On the Road with Motivation Excellence: December 2021
Things are changing quickly when it comes to travel. At Motivation Excellence, our goal is to keep our followers and clients informed on the latest protocols, trends, and tips. In our On the Road series, we’ll highlight our own travels for leisure and business, as well as report on current client trends in the incentive industry. Look for the latest On the Road post at the end of each month. If you ever have travel questions during this uncertain time please reach out to us at ME@MotivationExcellence.com.
In December, we had a mix of international and US-based travel, by plane and by car. Read below for the highlights and takeaways from our travelers.
Hotel Advisory Board Meeting in the Dominican Republic
Traveler: Joe Reise, Manager, Supplier Relations & Sourcing
I recently attended the Teneo Hospitality Group Leadership Forum as an advisory board member. The Forum was hosted at the luxurious Casa De Campo Resort in the tropical splendor of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west. It’s known for its beaches, resorts, and golfing. Its terrain is comprised of rainforest, savannah, and highlands, including Pico Duarte, the Caribbean’s tallest mountain.
The activities at the resort are world-class — 7 outstanding restaurants including the stunning new Minitas Beach Club, a marina, 3 Pete Dye golf courses, an equestrian center featuring polo, a shooting course, great shopping, and 3 private pristine white sand beaches. This was the perfect setting for our Leadership Forum and the resort showcased some of its unique outdoor venues with special ambience for hosting dinners and lunches.
Key Takeaways:
- Even though the Casa De Campo Resort opened almost 50 years ago, it’s still a favorite luxury destination for discerning travelers who appreciate a gated community and safe setting.
- The DR is the second largest and most diverse Caribbean country and it’s only two hours south of Miami making it a convenient destination for a good portion of the US.
- Needless to say, the weather was much nicer than Chicago’s weather in December.
- Be sure to check out the latest travel protocols and requirements for airlines, cities and re-entry into the United States. This can change quickly.
End of Year Vacation on Turks & Caicos
Traveler: Rhonda Brewer, VP Sales
Turks and Caicos, like many destinations, is requiring proof of Covid vaccination and a negative PCR test prior to arrival. Also, depending on the airline you fly, you will need to submit this data along with a series of questions in order to board the flight. Be sure to follow these rules to save yourself a LOT of time at the airport either from your home city or upon departure from the Turks.
Once on the island, we stayed at the new Ritz-Carlton located in Grace Bay. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous and the service will not disappoint. The beaches are white and expansive and the snorkeling on the nearby reef is stunning. We did have the opportunity to sail on Lady Grace, which is a brand new sailboat that leaves directly from the beach in front of the Ritz. It is a gorgeous boat with superb staff! We went for a snorkel sail, but you can also do a sunset cruise.
Key Takeaways:
- The arrival and departure from the island was incredible with the assistance of Sky Pass! This is a hired service that expedites you through the process and really helps make your arrival and departure stress free.
- The island currency is USD and the language is English as well, so a great international getaway with easy communication and no currency exchange.
A Family Drive from Chicago to Detroit
Traveler: Sky Capriolo, Strategic Marketing Manager
Our son is a cheerleader for Western Michigan University and he was invited to take part in the Quick Lane Bowl game between WMU and University of Nevada. The game took place inside Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. We can’t resist an opportunity to see our son do something he loves, so we drove to Detroit from Chicago the day after Christmas.
Did you know Windsor, Canada is right across the river from Detroit and is actually SOUTH of the city? We thought that was pretty cool! We stayed at the Marriott Rennaissance right on the Detroit River. It’s huge and has several nice restaurants in the same building. All staff wore masks.
The game was fun! WMU won 52 to 24. We stayed an extra night, but the sleety weather kept us inside. On our way out of town the next day we had to swing by the birthplace of Motown – Berry Gordy’s home. It’s closed currently, but a thrill to see it in person nonetheless.
Key Takeaways:
- Have a stash of disposable masks in the car. Each state, and city/county, has different mandates.
- Detroit’s sporting venues are within walking distance of many hotels near the Detroit River.
Our Company Gathering
Our team felt fortunate to gather for a holiday lunch at Shaw’s Crab House near our corporate headquarters. The team at Shaw’s did a nice job spacing our group out among 4 tables and being attentive to our needs. We had plenty of space to feel like we could be socially distanced if desired and the staff all wore masks for our entire stay.
