Motivation Excellence Wins Prestigious SITE Crystal Award

Motivation Excellence Wins Prestigious SITE Crystal Award

For Immediate Release

Motivation Excellence Wins Prestigious SITE Crystal Award

The “Oscars” of the incentive travel industry, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence’s Crystal Awards, recognize companies that accomplish outstanding creative and memorable experiences. SITE honored six companies at their global conference in Dublin this year. 

“This is an incredibly special group of Crystal Award winners,” said Kevin Edmunds, MS, CITP, Vice President, AIC Hotel Group & SITE President. “They are all leaders in our industry, with the programs we recognized at this year’s Crystal Awards Gala standing out as shining examples of incentive travel programs being run smoothly and safely that still achieve the exacting, incredibly high business aims all of us set out to deliver.”

Motivation Excellence won for Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis for our program “GEM Club 2020: From Kauai to Concierge.” Our longtime healthcare client postponed two years’ worth of incentive travel experiences due to COVID, with the first year slated to be a rewarding adventure on Kauai in Hawaii. 

At our direction, our client converted the travel experience to award points for each winner. Our team then crafted a virtual reward experience allowing the winners’ imaginations to decide how best to exemplify their achievements. Dedicated in-house concierge shoppers helped each participant use their points for highly individualized selections. Winners redeemed for things like a bucket-list electric guitar, diamond jewelry, home solar panels, future personal travel, vacation home rental, and private school tuition. 

In addition, the on-site gift experiences scheduled for Kauai were offered online so winners could still enjoy selecting a pair of Olukai sandals and REVO sunglasses. This entire creative solution was so well-received, our client repeated it in 2021 with new virtual gifting experiences. 

“Being honored within the industry with the SITE Crystal Award means a great deal to our team! We work to Inspire Extraordinary Performance with every client and every participant. But it starts within our own company. We appreciate this recognition as it truly shows the care and passion we value internally and produce externally. Thank you SITE,” said David Jobes, President and CEO of Motivation Excellence. 

As a final bonus, throughout this transition from travel experiences to personalized rewards, our travel team worked closely with our hotel and supplier partners to rebook future stays and nearly eliminate all cancelation fees for our client. 

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Encouraging Volunteering at Work Pays Off for Your Business!

Community involvement is a big deal at Motivation Excellence. At both our office locations, in Schaumburg, IL, and Traverse City, MI, our company sponsors volunteer activities several times a year AND allows employees to take two days off a year to help a favorite cause on their own. This call to community action comes right from the top with President and CEO David Jobes, and former owner of VIKTOR Incentives, now Motivation Excellence, Mark Bondy. 

Why Volunteering through Work Matters

If you’re not sure why encouraging volunteerism at work matters, read on! According to a study from Deloitte, employers who encourage volunteering among their staff see boosted morale, improved office environments, and enhanced brand perception. Here are some more interesting stats:

• 89% of employees think organizations that sponsor volunteer activities offer a better overall working environment
• 70% believe volunteering efforts are better at boosting staff morale than company-sponsored happy hours
• 75%+ say volunteering is critical to employee well-being

Business News Daily recently did a nice breakdown of the Deloitte survey with great takeaways on how volunteering helps employees and companies at the same time.

Benefits for Employees: 

• A happy employee means a more productive employee, who is excited to go to work
• Increases camaraderie with coworkers and builds teamwork

Advantages for Companies:

• Younger employees, especially, want to feel good about the company they work for and social responsibility plays a big role in attracting top talent
• Active volunteers tend to become leaders at work too
• Positive community recognition of your company’s brand is powerful

How to Get Your Volunteer Program Going

If the reasons above have you excited about starting or expanding your work-based volunteer program, there are many ways to begin. With so many deserving charities in each community, you can start by polling your employees to see what their favorite causes are. Here are some other easy steps to take on the journey to community involvement:

• Connect with your local government office to see what the greatest needs are
• Schedule time during a workday to inspire  your employees to get involved with the selected effort
• Take photos and share them with the office – even print some out to remind people of the positive influence they had outside of work
• Share your efforts on social media and encourage your followers to suggest an idea for your next volunteer day
• Encourage employees to share with the team when they volunteer outside of work
• Incorporate participation in your employee rewards program

Examples to Use

Still feeling stuck about how to help and where to start? Motivation Excellence has a long history of promoting volunteerism – take some of our efforts and make them your own, we don’t mind!

