< PreviousH iring and managing salespeople are the most important things you will do as a sales man- ager; yet, they are also the most difficult. Find- ing effective salespeople can feel like a never- ending cycle of hiring, training and inevitable disappointment. Even worse, this revolving door costs your company thousands with every turn. The big problem is that traditional hiring techniques are terrible at identifying the most crucial quality a salesperson can possess. Less than 20% of the population has “Drive,” the non- teachable personality characteristic that enables a sales- person to succeed. And you can’t depend on interview per- formance or past job history to reveal these rare birds. It is possible to identify and retain driven salespeople. The first step is realizing that the industry’s so-called “best practices” are, more often than not, sales management misconceptions. Traditional hiring practices have not been refined and tailored to suit sales, so the managers who employ them are often faced with disappointment. Here are 10 sales management mistakes and misconceptions and how you can avoid them. 1. Thinking “I have a golden gut.” A sales candidate is typically on their best behavior during the interview, and someone who is likeable for a short period of time can deceive your gut instinct. This brief interaction won’t tell you if your candidate can sustain high performance in the tough world of sales. So, it is critical to implement a scien- tific hiring process that consists of a sales assessment and a well-conducted behavioral interview to get past the initial impression and at what is really under the surface. 2. A sales presentation during an interview predicts success. A sales presentation during the interview can tell you if your candidate did their homework, is able to put together and deliver a presentation, and how well they com- municate. What it will not tell you is if the candidate will be able to consistently bring in new business. A sales presenta- tion will show you if the candidate can sell, not if they will sell. It’s important to know the difference. 3. Salespeople from big companies are better. Small to medium companies and/or managers hiring their first sales- person may think that if they just hire a salesperson from a large company, surely they’ll be successful. This is not always true. Sometimes, a well-known brand brings in its own customers, rather than requiring salespeople to go out and source new business. Instead, look for sales people who have: • Two to three years of sales experience, to ensure they Sales managers who make the right hire can save their company money and time. PERSPECTIVE // DepositPhotos.com The Top 10 Mistakes Sales Managers Make (and How to Avoid Them) BY DR. CHRISTOPHER CRONER 10 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comknow the selling basics • Experience selling for a company that is similar in size to your company • A score of four or five in Drive A highly driven individual with two to three years’ expe- rience at a similarly sized company is much more likely to sell successfully for you than one from a large company. 4. Churn and burn is the best approach to hiring. As a hiring manager, you may have been disappointed one too many times and concluded that churning and burning through salespeople is the best approach. Unfortunately, a bad salesperson has a ripple effect. Their presence and lack of performance could negatively affect your client relation- ships, company culture and bottom line. So, while it takes a little bit more time up-front to develop and implement a stra- tegic hiring process, the payoff is far greater than the risk. 5. Anyone can be trained to hunt . To be a successful “Hunter,” aka new business developer, your candidate needs Drive, which consists of three traits that cannot be taught or changed past the age of 21-22: Need for achievement, competitiveness and optimism. The difference between a salesperson who can sell and a salesperson who absolutely will sell is Drive. 6. Money is every salesperson’s top need. A common belief among sales managers is “I need to hire a salesperson who is motivated by money.” But external financial pres- sures like mortgages and student loan debt are temporary. A salesperson motivated only by money will flatline once those motivations are gone. This is why you should hire salespeople based on their core personality traits and not their current motivations. High Drive salespeople look at sales as points on the score board, so they will never be OK with hitting a certain number and quitting. 7. A motivational speaker can increase my team’s Drive. Remember, Drive is the non-teachable personality trait shared among successful Hunter salespeople. Hiring a motivational speaker to increase your team’s Drive is wishful thinking. They may boost performance for a day or two, but over time, salespeople will resort back to normal behavior. Consider bringing in a skills trainer instead. This per- son can assess the team’s current skills and help them improve from there. 