The stunning and newly refurbished El Conquistador Resort served as Incentive Live’s host property.
Steering incentive programs through uncertain times and ensuring
they are engaging and motivating to all were the themes of Incentive Live 2025,
which took place June 8-10 in Puerto Rico. The Northstar Meetings Group event, held at the gorgeous El Conquistador Resort, also featured one-on-one incentive
buyer and supplier meetings, and put the island’s outstanding incentive
offerings in the spotlight.
Focus on incentive design,
enhancements
In his keynote session "Incentive-Design
Strategies for Uncertain Times," Greg Bogue, chief experience and brand officer for
Maritz, urged planners to focus on the
things that never change — such as human nature — when crafting a program.
People are driven by values, time, a need for connections and experiences, and
multiple motivators, said Bogue; programs that take those human factors into consideration will remain
strong.
Concurrent
breakout sessions were held on the second morning of Incentive Live. The agenda included a
tasting course led by Candy Campbell, CMP, event director and chef of Campbell
Scott Productions. She introduced attendees to Puerto Rico's native fruits — tamarind, star
fruit and passionfruit, served on their own and then paired with chocolate — to
demonstrate how to incorporate local ingredients into a program’s menu.
During her breakout session, Kate
Cardoso, founder of the Travel with Purpose Pact, shared a three-part plan for adding
sustainability to events. The first steps, she said, are to select
vendors who prioritize sustainability; include CSR and sustainability questions in
RFPs; and choose local and ethical suppliers. For the second phase, Cardoso recommended reducing waste in
signage, swag, and food and beverage; offering carbon offsets for
transportation; and offering hands-on CSR activities. Lastly, donate leftover food, gifts and supplies to
local nonprofits, and track metrics such as carbon savings and the benefits to
the host community.
In
his second-day breakout session, Maritz's Bogue revealed that more than 30 percent of
participants feel disengaged from incentive programs because the rewards didn’t
appeal to them and/or were too hard to earn,
program rules were too confusing, and communications weren’t relevant. What does spur participants' engagement in a program? Personalized reporting on their performance
in the program, and the excitement and anticipation they feel as they get closer
to earning a reward, he said.
Celebration of
Puerto Rican culture
The island’s vibrant culture of music, dance and food was
showcased throughout the event. Networking activities included horseback riding in
El Junque, Puerto Rico’s rainforest; crafting delicious rum cocktails;
snorkeling in the clear, aquamarine Caribbean Sea; a delightful evening at
the newly refurbished Wyndham Grand Rio Mar; and a spectacular fireworks display at
the El Conquistador.
Thanks
to our generous sponsors who made Incentive Live possible: Discover Puerto Rico; El Conquistador Resort; Bacardi; Big Cedar, LLC; Citizen Watch of America; Daytona Beach; Dragonfly Global DMC; Hilton Luxury Brands; Maui Jim; Opal Collection; Visit Anchorage Alaska; Wyndham Grand Rio Mar; PC Nametag; and Madison Avenue.
Northstar
holds a number of hosted-buyer events throughout the year. Please check out our
calendar and fill out the form to express your interest. All photos below were
taken by Matt Klinger.