We welcomed team members from Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, and New Jersey, who all flew in the day before and got a personal sitting with Santa at another nearby restaurant. As you can imagine, there was a lot of merriment!
We all wish our readers a Happy New Year and lots of time with loved ones over these special days.
Coming Up Ahead (as of now):
- A women’s leadership conference in Mexico
- Client programs to Thailand and Palm Springs
- An industry conference in the Bahamas
Buckle up and enjoy the ride with Motivation Excellence as your guide!
Get to Know ME with Sky Capriolo
Our Get to Know ME spotlight this month is on our Strategic Marketing Manager, Sky Capriolo. Since she’s the one who interviews our employees for this segment, she recruited her friend in the travel department, Joe Reise, to sit in on her behalf and play host. Read below and watch the somewhat short video (Joe’s a talker) on Sky’s path to Motivation Excellence and some of her varied interests. Thanks!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
I’m the Strategic Marketing Manager and I’ve officially been a member of the Motivation Excellence team for more than 10 years.
What does your job entail?
I split my time between marketing for our client’s programs and handling the marketing of our company. I do a lot of writing, project management, social media content management and creation, research of our fabulous travel destinations, and proposals for prospective and existing accounts.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
We have assembled a great team of experts in this industry. Many of my coworkers have been here much longer than I have and that says something about the culture we’ve built.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I don’t know that there’s anything unknown about me, I’m an open book! I do pride myself on being able to juggle a little, so I’d count that as an odd talent. I learned at the Renaissance Fair as a child in Minnesota and practiced quite a bit after coming home.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
I like checking things off my to-do list. The first line of any good list is “create a to-do list.” Boom! I’ve already accomplished something and the momentum picks up from there.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
My husband and I enjoy doing things together like playing Texas Hold’em poker with friends or playing co-ed soccer in a local league. I love being with our two rescue Airedales Apollo and Airess. We’re empty-nesters now, but most of my free time the last decade + was devoted to our two kids and their activities (karate, soccer, theater, scouts, cheerleading, gymnastics, singing…we were very busy!). Now, with both kids in college, it’s fun to go visit them at least once a semester that their respective schools.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Reading auto-corrected texts in articles on the internet – I will literally cry laughing at some of them!
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
I loved being with my family practically 24-7, believe it or not. We all get along and enjoyed that brief time when no one had extracurricular plans and we could just be together and cook, laugh, enjoy our backyard, watch TV and play with the dogs.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
For one night only in college, I was a Captain Morgan girl with a friend. We filled in last minute and got to ride around in a limo and visit all the bars that had previously not allowed us in because we were not quite 21 yet. The guy who played the Captain ended up passing out and my friend and I finished the shift giving out swag to drunk college kids. Fun times!
This month, our theme for social media is Resolutions. What’s your take on this tradition?
Resolution is really a synonym for goal and I’m ALL FOR THOSE! I suggest making small goals that can build up to something bigger. I love tracking my progress and celebrating my little victories. I wrote about our monthly theme in our blog, Making Resolutions and Keeping Them. I don’t believe you should wait for a special day of the year or month to start on the path to fulfilling your goals – start today!
Making Resolutions & Keeping Them: Your Guide to Starting the New Year Off Right
Whether you are a New Year’s Resolution person or not, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one tends to make us reflect on what we’d like to change going forward. What can we be better at? What can the turning of a new year bring that we didn’t have in the past year?
The stats on resolutions aren’t horribly impressive, however, keep this mind: according to verywellmind.com, people who set resolutions are ten times more likely to achieve behavior change than those who don’t. In the Forbes article about how to keep your New Year resolutions, it’s reported 19% of people who make them actually stick to them.
Perhaps you’re motivated by beating the odds? Well then, making and keeping a New Year’s resolution is for you!
Making a Resolution
Resolution is really another word for goal. Aiming for a better body, salary or lap-time is natural and entirely human! How often do you wake up each day and think about the one or two (or dozen) things you need to get done? Perhaps at the start of a month, you mentally tick off items you don’t want to push off until the last minute.