8. A great salesperson will make a great sales manager. Many sales execs want to give their high-performing salespeople a sense of career progression, so they promote them to sales managers. This can be hazardous as these top performers who are used to bringing in their own business are now reliant on the success of others. No longer being in control of their success can make them miserable, and it may even mean a pay cut due to lack of commissions. So, before promoting one of your best salespeople to a sales management position, know that this role requires an entirely different skill set and personality. 9. Generalized personality tests are sufficiently predic- tive of sales performance. Measuring someone’s overall per- sonality can be important and is OK to look at when hiring in other roles. But when hiring Hunters, you need to be using a sales-specific assessment that is calibrated to measure person- ality traits that will impact sales performance. Instead of ask- ing “How personable are you?” with a one to 10 answer, a sales assessment will produce an in-depth sales personality profile. 10. A cheap assessment is good enough. One common misconception about assessments is how much they should really cost. In doing research, you will find that assessment prices vary drastically, with generalized personality tests start- ing as low as $20. When shopping for an assessment, it is just like buying anything else ... you get what you pay for. Safeguard your company from wasting thousands on an underperform- ing salesperson by taking the initial steps in the beginning of the hiring process to implement a sales-specific assessment. Hiring effective salespeople can be a frustrating task, but you can stick a stopper into the revolving door by learning to successfully identify candidates with Drive. Identifying driven candidates will save time and money, while relieving managers from the headaches of constant hiring and train- ing. Once you start taking a strategic approach, it’s a huge relief. Your life will definitely improve, and obviously so will your sales. C&IT DR. CHRISTOPHER CRONER Dr. Christopher Croner is principal at SalesDrive and coauthor, along with Richard Abraham, of the book “Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again,” which details his research and practice in identifying the non-teachable personality traits common to top producers. Croner received his B.A. in psychology from DePaul University, and his master’s and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He developed the proprietary The DriveTest online sales test and The Drive Interview, both used for hiring “Hunter” salespeople. He has helped more than 1,200 companies worldwide hire and develop top-performing salespeople. Visit SalesDrive.info. “ Less than 20% of the population has DRIVE , the non-teachable personality characteristic that enables a salesperson to SUCCEED . ” TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 11U nder the restric- tions of COVID- 19, corporate travel was one of the first activities to meet its end, and it’s been one of the slower forms of travel to resume. Now, as the rollout of the vaccines slowly removes some of those barriers to corporate travel, experts and industry analysts are watching closely to see how the next phase of post-pan- demic demand will take shape. Video conferencing has made it possible for impor- tant meetings to transcend the physical realm, diminish- ing the necessity of travel in some cases. And new sustain- ability concerns are creating more pressure on employers to reduce their company’s carbon footprint, which, in some cases, means scaling back the amount of air travel. Still, the end of corporate travel is nowhere in sight. Future business trips might be more localized, longer in length, and less frequent, but meaningful business takes people all around the world, and it will continue to do so in the post-pandemic landscape. Travel and hospitality pro- fessionals might see less volume and more repeat business. With that new model in mind, winning the post-pandemic demand is imperative. Here are a few important areas of focus for travel and hospitality professionals to prepare their offerings for the post-COVID executive. Tech for More Convenience Opulence has lost some of its shine in the post-pandemic economy. More than high-end, in-flight meals and massive first-class seats, professionals are looking for two things when they travel: safety and convenience. To that end, the right technological investment can help travel professionals offer more streamlined, more contact-free experiences at scale. Those who do will be distinguished, those who don’t risk falling behind. A pillar of convenience and efficiency is the replace- ment of staff-customer inter- actions throughout the cor- porate travel experience. Born from the urgent need to social distance, contact-free operations are taking over every aspect of travel where person-to-person interac- tions are taking place. Progress in biometric technology is leading the way. Facial recognition cam- eras are now populating air- port screenings, helping lines move faster by cross-check- ing travelers’ facial scans with passport photos stored on a digital file. A potentially safer way to verify traveler identity, fully automatic bio- metric technology could create a new navigational strat- egy for airports, allowing travelers to bypass the well- known headache of TSA queues without compromising on protocol or safety. Similarly, contact-free experiences are elevating