• Our Traverse City group is involved in the Michigan Department of Transportation Adopt-a-Highway program. 
• In Schaumburg, we spent an afternoon working at the local Feed My Starving Children branch, making nutrition packets for food-deprived regions of the world
• One year, at our summer company-wide event, we designed a scavenger hunt for teams of employees to find essentials needed for the homeless in our area and then stuffed them into tube socks – to benefit Journeys – The Road Home
• We have a history of volunteering at the beverage tent each July at the National Cherry Festival held in Traverse City, MI  – a 90-year tradition that builds up and supports our waterfront community
• Using our two charity days off a year, our employees have individually helped out at school fundraisers, animal rescue groups, JDRF efforts, youth education events, cream puff assembly for charity and so much more
• In our office, we made tied-edge fleece blankets for kids with cancer and hand-made holiday cards for active military
• Our Snack for Charity initiative raises money for a different organization each month – at $1 per snack, we end up donating anywhere from $25 to $100 a month
• Many of our employees are active industry volunteers as well, for foundations like SITE and The Above and Beyond Foundation
• Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, we adopt several families, providing food and presents to help make the holidays a little better for those in need
• Another summer event saw us creating cards and care packages for cancer patients at Phil’s Friends
• We work closely with Ingage Unlimited, helping with their fundraisers and offering their charity as a donation option for award points programs

This is a small sampling of what we do to give back to our communities; now it’s your turn. Whether you want to use volunteering as a team bonding experience, or offer days off so employees can bring outside enrichment into the office, encouraging community involvement is a great way to build a cohesive work community, positively impact your surroundings, bolster a strong office culture, create new leaders and promote your brand. 

So get out there and make a difference! April is National Volunteer Month, but you can celebrate all year long.

Destination Spotlight: Fairmont Canada

In this month’s edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series, we’re sharing information on what makes Fairmont properties in Canada’s rugged Western Mountain Region so special for group travel experiences. Fairmont is one of the luxury brands in the Accor line-up of properties.

The four properties we’re highlighting are Chateau Lake Louise, Chateau Whistler, Jasper Park Lodge, and Banff Springs. All offer luxurious accommodations and, perhaps, even grander surroundings! Wild animals, majestic mountains, sparkling lakes, and some of the best outdoor activities (in all seasons) will spark the adventurer in you and your travel incentive participants. 

As of April 1, 2022, visitors into Canada no longer need to obtain a pre-entry COVID test; however, proof of vaccination is still required. The ArriveCan mobile app walks tourists through the steps of entry. For up-to-date information regarding travel rules for Canada, you can visit www.Travel.GC.CA.

Now, take 20 minutes to watch our friends from Accor, Isabel Mahon and Dion Kiernan, give updates on the Fairmont properties and passionately discuss the four beautiful locations in the mighty Western Canadian mountains. 

Get to Know ME with Michael Southerton

Join us this month, in our Get to Know ME segment, learning more about Michael Southerton. He’s been a lifer with VIKTOR, now Motivation Excellence, and has some serious indoor and outdoor abilities to share! Read below, and be sure to watch the linked video to hear more about what makes Michael a great member of our team. Thanks, Michael for letting us get to know you better. 

What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?

Senior Developer.

