Experiential Meetings: BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING TRAVEL...

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Experiential Meetings:

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES WITH

LASTINGIMPACT

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The Compelling Case for Experiential Travel

It’s All About Authenticity

Time for Team

Bonding

Local Flavor

Meetings that Matter

All Hands on Deck

A Lasting Impression

Planning Checklist

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Experiential Meetings:

BEST PRACTICES FOR CREATING

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES WITH LASTING

IMPACT


The Compelling Case for

EXPERIENTIAL TRAVELA great venue. World-class meeting space. First-rate dining. While these are some tried-and-true components of a successful meeting, conven-tion, or incentive trip, they no longer cut it, at least not on their own. Today’s attendees crave events that get people involved and provide a more interactive environment. They want to get their hands dirty, rub elbows with the locals, and have one-of-a-kind inter-actions that they’ll be talking about with their colleagues for years to come. “It seems to apply across all genera-tions,” says Kevin Hinton, CIS, Chief Excellence Officer for the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE). “People go to a meeting and think, ‘Yeah, I want to learn something and I want to stay in a nice hotel room, but it’s got to be something more than that,” he says. “They want to have a more meaningful experience that they can emotionally connect with.”

But how does a planner make that happen? By weaving the key components of experiential travel into an event. Experiential travel allows people to focus on enjoying a particular place by connecting to its history, people, and culture. And it’s become a huge trend. A recent study by the Incentive

Federation reveals that 42 percent of incentive travel managers are increasing the number of “experiential re-wards” in their portfolio. For meetings and incentives, the focus isn’t just on the desti-nation: “Equally important are authentic, ‘wow’-worthy experiences,” Hinton says.

Meeting planners who focus on experiential events will reap big benefits: Experi-ential meetings help build lasting bonds, boost attendee engagement, inspire loyalty, and leave a powerful lasting impression.

A recent study by the Incentive Federation reveals that

42 PERCENT OF INCENTIVE

TRAVEL MANAGERSare increasing the number of

“experiential rewards” in their portfolio.


The single best way to incorporate experiential travel into a meeting or event is to connect attendees with people, especially those who are not in the tourism industry. “When travelers engage with locals, they’re creating their own personal experience, leading to new discoveries,” said James Dion, sustainable tourism program manager for National Geographic — Maps Division, in a recent keynote to members of the travel industry. “Our most cherished travel moments often revolve around the people we meet and moments of serendipitous fortune.”

Meeting planners can use a variety of tactics to give attendees a more localized experience, ranging from taking them on be-hind-the-scenes tours led by a local historian to arranging for a dining experience that’s authentic to the area. As an example, Hinton recently went to an event in Slovenia and dined in a local farmhouse where the owner talked about the farm’s history and gave the group a peek into his wine cellar.

“The ability to see where somebody lives and actually be in their kitchen, or even help them serve dinner, is far more interest-ing than eating another meal at a sterile hotel,” he says. Of course, booking opportunities like these can be more difficult, as you may not find them in the meeting profession’s guidebooks or websites or tourist brochures. Hinton recommends working with a local destination management company to uncover an area’s opportunities. “There’s no lost pride in getting help,” he says. “A good DMC will help you uncover the hidden gems.”

AUTHENTICITYIT’S ALL ABOUT

Make Cultural ConnectionsOne way for groups to get in touch with the spirit of a destination is by interacting with its cultural hubs. Art, music, theater, and even sports are good platforms to leverage when trying to create a deeper connection between the attendee and the destination. A good example found in Myrtle Beach is the Brookgreen Gardens. The facility’s lush gardens, zoo, and butterfly exhibit are beautiful, but of special note are the sculpture classes offered by the center. Learning the lost-wax casting technique (a technique used by the Ancient Greeks to create bronze or other metal sculptures) under the tutelage of a nationally known sculptor-in-residence, also gives attendees a unique window into the wrought iron architectural traditions of the South.

