Successful Meetings - September 2009 - (Page 26)

Incentive Travel Report The Real Award WINNERS MOST INCENTIVE RECIPIENTS ARE NOT WEALTHY PEOPLE, THEY’RE REGULAR WORKING-CLASS FOLKS PARTICIPATING IN COMPANY-WIDE PROGRAMS By Alex Palmer alex.palmer@nielsen.com F or four weeks last year, every evening, Yordanos Emahazion would prepare traditional Ethiopian meals in her home and bring them to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where she works in the catering services department. The meals weren’t for her—they were for a young girl from Ethiopia who was in the United States for an operation and was having trouble digesting western food prepared by catering services operated by Sodexo, a global food and facilities management firm. For her efforts, Emahazion earned an incentive award from Sodexo that included a trip to Nashville to attend the annual company meeting. A common mischaracterization of incentive programs presents them as extravagant luxuries, primarily for the top executives of a company. At Sodexo, the employee award programs, and inspiring stories of its top winners, show how inaccurate such representations can be. Based in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexo has put in place a network of recognition programs that rewards employees at virtually every level and division of the company—not just the top salespeople or executives. “As at any service company, our talent is our product,” says Jaya Bohlmann, vice president of public relations at Sodexo. “So these recognition programs have evolved as there have been great stories about our employees. It’s a very employee-centric company.” Company-Wide Spirit Sodexo’s broad-based approach to incentives is reflected in its companywide recognition program, Spirit of Sodexo. The program was designed to recognize employees at all levels who exemplify the organization’s values. These values break down into the 26 I SM I September 2009 I SuccessfulMeetings.com http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - September 2009

Successful Meeting - September 2009
Table of Contents
Incentive Travel Report
Convention Centers
Shiny & New
Social Agenda
Meetings Merchandise
Rocky Mountain Resorts
Greater LA
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Caribbean
Monaco
Hawaii: Incentive Planner's Handbook
Hawaii Table of Contents
Paradise Found
No Task Too Big
Golf, Hawaii-Style
Nevada
Nevada Table of Contents
Las Vegas: New and Now
Meet Me in Las Vegas
That's Entertainment
Suburban Sancuaries
Meet Me in Reno-Lake Tahoe

Successful Meetings - September 2009