As you can surmise, we make resolutions quite often. Declaring your intentions is the easy part. Fulfilling them is where things get tricky. There are ways you can help yourself to achieve your goals though (we have a whole blog on goals you can read here too).
- Make small goals that build up to something bigger
- Be very specific and realistic
- Pick one or two goals at a time
- Write them down and track your progress regularly
- Don’t wait for a special day of the year, month or week
Keeping a Resolution
There are a plethora of reasons why we tend to fail at keeping resolutions.
- Lack of motivation
- No accountability
- Poor time management
- Not truly serious
- Get bored
- Lack of daily dedication
Despite the above reasons, Psychology Today reports goals are important to growth, direction and happiness. If you can map out the why and the how of your resolutions, you can create a path that avoids the common pitfalls. Just saying you want to lose weight doesn’t make it happen. Here is an example though of how you can meaningfully prepare to make that your resolution AND see it through.
Resolution: Lose Weight
Mini goal: Lose 5 pounds in 5 weeks
Tracking: daily calories and exercise minutes
Motivation: pick a pair of pants you want to fit into – hang them up as a reminder
Dedication: work on it daily
Accountability: Share your resolution with trusted people, have them check in with you
Losing one pound a week is likely a goal that is attainable for most people with the proper diet and exercise structure. The resolution is reasonable in other words (check with your doctor to be sure). And we’ve given ourselves a way to track, motivate, and be held accountable. Once you’ve put all that effort in (OK, it’s not that much effort really), you have already dedicated yourself to the ambition at the very least. After that, it’s just one day at a time!
Maybe, reading this blog was your first step to tackling your next goal…we love to be helpful like that. Good luck!
On the Road with Motivation Excellence: November 2021
Things are changing quickly when it comes to travel. At Motivation Excellence, our goal is to keep our followers and clients informed on the latest protocols, trends and tips. In our On the Road series, we’ll highlight our own travels for leisure and business, as well as report on current client trends in the incentive industry. Look for the latest On the Road post at the end of each month. If you ever have travel questions during this uncertain time please reach out to us at ME@MotivationExcellence.com.
In November, an industry event brought thousands to Las Vegas and one of our travel planners visited Portugal. Read below for the highlights and takeaways from our travelers.
A Family Getaway in Portugal
Traveler: Joe Reise, Manager, Supplier Relations & Sourcing
During a recent visit to Lisbon, Sintra, and Porto, Portugal, I was able to enjoy and explore one of Europe’s most fascinating countries with two of my sons, Trevor and Max. Lisbon is continental Europe’s oldest capital city and offers much in the way of historical sightseeing, distinctive hilly neighborhoods, and excellent and interesting seafood choices. The people are very nice too! One of the coolest things we did was visit The Padrão dos Descobrimentos on the edge of the Tagus River (see middle picture). You can go to the top and view the city from there.
Just 30km away from Lisbon, we enjoyed the city of Sintra, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. It’s considered to have the perfect symbiosis between nature and its built heritage. The town has been adored over the years by artists and writers from all over the world. We visited the medieval palace called Palácio da Vila (see picture on the right). It’s one of the few medieval palaces in the world that survives to this day practically intact.
Finally, in Northern Portugal, we enjoyed Porto, another World Heritage site. We did a walking tour and visited a palace, a cathedral and St. Francis church. The architecture and history here are stunning. We ended our tour with an unbelievably beautiful and relaxing river cruise on the Douro River, one of Europe’s most scenic rivers. Of course, you can’t visit Porto without tasting some Port wines. We did a tasting at Graham’s and found the offerings exquisite!
Key Takeaways:
- Negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure was required by the airline, Portugal and the U.S.
- We needed to fill out a Portugal Locator Card prior to landing with itinerary and vaccination status
- Portugal is a great value for international travel
- Lisbon is a global city with lots of attractions, including 290 days of sun
- November is a great time to visit – mild weather and fewer tourists in the off-season
The Travel Industry Gathers Again
Travelers: David Jobes, President & CEO, and Brad Hecht, VP Travel (our writer)
I have been traveling a lot since January and have seen the mad rush of travelers…..everywhere! I was in Las Vegas again in November and stayed at multiple hotels (Delano & Aria) for an industry (IMEX) convention and had meetings with key worldwide suppliers, and also had a client attended site-inspection.
