Out of the box, an almost classic container or management term that many an incentive briefing opens with. The client wants something “different from the norm. The terms creative and surprising dominate the brainstorming session. Wikipedia, by the way, states that out of the box is a term “for products that require little to no installation. So an out of the box thought is actually not creative at all, it is actually very predictable. Just plug and play actually and that’s what most clients don’t want…ehhh out of the box is actually meant ‘outside the box‘. As I write this, I visualize some kind of hilarious Juf Ank scene correcting the confusion of terms for a moment in the boardroom. Lol.
Settling
In corporate land, I struggle through the management terms and try to let the expectations of the “outside the box” customer idea sink in. The bottom line is often that an outside-the-box destination should be surprising, unspoiled and preferably a bit raw. (and not unimportantly, safe). Something that also just smacks and really impresses on Insta so to speak. #Vetgaaf so.
Fortunately, many airlines are opening new routes that widen the range of surprising incentive destinations. And fortunately, a few classic incentive destinations are back on the map, literally and figuratively. Today, the incentive market is enriching itself with a beautiful and varied palette of (new) incentive destinations that are more than worthy of being ‘outside the box‘.
Great destinations
Marrakech, thankfully back in full force, remains one of the most amazing incentive destinations. Just 4 hours away by plane, a fairy-tale world opens up where amazing incentive programs make a big impact. Much to my delight, Transavia.com now flies to Beirut, the pearl of the Middle East where culture, atmosphere and club life offer wonderful incentive elements. Georgia (courtesy of Who’s the Mole 2018) is also more in demand although logistically that is still a challenge. A matter of time, but it is coming. Taipei offers a successful combination of fascinating and seemingly contrasting developments: from famous architectural contemporary delights to traditional cultural attractions. Mallorca is rightly gaining in popularity on the incentive market, the island has so much unspoiled area with starting points for a wonderful incentive program that surprises many. Puglia in Italy with Brindisi airport is also really innovative and raw Italian where you visualize the scenes of the Bertoli advertising in no time.
Special
And then Belgrade! Talk about outside the box. And a city that is all over again , very rightly, on the map is renewed Malaga. So an outsider with a good come back. Very surprising is also Riga, located between two worlds. (EU and Russia) This clash of cultures creates a creative, alternative scene with an array of extraordinary team building activities. And this is just a small sample of the fine list of exceptional -outsidethe box- incentive destinations.
So what else does the client want? People are looking for more content (partly good for the WKR), e.g. Sillicon Valley, more participation at the local level with regard to charity projects, more special and separate activities related to culture. So there are lots of incentive destinations offering inspiring and surprising incentive programs that are often still uncharted territory even for the well-traveled Generation Z. I can’t wait to see the hashtacks #OTB pass by on Insta where the magic is splattered.
