Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) is talent empowered. It’s what makes MTA such a special place to work – the collection of talent that believes in the same core values and comes together to create transformative event experiences for clients around the world. Our clients can find a personality they can connect with and the MTA Team crafts events that connect to all people, pronouns, and ranges of accessibility.
“At MTA we try to celebrate each other every day,” shares Marnie Battistini, CEO, “but over time we realized that each year there are those of us that shine brighter and that bright beam of light should be celebrated in a more robust format.”
Annually at our MTA Workshop, we hold an awards ceremony. We experiment with different ways to design a memorable awards show and this year was no different. To recognize our 2021 award winners, MTA held the awards show on a Glacier in Iceland – an MTA first to build a stage out of snow, insert a locally built custom stage set, and gather the team together on a glacier to praise and celebrate this year’s winners.
Our five award categories are Story of the Year, Gift of Service, MTA Saver, Theme of the Year, and the Marnie Award.
And the 2021 Saver Award goes to…
Christina Serra, Director, Global Experiences
Since Christina couldn’t join in person in Iceland, we found a way to make sure she was recognized and celebrated for her Saver Award.
The Saver Award is given to the person/group who was recognized most by our team, vendors, customers and/or others about “saving” something whether saving time, effort, or resources.
Known on the team for saving the most in 2021 is this year’s Saver Award recipient, Christina Serra, Director, Global Experiences.
Christina has “Saved the Day” in more ways than one.
Christina has saved our customers money by being an exacting steward of their funds managing their events to consistently come in under budget.
Christina has saved our team training headaches while stepping into a new management role where she was able to design the training program for the rest of the global team to follow on virtual technology MTA was adopting.
Christina saved the global team’s mental health by being an incredible listening ear, wise advisor, and strong team advocate.
If that wasn’t enough, Christina created a “lunch and learn” series for MTA’s global partners that helped educate all participants on how to maximize a digital event.
Christina pictured with colleagues at 2021 Workshop in Boston.
MTA CEO Marnie Battistini added, “I was so disappointed that Christina couldn’t join us at the award ceremony in Iceland as I was so looking forward to celebrating her in person. Christina’s kindness is legendary as she has the reputation for always being there for anyone that needs an answer on how to do something. She’s so modest with her gifts! I’ve watched her blossom into her current leadership role and couldn’t be more proud of how she uses her voice and takes care of the team. She “saves” us with her joyful spirit and clear problem solving skills all the time!”
MTA’s Chief Experience Officer Meredith Shottes said this about why Christina deserved the 2021 Saver Award: “Christina has a mind and heart like no other. Always centering the team in her day to ensure they are successful before accomplishing her own goals. She is a shining example of transparent leadership, leading with clarity and kindness at the same time. We are lucky to have her on our team and I am grateful to be able to work with her every day.”
Congratulations, Christina! You are an MTA Bright Light!
Key Account Director Diana Reed, recipient of the ’21 Gift of Service Award
Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) is talent empowered. It’s what makes MTA such a special place to work – the collection of talent that believes in the same core values and comes together to create transformative event experiences for clients around the world. Our clients can find a personality they can connect with and the MTA Team crafts events that connect to all people, pronouns, and ranges of accessibility.
“At MTA we try to celebrate each other every day,” shares Marnie Battistini, CEO, “but over time, we realized that each year there are those of us that shine brighter and that bright beam of light should be celebrated in a more robust format.”
Annually at our MTA Workshop, we hold an awards ceremony. We experiment with different ways to design a memorable awards show and this year was no different. To recognize our 2021 award winners, MTA held the awards show on a Glacier in Iceland – an MTA first to build a stage out of snow, insert a locally built custom stage set, and gather the team together on a glacier to praise and celebrate this year’s winners.
Our five award categories are Story of the Year, Gift of Service, MTA Saver, Theme of the Year, and the Marnie Award.
Diana Reed and Taylor Tomlinson receive this year’s Gift of Service Awards
And the 2021 Gift of Service Award goes to…
Diana Reed, Key Account Director
The Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) team has the gift of service. Our core product is serviced based – we plan and execute exceptional events. So when we look at who provided remarkable service and who at MTA embodies our overall core values this year, it’s really tough to choose. That’s why 2021 had two Gift of Service winners. This week we celebrate Diana Reed’s Gift of Service win.