Well I can say, yes, it was as crazy as ever, busy as ever, electric as ever. The convention attendance was far better than I expected, with around 11,000 attendees as I last heard. Yes, I can say that everyone had to be fully vaccinated to attend the show, and masks, once inside the show were optional. About 90% of the attendees elected not to wear them.
Service levels were better than expected and I am seeing some normalcy! Every restaurant was packed for lunches and dinners. I was happy to see the crowds and the excitement in the air. We are hopefully turning that important corner we have been waiting to see for about the past 18 months.
Key Takeaways:
- Las Vegas is hopping, fun and energized
- Vaccines, hand sanitizer and masks are among popular COVID protocols with big conventions
Coming Up Ahead in December:
- A vacation to Turks and Caicos
- A Leadership Forum in the Dominican Republic
- Family fun all around the country
- Our Motivation Excellence Holiday Event
Buckle up and enjoy the ride with Motivation Excellence as your guide!
There’s a Reason “Grit” is in Integrity
Integrity is a heavy word, as in, not to be thrown around lightly. At the same time, it elevates the possessor high above the crowd. You see, when someone is described as having integrity, it means this person also possesses a myriad of other meaningful and weighty attributes. They’re reliable, accountable, honest, ethical…the list goes on to encompass everything you’d want to see in someone you respect. Each trait is like a step taking that person up to the pinnacle of personal adjectives: Integrity! (Cue the triumphant trumpets!)
Make It a Core Value
We love integrity at Motivation Excellence. It’s part of our core values: Respect, Integrity, Trust and Exceeding Expectation, or RITE2. When we developed these, the executive team spelled out exactly what integrity meant to them.
Integrity: Respect for lawful operations, mindful work, honest actions, honest words, correcting & learning from mistakes, accurately representing our services, being true to yourself, providing thought leadership, giving your best effort every time, quality work, not giving in to haste.
When you look up the word integrity, you will often come across some version of this saying: “Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” While that is a great sentiment, don’t you think sometimes it’s even harder to do the right thing when there are people watching (you know, for those who succumb to peer pressure, for instance)? That’s truly when a person of integrity can shine. Maybe that’s why the word “grit” is firmly in the middle of integrity – grit means you have the courage and resolve to stick to what’s right, no matter who is watching.
Anyone Can Have Integrity
A Mindtools.com post about integrity says those who have it are more likely to be promoted at work. The values of responsibility, humility and keeping promises are highly sought after in leaders. How do they say you go about securing and preserving your own integrity? It’s all about the choices you make. We each make many every day that can impact our personal values, as well as those of our business and family. Once you define what’s important to you, analyze your choices against those to keep you on a consistent path. If unparalleled customer service is a core value for your company, then each decision that’s made needs to reflect that from the president down the ranks.
The best part of integrity is anyone can possess it! You don’t need to be a CEO. You can be a kindergarten teacher, a stay-at-home mom, a little league coach or church pastor and anything else! As long as you hold yourself to the highest standards of ethical, moral and honest actions, and throw in accountability, responsibility and trustworthiness, you’re working with the right ingredients to achieve INTEGRITY!
Motivation Excellence Looks Ahead to 2022 – What You Need to Know Now for Future Incentive, Meetings & Travel Plans
By now, we’re used to the rocky road. We’ve adjusted our shocks and readily brace for the bumps, tight turns, and hilly climbs. There’s good news up ahead as our industry continues to recover from 2020, but likely, it’s not fast enough for most. Patience is key, along with innovation, flexibility, and timing.
I chatted with members of our executive team covering travel, program design management, and sales. We’re happy to share our insights with you as you look at 2022, and beyond. President and CEO of Motivation Excellence, David Jobes, is hopeful for a smoother ride in the coming year.
“We are excited to have incentive travel and meetings and events starting to operate again the last quarter of this year, as well as a very busy 2022. I’m sure there will be a few adjustments along the way, but our clients are excited and prepared to start getting together again with their customers and employees. Our advice is to be aware of current situations in the destination you will be traveling to and keep in contact with your expected travelers to gauge their expectations.”