cor- porate accommodations. Smartphone-enabled apps and booking platforms can virtually confirm a traveler’s iden- tity, providing them with a digital room key for self-enabled room access. Hotel apps are becoming a one-stop-shop for processing payments, verifying guests, and extending ser- vices such as hotel reservations and room service without the need for any person-to-person engagement. Self Service for Guest Satisfaction Biometrics and integrated hospitality apps are PERSPECTIVE // DepositPhotos.com Technologically Chic: A New Look for Luxury in Post-Pandemic Corporate Travel BY ZAIN JAFFER 12 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comeradicating many of the staff-customer touch points. But for those processes that can’t be automated, guests are showing an overwhelming preference for tech-enabled self-service options. Companies like Amazon and Uber Eats have been at the forefront of the self-service trend, and travel and hospitality professionals have quickly followed suit. Self-serve retail kiosks are seeing rapid adoption in airports, hotel gift shops, lounges and convenience shops along the travel experience. Purchase kiosks are the offi- cial preference among consumers who prefer contactless, efficient in-store experiences. Major players like Amazon Go are taking self-service to new levels; automated Seat- tle retail stores now allow shoppers to scan their phone and track their items with a camera throughout the store, routing the total charge to a payment solution on the cus- tomer’s smartphone before they go. Similar solutions will no doubt be integrated into hotel dining areas and in-flight guest services. The Rise of Voice Control During the pandemic, people became more dependent on the powers of voice-activated smart home integration devices like Alexa. For executive travelers, it’s impor- tant that those voice-control capacities are a part of their travel experience. Forward-thinking accommodations are implementing iPad and mobile-based room controls that allow guests to toggle lighting, temperature, ameni- ties, and steaming services with the use of their voice. And while the uptake has been slower in travel, it wouldn’t take much imagination to envision a first-class seat with voice-controlled air conditioning or a mobile concierge. Voice control is certainly not a new phenomenon, but it’s becoming more of an expectation than a value-add. Soon, executives will be able to restock their mini bar or order their favorite coffee simply by saying the magic words to an in-room iPad. Bleisure — Here to Stay? Months of COVID-era operations have blurred some of the lines between business and leisure. Living room spaces have become home offices. The previously reserved hours between 9 to 5 are more flexible; conference calls could be taken on a hike or on the way back from dropping the kids off at school. Business trips, too, are expected to slowly merge with leisure travel. A combination of the words ‘business’ and ‘leisure,’ many industry experts are pointing to the rise of “Bleisure” travel, where professionals will take a blended approach to responsibility and recreation. If that trend continues to take shape, hoteliers and travel professionals have a chance to blend their offerings and ele- vate their business packages. Travelers might be looking for more spacious accommodations, such as homes, in which they can have ample outdoor space and enough bedrooms to bring their family. Hotels in meetings and conferencing areas might extend more experiential offerings; a shuttle to nearby hiking trails, or guided tours through nearby attractions to help travelers explore the local scene. Home and work are becoming more flexible, and executives are increasingly interested in longer stays in new locales with immersive cultural experiences. Hoteliers and travel profes- sionals who can gear their offerings toward a blend of corpo- rate and leisure offerings will be well-rewarded throughout the next phase of corporate travel. The after-COVID market will begin to separate in sev- eral places. Technological investments could act like tec- tonic plates, separating companies that make the leap from those that fail to act. Among the highest priorities, tech that enables contact-free convenience, self-service, and voice activation are important areas of focus. Travel offerings that merge business and leisure will be properly positioned for the new approach to corporate experiences. Most impor- tantly, business travel will come back online, but it won’t look the same. Smart tech solutions allow travel and hospi- tality professionals to pivot in accordance with the changing corporate consumer needs. C&IT ZAIN JAFFER Zain Jaffer is a tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Zain Ventures, an investment firm with more than $100 million in assets under management. Zain Ventures invests in a variety of initiatives, including commercial real estate, technology start-ups and private equity. Visit zain-ventures.com. “ Hotels in meetings and conferencing areas might extend more EXPERIENTIAL OFFERINGS ; a shuttle to nearby hiking trails, or guided tours through nearby attractions. ” TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 13A fter a historically challenging year for events and meetings professionals, things