At our 2022 Workshop, this is what was shared about the 2021 Gift of Service Award winner, Diana Reed, Key Account Director:
MTA Talent Empowered and Creatively Agile Values: Diana stepped into a leadership role, mentoring, and coaching others while managing a significant workload. Diana invests time to learn about MTA’s customers’ needs and then creatively matches MTA’s products and services to provide options. Diana doesn’t give up until she has successfully visualized the “art of possible” to every event opportunity she manages.
Service with Soul: Diana is a fierce advocate for her customers while highly protective of the wider MTA team. She holds herself accountable to a significantly high standard and works tirelessly and relentlessly to achieve that level of service. A great example of this was outperforming a wide group of competitors to win the sole, global provider initiative for a major biotech company.
Teaming with Trust and Clarity of Character: Diana has been relentless over the past few years, showing an incredible level of determination and work ethic. She has also been the consummate teammate, going out of her way to help others before even being asked. Diana leans into one of her core strengths, “empathy”, seeing both sides to every challenge.
MTA CEO Marnie Battistini added, “I’ve worked with Diana for four years and have always been struck by her deep devotion to taking care of her customers. She is such a customer advocate, always making sure MTA is reasonable when pricing and making sure our customers’ event goals are clearly communicated internally for the MTA Global Experiences Team to execute successfully. Diana’s laugh is infectious and we take time to celebrate every time we connect. She’s a joy to work with and so fun to be around!”
Scott Nodolf, MTA’s Chief Revenue Officer and Diana’s direct manager, said this about why Diana deserved the 2021 Gift of Service Award: “Diana’s relentless work ethic is only matched by her willingness to support others in a time of need – she cares deeply and is the consummate teammate which consistently translated into an extremely high level of customer service in 2021.”
Congratulations, Diana! You are an MTA Bright Light!
Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) is talent empowered. It’s what makes MTA such a special place to work – the collection of talent that believes in the same core values and comes together to create transformative event experiences for clients around the world. Our clients can find a personality they can connect with and the MTA Team crafts events that connect to all people, pronouns, and ranges of accessibility.
“At MTA we try to celebrate each other every day,” shares Marnie Battistini, CEO, “but over time, we realized that each year there are those of us that shine brighter and that bright beam of light should be celebrated in a more robust format.”
Annually at our MTA Workshop, we hold an awards ceremony. We experiment with different ways to design a memorable awards show and this year was no different. To recognize our 2021 award winners, MTA held the awards show on a Glacier in Iceland – an MTA first to build a stage out of snow, insert a locally built custom stage set, and gather the team together on a glacier to praise and celebrate this year’s winners.
Our five award categories are Story of the Year, Gift of Service, MTA Saver, Theme of the Year, and the Marnie Award.
And the 2021 Gift of Service Award goes to…
Taylor Tomlinson, Proposal Manager
Taylor receives 2021 Gift of Service Award at this year’s event in Iceland
The Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) team has the gift of service. Our core product is serviced based – we plan and execute exceptional events. So when we look at who provided remarkable service and who at MTA embodies our overall core values this year, it’s really tough to choose. That’s why 2021 had two Gift of Service winners. This week we spotlight our first award winner, Proposal Manager Taylor Tomlinson.
At our 2022 Workshop, this is what was shared about the 2021 Gift of Service Award recipient, Taylor Tomlinson, Proposal Manager:
MTA Talent Empowered and Creatively Agile Core Values: Taylor jumped into a leadership role in several MTA initiatives, partnering closely with MTA Finance, Software Development, Global Experience, and Commercial team members. Together they built MTA’s Connector Solution that automated budget uploads into Salesforce, while addressing rising production costs and weaving all the new financial information into MTA budget templates and proposal tools.
Service with SoulCore Value: Taylor has expertly managed MTA’s significant proposal volume. Four of the past five months were record breaking for the most proposal value in MTA’s 25 year history, with a new average of more than 100 proposals per month. Taylor fully embraced this significant workload with a positive and determined attitude.
Teaming with Trust and Clarity of Character Core Values: Taylor supported the overall MTA team leading by example with her drive and fortitude while showing empathy and kindness to internal and external customers.
Marnie Battistini and Taylor Tomlinson
MTA CEO Marnie Battistini added, “At MTA we search for talent that includes an innate ‘gift of service’ believing that having the ‘gift of service’ is something an individual is born with and can’t be taught. Exceptional service is connected to exceptional problem solving skills of which Taylor has a high level of skill. She leans into her MBA education when creating budgets, easily connecting how the numbers should flow/align but what stands out with Taylor is how she connects the numbers to our customers’ outcomes and then sees the internal need to automate the data into MTA systems that help her MTA colleagues do their jobs more easily.”