Air Travel
Air traveler numbers certainly indicate an uptick in consumer desire to fly this year over last year, with that trend expected to increase in 2022.
On November 14, 2021, the TSA reported 2,150,150 air travelers. This is up more than double from 2020, but still a bit below the 2019 number of 2,396,681. Domestic air travel is expected to increase in these last 6 weeks with holiday travelers taking to the sky once again, with the New Year poised to continue the bustle. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts 2022 will see air travel demand get to 61% of pre-pandemic levels. 2021 was at 40%.
The New York Times reported that more than 200,000 international travelers from more than 30 countries previously banned from entering the United States due to COVID policies, poured in on Monday, November 8 – the first day coronavirus restrictions were lifted. However, international travel still is lagging for understandable reasons. For comparison, a typical day in 2019 saw more than 371,000 international travelers arriving in the United States.
Even with International travel opening up, the likely trend will be to stay closer to home for business initiatives. While we do have programs planned for Thailand, Mexico and the Caribbean in 2022, domestic destinations are on the schedule and less likely to change due to coronavirus mandates and concerns. Brad Hecht, VP Travel, says size of group, time of year, and distance for travelers should all play a factor as you decide your tolerance for travel in 2022…and realistically speaking, 2023.
“Companies are just now starting to ease the caution flag and focus on travel rewards again. There are domestic and international destinations that provide a safe environment for their guests. Now is a great time to get something in place for 2022, if space allows. Really, you should be looking at 2023 too, and the early bird will get their requested space. The compression of space from the last 20 months pushed groups out to future dates and the full selection has been reduced somewhat.”
Meetings and Events
Earlier in November, our industry welcomed IMEX America back after a two-year hiatus. Travel, meeting, and event planners and partners were excited to be together in person and discuss a more robust future. The road ahead may be a bit slow, however.
According to a report in a recent Meetings.net post, two-thirds of 500 meeting planners surveyed expect their 2019 meetings schedule to be back by the second quarter of 2023…more than a year away from now. Planners also reported that 40% of their meetings in 2022 will be all in-person, another 40% will have a virtual component and the final 20% will remain totally virtual. The good news here is advances in tech and event planners’ knowledge of how to best use it has increased substantially since 2019!
Cvent, C&IT, and Third Sector published their findings after a recent “Big Questions Live” event in the U.K. on the future of the events industry. Their participants agreed that flexibility, technology, and human connections are critical components to successful events. When they discussed localized meetings and hybrid events, they chose to highlight the sustainability aspect of not flying people across the world. Planners now need to have contingency plans, embrace the additional data they acquire from virtual settings and design human connection into everything.
Something we’re seeing right now with clients is a desire to gather but within a short time period. Rhonda Brewer, VP Sales, says there are some great advantages to this.
“We are also seeing more last-minute meetings pop up as businesses determine they need to get their teams together. These do create a lot of work very quickly but it also provides the opportunity to get great last-minute value at great hotels with openings. It doesn’t allow for a lot of options or changes, and decisions do have to be made quickly in order to secure space, but if you can be flexible it’s a winning solution!”
Alternative Awards
As we’ve mentioned, flexibility is key to sustaining a rewards and recognition program when travel is not always a certainty. Northstar Meetings Group conducted a survey in late October that showed alternative awards will continue to thrive in 2022. Gifts and gift cards are the most popular alternative awards to travel.
The Incentive Research Foundation just published a paper on the Psychology of Points. In their online survey of more than 1,000 employees, they found that on average, respondents who work for a company with a rewards and recognition points program in place, had:
- Higher intrinsic motivation
- Higher employee engagement
- Greater satisfaction with their rewards and recognition
- Greater preference to continue working for an employer who offered a points program
We’ve found participants in our programs who shifted to alternative rewards, or started out that way in the first place, are highly satisfied with the personalized reward experience.
“As for incentives with alternative awards to travel, this has continued to be strong and was significant during the pandemic. Being able to offer award points in lieu of incentive travel has been extremely well received and gave attendees the opportunity to shop for very personal needs such as replacing windows, or providing for a child’s private education. In addition, lifestyle types of gift packages such as whole-home entertainment systems, home fitness packages, or small kitchen appliance refreshes have been awarded and will continue to appeal. These have also worked well for quarterly spiffs,” Brewer reports.