are finally starting to look up. Demand that was sup- pressed by restrictions on gatherings and other safety measures — to the tune of $10 billion (a 64% decline) last year in the U.S. trade show market alone — has begun to rebound. Vaccine availability and new CDC guidelines have made the prospect of in-person events appealing again for many. Having spent 2020 scram- bling to adapt to virtual-only events, event professionals are now looking with relief toward a more “normal” near future. But “normal” isn’t entirely accurate. COVID-19 has made the old event planning play- book obsolete. Even with ris- ing demand and diminish- ing restrictions, organizers, attendees and staff need a new approach for getting the most out of events. Individuals are reassessing their own risk thresholds as the threat of the virus wanes. Some feel free to resume all of their public interactions once vacci- nated, while others remain cau- tious. The event professional’s task is to make every potential attendee feel safe however risk-tolerant they are. And that means building trust — trust that the event will be conducted safely, that rules and protocols will be communicated clearly and effectively, and that organizers will create a consistent level of comfort during the event. This means event profes- sionals will need a persistent commitment to safety. Any post-pandemic event strategy will require careful planning around three key areas: pre-event, on-site and post-event. PRE-EVENT Venue Choosing a venue has always been a central component of pre-event planning, with plenty of variables to consider. Availability, cost, location and accessibility, room capacity, room layout, amenities and desirability all factor in selecting the perfect locale. Now, safety capabilities will compound those considerations. Event organizers will want to ask potential venues about their cleaning and air filtration processes, the ability of the space to support social distancing, and their COVID-specific safety policies for their frontline staff. To ensure maximum safety and enable event organizers to communicate that level of safety to attendees, venues should have documented clean- ing and disinfecting processes. They should also document their air filtration process for all indoor spaces, including the number of air exchanges per hour and the ratio of recirculated air to fresh. A venue with plenty of out- door space is preferable, but may not be not ideal for some events. That’s why venues must also ensure enough space in indoor areas to have a socially distanced check-in line. They should also have the ability to direct traffic flow with signs or markings. And if a venue provides third-party vendors, venue management should have the ability to confirm whether they follow the same safety policies as venue staff. SAFETY PROTOCOLS Once event organizers have vetted their chosen venue in terms of safety, they need to define their own safety proto- cols for the event. These are likely to shift somewhat based on the individual event and local guidance, but all safety pro- tocols should consider the following: TESTING & TIMING REQUIREMENTS • Will you require a negative test for attendance, and if so, which kind? VACCINE REQUIREMENTS • Will you require attendees to be vaccinated or exempt PERSPECTIVE // Shutterstock.com The Return of In-Person Events: Building Trust with Three Stages of Safety BY ERIC HOLMEN 14 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comvaccinated attendees from testing? How will you verify proof of vaccination? SYMPTOM CHECKS • Do you want to perform a symptom screening survey or temperature checks? If so, where and how often? • PPE Usage/Mask Requirements. What PPE will you require for both staff and attendees, and under what circumstances? VIOLATION REPORTING • Will attendees have a way to report when protocols aren’t followed, and how will you handle violations? BUILDING TRUST Selecting a venue with the right capabilities and having your own safety protocols are crucial, but equally important is communicating these to your potential attendees. One tactic event organizers should take no matter their event protocol: Distribute an event code of conduct to ensure thorough, transparent communication. No attendee should arrive without knowing what is considered mandatory versus preferred. But what about inter-attendee trust? Those who attend events must trust not only the organizers and venue, but other attendees. Do attendees know each other? Are they confident others will follow protocol? Can they ask those questions of one another? That kind of trust isn’t developed at a welcome cocktail hour. But you can build it beforehand if you provide clarity on rules and attendees and their statuses (vaccinated, nega- tive tests, etc.). ON-SITE Communicating Effectively The mandate for transparent communication is per- haps most critical during the event itself. Event signage should indicate and reinforce the safety measures and communicate expectations and rules to attendees clearly and succinctly. Check-in table signage should reflect any testing or verification requirements or direct attendees to where these should happen. For large or multi-day events, event organizers may have access to an attendee mobile app they can leverage to push messages and