I started working with VIKTOR Incentives & Meetings under an internship as a graphic designer in the summer of 2006 before my senior year of college at Northern Michigan University. I continued to work on small projects through my senior year, and I was hired full-time when I graduated in 2007. Almost sixteen years later, I’m proud to still be in this industry and joining Motivation Excellence with the rest of the VIKTOR team.

What does your job entail?

At its core, problem-solving. Sometimes the best code is no code at all. But I specialize in website design and frontend development, and I’ve always been involved in the full stack of web development. That’s led me to build and maintain a lot of websites and applications that help manage the large amount of data required to operate travel and rewards programs and the systems they run on. I also provide technical support to our staff and assist with technical infrastructure, along with the rest of our awesome Tech Team.

What’s something special about the people you work with you’d like to share?

As a technical person, who on occasion, has experienced the frontlines of service on our group travel programs, I’m constantly blown away by the level of detail and coordination that our Client Services team juggles while delivering our large group travel programs. There are a lot of moving parts to get thousands of participants on-site, each with their own custom itinerary and requirements, and the smallest details can change quickly. Even with the best technology, it takes an amazing team of talented people to get your head around it all and successfully operate a large travel program with events that are happening all around you.

What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?

I play table tennis locally in Traverse City at the Northern Michigan Table Tennis Club, and I have competed in Michigan’s state tournaments.

What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?

I’ve always enjoyed improving efficiencies, for both timesaving and convenience. Whether I’m installing home automation systems to automatically turn on my lights and unlock my front door when I arrive, or I’m redesigning a user flow in one of our web applications so that it takes 1 click instead of 5 to accomplish the same task, I really like making things as simple and easy to use as possible.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

My fiancé and I like to take our kayaks to as many different small lakes in Northern Michigan as we can find. We like to explore, fish, and sometimes just soak up the sun.

One thing that always makes you laugh is?

The Detroit Lions. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I cry. But, I’ll always watch and support them. Next year is our year.

What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?

I hate to speak so nicely of a time that was so hard on many others, but personally, I thrived. My fiancé and I are homebodies, so that part was no problem; we caught up on a lot of TV shows. But we also became healthier; we cooked at home and ate better, and we got outdoors more often than we’ve ever done before. We were hiking, running, and biking all the trails by my house, and we were kayaking almost every weekend when the weather was good.

What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

This one! Before I started here 15 years ago, I had never heard of the incentive travel industry. As someone who was once looking for any available job after college to start my career in web development and user experience design, I never imagined I could be building digital solutions for live events used all over the world, not to mention personally traveling to some of these amazing locations to watch them come alive and support their success. It’s led to some pretty incredible experiences I could not imagine having while working web development in another industry.

This month, our theme for social media is about volunteering. How does this speak to you either personally or professionally?

Our company has offered a lot of different opportunities that made it easy to volunteer over the years: we’ve worked the counter of our local non-profit movie theater, we helped our local City Opera House build their green room, but the most memorable is our stretch of road we clean each Spring and Fall through the Adopt-A-Highway program. It is located on Traverse City’s Old Mission Peninsula, and we get a gorgeous view of the local wineries and Grand Traverse Bay as we walk it and keep it looking great.

Destination Spotlight: Belmond

If you love a good story and unique places to stay, Belmond has exactly what you want! Each of their luxury properties and experiences is steeped in history, a fantastic origin story, and luxurious surroundings. Whether you are on a Belmond safari, riding the Orient Express train, or staying in a one-of-a-kind hotel, the Belmond brand will surpass your expectations!

Join us for a tour of three key properties, with brand ambassador April Hays, in this latest edition of our Mission Engage Destination Spotlight series. For 25 minutes, you’ll be swept away in storybook fashion, complete with vivid photos to really get you imagining what’s possible!

Look for a new Destination Spotlight each month. Coming up next…Fairmont properties in Canada. 

Make Working from Anywhere Work for You!