For a more detailed look at alternative reward options please read our white paper From Mystery Destinations to Alternative Awards Options to Keep Your Incentive Program Alive and Well.
Get Started
While we obviously don’t know exactly what the future will hold, we do know the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Whether you’re planning future incentive travel, a meeting or customer event or some type of loyalty or reward program, the first step is deciding what it is you want to accomplish. Motivation Excellence is here to help.
When you look at the goals you want to achieve with a program or event, also look at the audience and the budget parameters. Bob Graham, VP, Client & Technology Solutions, says things get a little tricky now when looking at historical data to help fill in details.
“For both employee and customer initiatives, we have to remember we don’t have reliable baseline information anymore. Customers may be gone or new ones have stepped in over the pandemic time frame. Employees are a scarce resource base in some industries.”
Graham says secondary information can help support the initiatives to rebuild engagement, loyalty and future growth. He says you can look at this time in history as a positive for your business goals.
“Customers need more support than ever before. It is an opportunity to step in and be that support. Training, supply chain issues and labor shortages are a challenge for a lot of industries, and a program right now could be the difference between building loyalty and growth and being stagnant.”
Having a trusted partner to help guide you through all the twists and turns of our COVID-infused world is critical. Reach out to us at ME@MotivationExcellence.com with any questions you may have about renewing your stake in the travel, meetings and incentive landscape. We can ride shotgun and steer you around the obstacles we’re so familiar with now. Who’s ready to ride?
Get to Know ME with Bob Graham
It’s time to Get to Know ME with our Co-CEO and Co-President, Bob Graham. Read below to learn about Bob’s work motivation and philosophy on integrity. Thanks Bob for participating in our monthly segment!
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
As of January 2025, I became the CEO & President. I was the VP, Client and Technology Solutions before that, and I’ve been with the company for more than 22 years.
What does your job entail?
Understanding all the great talents and resources Motivation Excellence has to apply toward clients’ business needs and using those to develop solutions to accomplish them. The other aspect is helping our team members to grow in their positions, overcome the unexpected and enjoy their work life. Having fun sprinkled in helps.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
Being part of a group of people who enjoy what they do, are good at it and are dedicated to giving Motivation Excellence’s best to each client. Creativity, flexibility and developing solutions that address each clients’ needs keeps the day to day fresh and stimulating. I also feel fortunate the company is focused on community, charity and the wellbeing of its employees.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life?
I am competitive and I want us to be the best at whatever we are doing. At Motivation Excellence, that means giving each opportunity our best every day. Away from work, it is enjoying our family and friends.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Anything outside.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
This is a weird answer. Working in this industry is a thousand jobs within a job. We get the honor to work with every industry, many, many companies and create many, many solutions that can better a lot of people’s lives. It is fascinating to see how each company operates, their issues and working with them to improve their business.
This month, our theme for social media is Integrity. What does integrity mean to you?
For me, it is a high goal to focus on. We have choices hundreds of times a day and each action accumulates to create a level of integrity. It is doing the right things in the right way, through caring, personal attention, empathy, and a moral compass.
On the Road with Motivation Excellence: October 2021
Things are changing quickly when it comes to travel. At Motivation Excellence, our goal is to keep our followers and clients informed on the latest protocols, trends and tips. In our On the Road series, we’ll highlight our own travels for leisure and business, as well as report on current client trends in the incentive industry. Look for the latest On the Road post at the end of each month. If you ever have travel questions during this uncertain time please reach out to us at ME@MotivationExcellence.com. We’re happy to be your virtual shotgun or plus one!
In October we had two intrepid international travelers and a quick turnaround client program stateside. Read more below!
NYC in the Fall – Brilliant for a Client Gathering
Traveler: Rhonda Brewer, VP Sales
As you read about in September, when I went for the site visit, this client gathering was a quick turnaround! It turned out amazing! More than 150 people came together for three days and two nights of celebration! We utilized Bobby Van’s near the New York Stock Exchange and the fantastic outdoor space at the Central Park Zoo; I’d use both again in the future. We had room blocks at both the Central Park Hilton and JW Marriott properties. Both hotels were exactly as we expected. The trickiest part about this was the planning for all outdoor meeting and dining space, since NYC requires proof of vaccination to enter indoor event space and we knew we had some guests that were not vaccinated. A big thanks to one of our favorite partners Hello! DMC and their new office in New York for helping produce meaningful events that will be remembered for a lifetime!
