When an Incentive Trip Took a Really Unexpected Turn…

Ready for a story? Here’s a great one about a recent incentive trip that took a turn nobody could’ve expected.

Picture this: it was February 2017 in gorgeous Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Our incentive travel coordinators had booked up half a local hotel to accommodate a slew of people (250+). These were the top dealers and distributors of a major manufacturing company, and they were ready to have the time of their lives on the incentive trip they earned as a reward for their increased sales and brand loyalty. Glow stick parties on the beach at night, DJs and musical entertainment were all prepped to entertain and delight.

Then, our Travel Director Deven Crane said, “We have to do a wedding.”

Yep, that’s right. One of our trip attendees was having such a magical time that he popped the question to his long-time girlfriend! As she was whisked away by fellow trip-goers to grab a wedding dress, our travel coordinators suddenly found themselves on the phone with wedding coordinators figuring out how to weave one event into the other.

When the big night arrived, the bride and groom got married on the beach at sunset, then walked a trail lined by mangroves, leading straight to… the distributor glow stick party with drinks, live entertainment, and dancing! “Wedding Reception” definitely wasn’t on the trip itinerary when we disembarked, but dang if it wasn’t an unforgettable way to celebrate love!

Memories like these don’t come from offering your dealers and distributors cash rewards. Five hundred bucks may be blown in a week on gas and groceries, but when will any channel partner ever forget the manufacturer that sent them on an incentive trip so amazing that two people randomly got hitched?! Not anytime soon.