When planning a corporate incentive trip, one of the most important parts of planning is the hotel site check! This is typically done months prior to the event and gives both the planner and the client a lay of the land and what to expect come event week. Below we’ve included the top 5 tips to ensure a successful site check that haven't failed us yet.
1. Plan Ahead
As Event Managers, planning is in our blood! Before stepping foot on an airplane to your destination, it is important to have a plan in place for your site check. This means setting up appointments with not only your main point of contact but also everyone else you will be working with that weekend - activity coordinators, chefs/banquet managers and even the front desk staff. Having the entire hotel team know who you are will come in handy. As site checks are typically only a day or two, it is important to see and do everything you want in a timely and efficient manner and an organized schedule ensures that.
2. Put on your walking shoes!
This tip goes hand in hand with tip number one. Plan to get your steps in as you want to ensure you cover the entire hotel grounds. This means touring everything from the minute you walk in until you can’t possibly see anymore. This especially runs true for large venues - you want to make sure you know how to get to different buildings/area, planned activities and this also proves to be helpful when making guest itineraries. Also take LOTS of photos and videos so you can share with your team when you return home! As on site event managers, it’s important that our guests see us as a one stop shop so we need to be just as knowledgeable as the hotel staff.
3. Ask, Ask, Ask.
Okay you’ve done your planning and you’ve walked the walk. Now what? Typically after viewing the resort, our team will sit down with our main point of contact and go over everything we just did. This also means talking through our groups needs and preferences and asking every possible question to ensure everyone is on the same page. We always like to know what other corporate groups will be at the hotel, how full the hotel will be and any extra perks or amenities we can provide our VIP guests.
4. Go To Town!
The hotel is NOT the only important place to go on your site-check. After you’re done at the resort, make your way to the local town and surrounding area. You should come up with several recommendations that are both within walking distance and anywhere that’s considered popular in the area. Make sure to actually try out any food or activities you are recommending off site! One of the biggest questions we get from guests after they check in with us at our hospitality desk is “Where can I grab the best lunch?”
5. Sit down with your client.
After doing your tours, taking photos and reviewing your notes - it’s always important to sit down with your client and discuss what you both just saw. What you liked, disliked and want to add on or change. As the site check is a few months prior to the actual event, this tip is extremely important as if something is not what you expected it to be, there is time to change and make it better! This could ring true for a dinner venue you booked or a certain room type you thought would be better. The clients feedback will help you make the incentive trip go beyond their expectations!
So there you have it, those are the top 5 tips One Line Agency likes to keep in mind when setting up incentive trip site checks! If you have any more tips you’d like to share, feel free to tell us in the comments below!