Key Takeaway:
- New York City is vibrant and still a great destination for events and meetings, you just need to know the vaccination status of everyone attending so you can guide them on the COVID restrictions.
Off to Paris and Scotland – What a Tour!
Traveler: Rhonda Brewer, VP Sales
It was great to have the opportunity to go to Europe again! Once you understand the new COVID protocols, that vary by country, things go very smoothly. It was great to see people out and moving which is fantastic to see!
In Paris, for the SITE Foundation meeting, we talked about the resurgence of incentive travel on a global basis and how everyone is seeing this around the globe. That said, we do hear those who are running programs are staying within region and while some are venturing outside their continent, likely most will start traveling outside of their region in 2023. As for Paris, it was great seeing so much activity. Masks were worn indoors and it was easy entering any indoor restaurant or museum as long as you show your completed vaccination card.
Next stop for the week was Edinburgh, Scotland, Gleneagles, Royal Scotsman and the Kimpton Charlotte Square. What an absolute treat to be able to be in Scotland again for the Belmond Advisory Board and see the Scottish Highlands via the Royal Scotsman! The train is so well appointed and the entire staff is so gracious and accommodating. It is truly an experience of a lifetime and would be a great addition to any incentive program! Starting in Edinburgh either at the beautiful Gleneagles, traveling on the Royal Scotsman for 2 nights and then finishing your program for a night or two in Edinburgh at either the historical Balmoral or at the Kimpton Charlotte Square. So many options but just a beautiful experience that will be talked about forever!
Key Takeaways:
- Being in Europe again is fabulous!
- Traveling for business in NYC, then heading to Paris and Scotland for industry events is a lot! Hopefully you can visit all three at a more leisurely pace.
Cruising on the Danube
Traveler: David Jobes, President/CEO
I just returned to Chicago after spending 10 days traveling on a Danube river cruise visiting cities in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. And, wow, did it reengage my desire to start traveling again! After international travel being virtually unattainable for over a year, it was great to see its return. Even if you are not a “cruiser,” a European river cruise is intimate (smaller ships) and reaches both large and small towns in various countries where you can enjoy welcoming people and fabulous foods. This was a great way to start traveling abroad again. We were aboard the AmaWaterways AmaMagna and found the accommodations and hospitality excellent!
Once you get off the ship, I would encourage you to explore as much of the cities as possible. Traveling in October to Europe is perfect with temperatures in the mid-50’s and generally sunny. All locations were easy to get around with English spoken by most people and a lot of the signage was also in multiple languages. In the larger cities, such as Vienna and Budapest, finding taxis was easy and inexpensive, just be aware not all taxis take credit cards for payments.
Key Takeaways
- Euro-Countries require you to have proof of COVID vaccination in order to enter the countries.
- It is wonderful to get reengaged with different cultures again.
- The airlines and the ship all took extreme measures to make sure everything was sanitized and kept to high safety and health standards.
Coming Up Ahead
- Portugal with travel planner Joe Reise
- Back in Vegas for an industry event
Buckle up and enjoy the ride with Motivation Excellence as your guide!
Don’t Be Scared of the Devil in the Details – Instead, Find an Angel to Help
Ever heard of the saying, “The devil’s in the details?” If you want the “deets” on how it came to being be sure to check out this link. The gist is that even though elements of a plan may seem small and insignificant, each one has the ability to foil the overall results – what a little devil!
You’ve probably heard the saying by author and psychotherapist Richard Carlson, “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff,” but don’t confuse details as the “small stuff.” Carlson was referring more to emotional small stuff – annoying habits by coworkers, a rude customer or an inconsiderate driver causing stress, anxiety and anger.
