Incentive - January 2009 - (Page 50)

TRAVEL Clockwise from left: A section of the Berlin Wall, now an artist’s canvas; the Sony Center is one of the city’s many architectural pleasures, both modern and historic; a group enjoys a high-concept appetizer of cheese served on (unrigged) mousetraps at Zagreus Projekt German Cool or planners looking for an incentive destination packed with art, culture, history and excitement, it’s tough to beat Berlin. Right now the German capital is open for business in a big way for the incentive market, undergoing a hotel boom with a number of new openings slated for 2009, including the Hotel Berlin, Casa Camper, Soho House and Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin. In the midst of this new crop of properties there are plenty of existing ones for planners to choose from, such as the elegant Steigenberger Hotel Berlin, located in the center of the city and the grand Estrel Hotel & Berlin’s art, culture and history offers winners an exciting and enlightening experience By Alex Palmer F 50 | Incentive | January 2009 | incentivemag.com Photo: Alex Palmer Convention Center. With such a dramatic and sometimes painful past, Berlin offers many educational experiences, from the antiquities housed on the city’s Museum Island, to the striking Holocaust Memorial and Jewish Museum. For a more lighthearted visit through the past, Trabi Safari tours allows visitors to get in the driver’s seat of one of the tough Trabant vehicles produced in Eastern Germany for 30 years, virtually unchanged during the Cold War. Taking their “Berlin Wild East” tour includes a ride past some of the city’s most famous buildings, both old and new, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building and the imposing Fernsehturm (“television tower”). This rotating Fernsehturm also offers an excellent space for groups looking to hold an intimate dinner or award reception. As remarkable as Berlin’s history is, its sense of modern, urban cool is what incentive winners will probably be telling friends and family about upon their return. The city’s vast array of galleries, restaurants and nightlife options make it ideal for winners eager for a unique cultural experience. For planners seeking a memorable and delicious meal, a small group can share in a multicourse artistic experience at the gallery-cum-restaurant Zagreus Projekt; or they can enjoy an evening of dinner theater at Chamäleon in the historic Hackeschen Höfe area of central Berlin. If the winners would rather have no visual distractions whatsoever, there is Nocti Vagus, “the dark restaurant” where diners literally cannot see their hands in front of their faces. Participants really pay attention to the taste when they can’t see their food. After dinner, the more ambitious attendees can drop by one of Berlin’s many nightclubs or dancehalls to enjoy a late-night cocktail or concert. To make sure attendees are going to the hottest spots in the city, planners can hire a nightlife guide. I http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January 2009

Incentive - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note: Rewards Must Be Sustainable Headlines Cover Story: Responsibility's New Role Incentive Interview: Patrick Lencioni Family Rewards: Who They're Working For Primer: Working Design Leap of Faith: Religion in the Workplace Cook Up Engagement: Kitchen Teambuilding My Turn: Procurement Possibilities Motivation@Work: Hard Times Recognition Legal Ease: The Tax Facts on Corporate Gifts Travel News: Where to Go and What to Do The Bahamas: Islands in the Sun Field Reports: Four European Destinations Golf: Around the World in 18 Holes Potentials Here and Now Watches and Clocks: Strike the Pose Golf Merchandise: Awards with a Solid Swing Computers: Digital Delights Retailers Band Together for Gift Card Market Gift Cards: The Prepaid Reward Spectrum Advertiser Index On the Web www.Incentivemag.com

Incentive - January 2009

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