Scott Nodolf, MTA’s Chief Revenue Officer and Taylor’s direct manager, said this about why Taylor deserved the 2021 Gift of Service Award: “Taylor has been such a steady and strong force for our team over the past year – she has shown tremendous focus and dedication while living our core values, even when facing adversity.”
Congratulations,Taylor! You are an MTA Bright Light!
Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) is talent empowered. It’s what makes MTA such a special place to work – the collection of talent that believes in the same core values and comes together to create transformative event experiences for clients around the world. Our clients can find a personality they can connect with and the MTA Team crafts events that connect to all people, pronouns, and ranges of accessibility.
“At MTA we try to celebrate each other every day,” shares Marnie Battistini, CEO, “but over time we realized that each year there are those of us that shine brighter and that bright beam of light should be celebrated in a more robust format.”
Annually at our MTA Workshop, we hold an awards ceremony. We experiment with different ways to design a memorable awards show and this year was no different. To recognize our 2021 award winners, MTA held the awards show on a Glacier in Iceland – an MTA first to build a stage out of snow, insert a locally built custom stage set, and gather the team together on a glacier to praise and celebrate this year’s winners.
Our five award categories are Story of the Year, Gift of Service, MTA Saver, Theme of the Year, and the Marnie Award.
And the 2021 Story of the Year Award goes to…
Jesse Torres, Senior Software Engineer
Jesse Torres receives Story of the Year Award
The Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) team are storytellers. Every day we use our storytelling powers for our clients, converting their messaging into events that shine in attendees’ memories. Once a year we use our storytelling powers and focus our energies on the MTA team’s stories that best exemplify our motto of “Experience Excellence”. At our annual workshop, we then share those stories and we honor the person or group that has the best story of the year by awarding them with the MTA “Story of the Year” Award.
At our 2022 Workshop, the person that submitted the story had to read/share their story around a MTA themed “campfire” (complete with MTA branded smores ingredients), where each storyteller had to “sell” the story – bragging was considered a must to win!
Around the campfire, Julian shares why he nominated Jesse for Story of the Year Award.
This was the story submitted by Julian Yew about the 2021 Story of the Year Award winner, Jesse Torres, Senior Software Engineer :
There are many reasons to nominate Jesse for the “Story of the Year” award, which makes it truly difficult to pick just one. Jesse is the main architect for the new and improved external facing client website that launched last year. The new website integrates with Box for a seamless file sharing experience with our clients. Internally, Jesse worked on the Salesforce integration with EPIC (MTA’s Event Planner in Control product), and the functionality that aggregates data from Zoom with EPIC attendee data to simplify an otherwise arduous task for MTA’s Global Experience (GX) Team. As a team member, he ensures that what the Software Development Team releases to production is complete with minimal rework and fixes. There are many more reasons to nominate Jesse but these are the standouts, with more in the pipeline with Jesse’s trademark focus on quality and excellence. In summary, Jesse makes a difference at MTA by making it easier for everyone to do our jobs. Jesse has a can-do attitude, and always thinks of how we can improve our products for both our internal as well as external users. Jesse truly embodies the motto of “Experience Excellence”.
MTA CEO Marnie Battistini added, “When MTA’s Chief Digital Officer Daniel Conroy refers to altering software in production he often says it is like, ‘changing the tires on a car while in motion’. A delicate execution to be sure. To attempt more major repairs and upgrades at the same time, might be unthinkable. So much of what this team does is behind the scene but when we look at the body of work that Jesse and team have undertaken in the past year – whether it be speed and functionality improvements in EPIC, Zoom integrations, rapidly deployed Box applications, EPIC 2.0 – fundamentally all of the products at MTA – reflect the care, ingenuity and attention to detail that Jesse brings to the team. Jesse’s work has set the foundation for our next chapter and we’re excited for the work to come.”
Congratulations, Jesse! You are an MTA Bright Light!
The Miller Tanner Associates’ (MTA) difference is our people. That’s why we want to introduce you to our team of superstars that brings our corporate meetings and events to life for our clients. Today we introduce you to Customer Success Manager Logan White, our Tennessee-based associate. Given her expertise in customer engagement, Logan focuses on driving overall customer experience and success to engage throughout the customer journey.
Describe what you do in your role.