Photo credit: Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

There was a very recent time when working from home was a special circumstance. Perhaps a once a week, or even once-in-a-while situation. Once the pandemic hit, industries that never thought they could offer WFH found themselves surprisingly thriving – even on-air TV news employees!  By the end of 2020, 71% of American workers who could were working from home. 

At Motivation Excellence, we had remote workers before the pandemic, although most of our employees were still full-time in the office or had a hybrid schedule. The technology was in place though, so our transition to home working environments in March 2020 was smooth. As of February 2022, most of us now enjoy a hybrid balance.

Most prefer a hybrid work environment

In a recent LinkedIn poll we ran, being hybrid is the overwhelming choice for a preferred work environment. It’s the best of both worlds when you love your coworkers, but, maybe, you’re slightly more productive without office distractions. 

The Workforce Happiness Index shows remote workers score 75/100 versus their in-office counterparts, who score 71. Over the last two years, it’s been shown working remotely can be beneficial to employees, efficient for the company, and a draw for new talent. 

As a group of people who were used to a hybrid setup before the pandemic, we are happy to share how we make working from anywhere a success. Keep reading for tips and tricks the Motivation Excellence team uses to make the most of any working environment. 

How to work from anywhere: tips and tricks

For Brad Hecht, VP, Travel, a regular workday is a must so that work time doesn’t bleed into personal time. He cautions against doing too many personal things during the day that will push working hours into the evening. 

For Michelle Lien-Burdick, our Merchandise Buyer, scheduling at least one break in the day is important to keep her energized. “I block out my calendar for lunch every day.  If it is on your calendar, you are more likely to “remember” to get up and walk away from your desk.  I find it is key to have that time to clear my thoughts, engage with my spouse and relax.  When I get back to my desk, I have renewed energy and better mental clarity.”

Jillian Fehrenbach, one of our amazing customer service experts, says having a distinct workspace in her home is important to her. And, just as importantly she says, make sure you set it up to work for you, not against you. “Don’t let your WFH office wreck your back or neck. The two most important factors are chairs and monitor risers. I use a chair that is highly adjustable (legs/arms) and ergonomically superior (lumbar) to run-of-the-mill swivel chairs. If you get one used (online), you’ll also find that they’re very affordable. A good chair will last longer and help you avoid repetitive strain injuries. Next, let me just say two words: monitor riser— and two more, mic drop! Positioning your monitor at eye height is important to keep your neck and head at the proper angle. And it doesn’t have to be one from an office supply store. My husband uses a vintage table leaf on top of a metal basket, so he can set up his speakers next to his oversized monitor. I thought it would be janky, but it honestly works!”

Rebecca Steiner, Business Development Director, wholeheartedly agrees with Jillian! The photo above shows her daughter’s WFH desk set up with adjustable keyboard and monitor risers, which allow for standing while working too. As someone who has worked largely from home for more than 20 years she shares these other tips that keep her motivated and productive:

• Schedule time in-between the ever present COVID Zoom calls for sanity to move, stretch, take a quick walk 
• Get up early and get dressed as if I am going to an office or meeting with clients
• Stay connected with my clients and team via Zoom 
• Schedule in-person lunches at nearby restaurants 
• Block time in my calendar to get work done vs all meetings 

Finally, Rebecca recommends having a home office where you can shut the door and leave it closed at the end of the workday. 

Our VP of Sales, Rhonda Brewer loves the flexibility a remote work schedule allows. She does suggest making efforts to see co-workers in person too though. “You need to schedule some time to meet with others you work with on a regular basis if you don’t go into an office. That drives connection.”

By now, we know we can work from anywhere and make it work for our customers, bosses, and coworkers. You may know people working from vacation homes during the summer months, or, working while taking care of a sick loved one on the other side of the country. This is no longer a trend, but a legitimate option for many of us today. It is up to company leadership to ensure the culture of an organization continues to positively thrive as we adapt to the new business environment. As long as productivity remains high and dedication to staying engaged with coworkers is a priority, working from anywhere can be a benefit to anyone able to take advantage of it. 