The ability to see where somebody lives and actually be in

their kitchen, OR EVEN HELP THEM

SERVE DINNER,is far more interesting than eating

another meal at a sterile hotel.—Kevin Hinton, SITE

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TEAM BONDINGTIME FOR

Soft adventures bring people together and

HELP MEETING ATTENDEES FORM LASTING BONDS—Glenna Fulks, Kite Meeting Management

Trust. Growth. Compassion. Communication. These are all elements of an es-sential team, and research shows that experiential activities that involve outdoor adventure are a great way to bond group members together. And while heart-racing adventure travel (think bungee jumping or mountain lion-trekking) has always been popular among certain travelers, “softer adventures” that anyone can enjoy, no matter what their age or physical ability, are continuing to rise in popularity, according to a report from the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Experiencing an outdoor adventure, like paddleboarding or parasailing, is more than a fun outing to fill a meeting’s agenda: “Soft adventures bring people closer and help meeting attendees form lasting bonds,” says Glenna Fulks, Chief Connecting Officer and founder of Kite Meeting Management. Fulks recommends that

meeting planners build ample time into a meeting or confer-ence agenda including outdoor sessions for groups to work together in a unique setting to solve problems. She is partial to activities like zip-lining, “which bond group members to-gether — because they all share in the excitement — but also put them in touch with the local flora and fauna.”

Fulks recommends that team members reconvene after the activity—perhaps with a facilitator—to discuss what they’ve learned and how they might put their newfound knowledge and skills into action back home. One idea: Give them a note-book or journal to jot down their experiences. “It might help inspire them when they’re struggling with a teamwork issue in the future,” Fulks says.


Engaging the senses through unique dining experiences and hands-on activities helps to foster a more dynamic experiential event. Meeting planners can push the boundaries by highlighting local culinary experiences, allowing guests to meet area chefs, and organizing cooking classes using local ingredients.

While at the meeting in Slovenia, Hinton and his fellow attendees noshed on pasta with truffles — but not in a restaurant. Instead, he and his colleagues went truffle-hunting with a group of locals and a pack of dogs, who sniffed out the truffles and helped dig them out. Then, the crew brought the truffles back to the hunting lodge, where they prepared a pasta dinner. “We shredded the fresh truffles we’d gotten right over the pasta alongside our new friends,” Hinton says. “You can’t really get a more special, more genuine experience than that.”Another way to enhance group dining experiences is by inviting local celebrities from the com-munity to eat with the group.

“What you’re really looking for is a dining experience your attendees can define as special,” he says. “Find out what would be meaningful to them, and try to deliver it.”

To Know a Destination, Eat its Food

In Slovenia, the crew brought the

FRESH TRUFFLES BACK TO THE

HUNTING LODGE,where they prepared

a pasta dinner.

Even the most timid attendees become adventure lovers when it comes to trying local cuisine. That’s what makes food such an im-portant element in creating a unique and memorable meeting experience. Choosing dishes that have ingredients that are unique to the region is the key to delivering the kind of authenticity that leads to team bonding. In South Carolina, oysters have their own aroma and look different than most other oysters found around the country. The local variety is Cluster Oysters (the name comes from how they look, all clumped together with a large one in the middle and several smaller ones around it). After roasting, make sure that they’re served up with a variety of condiments so guests can experiment. Some enthusiasts put the oyster on a cracker and add hot sauce before relishing it. Others dip the jiggly treat into melted butter and pop it into their mouths. However you choose to eat one, don’t stop until you’re certain you’ve reached the middle: The biggest, juiciest prize is right in the center.

FLAVORLOCAL

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Here’s a statistic worth noting: Nine out of 10 millennials would switch product or service brands to organizations who support a particular cause, according to the Cone Communications Millennial Cor-porate Social Responsibility (CSR) study. Here’s another surprising find: Seven out of 10 said they’d work for less money for a company that closely matches their ethical beliefs. Travel experts say that it’s not just mil-lennials that are interested in being socially responsible. “Often, a CSR initiative is the most highly rated part of the program,” says Hinton. “It appeals to all ages, and it elevates the entire experience.”

Meeting planners typically have many choices when it comes to booking CSR events at a destination. An area’s CVB or DMC can typically put you in touch with local service groups, many of which have built-in projects for volunteers. As an example, some localities’ homeless shelters or soup kitchens need people on a regular basis to build hygiene kits, put together back-packs full of school suppliers for children, or prep food. And environmental organizations often have education or service programs in which visitors can partake. Others lead eco-tours that highlight the need for more environmental awareness.

Another popular idea: Tie a fund-raising activity into the meeting. One national organization, Charity Bike Build, has created a teambuilding activity where groups build bicycles together and then present them to needy chil-dren in the community where the event is being held.

