Motivational experiences are key

Today's incentives travel planners require additional skills to achieve the high demands of corporations, according to Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) president Padraic Gilligan.

"The core purpose of SITE is to foster networking and professional development, but moving beyond that, the number of pure incentive travel experts in the world is still small," he explained at an educational seminar at the Gulf Incentives, Business Travel and Meetings exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi last month.

"Today we are moving into an era where incentives travel is about motivational experiences - it is a way by which goals are achieved, and incentives professionals need the skills to bo able to help clients achieve this."

The UAE SITE chapter welcomed Gilligan to the region for the first time last month to raise the profile of the society in the Gulf.

With 2000 members from 87 countries, SITE is considered a "boutique" society, that affords members benefits based around three pillars; business results, global connections and motivational experiences.

The small scale of the society also makes networking opportunities more effective, according to Siân Thomas, assistant director of sales - groups, Gulf Region, Jumeirah Group, who has played a strategic role in setting up the UAE chapter along with the local office of global association, communications and event management company MCI.

"SITE holds international seminars and networking events where the suppliers can easily access the buyer members," she explained.

"We have already seen the benefits of being a member of SITE in Jumeirah when working with MCI and the other partners here, and we hope other potential members will also see those benefits."

There are currently around 30 SITE members in the UAE, explained Alexander John, director - business development, MCI, who has also played a key role in setting up the UAE chapter.

"Members can now start creating a trade platform where as trade professionals then can exchange and benefit from each other," he said.

"A lot of the members are boutique organisations and they don't have the volume of education for their staff; SITE offers that platform where you can attend all kind of educational events."

The team is currently working on putting together a calendar of events for members in the UAE as well as an educational session in the summer for non-members to come along and learn more about becoming a member.