Get to Know ME with Kelli Robb

We’re extra excited to spotlight one of our new colleagues in our brand new Traverse City office! Kelli Robb is part of our leadership team coming from VIKTOR Meetings & Incentives. With our acquisition in January 2022, we welcomed Kelli and 19 other awesome new teammates! Read below and watch the video to get to know Kelli better. She’s all about taking care of other people, whether it’s one of our participants or a perfect stranger!

What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?

I am the V.P., Client Services, in the Traverse City office. I was fortunate enough to work for an incentive company, my first job out of college, so I’ve been in the business 31 years now. I was at VIKTOR for 21 years and am excited to be part of Motivation Excellence now!

What does your job entail?

I oversee the Client Services operations of the Traverse City office – a lot of pre-sale responsibilities and working closely with our vendor partners. My goal is to make sure our travel programs go off without a hitch and our participants are blown away!

What’s something special about the people you work with you’d like to share?

Their commitment to serving the clients is over the top!  Working with this team is the best part of my job.

What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?

I love to line dance!

What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?

My family and the passion I have for this industry.

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Spending time with friends and family.  Golfing.  Boating.

One thing that always makes you laugh is?

My husband.  He’s a hoot!

What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?

Take walks/hikes and get some fresh air.

What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

I spent the summer in Nantucket between my sophomore and junior year in college.  I worked for a family, for room and board, doing all kinds of odd jobs around their home and their businesses.  

This month, our theme for social media is Work from Anywhere. What do you do to make sure you’re ready to work no matter your location, or just as importantly, make sure you’re not working too much?

When I’m working from home, the office, or on the road, I like to make sure the desk is set up to ‘plug in and be ready to go’.

Destination Spotlight: Cruising!

Did you know the cruise industry is the only sector of travel that reports health issues of crew and passengers to the CDC? That’s why we are all familiar with any kind of outbreak that happens on board. But when it comes to COVID, there’s much more to the story than an alarming headline and that’s what our longtime cruising partner Karen Devine with 3D Cruise Partners wants to share.

In this installment of our series called “Mission Engage, Destination Spotlight: Cruise,” Devine gives us a full look at where the cruise industry was in 2020 to where it’s at in 2022 and beyond. Take less than 15 minutes to get the latest information on all types of cruising options. Find out why Devine says the data proves cruising is safe and back better than before.

Some fast facts to get you ready to embark:

• All crew members must be vaccinated and get regularly tested
• All passengers older than 12 must be vaccinated
• Ships are well equipped with medical facilities able to treat positive COVID cases as needed
• 85% of the worldwide fleet is back in the water
• River cruising is more luxurious than ever – and very flexible

Whether you’re looking for your next incentive travel experience or want to enjoy a cruise with your family, our presentation with Devine will answer your questions and get you excited about your next voyage!

Set Your Mind to Growth and See How High You Go!

Each month, we select a theme to help our readers learn more about a specific personal or professional topic meant to expand all of our horizons. This month, it’s no accident our theme is “growth mindset.” 

Earlier in January 2022, we announced the acquisition of VIKTOR Meetings & Incentives. This too, was by no accident. Motivation Excellence CEO & President, David Jobes, made it very clear to all of us when he purchased the company in 2018 he planned on growing Motivation Excellence partially through acquiring other businesses in the industry. He set a plan, shared it, moved through obstacles, kept on course, and now here we are…growing!

Fixed versus Growth Mindsets

Someone with a fixed mindset gets stuck in the muck and can’t see around an obstacle. A growth mindset allows a person to see possibilities even when they can’t figure out the best way to reach them, yet. According to this Understood.org article, people who are set on growth reframe challenges and are motivated to improve.

