Royal Caribbean’s fleetwide Royal Advantage revitalization program is reinventing WOW. This new video from upgraded Rhapsody of the Seas reveals one of the most excit ing enterta inment spectacles yet – the 62 feet high vertical theater in Centrum Wow! The aerialists perform within arm’s reach of mesmerized guests who watch from five decks, while passengers relaxing at the R Bar need only look up to see the amazing aerial feats.

Other ship enhancements include upgraded staterooms and tantalizing new dining options.

Find planner guides and itineraries for Royal Caribbean ships, and request a group quote.

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Lindblad Expeditions has an exciting new addition to their program in Alaska this season – the Crittercam! National Geographic’s Greg Marshall and Birgit Bughleier have agreed to share proprietary Crittercam footage of humpbacks, which means that every week guests will enjoy an amazing “whale’s eye view” of southeast Alaska.

This breathtaking video demonstrates the unique value of Lindblad Expeditions’ alliance with National Geographic, as well as their commitment to conservation efforts, since Greg and Birgit worked with Fred Sharpe of the Alaska Whale Foundation to perform their work.

Get ready to plunge into the deep waters of Chatham Strait with Wild Chronicles to watch Alaska’s humpback whales perform one of the most breathtaking displays of cooperative feeding in nature. With a hankering for herring, the whales blow “bubblenets” to help herd their prey towards the surface. Using a tiny camera outfitted with a myriad of sensors, Crittercam reveals a whale’s-eye view of hunting techniques and mealtime secrets.

To request a group or charter quote for Lindblad Expeditions in Alaska or any of the other amazing places they visit, go to Seasite.com or give us a call at 888 713 1371.

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As you spring into 2012, it’s time to take a fresh look at your recognition and incentive travel programs. Several compelling reports were published recently that share industry trends, thoughtful insights, and constructive recommendations. These papers provide support and direction as you plan and implement new employee reward programs.

The 5 Big Takeaways from the Research:

1. “Best in Class” organizations implement non-cash rewards and incentives
2. Incentive travel is a strong motivator – for both earners and non-qualifiers.
3. Incentive participants strongly value the opportunity to interact with senior executives and build stronger relationships with colleagues.
4. The opportunity to experience a travel program that is unique (one that participants can’t duplicate on their own) is highly motivating.
5. The majority of incentive earners prefer more leisure, unstructured time.

Read on to discover best ways to motivate your participants and meet your organization’s key business objectives.

2012 Trends in Rewards and Recognition

This comprehensive report from Incentive Research Foundation is based on their own extensive research as well as studies from McKinsey, Aberdeen, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and FORUM for People in Business. The paper covers a wide range of topics relating to incentive and reward programs, as well as suggestions for implementing new strategies.

The 12 trends discussed include: mobile technology and social media, gamification, research that supports the value of non-cash incentives, the new role of marketing, wellness initiatives, the global view, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Read the report.

Sales Performance Management 2012: Rewards and Recognition as a Vital Compensation Component.

Last fall, Aberdeen surveyed 291 companies to compile a profile of the “Best in Class”, or top 20% of companies (Best in Class distinctions include “83% of Best in Class sales reps achieved annual quota in the last year compared with 51% of Industry Average firms”.)

Their key finding: Organizations that provide non-cash rewards/recognition programs perform better. The research revealed that:

• Best in Class companies are more than twice as likely as all other firms to provide non- cash incentives
• Organizations that provide non-cash reward/recognition had an average year over year annual corporate revenue increase of 9.6% versus 3% for all others.
• 60% of Best in Class respondents offer non-cash incentives for overall company performance, compared with 46% of other firms.
• Organizations that provide non-cash reward/recognition had a 1.6% year over year increase in team attainment of quota versus a decrease of 2.2% for all others.
• Adopters of non-cash rewards/recognition had 34% shorter sales rep time-to-productivity and 10% shorter sales rep time-to-hire.

The paper also includes a short case study of an Incentive Travel Program implemented to improve sales productivity.  Download the paper.

Incentive Travel: The Participant’s Viewpoint

Site International Foundation and the Incentive Travel Council of the Incentive Marketing Association jointly sponsored “The Participant’s Viewpoint Study”, a four-part series that examines what makes an incentive program meaningful, motivational, and memorable – from the participant’s point of view. The study demonstrates the importance of a ROE (Return on Experience) model to create effective motivation.

