Luxury is only part of the equation when it comes to incentive travel. That was one of the messages delivered at Prevue’s recent Visionary Summit, The Next Era of Incentive Travel, held Sept. 14-16 at Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca Raton.
Other themes explored during the conference—attended by 30 incentive travel planners and 20 partner suppliers—included the role of DMOs in event planning, designing more meaningful experiences, sustainability in its many forms and the topic being pondered at just about every conference these days: AI.
Design for the Journey
In his keynote address, Designing for Humans: Design the Journey, Not Just the Destination, Greg Bogue, Chief Brand and Experience Officer for Maritz, highlighted a few developments in incentive travel, including attendees’ desire for more downtime and an increase in the average spend per person, which has risen 28% since 2004 and now sits at $6,900.
The format of incentive trips has also shifted, Bogue noted. “We have lit this fuse of chasing experiences,” he said, pointing to a mainstay of group travel—wine tastings—as a prime example. “We’ve gone from tasting wines to making wine. I believe we are on the verge of week-long experiential immersions. People want to find something that changes them on the inside,” he said.
To that end, the group enjoyed a session with Be You Disco, whose owner Carolina Panoff led a session combining self-awareness, meditation and interpersonal connection with good old-fashioned dancing (though some people boogied).
Sustainable Moments
As the idea of sustainability in events continues to evolve from “going green” to an expanded footprint that includes accessibility, local sourcing, community benefit and event legacy, Shannon Keith, Founder and CEO of Sudara, posed the question, “What if business could change the world?”
Inspired by a 2005 trip to India and appalled at the pervasive sex trafficking there, Keith and a small team of family and friends looked for ways to help the country’s high-risk women, knowing that safe, steady and living-wage employment was the answer. Thus was born Sudara, serving more than 1,375 women annually through funding employment pathways, safe housing, education, childcare, healthcare and long-term stability programs.
Also exploring the topic of sustainability was a lunchtime panel discussion with Steffi Kordy, CEO of Cocoon Incentives and President of SITE FL-Caribbean, Maura Zhang, owner of Welldom and Ikonik Destinations Collective, and Paula Lombardo, Director of Sustainability & Community Outreach, 1 Hotels & Homes South Beach.
Is Purpose the New Luxury in Incentive Travel? was the question posed to the panel, and attendees were asked to describe their idea of sustainability in one word. Via audience prompts, the panel explored the environmental impact of meetings, both now and in the future, as well as best sustainable practices and engaging with local communities.
DMOs and AI
Robin Prakash, VP Group Sales for Prevue’s hosts The Palm Beaches, also touched on community in his keynote, The Destination Effect.
“CVBs and DMOs were designed to help communities and help them understand the importance of tourism, and we thrive on relationships with our partners,” he said, noting that the destination has more than 200 hotels.
“I cater to everybody… we represent an entire destination,” he said. “We offer complimentary support, and that’s not complimentary meaning praise, but meaning at no charge.”
While reminding the room of planners about the advantages of using local CVBs like The Palm Beaches, Prakash described how AI and human intelligence blend in creating the best experiences. “It’s not AI vs. DMO, it’s AI plus DMO; AI can find it but humans validate it,” he said, pointing to what that partnership does: Unlocking local access and talent; creating a sense of place; building the complete experience; and turning logistics into moments.
“Luxury means removing friction,” Prakash said.
Prime Partnerships
“I entered the Summit the minute my driver contacted me,” said Greg Bogue of Maritz, referring to his airport pickup from Three Zero Five Transportation, which provided airport transport to and from the hotel. “The car was clean and cold, with a bottle of water waiting,” he said, adding, “There’s arriving and then there’s entering… and my Summit experience began right there.”
Meanwhile, attendees were given the chance to win a 3-day/2-night stay at The Cove at Atlantis, currently undergoing a complete renovation, including all 600 suites, pools and restaurants as well as a new adults-only beach club. The transformation is slated to debut in 2027, marking the all-suite property’s 20th anniversary.
Attendees also had the chance to leave a permanent mark on the Summit, participating in an activation from Art of Anón, whose lead artist Jhonattan Arango invited people to pick up a brush and add to a Summit-themed painting which will be displayed in the offices of The Palm Beaches.
The Boca Backdrop
Set on Lake Boca Raton and the Intracoastal Waterway, the Waterstone Resort & Marina, offers 18,899 square feet of unique indoor/outdoor meeting and event space, including the expansive Atlantic Ballroom overlooking the marina. Their signature restaurant, Kasumi specializes in modern Japanese cuisine with an open kitchen and waterfront view, while also doubling as added event space. All 139 rooms and suites feature private waterfront balconies.
Expert A/V was handled by Dobil Event Technology, which has a direct partnership with the Waterstone and handled Summit needs promptly and with a smile.
The Summit’s farewell gala was hosted at one of The Boca Raton’s four properties, the Beach Club, which recently emerged from a $130 million renovation of all its rooms, suites and meeting breakout rooms. Following a cocktail reception in The Living Room, our group headed to the Atlantic Terrace and Onda to feast on a sumptuous surf-and-turf buffet.
