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ransportation is as much a part of your event as the other elements are and creativity needs to be employed to make sure that getting to the event site is an enjoyable experience, whether it be by air, land, water or even a combination of all of them, which is possible in some destinations and venues. Always look for ways to make the experience as pleasant as possible and not just a means to an end.Events that involve moving guests from one location to another can be a creative challenge. For example, at an event in Singapore, guests were transported from one location to another in a unique manner; they were greeted by a line of rickshaws waiting outside. Th emed T-shirts on the runners designated the rickshaws that had been provided for each guest. Th e return trip was made by more prosaic motor coaches.
Th ere are times when you may need to be inventive with parking and transportation. Where else can you park in the area? Are there nearby shopping malls or other places with larger parking facilities that you can rent? Shuttles to ferry your guests to and fro will solve all parking problems. You can make them fun—double-decker buses, school buses or, in some places, chartered ferry or yachts. In Key West, you can use open-air “conch” trains to transport guests from one place to another
during “progressive” dinners, where you have cocktails at one location, dinner at another, and fi nally a lively nightspot. But always let your guests know what to expect in advance. Make sure that they receive detailed instructions with their invitations.
Event transportation can include air—private jets, private air charter, commercial airplanes, helicopter, hot air balloons; land—
limousines, private cars (road rally), motor coaches, private trains; and water—private boat charters, private barges.
Private boat charters and barges can be used to transport guests to a private venue, such as a waterfront restaurant with a landing dock, In San Antonio, Texas, you can rent private barges—with entertain- ment—to take guests from their hotel to a riverfront site for an ex- clusive event (as opposed to the yacht being the actual event, as in a whale-watching dinner cruise).
Care and consideration should always be given to the mode of transportation, as well as to how many times you are physically moving your participants and when. For example, if you have guests arriving from a long fl ight, transferring to their hotel via limousine or motor coach, they may not be anxious to step into another vehicle the same evening to be transferred to the site of their arrival dinner. Th at would be too much movement in one day. A better option would be to have a casual welcome event at the hotel and allow guests the option of retiring early so they can wake up refreshed and ready to partake in their program in a relaxed frame of mind. You can save those dollars to put them into the next night’s dinner and have that become their offi cial welcome celebration. If that’s not an option, a more soothing option than being stuck back in traffi c just to be transported again in a motor vehicle would be to look at alternative modes of moving your attendees to their event. One event planner did this by chartering a
yacht to transport guests directly from their waterfront hotel to an exclusively reserved restaurant that their yacht could pull right up to.
Th ey timed the yacht transfer to sunset and turned it into a sunset cocktail reception, and it was a pleasant and pleasing beginning to their program. Motor coaches were used for the return transfers but at that point, guests were relaxed and ready to just return to their guestrooms and retire for the night.
Transportation requirements can also play an important part in choosing the best site in which to hold your event if it is being held locally and your guests will be making their own way there. It is important to look at where it make the most logistical sense to hold your event. For instance, If you are hosting a client appreciation event and your clients are located in the suburbs, does your choice of venue warrant bringing them downtown? Will all of your guests be arriving by car? When considering a location, in addition to parking, you also need to look at ways your participants will get there. Is public transportation available? How accessible is it, and how late does it run? You may need to change your schedule of events to coincide with transportation schedules. For example, if one of your objectives is to address your guests after dinner, and the last commuter train departs at 9 p.m., how many guests will leave immediately after dinner to catch that train?
Whatever the mode of transportation used, it’s important to view the transfer as an event inclusion, give the same care and detail to guest enjoyment of the transfer as you would to the actual event and capture all applicable costs in your budget. Just as there can be hidden costs in accommodation, there can be in transportation as well. You could be hit with “barn to barn” charges, which is the cost of getting your transportation from where it is housed to your pickup location and back to their housing location, and this can apply to a limousine, a motor coach, a boat or even a moving van ( for storage). Or, you could incur minimum rental charges, e.g., minimum four-hour rental as well as charges for gas, insurance, detailing, staffi ng and more.
By Air
Many corporations hold their company incentives or company events at destinations out of state and out of country. It is critical that getting to the location be perceived by the winning participants or attendees as a pleasurable part of the event, not an endurance test in stress.
Destinations for incentive programs, meetings, conferences and other events have come under close scrutiny by participants since the occurrence of 9/11, SARS, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunamis, the war in Iraq and news of violent outbreaks, murders and kidnappings in certain cities and countries. Corporate clients are choosing their destinations and which events they will take part in with more care and concern. Th ey are considering what they can expect in emergency situations—how prepared the infrastructure is in handling disasters, both natural and man-made—and how diffi cult will it be to get home to loved ones in the event of a major catastrophe, and deciding whether or not a destination will pose or be perceived by their attendees as a great safety and security risk and therefore limit attendance. With the added passenger safety and security demands at airports now in eff ect, many participants no longer view fl ying off to an exotic locale an adventure but rather an endurance race to get through.