Part 1: Incentive Travel as a Meaningful Motivator

The first part of the Participant’s Viewpoint series focuses on what makes an incentive travel program a meaningful motivator for both qualifiers and non-qualifiers. For the purpose of the study, a meaningful travel program has clearly defined rules, fair and attainable goals, effective communication, and on-going performance measurement.

A Few Key Findings from Part 1:

• 72.6% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that performance goals were clear and fair. (Surprisingly, most of those who did not achieve their goals still found this to be true.)
• Of those who earned the reward, 95.5% were a little motivated, motivated, or extremely motivated to earn it. But 90.7% of non-earners were similarly motivated.
• 66.8% of qualifiers expresses desire for a different destination for next travel reward.
• In comparing travel with merchandise, 61,6% believed travel was a more effective motivator.
• 67% of non-earners agreed they would work harder to qualifier in the future, demonstrating the strength of incentive travel as a motivator.

Read Part 1 of the report.

Part 2: Motivational Value of Incentive Travel

Part 2 of the four-part series focuses on what participants find most motivating. For the purpose of the study, motivational represents “a set of value factors that both apperl and contribute to a participant’s level of active engagement throughout the lifecycle of the program – before, during and after the incentive travel experience.”

Key Findings of Part 2 Include:

• 60.2% of respondents (nearly 2 out of 3) agreed that the opportunity to interact with higher level executives had motivational value.
• 72% also felt that incentive travel programs allowed them to build relationships away from work.
• 70.7% said the opportunity to experience something unique – that they couldn’t do on their own – was a valuable benefit.
• 86.3% of participants surveyed said “earning motivational travel makes me feel recognized by my company and peers”.
• More than 70% found that fewer mandatory company functions was more motivating.
• Similarly, 74.5% of respondents said that having more leisure or unscheduled time would make the program more motivating.

Read Part 2 of the report.

Stay tuned – we will keep you updated as the results of Part 3 and Part 4 are published.

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It’s not surprising that studies prove the value of face-to-face meetings – we humans are hardwired with a deep, driving need to connect and form social relationships.

Education and networking are the two primary reasons people attend conferences. While content can easily be attained through technology; social media and video-conferencing tools are still no match for the deep connections that are developed in person.

Smart meeting professionals are sensitive to the social needs of attendees, and designing events that offer more unstructured networking opportunities. So you’ve chosen a meeting venue with plenty of inviting spaces to encourage conversations between attendees, colleagues, and peers – great! But soon, you might notice more people checking their smartphones during events; a new wave of mobile networking technology is spreading to the meetings world.

New Networking Apps

If you haven’t heard about “ambient social network apps” get ready. According to the tech press reporting from the SXSW (South by Southwest) Conference in Austin last month, it’s the next big thing. These new “proximity based” apps (continually running in the background) tap into smartphone GPS systems and social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn to alert users when persons of interest are nearby.

Making Connections with Highlight App

So what are the implications for meetings and events? According to one app’s website, 75% of conference delegates find networking to be hard work or a ‘nightmare”. The ambient social app developers promise to make business networking less painful and more efficient.

Highlight leads the pack of new location-based social discovery apps, with others, including Glancee, Shhmooze and Sonar picking up steam. Here are some of the unique selling points from their websites:

• Highlight gives you a sixth sense about the world around you, showing you hidden connections
• When you meet someone, Highlight helps you see what you have in common with them.
• Glancee can engage your audience by promoting conversations.
• [Glancee] can increase the visibility of your staff and sponsors by connecting them with your crowd.
• Shhmooze takes the pain out of networking by making it easy for delegates to find the 3 people at the event they really need to talk to!
• Sonar helps you use the information you share about yourself online to connect with the person sitting next to you.

New Tech vs. Old School

I first read about Highlight in a Time Magazine tech article by Harry McCracken, who attended SXSW. He writes: “I wasn’t moved to track down any of the individuals Highlight identified as people of interest. I did, however, keep striking up rewarding conversations with folks I encountered in hotel lobbies and at parties, no app required.”

An app that promises “No more awkward moments as you strike up conversations with total strangers!” will certainly hook many conference attendees who want to eliminate the exploratory chatter and cut to the chase.  Call me a dinosaur, Shhmooze, but isn’t that part of the experience formerly known as schmoozing? As more people rely on technology to make connections, old-fashioned networking via serendipitous encounters and impromptu conversation is, sadly, becoming a lost art.