Entrepreneur.com reports that people who believe they can reach their goal look at failures as opportunities and thus catapult themselves forward even when others in the same situation crawl back under the sheets and go back to sleep. They offer 10 steps to achieve a growth mindset in business, which include becoming an expert in what you love, not being concerned with what others have, and being 100% accountable. 

Cultivating a growth mindset is not always an easy task. If you want to start on that journey, you’ll need support. Here’s a tip: be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all. That’s right, lifelong learning is critical, and lucky for you, we wrote about that too.

Forbes explains in their article why a growth mindset should be part of your business strategy. They offer three actions to encourage such a mentality. Number one? Foster continuous learning. Here’s the reason: people who accept they have more to learn, search for more education. Those who feel like they already know everything, have nowhere to go but horizontally – ever seen a flower that grows parallel to the ground? It’s pretty rare; they must embrace a growth mindset!

Go, Go, Grow

The Growth Institute says mindset is the number one predictor if a business will scale into success. Leaders who encourage a growth mindset attract teams of proactive, accountable, and motivated solutions-seekers. They offer several ways to nurture a go and grow mentality, like embracing change, being self-aware, and having perseverance. 

Carol Dweck is the original source of the mindset theory. In her book, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, she posits that success is more about a person’s outlook than intelligence and talent. Of course, motivation, gumption, and level of support help play a part in someone’s ultimate success, but an individual’s attitude can be a boost of fuel or a nail in a tire right from the word go.

How do you best foster growth in your personal or professional life? Comment on whichever social feed you read this blog, so we can share experiences and learn together. That’s another important factor in a growth mindset: being open to discussion. 

Get to Know ME with David Jobes

This month’s Get to Know ME segment is on our very own fearless leader, David Jobes! Read below to find out what drives him to succeed, makes him laugh, and his childhood musical instrument of choice. Oh, and wait until you read about the kittens! Thanks, David for letting us all learn more about you and your passions inside Motivation Excellence and out. 

What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?

CEO & President, “my residency” will be 30 years this February. 

What was the road to ownership of Motivation Excellence like?

For the last 25 years, I had the desire to own Motivation Excellence and I always shared my plans with Greg Lewis, who was the founder and prior owner. There were times I did not think it would occur, but when the time was right it happened. Having such a great team on the journey and believing in the vision is so fulfilling.

What do you consider your biggest responsibility is running the company?

By far, it is providing employment opportunities in the community and in offering as much security with our team members as possible. Every decision we make has a direct influence on our people and I take that extremely seriously.

What’s something special about Motivation Excellence you’d like to share?

Everyone is focused on delivering high-level service to our clients and participants. It is a “can-do” environment without accepting a hurdle as an unattainable obstacle. 

What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?

I played the accordion as a child! Not the most popular instrument to play when you are growing up, but it made my mother happy.

What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?

I have always been competitive, in essence, I want to do the very best that I can all of the time without taking shortcuts. Another is, learning and understanding other people’s perspectives and not prejudging a situation, each one is unique. 

What do you enjoy doing outside work?

Being with family and friends, fishing, the daily crossword puzzle, and fostering kittens.

One thing that always makes you laugh is?

I love romcoms and sitcoms!  They help me relieve stress and refocus.

What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?

Focus on what is important and not worry about things you can’t control. During this time, I was able to achieve a significant part of our current three-year strategic plan.   This plan is helping grow our company by acquiring another incentive company, which we just completed.

What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?

I’ve been a newspaper boy, a stock boy at a grocery store, a pizza maker (really got to learn how to cook Italian food), a tool and die apprentice, computer programmer….no strange ones, but each has its own story that helped prepare me for where I am today.

This month, our theme for social media is Growth Mindset. Why is it important to you as a business owner?

There is personal growth and professional growth, being a 14-year member of Vistage International (an executive development organization) has taught me that you have to focus on both and not ignore either one. Without a well-balanced commitment, I am not doing what is my responsibility in making sound decisions, knowing everyone you touch is affected by your actions.