In support of its mission to improve the effectiveness of the incentive travel and motivation industry, the Site International Foundation recently released the findings of a study entitled Site Index: Focus on Technology. The report covers technology usage in the events industry as it relates to business operations, motivational programs and online resources. Among the surprising results, 28% of respondents want more technology but are restrained by lack of funds. In fact, only 8% of respondents indicated satisfaction with their current technology. “The report suggests that the greatest area for technology growth rests with cross-organizational collaboration using social media tools with interactive online groups,” says Site International Foundation President Fay Beauchine, President of Engagement & Events for Carlson Marketing. Another interesting stat: only 12.5% of respondents have an organized multi-year plan for their future technology needs. This is a clear indicator that organizations looking to the future must assess the state of current customer expectations as it compares to their employment of technology. The complete report is available at www.siteglobal.com
Following the recent passage of the Travel Promotion Act, the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) announced the creation of a new council that will build a proactive research, communications, government relations and promotion agenda. The Meetings, Incentives and Trade Show Council (MIT) held its first strategy session on March 2. “The industry needs a collective voice,” says Roger Dow, USTA President and CEO. “We will strive to ensure that the [negative media] attacks of 2009 never again take place and that the value of this industry is finally understood.” Participants on the council include:
Attention suppliers and program providers! The Enterprise Engagement Alliance will hold its first annual EEA Networking Expo at the Doral Arrowwood Hotel Conference Center in Rye Brook, NY, June 3-5, 2010. The event is designed to help organizations profit from engaging their key audiences and engineer new ways to use rewards and recognition to drive performance. A slate of interactive education sessions will enable attendees to share the latest and most effective policies, procedures, strategies and tactics in the field of engagement, offering unique, actionable ideas and information they can use to boost performance and profitability, and build relationships with all key audiences. Exhibitors representing the top products, programs and performance-improvement companies will be available during eight hours of dedicated exhibit time, as well as at other networking events and activities during the EEA Networking Expo, to share their extensive expertise with attendees. The Doral Arrowwood is convenient to all major metropolitan areas in the Boston/NYC/Philadelphia/Washington, DC corridor, located only 10 minutes from Westchester Country Airport and 40 minutes from New York’s LaGuardia airport. For more information about the Enterprise Engagement Alliance Networking Expo, go to www.eeaexpo.com
Despite the fact that the economy is stabilizing and the global recession is winding down, the majority of business travel managers will continue to seek out alternatives to travel in 2010, according to a new survey conducted by Kotler Marketing Group, in conjunction with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). The report, 2010 Corporate Travel Spend Plans & Tactics, provides a detailed analysis of enterprise travel spend plans, including breakdowns by region, industry sector and company size, including an in-depth analysis of the growing use of electronic alternatives (e.g. web- and video-conferencing) to offset travel. Some highlights:
For more information, go to www.acte.org
A grassroots industry campaign called “FACE TIME. It Matters.” promotes the benefits of meeting face-to-face. Nine leading industry trade associations have adopted the campaign theme that was developed under the aegis of the Convention Industry Council (CIC). It is based on the findings of a recent national survey of corporate and association meeting planners, plus in-depth personal interviews with the industry’s leading executives, as well as focus groups consisting of corporate and association executives, business travelers and professional meeting planners. According to the research:
“We’re very excited about the launch of this grass roots campaign,” says Gregg Talley, Chief Strategy Officer for the CIC. “The Convention Industry Council and its members will utilize the message to promote the irreplaceable benefits of human interaction and relationship building that may only be realized only through face-to-face meetings.” Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, adds that “The FACE TIME campaign will bring home the critical ‘human side’ of the meetings value equation. When combined with our ‘Meetings Mean Business’ effort and Oxford Economics compelling findings on the positive financial return from meetings, it becomes crystal clear how important meetings are to talent growth, business development and the economic vitality of our communities.” For more information, click here.
The March/April issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine will be mailing soon. Here's a preview of what you'll find inside:
Karey Stanley, who holds the unique title of Senior Manager, Employee Spirit and Recognition at TD Bank Financial Group, says the company’s Wow Moments program is a unique tool – not only for informal recognition, but for talent spotting and creating a unique customer-oriented business culture. Read more about this unique recognition/communication strategy in the March/April issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine or click here.
Things have gotten so bad in the Gift Card industry that reviewing a company’s financials is a necessary step in shopping for a birthday gift or adding new merchants to an incentive program, says Stacey McAllister, VP at RK Incentives and Director of Media Relations at the Incentive Gift Card Council. Recently, McAllister sat down with Nick Balestino, Manager of Award Partnerships at Hallmark Insights; Dana Slockbower, Marketing Director at Rymax Marketing Services; and Joan Travelstead, VP of Business Development at National Gift Card Group to discuss the evolution of this adaptable and accessible motivational mainstay. Don’t miss this important article! To make sure your subscription is up to date, go to www.enterpriseengagement.org/account/login/. You can also read the full article here.
Leaders have to drive engagement, says Judy McLeish, Founder and President of McDaniel Partners. Yet, according to Development Dimensions International, only 25% of senior leaders and 17% of frontline leaders are highly engaged. No wonder companies are having a difficult time making progress with broad-based engagement initiatives. To reap the full benefits of engagement, companies must first engage those who lead the effort. Find out how to get leaders more involved in the next issue of Engagement Strategies Magazine.
One of the greatest opportunities to increase corporate profits – and subsequently boost the economy – lies in motivating workforces to improve performance, drive greater customer engagement and ultimately increase revenue, according to a new report from the Enterprise Engagement Alliance (EEA) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI). The Enterprise Engagement Alliance is a coalition of companies and associations dedicated to promoting the importance of engagement, founded last year by the Human Capital Institute, Peppers & Rogers Group, 1to1® Media and Selling Communications, Inc.
Entitled The Economics of Engagement, the report provides a comprehensive analysis of research in the field of Enterprise Engagement and offers how-to information on benchmarking tools that can quantitatively measure the benefits of employee and customer engagement. These measurement tools are critical to demonstrate the bottom-line impact of enterprise engagement, both to corporations and to the economy as a whole, using financial language that senior executives, investors and economists are accustomed to. Get a copy of the report >>
Does your organization have a transactional website to handle bulk sales of merchandise to qualified buyers or points programs for incentive companies? The incentive industry is one of the few areas of business that doesn't have a true transactional model to support its end-users and incentive companies. The Corporate Rewards Exchange is a cooperative effort of leading brands, incentive fulfillment firms and incentive companies to build a new distribution channel for sale of gifts to corporations, incentive companies and marketing services firms. The CRE enables brands to tap into a large ad hoc market for bulk gifts and rewards in a way they can carefully control, providing a powerful means for incentive companies to more effectively use their products in reward programs via a highly automated billing, redemption, tracking and customer service system. It's designed to support all of the current players in the incentive marketplace by providing a more efficient means of offering rewards to end-users and incentive companies, at a very low cost. For more information, please contact us for a demo.
Selling Communications, Inc. is a fully integrated, target marketing, media and technology agency that improves results for clients by focusing on the people who matter most. We can help your business grow and save you money by targeting key prospects, getting their permission and strategically integrating your marketing and sales communications with the specific audiences most likely to affect your business performance.
Take advantage of these SCI services to improve your business development:
For more information on Selling Communications, its products and services, contact Jim Kilmetis at 914-591-7600, ext. 229 or send an e-mail to jkilmetis@sellingcommunications.com.
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