I will delight customers through a highly engaging onboarding process as they transition from sales prospects to active users of MTA’s services. My key focus is bridging the gap between sales and operational delivery, resulting in added value for both customers and internal stakeholders.
What’s a favorite aspect of MTA and its services?
What intrigued me about MTA was their high importance and transparency of their Core Values and identifying and utilizing core strengths for every employee. These two areas create a positive working environment of which I am excited to be a part of.
Bringing on world-class customer service is a great value add. This strengthens MTA’s credibility and ensures customer satisfaction including retention. Other areas of expertise are the uniquely creative event planning team that brings endless ideas to the table. And lastly, the three carefully- crafted proprietary software programs that MTA has to offer – EPIC, Attend and VALTs – caters to the customers needs.
What’s a favorite city you’ve visited and why?
A favorite area is Cinque Terre, Italy – a cluster of five cities along the coastline of Italy that has the gift of excellent food and gorgeous vibrant scenery.
Your top 5 strengths: Arranger, Achiever, Woo, Communicator, and Maximizer
What are some of your special interests? People, music, and gardening
Any additional details you’d like to share:
I’m excited to share my experience with MTA, the customer base and eventually leading a team to success. The fit was undeniable, and I feel lucky to join this company!
The Miller Tanner Associates’ (MTA) difference is our people. That’s why we want to introduce you to our team of superstars that brings our corporate meetings and events to life for our clients. Today we introduce you to Key Account Manager Imane Amajoud, our Chicago-based associate. Imane, originally from Morocco, brings dynamic depth to our team (speaking six languages – Amazigh, Arabic, French, English, Spanish, and Turkish) further expanding our relationships with our valued partners and customers around the globe.
Meet Imane Amajoud
Tell us about your current role with MTA?
As a key account manager, I am part of the Commercial Team at MTA. We are the clients’ first point of contact. I am very lucky to be introducing MTA and its services to new clients, as well as maintaining relationships with established accounts. In my role, I work hand in hand with our Finance Team to best answer our clients’ questions, and our Global Experience Team to offer an unforgettable experience for our customers’ events.
What makes MTA stand out as an event planning company?
From the very first conversation I had with Scott Nodolf, MTA’s Chief Revenue Officer and head of MTA’s Commercial Department, I knew MTA was different. Being a certified woman-owned business, MTA carries a lot of values that resonate with me. But it goes above and beyond the certification; CEO Marnie Battistini’s vision and growth strategy for MTA is what truly impressed me during those first interactions with Miller Tanner Associates.
Once I joined the Commercial Team, my conviction that MTA was unique strengthened. Every single colleague, no hyperbole, is kind and supportive beyond measure. We are a real team here at MTA. And along with every team member’s effort, we have Marnie to thank for this fabulous atmosphere; her motto – “Do good, and good shall come to you” – is palpable in every dealing MTA has, both internally and externally.
What is your favorite aspect of MTA services?
MTA is unique. Marnie, being the visionary that she is, saw the potential in being virtual at the very genesis of MTA. Being a virtual company has helped us stay ahead of the curve. It also enabled us to hone our skills to make MTA a leader within the virtual event industry. This ability to anticipate future needs, translates seamlessly into our relationship with our clients, as we strive to present impeccable solutions and offer our customers strategic counseling for future growth.
What’s a favorite city you’ve visited and why?
Marrakech is a favorite. Centuries of history can be read on the walls of its Medina, tasted in the spices of its dishes, and viewed in the colors of its souks. And yet, it’s a bustling modern city with two of the best hotels in the world, and all the entertainment one would need for a lifetime!
What are a few of your favorite interests?
A few of my interests include anthropology, theology, suburban homesteading, and cooking!
No matter what type of event you’re planning, we’re willing to bet that audience engagement is one of your top priorities – and, more than likely, one of your biggest challenges.
These days, event organizers are facing serious competition when it comes to holding the attention of their audiences. In a world in which distractions are always within reach (literally and figuratively!), figuring out how to engage an audience has become as essential as it is challenging.
But with a few tips and a solid variety of audience participation ideas and tools, you can pull off an engaging event that exceeds expectations. And even better, you can do it all easier than ever before, thanks to the impressive innovations and advanced technologies that change the way we think about events.
Pre-Event Engagement
Planning an engaging event is something that starts long before the day of, and the right approach can set the stage for what’s to come.