Details can be small – minute even – but in business they each have an important place in the overall picture. Think of all the tiny particulars that go into a space launch at NASA (or any of our new private space exploration companies). Those details are life and death important. The latest project you’re working on might not have that extreme level of mortality, but you get the point; a missed piece of the puzzle can make creating the big picture impossible.
Find Your Angel
There are just some people who pay attention to detail much more keenly than others. You know the ones: they love to “find the differences” in two photos or can’t wait to look at a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle – it’s fun for them to investigate complex pictures and discover what’s out of place. If you’re not one of those people, be sure there’s one on your team!
At Motivation Excellence, we thrive on details for our clients whether it’s for an incentive travel experience or a customer engagement solution. Recently we had a new client, who we set up with a customer loyalty program, tell us how he appreciated our attention to all the “tedious tasks” that would’ve taken him years to get through. He went on to say, “It’s nice to have a hands-off program where you all take care of what needs to happen day to day and I chime in here and there where needed.” Can we get a “Hallelujah!”
Inside our own organization, we have people who specialize in different areas of detail work. When looking at a proposal for a client, it goes through many sets of eyes before being presented. Some of us catch spelling errors at first glance, others thrive on budget anomalies, still others go over the graphics and question whether they make sense…it’s a team effort when it comes to making sure all the details line up for a great solution. The presentation, after all, tells the story and shows how much we care about how it’s told.
Be Brave
As a leader in business, it’s critical to have a handle on the elements that create the big picture. If you’re not detail-oriented, don’t fear the devil too much. There are tips you can use to increase your abilities. The Dream Catcher website outlines how to become more detail-oriented. Paying attention to all facets of a project shows you care, but you don’t want to micromanage either. It’s a fine line – walk it safely.
ThoughfulLeader.com describes finding the balance between wasting time on seemingly unimportant details and losing business to sloppy work. It really comes down to being able to prioritize and delegate. If you really want to dive into how to prioritize, Zapier.com has nine scientific ways to do it. Maybe just skim it over to see if one of them will work for you.
A Detailed Summary
Well, it’s not too detailed, but if you are a quick reference type of person, we’ve got just enough details here to quench your thirst. In short, details matter, however, you don’t need to be in charge of all of them or any of them if you have a trusted team at your side. You can be the big picture person – every organization needs them too!
Here is a quick list of getting started on conquering the details. Use it before your next big project leaves your hands.
- Know your own detail-orientation level
- Find your detail angels – they are real!
- Allow time to have several people review the work
- Present to a third party before a client – do the details add up to the big picture you intended for your best friend or spouse?
Good luck! We’ve given you the basics to work with the devil and the angel on your shoulders – they’re both there to help you conquer the small elements so your big picture shines through!
Get to Know ME with Staci Wand
This month’s Get to Know ME features Staci Wand, a longtime member of our travel department. Read below about her drive to meet challenges and her awesome sense of humor! Thanks, Staci for letting us get to know you a bit better.
What’s your title and how long have you been at Motivation Excellence?
My journey began 21 years ago as a Program Coordinator in the travel department. After many years in that position, I was promoted to the Program Manager position. As the needs of the company have shifted, I am once again assisting in Program Coordination.
What does your job entail?
Managing the participant database and registration process for incentive travel programs for 50 – 1400 people. I handle many logistical components such as hotel accommodations, ground transportation and activity confirmations, as well as the preparation of on-site supplies.
What’s something special about working at Motivation Excellence that you’d like to share?
Motivation Excellence offers a flexible work environment. The company recognizes us as individuals, which allows employees to balance personal commitments, while still maintaining a high level of work.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I can do a comedic impression of Shakira…for close friends and family only. ☺
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
When I’m presented with a challenge that is identified as nearly impossible, that motivates me to figure out a way to make it happen. I’m also motivated by chocolate.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
Playing chauffeur for my children and going for walks.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
The movie Jumanji (the new version).
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
Our family had a lot of game nights and movie nights. We also tie dyed a lot!
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I worked in a coatroom for many years if that qualifies as unusual.
This month, our theme for social media is “Devil’s in the Details.” What does attention to detail mean to you?
My current position requires a keen eye for detail, which I personally thrive on. Attention to detail requires you to not only dissect and analyze what’s in front of you, but also to be proactive and consider different outcomes based on all possible avenues of action.
