The traditional model of incentive travel that prizes inaccessibility — a level of luxury and experience that you can’t create on your own — is changing.
The global marketplace for travel experiences has grown to more than $1 trillion, according to McKinsey & Company. Anyone who can afford it can purchase the chance to explore the Giza pyramids with the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities or try their hand at Polynesian rowing in Easter Island with Chile’s Olympic team. Instagram feeds are lined with individual travelers having the same exact experiences that were once the purview of incentive groups.
Today’s incentive winners are more sophisticated than previous generations, said Michelle Orlando, who has spent her entire career curating experiences, forming her own company, Elevoque, in 2021.
“They’re well-traveled. They’re experience-savvy. They aren’t moved by velvet ropes; they’re moved by moments that feel like they’re truly for them.”
It Depends on the Budget
Talk to many incentive firms, and they still have clients hosting those eye-popping group incentive experiences that are beyond the reach of most people. However, they admit it’s just a small percentage of companies that have the budgets to support these types of programs, and they are almost always from the insurance, financial, automotive, and energy sectors.
At Land O’ Lakes, which holds a number of different types of incentive programs for customers and internal employees, Chris Johnson, director-global travel, enterprise meetings and experiences and sports partnerships, says his team puts a great deal of thought and planning into the creation of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. A recent incentive on a chartered cruise ship, for example, allowed the group to choose their stops at various ports along the Mediterranean. The final evening, the ship was docked in Barcelona, and the closing event was a cultural immersion through entertainment and food.
“Guests experienced a journey through the Spanish culinary traditions, culminating in a breathtaking drone show over the Barcelona skyline,” he said. “The custom performance traced each stop along the trip, with illuminated images and music reflecting the local flavor. It was a one-of-a-kind finale that no individual traveler could re-create, and the attendees were absolutely captivated.”
Layered Experiences
Planners like Orlando believe that the future of incentive travel isn’t defined by extravagance — it’s defined by intentionality. “Incentive travel is absolutely still rooted in the idea of providing something irreplicable, but the currency of exclusivity has changed,” she said.
The incentive industry’s answer is ‘layered experiences,’ those which extend beyond a single wow moment to create ‘layers of surprise + delight.’
Attendees want to spend meaningful time with real people (even better if they’re famous), like the private cocktail event and culinary experience hosted by a Food Network celebrity chef at her personal estate, curated by One10. “These personalized itineraries go beyond, focusing on meaningful engagement, cultural authenticity, and surprise elements that align with our clients’ goals,” said Kandice Watson, director, purchasing & design.
During another experience, the well-known Neo-Pop artist Peter Tunney not only gave the group a personal tour of his Wynwood Walls gallery and shared stories about his life and art, he then took them on a guided tour of the entire Wynwood Walls complex. “Peter’s personality is so unique, and his stories are captivating,” said Jennifer Gruebner, director of sales at Just Right! Destination Management. “They could have stayed there with him for days.”
Elevoque recently designed an incentive program for a wellness brand that brought 200 top performers out into the fields and farms where their product line is grown. They got a chance to speak directly with the farmers and food scientists, followed by a lunch served outside at the farm. The event was broadcast to a global audience.
“Every detail was designed not only to impress, but to connect,” said Orlando.
“It’s no longer about the most luxurious destination or the flashiest five-star dinner. It’s about the stories we tell through place, the emotional clarity we deliver through design, and lasting meaning.”
