Organizations typically evaluate ROI of incentive travel efforts through simple math: compare the amount spent on the incentive program to the growth in sales during the incentive period. But that is not adequate, according to Kent Cisewski, president of Fusion Performance Group. Last fall, he hosted a small group of executives at an executive thought leader summit in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Cisewski used that experience to frame tips for increasing ROI of incentive programs and meetings and shared them with BizBash.com.
• Embrace unconventional formats. The summit participants spent a day at Rancho Margot, an off-the-grid eco-resort and working farm. In addition to touring the property, the executives participated in brainstorming sessions while sitting on the balcony of a cabin in the woods.
• Create opportunities for participants to face their fears. The summit attendees participated in a variety of adventure activities, such as rappelling and jumping from waterfalls. Christine Krishnan, owner of Desafio Adventures, a Costa Rican destination management company, says, “There is so much that will create the long-lasting confidence that groups need to work effectively when they get back to the office.”
• Lacing content and experiences together. Throughout the summit, speaker and business-strategy consultant Amy Hutchens, who goes by the name AmyK, led discussions that helped attendees see the connection between what they were seeing and doing around Costa Rica and how it can relate to success for their companies.
