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The fall seems to be one of the top times of the year that companies get executives together for their annual corporate meetings. At least that seems to be the case for most of my clients. I have had many recent requests for assistance with promotional materials for those meetings.
Now, I have heard corporate meetings referred to in a number of different ways.
Some companies use them as board retreats, some as the annual sales meeting to recognize their sales leaders, for public companies it’s a meeting to which the stockholders are invited to hear the latest news regarding the company.
Corporate Meeting versus Incentive Travel
But whatever the purpose, the fall does seem to be filled with them. Now, a corporate meeting shouldn’t be confused with an incentive travel program or meeting. Sometimes a corporate meeting may be incorporated into an incentive type destination but most incentive travel is supposed to be just that. A reward.
A good incentive travel reward is designed to make someone want to achieve specific goals so they can take that trip to Hawaii for instance. I have some friends that just got back from an amazing trip to the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was just one of a long list of great destinations they’ve been able to experience because he always exceeds his sales goals. And he does exceed, because they always want to go on the trips.
Now, I personally don’t really get to over achieve in my sales goals to win trips since I’m the boss (well, sometimes my manufacturers or the chamber of commerce has a program – got to Napa Valley 2 years ago for a great trip), but I do reward myself with travel through americanex (American Express). Yes, I use the American Express corporate card for most of my corporate purchases. As a matter of fact, right now I am saving up my rewards for a trip to Europe next year. My own little incentive travel program!
Team Building Can be Great Add-on at Corporate Meetings
Most corporate meetings and incentive travel have a similar goal in mind. They are designed to get employees together for an exchange of ideas, information or experiences. Today, many companies are using their corporate meetings for team building experiences. With all the different generations in the workforce today it’s important to get everyone on the same page.
I’ve had a fellow business owner confide in me recently that his boomers and millennials weren’t getting along. They weren’t communicating well and each thought the other was rude or even unfriendly. Neither was the case. They just were approaching situations so differently. I think it’s a common problem that can be addressed in a corporate meeting that includes a team building experience. These types of programs can help your employees begin to understand how the different generations think and react to situations. This ultimately will lead to a much more productive workforce.
Even if you are a small business you can have corporate meetings. Sometimes partners just go off-site for the day to have an uninterrupted planning day, some small companies include all their employees for a workshop topic that helps them with their positions (or team building experience – one company I know just took his 10 employees rock climbing for the afternoon and then out for dinner afterwards –he said it was one of the best things he ever did to get everyone working together), others might do long working lunches or events that include family members. Basically a corporate meeting can be what you want it to be to achieve your goals!