updates to attendees throughout the event. For any critical communi- cations, emails should be sent if there isn’t 100% adoption of the mobile app. On-site communication helps to reassure attendees that the appropriate safety measures are in place. But it also reit- erates their role in ensuring their own health and safety. That helps them feel more in control and involved in the process, and breeds trust. POST-EVENT Testing and Maintaining Open Lines of Dialogue Event organizers know that what happens in the weeks following your event is just as important as what happens pre-event and on-site. In normal times, that’s when the busi- ness results from an event are most likely to materialize — new meetings or demos scheduled, and new deals signed. In the COVID era, though, event organizers may also choose to offer post-event testing. Administering tests to non-vac- cinated attendees at the end of the event may not generate immediate results, but organizers might decide to provide self-administered take-home tests. Either way, if attendees report testing positive after the event, organizers need to have a way to notify other attendees and conduct basic contact tracing. If the ground- work has been laid for effective attendee communica- tion — relevant and consistent pre-event emails, event app adoption, attendee activity tracking — then maintaining open lines of dialogue regarding positive tests should be readily achievable. Event organizers are rightfully excited to welcome the return of in-person events. As the shadow of COVID lin- gers, embracing relevant pre-event, on-site and post-event safety protocols will continue to be a crucial part of their planning process. But the most critical component of all will be building and maintaining trust among attendees. And that will pay off in more ways than hosting a safe and com- fortable event. C&IT ERIC HOLMEN Eric Holmen is the CEO of Splash, a next-generation event marketing platform designed to help teams build and host virtual, in-person and hybrid events, to create memorable experiences, new connections and business value. He is an expert in marketing technology, and digitally-enabled engagement and connection, holding leadership positions in several notable experience technology companies, including most recently at Airship. In his two-decade marketing career, Holmen has managed and led all aspects of events, from executing and hosting to implementing enterprise-level event tech platforms. “ COVID-19 has made the old EVENT-PLANNING PLAYBOOK obsolete. Organizers ... need a new approach ... ” TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 15The Silver Whisper, part of the Silversea Cruises fleet. Silversea, like other cruise lines, is looking forward to increased MICE bookings. Courtesy of Silversea Cruises Cruise Lines Are Seeing MICE Bookings Resume By Christine Loomis S ea Beckons INDUSTRY INSIGHT // Sea The 16 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comT he close-quarters nature of ships and early emer- gence of the COVID-19 virus aboard ships put a spotlight directly on cruise lines in a way that few other industries were subjected. But those early issues gave cruise lines a head start on fully understanding problems related to virus spread and finding solutions for them. In early July, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas became the first large cruise ship to call to Alaska since the 2019 cruise season, and ships are now sailing out of Florida. The Celeb- rity Edge sailed from Fort Lauderdale in late June, making it the first ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than a year. Ships are also now sailing in the Carib- bean, Asia, Europe and beyond. That’s not just critical for the cruise lines; it’s critical for all those ports and the small businesses within them that depend on tourism to survive and thrive. How are cruise lines managing their relaunch, what are the challenges, what are they doing to keep passengers and meeting attendees safe, and is there reason for optimism? The Challenges “The biggest challenges now are getting back to full operation and over- coming barriers in booking,” says Rob Coleman, senior director, charter and incentive sales for Holland America Line. “Our guests want to know this will look and feel like a cruise they expect. They want to know it’s safe, so we’re telling that story and providing infor- mation to communicate this to them.” From the meetings, incentives, con- ferences & exhibitions (MICE) per- spective, he adds, “It’s very much the same issue of booking barriers, but the economy and businesses must recover as well. Some are doing well and begin- ning to use travel incentives again. Oth- ers are building up to it. We typically plan these programs 12 to 36 months in advance, so even if a company is just starting to ramp up, we can discuss tim- ing and options.” Not surprisingly, ever-changing guidelines are an issue, says Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We’re finding that our biggest challenge at the moment is working through the constantly evolving guide- lines and then communicating this information to thousands of guests and crew. Our teams have been working diligently to make sure our guests and crew are updated on the latest infor- mation, and that has gone