Personal Devices for Flexible, Convenient Use
Just a few years ago, it seemed like ARS (Audience Response Systems) would be the future of interactive events. But now, it’s become clear that ARS is out, and using personal devices is in – and they’re here to stay. By delivering pre-event content via attendees’ personal devices (such as iPhones), you’re making the event incredibly accessible even before it kicks off. We take our smart devices everywhere, so you can be confident that your attendees will never be far from your event’s virtual platform.
A Social Wall to Encourage Connection
If you want your audience to be interested in what you have to say, you’ll need to show them that you care about who they are, what their preferences are, and their overall event experience. Don’t simply treat them as a guest list; instead, offer opportunities to build personal connections.
Using a virtual “social wall,” you can professionally incorporate a “human” element. The social aspect allows people to connect before the meeting, allowing each guest to represent themselves and get to know their fellow audience members.
During the Event
On the big day, event engagement ideas are just as important – here are some of our favorites.
Get Strategic with the Agenda, Format, and Event Design
Whether you’re working with a face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid event, improving engagement requires you to think seriously about the event’s agenda, format, and design. Everything from the room set-up to the guest speakers can either contribute to or detract from audience interest levels.
For example, consider:
How can the audience experience better dialogue with guest speakers? (e.g., a “fireside chat” vs. a solo presentation)
What can you do to open the door to increased communication during a presentation by a panel of experts?
How is your organization’s leadership team demonstrating involvement in driving engagement?
Can you incorporate virtual/augmented reality for a tech-savvy, interesting twist?
Post-Event Engagement
Once everything wraps up, you can keep the engagement going with these easy tips.
Send a Thank You and Follow Up with a Survey
You might be surprised at just how far a little appreciation can go, especially when it comes to encouraging audience participation. But it makes sense: an audience that feels valued is far more likely to be interested in current and future events. Make sure to send a thank you of some sort; digital thank you cards can be a convenient option.
Also, don’t forget to send an audience survey to learn more about what worked and what didn’t. Not only is it a great opportunity to gather valuable information, but it is yet another way to demonstrate your respect for and appreciation of your audience.
Remember: Above All, Quality Content Reigns Supreme
No matter how many ideas for engaging events we offer, none can compare to high-quality content. Although new technology and industry buzzwords can be exciting, even the most advanced innovations can’t make up for poorly-planned content.
Make sure you allow your organization ample time to create excellent content, tailoring it to serve your audience’s needs and event goals alike. And of course, never underestimate the value of professional help – working with an event organizer and manager could be the key to unlocking your best event ever.
Learn How to Plan an Engaging Event with Help from the Experts
At Miller Tanner Associates, we’ve made it our business to perfect the art of planning and executing an engaging event experience. From small, in-person meetings with a guest list of less than a dozen to large, hybrid gatherings of several thousand, our team understands exactly how to engage an audience – and what to do once we’ve secured their attention.
You don’t necessarily need to work overtime on learning how to become an engagement/event expert because we’ve already done that.
We’d love to talk more about how you can elevate your next event with audience engagement ideas that work and ways to engage an audience before, during, and after the event: contact us today!
Incentive trips are a smart, essential investment for any company, including major corporations and small businesses alike. Offering incentive trips for employees can directly contribute to stronger business results, in addition to a multitude of other advantages.
And here’s more good news: an outstanding incentive trip is possible even if you’re working with a limited budget. In fact, with some savvy budget hacks for travel planning, there are plenty of great company trip ideas that are far more affordable than you might think.
What is an Incentive Trip?
Essentially, an incentive trip is a reward that an employer can offer employees who achieve exemplary results. In contrast to professional retreats or similar training and education-based experiences, corporate incentive trips are intended for pleasure, not business.
Typically, corporate incentive travel is reserved for employees that have gone above and beyond. A thoughtfully-planned trip can serve as a token of appreciation, as well as motivation to continue to excel. In most cases, a company will plan an incentive trip to reward employees for meeting specific objectives, for example, hitting a certain sales goal.
What are the advantages of corporate incentive trips?
Motivate employees to achieve key objectives
Show appreciation for superior job performance
Boost employee morale and productivity
Strengthen relationships among teams/colleagues
Serve as an attractive benefit for prospective employees
Create lasting memories that contribute to a positive company culture
Provide opportunities for employees to interact with peers in a different way
How to Plan an Incentive Trip on a Budget
No matter what type of business you operate, budget is most likely one of your top priorities in any discussion – and planning incentive trips for employees is no different. Using a strategic approach and a few handy incentive travel hacks, you can save money without sacrificing the quality of the experience.
Use Credit Card Points
Travel credit cards can be a smart way to turn everyday expenses into future savings, especially if you know how to use credit card points for incentive travel. Points can help reduce – or even completely cover – the cost of plane tickets, accommodations, and more.
Travel in the Off-Season
Whether you’re planning an employee trip to a popular tourist destination or a hidden gem, there’s almost always going to be an “off-season” in which fewer people visit the location. This can equate to major savings across the board (because demand is lower) and offer the perk of reduced crowds and easier access to sightseeing, dining, and other highlights.
Negotiate a Food Budget with a Specific Vendor
You can reduce your overall food budget for incentive trips if you work with a single vendor as much as possible. This can give you more negotiating power and simplify the planning and budgeting processes. If your employees will be staying in a hotel, it is often fairly easy to negotiate a reasonable food budget.
Allow Ample Time for Planning in Advance
Just like any family vacation or trip with friends, incentive travel can be far more affordable when it’s planned well in advance. When you have enough time to compare various options, you’re far more likely to find affordable tickets, accommodations, and more. For example, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the least busy travel days, so you can book the trip accordingly to cut costs.
See If It’s Possible to Negotiate Lower Rates with Vendors in Exchange for Marketing Materials
In the past, the Miller Tanner Associates team has been able to leverage the video footage we film during incentive trips to negotiate with venues/vendors. For example, when we planned an incentive trip to Lisbon, local vendors were happy to offer reduced rates in exchange for access to footage of their venue in use – the epitome of a win-win scenario. Our team was able to cut costs, and vendors gained a major asset in the form of footage to use for advertising purposes.
Consider How to Include Incentive Travel Costs as a Tax Deduction
If you plan an incentive trip intentionally, you can incorporate details that may qualify for cost savings on corporate taxes.
For example, at Miller Tanner Associates, one of our budget line items is dedicated to donations and charitable efforts. In 2017, we hosted an employee trip that included a team-building event focused on giving back to children in need. The activity centered on improving a community orphanage for children born to incarcerated mothers, so we paid for it using our donation budget line item. When it came time to come up with ideas for employee incentive trip gifts, we purchased items from a charitable organization. Not only did this also fit into our donation budget line item, but our employees truly appreciated knowing that the gifts they received helped make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Because our donation budget line item is tax-deductible, MTA was able to spend thoughtfully while also maximizing our savings.
Company Trip Ideas: Activities on a Budget
Ideally, an incentive trip will feature an activity that makes a lasting impression on your employees. You can plan memorable and creative activities for employee incentive trips, and you can do it all while sticking to a budget.
Here are a few of our favorite ideas for incentive trip activities and events:
Wellness activities such as a spa or yoga retreat, golfing, hiking, mindfulness experience, or even whitewater rafting
An awards night that honors employees for their accomplishments, hosted at a local historical site so you can get creative without overspending
Attending an annual event, such as a film, music, or cultural festival
Participating in a community social responsibility (CSR) to provide an opportunity for employees to have a positive impact and serve the community by collecting donations, supporting a local need via manpower, and other activities
An “Amazing Race”-inspired scavenger hunt that allows participants to explore the many sides of a locale without requiring significant spending
Host an Incredible – and Affordable – Incentive Trip with the Leader in Corporate Event Planning
Employee incentive tips can be both rewarding and budget-conscious, especially when you have the right travel hacks, resources, and expertise on your side. With so many details to juggle, incentive trips are typically a task best navigated by a team of professionals.
Miller Tanner Associates is a specialized corporate planning event planning company that provides tailored services to our clients, including incentive trip planning. We can partner with your business to pull off an incentive trip that exceeds expectations but not your budget, so your company can reap the benefits.
Contact MTA for a personalized, expertly developed solution today!
Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) hosts an annual Workshop bringing together its global team from Europe, Asia, North America and South America. The Workshop is designed to provide departmental and company-wide training, skill building, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, teambuilding events, and networking opportunities.
The Challenge:
This year’s face-to-face event was threatened by pandemic travel restrictions. Given the uncertainty of the pandemic’s potential impact, the team decided to shift the Workshop to a hybrid format to accommodate any concerns that could arise.
By shifting to a hybrid 3-day format, the challenge then emerged as to how to connect and engage the two audiences, virtual and in-person. Such challenges included:
Creating a shared experience for both the virtual and face-to-face teams.
Strategically planning an event that would meaningfully engage remote attendees located in multiple global time zones.
Synchronizing the experience using a hybrid format.
The Solution:
With a limited budget and pandemic challenges, MTA used their expertise and creative agility to design an innovative hybrid event solution that would provide a meaningful experience for both the in-person audience and the virtual audience.
Understanding the Audience Needs
Before planning the event, the MTA team crafted a survey to better understand the audience needs and priorities, as well as inform as to how to build a shared agenda for both audiences.
The surveys also helped define which time zones to accommodate, in order to build the agenda around availability of remote attendees.
Planning an Engaging Agenda
For this hybrid event, MTA designed a focused agenda for both audience types consisting of 4 hours of sessions each day for both audiences, with in-person sessions scheduled for the afternoon in order to maximize engagement and delivery.
The elevated experience platform was designed with features including attendee engagement, gamification, networking, and more! (note: This video is for demo purposes only; therefore, no audio is recorded.)
Designing a Dynamic Platform
Once the agenda was determined, our team designed a customized virtual platform to enhance the overall quality to deliver a seamless shared experience between the virtual and the face-to-face audiences.
The robust platform was designed with audience engagement features and functionality specific to the goals of the event. The experience platform was available as an app for mobile devices and desktop.
Such features included:
Interactive agenda
Pre-recorded training videos
Real-time announcements
Digital resources
Networking and chat functionality
Covid-19 protocol and health screen
Social Wall for expanded engagement
Video rooms for breakout session with virtual attendees
Gamification for friendly competition
Whiteboard
Post-event survey
The experience platform was an essential element for successfully engaging both audiences, pre-event and during live event.
Pre-Event and Post-Event Engagement
Social wall – generate enthusiasm and communication within the platform prior to the event
Whiteboard – pre-event collaboration through the whiteboard feature to prime the discussions related to the training offered at the event
Digital resources such as podcasts and downloadable documents
Video recording functionality for repurposing during the workshop
Training/instructional videos for pre-training prior to the event
Push notification announcements
Post-event survey
Live Event Engagement
Interactive agenda with built-in virtual meeting rooms for easily accommodating the virtual attendees during collaborative breakout sessions and departmental sessions
Gamification – friendly competition for both audiences through gamification, which integrated the Social Wall, quizzes, knowledge assessments, feedback, content collection, and more
Push notifications for real-time announcements
Networking and chat functionality
Hybrid sessions to engage both virtual and in-person audiences
Production
The production quality was another essential piece of this hybrid event’s success. Our Production Team guided the presenters in rehearsals and show flow prior to the event. The speakers’ presentations were livestreamed to our remote audience. In turn, the remote audience was livestreamed on screen in the meeting room for more interaction with the live audience and presenters. Remote attendees Q&A and comments were streamed on a secondary screen in real-time to provide seamless integration with the live audience. As a special feature, all remote attendees had customized backdrops adding to the overall design of the event.
Hybrid Breakout Sessions
Breakout sessions
Breakout sessions were managed through our experience platform to integrate both audiences. These breakout sessions included appropriate technology and a moderator to ensure success. During breakouts and roundtables, designated participants were selected and briefed to use personal devices to include remote attendees in more intimate discussions.
Hybrid Breakout Sessions
Results/Highlights:
A game of table tennis with our virtual attendees
Designed a seamless experience for both the face-to-face audience and the virtual audience using a customized experience platform for the 3-day event.
Intentionally and strategically planned use of experience platform enabling the two audiences to more intimately interact throughout the event.
Welcome reception for face-to-face attendees on site while surprising their virtual cohorts with playful virtual activity photos posted to the platform’s Social Wall for engagement and element of inclusivity and fun.
Four-hour training session using hybrid technology to include virtual attendees in breakout sessions as well as keynote speakers’ sessions. Virtual attendees also participated in presentations adding to the engagement factor.
A Hybrid Awards Celebration
Morning awards event designed to accommodate multiple global time zones. Both virtual and in-person attendees had shared experience of receiving awards.
Agenda was thoughtfully planned to accommodate multiple time zones; the morning sessions were for both audience types and the afternoon and evening sessions were designated for the face-to-face audience.
Offsite CSR activity for in-person team volunteering at a local farm. CSR activity virtual component was provided as well.
Attendees’ Feedback:
“Thank you for working so hard on including the screen-to-screen (s2s) attendees!” – S2S Attendee
“Sharing the MTA Team spirit was wonderful also virtually, but what I loved the most was watching my f2f colleagues’ joy of meeting in person, catching bits and pieces of their emotions through the screen…” – S2S Attendee
“I really appreciated all the efforts to make the S2S audience feel included as much as possible: we really experienced the best virtual meeting ever.” – S2S Attendee
“Attending virtually, I still really enjoyed seeing the faces and hearing the voices of people from other departments. I loved the group work during the core values breakout session.” – S2S Attendee
“I was a F2F attendee, but believe the hybrid option should always be an option available to us…” – F2F Attendee
“Thank you so much for making a F2F and S2S experience possible this year. I recognize the amount of work put into it by our internal team. Tremendous gratitude for the time and efforts that made it a reality for all of us!” – F2F Attendee
A global consulting company originally scheduled an incentive program for May 2020 in Miami, but due to the pandemic the event was rescheduled.
TheChallenges
Miller Tanner Associates had originally planned this international incentive program for May 2020 in Miami. Due to the pandemic and travel restrictions for international travel to the U.S., Miller Tanner Associates was able to obtain zero damage contracts from the event and reschedule for two smaller events.
The Solution
Utilizing our team’s expertise, we offered a creative solution to address challenges – plan two smaller events, one for the domestic attendees to be held in Maine in August and an October event for European attendees in Ireland.
To ensure the safety of all attendees while also enjoying an elevated experience, both Maine and Ireland offered unique remote settings, with open spaces, outdoor activity opportunities, and creative local experiences which included local land and sea activities and unique dining.
Highlights from Maine Incentive Program
The Miller Tanner Associates (MTA) team designed a one-of-a-kind experience with intentionality behind every activity highlighting the natural beauty and charm of coastal Maine along with its cuisine and culture.
Each guest was greeted with a gift hinting of the experiences forthcoming. Welcome gifts intentionally curated to include a pine sachet, locally-crafted Bixby chocolate bar, Cellardoor wine, and other local accoutrements.
MTA planned three unique coastal dining experiences that showcased the authentic tastes of traditional Maine with engaging educational elements.
Traditional Lobster Bake Reception Welcome event featuring 1 lb. lobsters, seafood chowder, and local flavors. Each guest received a purposeful “lobster kit” including artful instructional “how to eat a lobster” guide, personalized bibs, and essential tools.
Dine in the Vines at Cellardoor Winery for a locally crafted wine-paired dinner experience hosted on site in the winery’s dining room with vineyard views. Tasting notes were provided for each course along with an award-winning wine tasting throughout the event.
Full Circle Kitchen experience at the Barn at Primo for an ultimate farm-to-table candlelit dining experience, featuring garden and farm tour with menu created by award-winning chef. Local folk instrumentalists set the stage for an ambient final evening event.
Planned local excursions highlighting both land and sea adventures.
Guests sailed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Historic Schooner Heron for mid-coast Maine sightseeing.
Camden Harbor Cruise included shopping in the quaint town of Camden and a boating experience from the vantage point of a lobsterman.
For the more adventurous, sea kayaking out of the Rockland Harbor offered an exhilarating experience to view natural wildlife and historic lighthouses, including the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse.
Guests also enjoyed Samoset championship golf course and spa.
Highlights from Ireland Incentive Program
In response to pandemic travel restrictions, The Miller Tanner Associates team designed an experience in Ireland mirroring the experience of that in Maine with an emphasis on the tradition and authentic beauty of the local region.
Upon arrival at Adare Manor in Adare, Co. Limerick, Ireland, each guest enjoyed a curated themed welcome gift, a picnic basket which included a cashmere blanket, snacks and in-room specialty drinks to celebrate the start of the incentive experience.
The event “took flight” with an iconic falconry experience at the Manor’s aviary where guests had the opportunity to interact with the resident raptors.
Following the falconry activity, guests enjoyed a woodland-themed welcome reception and dining experience in the Manor’s carriage house.
Planned activities on both the local grounds and by sea.
Guests enjoyed a full day of a broad range of activities on the estate grounds including golfing on Adare’s championship golf course, fishing on the River Maigue, swimming, clay pigeon shooting, archery, cycling and exploring the estate’s walking trails and gardens. Rounding out a full day of activities, guests enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant.
Our team planned a ferry ride to view the majestic Cliffs of Mohar, must-see vistas by sea and set to music with a local Irish band on board.
The Manor’s Gallery was transformed into an elegant celebratory dining experience with locally-sourced traditional Irish cuisine enjoyed by candlelight and live violinists followed by an evening finale – whiskey tasting.