MEETINGS THAT MATTER

Seven out of 10 millennials said they’d work for less money for a company that

CLOSELY MATCHES THEIR ETHICAL BELIEFS

—Cone Communications Study

Get InvolvedA true experiential meeting is not all about the group. It’s about the destination and the people that live there, too. Connecting the group to something that’s important to locals is an easy pathway to creating an experience that transcends ordinary tourism and brings the attendee face-to-face with the reality of the destination. Ecotourism is thriving in Myrtle Beach. One popular activity: Groups can attend a program or volunteer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Re-sources’ Marine Turtle Conservation Program

to assist with sea turtle research and rescue.This cause is a crucial one, as only one

in 1,000 baby sea turtles will live to adulthood, and the reptile is on the interna-tional endangered species list. Sea turtle volunteers are active each year from May to October on Waites Island, an undeveloped barrier island just north of North Myrtle Beach. Each morning during the season, volunteers walk the beach searching for sea turtle nests and monitoring the nests until the young turtles hatch.

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DECKALL HANDS ON

All of our data points to the fact that

meeting attendees LEARN BETTER IF THEY’RE DOING SOMETHING,rather than

just hearing about it —Stephanie Thomason,

National Society for Experiential Education

attention to seating (round tables of six or eight work best if you want attendees to collaborate with one another), lighting, and AV (think holograms, 3D videography, and interactive whiteboards). Music and art also can add to the experience.

And rather than subjecting attendees to a series of lectures, Thomason says, have them try to solve a problem with their peers or engage in a hands-on activity before a speaker gives them material to digest. As an example, when she’s teaching a class about legal HR issues, she’ll present a legal dilemma to her class and ask them to work together in groups to solve it.“Studies have found that people learn subject matter best when you provide them with the application first, and then teach them the concept,” she says.

Another tactic: Ask speakers to break up their talks in incre-ments that don’t exceed seven minutes. “If you go beyond that, you’re going to lose people’s attention.” Another key element of experiential learning is allotting time for partici-pants to reflect on what they’ve learned. Allowing them to demonstrate their progress, and giving them a certificate for their achievements, will help provide closure and reinforce learning, Thomason says.

A growing body of research emphasizes that people learn from experiences far better than they do from standard lectures. “All of our data points to the fact that students learn better if they’re doing something, rather than just hearing about it,” says Stephanie Thomason, Ph.D., president of the National Society for Experiential Education, and an associate professor of management at the University of Tampa’s John H. Sykes College of Business.

Meeting planners should keep interaction in mind when setting up a room for a meeting or event — paying careful


It’s a well-known fact in the meetings and incentive travel industries: If you give attendees an experience they can’t get on their own, they’re much more likely to remember it for the rest of their lives.

Indeed, Hinton recommends that planners endeavor to give attendees access to experiences they might not have as solo travel-ers. For instance, he says, instead of taking a double-decker bus on a tour around New York City, “Try to pull some strings and see if you can take them behind the scenes at YouTube, or another trendy company,” he suggests.

A side effect of experiential travel is that it leads to “bragging rights” — employees or customers who attend an experiential event will talk about it for years to come, becoming great brand ambassadors for your organization. One way to help attendees share memories of their trip with others is by utilizing social media. Set up an Instagram or Facebook site where people can upload photos of their trip, or have attendees wear GoPros so they can create shareable videos.

Another tactic is to provide attendees with pillow and take-home gifts showcasing a destination’s local flavor (think salt water taffy, locally-made barbecue sauce, or wine from a local vineyard) so they can savor their experience just a little bit longer. Make sure you place the gifts in a special bag, tote, or box emblazoned with the meeting’s logo so that attendees will have a keepsake long after the treats are gone.

IMPRESSIONA LASTING

A side effect of experiential ravel is that it leads to

“BRAGGING RIGHTS” —Employees or customers who attend an experiential

event will talk about it for years to come.


PLANNING CHECKLISTCOMPONENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENTIAL EVENT

Select a destination that offers unique and

meaningful experiences

Build time into the agenda for attendees to experience the

area’s history and culture

Let meeting-goers mingle with the locals

Organize a soft adventure for team bonding

Plan sightseeing and recreational activities that attendees

typically wouldn’t be able to experience on their own

Give participants a taste of local fare

(Bonus: Let them help prepare a meal alongside the chef)

Tie a fundraiser or community activity into the event

Maximize learning by making meetings interactive;

design seating accordingly

Have solo speakers break up their talks into bite-size chunks

(no more than seven minutes of continuous talk)

Allow attendees time to reflect on what they’ve learned

Give participants gifts that showcase a destination’s local flavor

Encourage attendees to share their experiences and

photos via social media

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