a long way in our successful resumption of service.” Lisa Vogt, AVP, corporate, incentive & charter sales with Celebrity Cruises, puts vaccination issues at the top of the list. “But we’re already finding solutions, and are collaborating with health and political officers to make the safest environment onboard for all guests and crew.” At Scenic Group USA, which oper- ates Scenic and Emerald Cruises, Mag- gie Carbonell, VP marketing, points to rising prices. “There’s been increased pricing across the board — air, hotel, cruise — and it’s understandably scary to some clients. The industry isn’t bringing back all products at once, and that restricted supply is causing increases, as is pent-up demand from travel-hungry guests. Our job is to allay fears and make sure the MICE book- ing advisers understand we’re ready to work with them.” Also concerning, Carbonell adds, “is that it’s still a fluid situation with COVID and what each country is doing regarding opening up again for visitors.” Jerry Vaughn, president of CEALS — Meeting & Incentive Programs, which sets many programs at sea, points to something else entirely: lack of ade- quate space. “The single biggest issue is the availability of meeting space to conduct events. The more complex the meeting, the more challenging space becomes. Classroom-style setups are very difficult to work with if you have a group of any size.” Unfortunately, he adds, “I don’t see any expansion of ded- icated meeting space on cruise ships. To the contrary, much of meeting space on existing ships has been reduced or eliminated. It will depend on the type and size of meeting, but it is going to be very challenging.” Moving Forward Challenges aside, the cruise indus- try is moving forward, albeit gradually. “We feel like clients and buyers are jumping into the shallow end of the pool, but with enthusiasm,” Carbonell says. “This pandemic has caused a sea change in the industry, as many compa- nies have come to realize how depen- dent we are on one another, and the need to be flexible, fluid, nimble and patient has never been more impor- tant. Remaining apprised of evolving protocols and in-country restrictions is essential. Developing even closer relationships with the countries we Courtesy of Lisa Vogt Located aboard Celebrity Edge, the Magic Carpet is the world’s first cantilevered, floating platform that reaches heights of 13 stories above sea level. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | August/September 2021 17sail through has helped us with the planning and timing of announcing the restart of river cruising. And our ongo- ing communications with our guests allow them to make travel decisions based on their own comfort levels.” At Holland America, Coleman says, “The immediate and long-term focus is on our return to service and continued ramp-up to eventual full service and full capacity on all our ships around the world.” Holland America started sailing to Alaska out of Seattle in July, followed by sailing in Greece. For fall and winter, the focus is Mexico, the California Coast and Caribbean. “In the U.S., we have a clear path to cruising through the guidelines for fully vacci- nated cruises,” he says. “We’re working in other regions to clarify requirements, but expect we’ll be able to operate in a similar manner and with a fairly typical onboard cruise experience.” Duffy says Carnival resumed service over the July 4 weekend as Carnival Vista sailed from Galveston and Carni- val Horizon departed from Miami. The summer Alaska program followed soon after, as did West Coast operations and the introduction of the fleet’s “newest and most innovative” ship, Mardi Gras. “Our guests, as well as our crew, were very excited to resume sailing after a nearly 16-month pause in operations,” Duffy says. “It was quite emotional for everyone involved, myself included, as I sailed on Carni- val Horizon’s first cruise back. As for the next 18 months, more and more ships will gradu- ally begin sailing, and we should have our entire fleet back to full service by the end of the year.” Silversea Cruises was the first cruise line to return to global ultra-luxury cruis- ing with voyages in Greece and the Galápagos, which started in June. The line, part of the Royal Caribbean Group, also announced new summer voyages in Alaska, which started in July. Made possible by the passing of the U.S. Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, Silver Muse set sail on round-trip voyages from Seattle in late July as the first ultra-luxury cruise ship to visit Alaska this summer, following a varied series of 10- and 11-day itinerar- ies. These extended voyages will enable Silversea’s guests to journey to some of Alaska’s most breathtaking ice struc- tures, including the Sawyer Glacier and the Mendenhall Glacier, as well as experience the state’s remarkable landscapes, wildlife and remote com- munities, such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell, Skagway and Sitka. “We proudly continue to lead the ultra- luxury cruise industry’s healthy return to service and commend the leader- ship of Alaska and Iceland for taking steps to advance the safe resumption of global travel,” says Roberto Mar- tinoli, Silversea’s president and CEO in a news release. Vogt thinks the industry will emerge “even more