Event planners are now looking for ways to ease travel stress and build more creative air travel elements into their program and into their budgets. Airports in Europe and Asia are starting to cater to their passengers’ rising new needs to de-stress pre-boarding—whether checking in or transiting—that have come about as a direct result of travelers anticipating or having previously experienced trying times and lengthy delays checking in due to heightened security demands. Th eir response has been to add elements of relaxation to their environment to make the experience as pleasurable as possible. Airports around the world can now be found with entertaining features such as spas, beauty salons, massage centers, gyms, swimming pools, rooms rented by the
hour (perfect to shower and freshen up in), movie theaters, casinos and upscale shopping. One airport even runs a nearby golf course to help their passengers unwind.
Savvy planners know that their client’s participants’ trip starts the moment they leave their home—not at the arrival at their selected destination—and that the more they can do to make their group’s check- in, in-transit and arrival experience pleasurable, the better their client is deemed to be taking care of those taking part on their trip. Whether the trip is business (meetings) or a combination of business and pleasure (incentives), such handling often leads directly back to repeat business and referrals.
Advance seat selection and Web check-in are two ways event planners are working with airlines to reduce the time that their group has to stand in line. Each airline has its own procedures. At the time of group airfare negotiation—not post-contract—fi nd out what can be done to ease the way at check-in for the group. With some airlines, it has been possible to have someone check in the entire group and print boarding passes in advance, with copies of passports obtained and distributed to the lead travel director, along with the number of bags each individual intends to check.
To ensure smooth, stress-free security checks, planners are now making sure that participants are receiving detailed information in their pre-trip material, such as itinerary booklets. Attendees need to be informed of:
What is allowed in carry-on
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What is not allowed in carry-on
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What is allowed in checked baggage
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Maximum weight restrictions for baggage
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Additional baggage charges
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Proper airport etiquette when interacting with airport staff and air-
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port security
What to expect on each leg of the journey—e.g., where they will
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be met, what they need to be aware of upon arrival, baggage claim procedures (whether they will be required to present their claim checks)—so there are no surprises
Airline VIP lounge passes can be negotiated or purchased for a group and are another stress-reducing option event planners can investigate. Planners should always try to negotiate VIP passes as part of a group concession. And access to VIP lounges does not have to be limited to departures. Remember to research what can be done en route as well as in transit to airports. In certain cities, you can pre-purchase access to VIP lounges for a fee.
A new service, one that off ers your clients’ participants the utmost in care and convenience and that can be added easily to the group’s budget as a program enhancement consideration (depending on the destination and country travel regulations), is arranging to have their luggage picked up from their home or offi ce, shipped directly to their hotel and delivered to their guestroom upon check-in. Th ere is a new industry of luggage shipping companies that has sprung up to meet this demand in addition to major courier companies who may off er this service as well. Th e luggage and sports equipment would still be required to be packed as it would be for standard airline check-in.
For luggage traveling internationally, the luggage shipping companies collect information about the clients’ trip and the contents of their suitcase. Using this information, the luggage shipping companies prepare the necessary customs documentation on a country-specifi c basis and then oversee the customs clearance process on behalf of the client. Th ey work closely with many leading hotels and resorts around the world. Each property has their own procedure for receiving forwarded luggage, and the luggage shipping company works directly with the hotel staff in the necessary manner to ensure that luggage that is received before a client checks in is held in a secure place until being delivered directly to their guestroom. Similar for shipments from a hotel,
the luggage shipping company works with the concierge and bellman to coordinate the collection of the bag(s) for the return trip. Luggage Forward (www.luggageforward.com) is one of the leading luggage shipping companies, shipping luggage to more than 200 countries around the world. Th ey have an exclusive agreement with Starwood’s Luxury Collection and W Hotels.
Stress-reducing benefi ts to the traveler include:
Not having to transport their luggage to and from the airport.
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Being able to bypass long check-in lines by going directly to the de-
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parture gate.
Attendees not being subject to airport excess baggage charges, which
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can in some cases be hundreds of dollars.
Having their luggage handled by a company that specializes in trans-
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porting luggage not people, which is the airline’s priority.
No waiting for their luggage at baggage claims.
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Having their luggage waiting for them in their destination location
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when they arrive.
For groups, special rates negotiated, with group discounts based on
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the number of bookings and service level used.
If your client has the budget, consider the possible return—
motivational impact and desire payback—of having them charter their own private aircraft (company policy permitting x number of employees to travel on the same fl ights) and fl y their participants as part of a select group aboard a luxury airline, complete with pampering and pleasure- fi lled touches guaranteed to reduce fl ight stress. Private charter options are a growing business trend for meetings and incentives and can be presented as a program enhancement cost consideration and return on investment comparison option (to scheduled air).
