A good, solid incentive travel program is five nights. Any less and participants might feel rushed. More than six days and they might feel bored. The last thing you want to hear is, “I am ready to go home now” or “I’ve had enough.” Five nights allow for two travel days and four full days of enjoyment. I have spent 30 years learning this.

Sometimes, planners have ideas concerning destinations that simply do not fall into that five-night grid. This is where the true professionals thrive. They now figure out how to do a program with vision and originality.

Many years ago, I did a site inspection of the Napa Valley, in the wine country of northern California. I was shown the beautiful Sonoma Mission Inn (now the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa), and I thought it was one of the most exquisite properties I had ever seen. Classic California Mission architecture, elegant furnishings, a state-of-the-art spa, superb cuisine, and a location right in the middle of world-famous wine country. But the problem was that unless the participants were all wine connoisseurs or totally into the spa scene, five nights would have been too much!

While you can fly directly into Napa, there is a great deal more airlift into San Francisco, which is about an hour south of Napa, Sonoma, and the Fairmont. San Francisco is a favorite city, but it is not a five-night destination, either. (Sorry!) But San Francisco and Napa Valley together is perfection!

Morning flights from the East Coast arrive in San Francisco at lunchtime. After stopping in Sausalito for a bite, it is only about 45 minutes to the Fairmont and the succulent wine country. Two nights with luxury accommodations and superb California cuisine-and-wine pairings are good for the novice wine connoisseur and a great appetizer for the experienced.

On day three, take attendees back over the Golden Gate Bridge and up Nob Hill to the city’s grande dame hotel, the Fairmont San Francisco. When planning a double-destination program, try to make a deal with the same hotel company. The more important you are as a client, the better your pricing and the positioning of your group (i.e., better rooms and services).

Three nights in San Francisco are perfect for most groups, and departure out of the city does not entail extra-long transfers. Look at your gateways when doing a double-destination program; if there needs to be a long transfer, make sure it is in the beginning of the program. Always remember that early rough spots are never remembered when there are strong finishes. The vice versa lasts forever.

Doubling Down in Europe
Venice is one of the most magical cities in the world. A perfect combination is Venice and Florence. The gorgeous Sonesta Relais Tavolese Tuscany in the middle of Chianti country is everything you would expect in a dreamy destination. The property is more country club than hotel, and the ambiance is pure rural Italy, with scenery out of picture books.

Since many people do not do well on the first day after transcontinental travel, a relaxed day in the country followed by a casual Tuscan barbecue works well. The next day could feature wine-tasting and Italian cooking lessons. On day three, the transfer to Venice is charged with excitement, as the well-rested are now ready for some action.

Venice will not disappoint. The Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal are more than enough for three nights of incentive fun. Right on the Grand Canal, across a narrow passage from the famous Harry’s Bar and a few steps from St. Mark’s Square, how could one not be excited staying where Casanova once played?

Much of your client’s time in Venice can be at leisure and on their own that a final-evening gala should be designed to blow participants away! An elegant “Carnival in Venice” dinner-dance will be remembered always.

I also have doubled Paris and London with a Chunnel transfer, Innsbruck and Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin, Portugal and Madeira Island, and Hanoi and Singapore—just to name a few. Like a true artist’s masterpiece, balance, color, feeling, and experience are keys to a double-destination program.

Incentive online columnist Brian Martenis is managing director of Incentive Worldwide Travel. After 10 years as sales promotion director for one company and 19 years as sales incentives manager for another, he brings to the company nearly 30 years of designing and implementing successful incentive travel programs all over the world. Brian is passionate about every aspect of his programs and is often asked to write and speak about incentives, incentive travel, and motivation. He can be reached at brianm@incentivewt.com. This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy