Incentive - October 2009 - (Page 6)

HEADLINES Hard Numbers on Travel ROI PAGE 8 U.S. Travel Association turns to Oxford Economics to put concrete statistics behind the ROI of all major types of business travel Masters of Motivation PAGE 14 We profile the category winners of our first annual Motivation Masters awards, before one ultimate Master is chosen in December Preempting the H1N1 Threat As flu season approaches, and a resurgence of the swine flu becomes more likely, planners must counter panic with preparation BY ALEX PALMER ne popular pillow gift this season may be a bottle of hand sanitizer. As flu season arrives, concerns about the H1N1 virus—or the swine flu virus—are on the rise, and meeting, incentive, and hospitality leaders are going on the offensive. But as planners seek a balance between caution and crisis mode, some are concerned they may not be doing enough. Joan Eisenstodt, owner of Washington, DC-based Eisenstodt Associates LLC, which advises meeting and incentive groups, as well as hotels and convention and visitors bureaus, urges that precautions go beyond telling attendees to wash their hands and sneeze into their sleeves. “For someone that is going to convene a group, much more has to be done,” she says. “There are a handful of us who are thinking about it, but when I ask various clients and groups what they are doing, I’m hearing that they think it is a bit like SARS— overblown and not really a big deal.” Eisenstodt worries that swine flu will be downplayed by an industry that has already faced significant struggles over the past year and is not eager to take on a new one. She O like quarantines or when they contract the virus themselves. “The safest thing to do is close your doors and sit at home, but there’s a certain amount of calculated risk that everyone has to take,” says Jody Huber, director of business development for Dallas-based SEI Meetings and Incentives. Huber was setting up a The American Hotel & Lodging Association and leading meetings and incentive industry 500-person incentive consultants are preaching preparedness for swine flu program in New York in April when the last outbreak of H1N1 hit a sees the H1N1 bug as a substantial enough fever pitch. Caught by surprise at the level concern that she will use it as an example in of concern and coverage about it, her team a risk management course she is teaching a cleaned out a local drug store of its approxigroup of meeting planners this month. mately 500 bottles of hand sanitizer. Huber Among the precautions Eisenstodt meneven allowed participants to drop out of the tions are providing trip participants with program if they felt uncomfortable traveling. hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes as “We said, ‘If you’re really concerned, and part of the pre-trip gift package, knowing you don’t want to come, we understand and the health department contacts at the destithere will be no penalties,’ ” says Huber. nation, and encouraging participants to get “But everyone ended up coming.” vaccinated prior to the trip. She also advises This flu season, SEI is preparing for the that planners prepare for significant events 6 | Incentive | October 2009 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - October 2009

Incentive - October 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note: Motivation with a Catwalk Flair
Headlines
Cover Story: Study Reveals Travel ROI in Numbers
The First Annual Motivation Masters Awards Finalists
Holiday Parties with Heart
Research: Travel IQ
All-American Pillow Gift Guide
Strategies: Skip the Carrots
Primer: Win Over Leaders in Order to Win Over Employees
Travel News: Where to Go and How to Get There
The Caribbean: So Close, but a World Away
Florida Coast to Coast
Reno-Lake Tahoe: The Other Great Lake
Reno-Lake Tahoe: The Other Great Lake
Power & Hand Tools See Steady Activity
Netbooks Fire Up Computer Redemption

Incentive - October 2009