Of course, if money is not a concern, some airlines, such as Singapore Airlines—who are known for their exceptional service—are now off ering personal luxury suites on their A 380 aircraft that feature a private bedroom, offi ce, and cinema and dining area, which could be a
once-in-a-lifetime experience for top incentive winners and their partners that would create motivational desire.
By Land
Land transfers can be formal, fun or innovative. Th ere are many enjoyable things you can do to make your land transport part of the event and a memorable experience. For example, as an alternate to traditional limousine transfers to an upscale event, classic cars, convertibles or exotic luxury cars can be arranged, with their owners as designated drivers.
Contact local specialty automobile clubs to see what can be arranged.
Horse-drawn carriages, sleighs, rickshaws, gondolas, barges, helicopters, horses, camels, elephants, outrigger canoes, hot air balloons, jeeps and all-terrain vehicles have been used successfully around the world.
Look at how you can incorporate what is special to the region. On an incentive trip to Holland, one company was transferring their guests to an afternoon event by a motor coach that “broke down” right by a bicycle rental company so guests could bike to their fi nal destination.
Th e recommended dress code for the event ensured that participants were dressed appropriately to get on a bicycle and ride. Of course, the motor coach was “repaired” for those who chose not to ride the bicycles.
Th e guests got to experience the typical mode of transportation in the region.
Make sure you have proper insurance and waivers signed for any less conventional transportation, such as biking, horseback or hot air ballooning. Always check with company lawyers to see what they require.
Remember that weather can cause more than fl ight delays when you are considering your transportation timing and logistics. Roads can be closed during severe storms in certain destinations, and this can aff ect transfers, as can roads under repair and construction. Find out in advance what can be done should any of these elements occur during the time your event will take place. For example, if roads become closed down
due to weather when airport pickup has been scheduled are there airport hotels? Depending on the length of the transfer, are there other hotels en route should the roads become impassable? Are you prepared to pick up the cost for each member of the party should something unforeseen take place, e.g., weather, vehicle breakdown, etc?
Limousines
Make sure the limousine fi ts the occasion and the client. Some people are uncomfortable stepping into a limousine that seems as long as a city block; others revel in it. Know your client and their needs.
If you are hiring a number of limousines, think about visual presentation. Do you want a row of gleaming white stretch limos pulling up one after another, or does it matter? It may be more important to have all of them similar in style rather than color.
Th ink protocol. In some countries, it is essential that the president’s limousine refl ect his exalted status. Th e same is often true in companies. It may not be acceptable to have two limousines of similar quality. Handle this matter discreetly by checking with the president’s personal assistant. Do not put your client in an awkward position by asking him or her directly. He or she may not be comfortable telling you that they would prefer a super-stretch limousine with all the amenities just for themselves. Others may prefer a less showy arrival and something a little more subdued. You can off er gentle guidance. For example, it would not be appropriate at a fund-raiser for the committee members to arrive in extravagant rental limousines unless they are personally paying for them or the limousines have been donated, a detail that should be displayed prominently in the program.
Limousines could lead guests to wonder how the money being raised is spent. Th e same would apply if a company has recently undergone major downsizing.
What extras should be included in the limo? Should you include favorite beverages, snacks, magazines or newspapers?
Be attentive to detail. Although the beverages can be alcoholic, they do not necessarily have to be. Having fresh Florida orange juice on ice when in that state is always a nice touch; in fact, including local specialties is always a good idea. Look for what is produced in the area.
Are there any items they are known as or considered to be regional favorites? New Zealand has a wonderful bottled water (Fiji Water), the Caribbean off ers an array of tropical fruit beverages and in Hawaii, fresh pineapple juice would be a natural choice. Th e same applies to snacks as well. Do something that has a little fl air.
Find out the confi guration of the limousine. How many will it comfortably hold? How are the seats positioned? Some limousines have seats that pull down to provide additional seating, and while this may be acceptable for a short distance, it will not be desirable for long drives. Is there another layout that will work better? Depending on your numbers and your budget, you may want to look at the cost of renting two smaller limos rather than one large one and make sure that everyone enjoys a comfortable ride. If the limousine is rented for a gala event, will the seating allow for a graceful exit from the car? Th is is especially important if media will be present.
What happens if the limousine breaks down? Does the company have backup? Always book with an operation that has more than one car, and fi nd out how quickly they can respond to an emergency situation.
If limousines are to be a part of your event, you have to know how many you will need to supply and which VIP guests will be coming with their own limousines. You will need to know all this so that you can arrange for parking permits, parking spaces or a holding area for them.
Th is would apply whether your limousine transfer is being used to pick up attendees at the airport to take them to their hotel and the same on the return, being used to transfer them to a function at a specifi c location or being used as part of an activity, e.g., a limousine road rally.
At an informal gala that may have guests arriving in their own limousines, drivers may simply park on nearby side streets and wait until