energized, with new changes that attendees will be happy to see and would like to stay in place." She adds, "We’ll continue to flourish. Our guests love cruising.” Onboard Meetings & Incentives For meetings and incentives, it will likely take time before things return to pre-pandemic norms. Vaughn thinks incentive programs that don’t have any meeting component will likely do well and thrive. However, he says, “I think meetings on ships will be pretty tough over the next 18 months. In addition to space, the biggest issue will be percep- tions of cruise ship safety given the neg- ative publicity generated in the media regarding COVID and norovirus.” Carbonell notes that, “2021 isn’t totally open yet, and even if it were to magically open today, MICE business typically doesn’t book this close in. Many of our clients are looking toward 2022, 2023 and beyond. Because our product is geared toward smaller groups with more personalized atten- tion, we can respond quickly to the fast- changing situation we expect to see for the rest of 2021. But it’s important for those booking MICE to realize that, due to pent up [market] demand, we’re seeing a shortage of charterable dates Carnival Cruise Line The Carnival Horizon and the Carnival Mardi Gras set sail from Miami recently as cruising resumed across the country. 18 August/September 2021 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com [The industry will emerge] even more energized, with new changes that attendees will be happy to see and would like to stay in place. We’ll continue to flourish. LISA VOGT AVP, Corporate, Incentive & Charter Sales Celebrity Cruises Now that we’re sailing again, it’s time to plan your most successful meetings, incentives, conferences, and events ever. Plus, you’ll sail without a care, since drinks, Wi-Fi, and tips are Always Included SM . * More accommodating. Take advantage of the Meeting Place, Destination Gateway, even our spectacular theater for a thousand event attendees—all included. More engaging. Weave some social magic with innovative venues like Eden, Rooftop Garden, The Club, and our most magical space ever, the Magic Carpet—also included. More delicious. Wine and dine your guests in up to 18 distinctive restaurants and cafés—many included—serving inspired cuisine from menus crafted by our Michelin-starred chef, all paired perfectly. Ask about our Take Five credit | celebritycorporatekit.com | 1-800-771-3873 Someday IS HEE WE’RE BACK SAILING FROM THE UNITED STATES NOTICE: Prior to booking, please consult all applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control travel advisories, warnings, or recommendations relating to cruise travel, at cdc.gov/travel/notices. If a certain threshold level of COVID-19 is detected on board the ship during your voyage, the voyage will end immediately, the ship will return to the port of embarkation, and your subsequent travel, including your return home, may be restricted or delayed. * Always Included: Applies to sailings booked and departing on or after November 17, 2020, excluding Galapagos cruises, in inside through AquaClass staterooms (eligible bookings). All guests in eligible bookings who choose Always Included pricing receive Classic Beverage Packages, unlimited Surf internet packages, and tips included. General: Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. ©2021 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ship’s registry: Malta and Ecuador. 08_03_MICE_PRC_8-3/8x11-1/8_RTS-Resize.indd 18/2/21 4:58 PMNow that we’re sailing again, it’s time to plan your most successful meetings, incentives, conferences, and events ever. Plus, you’ll sail without a care, since drinks, Wi-Fi, and tips are Always Included SM . * More accommodating. Take advantage of the Meeting Place, Destination Gateway, even our spectacular theater for a thousand event attendees—all included. More engaging. Weave some social magic with innovative venues like Eden, Rooftop Garden, The Club, and our most magical space ever, the Magic Carpet—also included. More delicious. Wine and dine your guests in up to 18 distinctive restaurants and cafés—many included—serving inspired cuisine from menus crafted by our Michelin-starred chef, all paired perfectly. Ask about our Take Five credit | celebritycorporatekit.com | 1-800-771-3873 Someday IS HEE WE’RE BACK SAILING FROM THE UNITED STATES NOTICE: Prior to booking, please consult all applicable U.S. Centers for Disease Control travel advisories, warnings, or recommendations relating to cruise travel, at cdc.gov/travel/notices. If a certain threshold level of COVID-19 is detected on board the ship during your voyage, the voyage will end immediately, the ship will return to the port of embarkation, and your subsequent travel, including your return home, may be restricted or delayed. * Always Included: Applies to sailings booked and departing on or after November 17, 2020, excluding Galapagos cruises, in inside through AquaClass staterooms (eligible bookings). All guests in eligible bookings who choose Always Included pricing receive Classic Beverage Packages, unlimited Surf internet packages, and tips included. General: Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice. ©2021 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ship’s registry: Malta and Ecuador. Next >