Incentive - September 2008 - (Page 88) TOP DESTINATIONS Belfast Castle, overlooking the Northern Irish city, dates back to the 12th century. Now owned by the Belfast City Council, it has been a popular spot locally for special events for more than 50 years. Now that peace has come to this part of the Emerald Isle it is proving an excellent location for incentive events as well. TRAVEL New Territory By Jeanie Casison Ten intriguing places around the world that are gaining ground in incentive travel A 88 | Incentive nticipation set in for Koleen Roach upon arrival in Malta. As director of meetings and conferences for St. Paul, Minn.–based Securian Financial Group, a division of Minnesota Life Insurance Company, Roach was no stranger to travel, having collected her share of passport stamps scouting out locations for international incentive programs. However, the Maltese Islands were something of a mystery, because she knew little of the Mediterranean destination prior to the trip. Fascination would soon turn into fondness, and in 2007 Roach returned with 375 top-performing Securian advisors and managing partners. “When I sat down with CEO Bob Senkler and President Randy Wallake to decide which destination would be best for | September 2007 | incentivemag.com our Leaders Conference, they were intrigued with the idea of Malta—I think because it sounded so exotic,” says Roach. “At the end of reviewing each destination, Bob asked which destination was my favorite, and I said ‘Malta.’ I had just fallen in love with the people, the culture, the food, the wine, the history and the sheer variety of things to experience in such a small area. It was a great program, and our people are still talking about it.” Malta is one of several places catching the attention of planners responsible for figuring out future hot spots for welltraveled audiences. Deciding where to take a group next can feel like a global guessing game. To help, Incentive enlists industry experts to share their insights on 10 promising possibilities. http://incentivemag.com
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