BACKUP. While it’s standard for most companies to collect emergency contact information from participants, it’s also important that attendees have access to important numbers when they need them. A page of contact numbers in the welcome packet won’t help someone lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood if it’s back in the hotel room. On trips planned by Windward, according to Mullins, each participant receives a wallet-size laminated card that lists the hotel number, emergency evacuation policies and any other key information. It can also be a good idea to have copies of participants’ important documents on file, especially passports. GET CREATIVE WITH CONTINGENCY PLANS. “I believe in not presenting a problem to a client until you have a solution,” advises Hurwitz. If a change of plans is in order, be sure of your backup before broadcasting it. Haigazian recalls a trip to New Zealand where a flight was canceled from Auckland to Christchurch: “The next thing I knew, I was behind the counter rebooking. Then I was in the baggage hold area, trying to get bags on the right flight.” If the main event has to be canceled, think of a compensatory experience that tops the original, so attendees don’t miss the loss. Send comments to feedback@incentivemag.com incentivemag.com | September 2008 | Incentive | 65 http://incentivemag.com
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