Another point to consider…believe it or not, there are still a few people left on earth without a smart phone or Facebook page (and not everyone wants to share their info with strangers). Which means you might miss out on meeting some very interesting people.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in the Seasite.com MICE Cruise Madness contest – we hope you found it both fun and enlightening. Our winner is independent meeting planner Karen Gottlieb whose company, Miami-based TLC Events Group, specializes in association and corporate events planning.

Congratulations, Karen!

Watch as Seasite.com CEO Jo Kling presents Karen with her new iPad, then joins in with Seasite staff to give Karen a traditional celebratory surprise.

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Meeting and event planners will soon have an elegant new venue option for their corporate events and incentives, thanks to Celebrity Cruises. Beginning in winter 2013, Celebrity Constellation will launch four- and five-night Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida.

The 2,038-passenger premium ship was “Solsticized”  last year and enhanced with the addition of guest-favorite venues such as Tuscan Grille, an Italian steakhouse with a nouveau twist; CellarMasters wine bar, featuring a state-of-the-art, wine-by-the-glass dispensing system; and Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria, a great place for your attendees to relax and get together, any time of day.

Celebrity Constellation Tuscan Grille

Constellation’s upgraded suites and staterooms offer stunning new décor and flat-screen TVs. New AquaClass accommodations will also be added to the ship, offering guests exclusive access to the Mediterranean specialty restaurant, Blu, as well as such unexpected delights as fresh flower arrangements, personalized stationery, complimentary shoeshine service, and personalized pillow selection.

Celebrity Constellation Cafe al Bacio

Celebrity Constellation’s new short cruises depart from Fort Lauderdale from December 2013 through April 2014:

• Four night Bahamas cruises feature stops in Key West, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas
• Five-night Western Caribbean itineraries will call on Key West and Cozumel, Mexico.

New Seven Night Caribbean Itineraries

In addition to Celebrity Constellation’s short cruises, a choice of seven-night Caribbean voyages will be offered on two stunning Celebrity Solstice-Class ships and one additional Solsticized ship in the winter of 2013-14:

• The new Celebrity Reflection will be sailing to Eastern Caribbean ports roundtrip from Miami, Florida. The fifth Solstice-class ship is currently under construction and debuting later this year with Celebrity’s first-ever AquaClass Suites and the ultra-luxurious Reflection Suite and Signature Suites.

• Celebrity Silhouette – The Solstice-class ship that introduced the interactive Lawn Club Grill and private cabanas known as The Alcoves, will alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale

Celebrity Silhouette Alcoves

• Recently Solsticized Celebrity Summit will offer port-rich Southern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

To learn more about Celebrity ships and itineraries, and to access Ship Planner Guides, click here.

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We can’t let the month of March slip by without acknowledging the 40 year anniversary of one of Seasite’s cruise line partners.

Congratulations, Carnival Cruise Lines!

It all began in March 1972, with a converted transatlantic ocean liner and a very big dream. Entrepreneur Ted Arison set out to realize his vision of making a vacation experience – once reserved for the very rich – accessible to the average person.

…and the rest, as they say, is history!

Today, Carnival Cruise Lines has 23 ships sailing three to 18 nights around the world (with 16 convenient “drive-to” departure ports in the U.S.) – delighting leisure travelers, as well as corporate groups and meeting planners.

Let’s take a look back at just a few of the many milestones in Carnival’s 40-year history, beginning with:

1972 – Maiden voyage of Carnival’s first ship, the TSS Mardi Gras.

1978 - The Festivale undergoes $30 million refurbishment, begins service for Carnival as the largest and fastest vessel sailing from Miami to the Caribbean.

1982 – Debut of the Tropicale, the first new ship the cruise industry has seen in many years, marks the beginning of an industry-wide multi-billion-dollar shipbuilding boom. [Coincidentally, this is also the year Landry & Kling Inc was launched!]

1987 -Carnival earns distinction as “Most Popular Cruise Line in the World”, carrying more passengers than any other cruise line.

1990 –  Carnival Fantasy enters service as first new ship offering three- and four-day Bahamas cruises from Miami. (The first of  eight “Fantasy-class” vessels, the most cruise ships in a single class.)

1996 – Carnival Destiny is the world’s first cruise ship to exceed 100,000 tons, .

1998 - Carnival Elation is the first new cruise ship deployed on the West Coast, and the first  Carnival ship to feature a dedicated Conference Center designed to accommodate corporate meeting and incentive groups.

2001 - Carnival Spirit, a new class of vessel, is first new “Fun Ship” ever positioned in Alaska and Hawaii.

2005 – Carnival announces “Evolutions of Fun” $250 million program. Enhancements to eight Fantasy-class ships include addition of Serenity adults-only deck and Carnival WaterWorks aqua park.

2009 – The new 130,000-ton Carnival Dream is the largest “Fun Ship” ever built. Carnival Dream’s ”Fun Hub” intranet portal is the first shipboard social network.

2011 – Carnival announces  “Fun Ship 2.0″ –  $500 million enhancement project adding new branded dining, bar, and entertainment offerings to 16 ships through 2015.

Carnival Liberty is first ship to complete Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade; new venues include Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, and EA Sports Bar.

Carnival Inspiration begins 3 & 4-night Baja intineraries from Long Beach, California, making Carnival the West Coast cruise leader.

Carnival Magic launches year-round 7-night cruises from Galveston, Texas, and features an expansive outdoor sports complex with first ropes course at sea (a team-building favorite!)

On the Radar

Carnival Sunshine Adults-Only Serenity Area

2012 – In March, Carnival Destiny begins $155 million transformation to incorporate Fun Ship 2.0 features and add 182 new cabins. The makeover is so massive, Destiny will be renamed “Carnival Sunshine”.

Carnival Breeze set to launch June 2012. After a series of12-night Mediterranean voyages, the ship will reposition to Miami in November and begin year-round 6 & 8-night cruises. Carnival Breeze will be first ship to feature all Fun Ship 2.0 entertainment options, including Thrill 5D Theater.

2013 – The 2,974-passenger Carnival Valor to launch a 5-port, 7-night interary from San Juan in February, becoming the newest and largest ship to operate year-round from San Juan.

Carnival Victory moves to Miami in February, becoming the newest and largest ship to operate 4 & 5-night voyages from South Florida.

Congratulations, Carnival Cruises – we can’t wait to see what’s next!

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A new survey from Constant Contact confirms it: Successful planners are leveraging social media to promote their conferences, corporate meetings and nonprofit even ts. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of those surveyed already use social media to market events, and another 14 percent plan to do so in the next year.

If you’re not using social media to promote your events, perhaps you’re like the planners who indicated the number one reason is because “they don’t know how”.  Here’s a place to begin:

Five recent “how to” articles to get you up-to-speed (or teach you some new social media tricks).

1. Quick Guide to Promoting your Event on Facebook
(MeetingsNet)

With over 800 million users, Facebook is still the best social media forum to promote events, conferences and meetings. Meetings Net guest blogger Josh Marx gives planners a handy step-by-step guide to set up an events page and promote the event on Facebook.

http://blog.meetingsnet.com/face2face/2012/03/14/quick-guide-to-promoting-your-event-on-facebook/

2. Five Ways to Use LinkedIn for Conferences
(Linked Into Business)

Follow this article’s advice to “Double the ROI of Your Conference or Tradeshow”. Here are five ways you can use LinkedIn for more success, more sales, and more engagement before, during and after your conference and tradeshow.

http://linkedintobusiness.com/5-ways-to-use-linkedin-for-conferences/

3. 10 Tips for Promoting Your Events with the New LinkedIn Events Tool
(Social Media Examiner)

The largest professional social network has been busy updating features, and the LinkedIn Events Tool is the most recent application to receive an overhaul. This article uses screenshots to illustrate five tips for creating and optimizing your LinkedIn Event, and five tips to promote and share your LinkedIn Event.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/10-tips-for-promoting-your-events-with-the-new-linkedin-events-tool-2/

4. How to Successfully Promote Events With Social Media
(Eventish)

Social media is an amazingly powerful channel – this article discussed actual ways to promote events with social media, and also reminds planners that there a few things they need to do first.

http://blog.eventish.com/2011/12/12/how-to-successfully-promote-events-with-social-media/

5. Resources for Using Pinterest For Events
(Conferences that Work)

Curious about Pinterest, the new “Virtual Pinboard”? Adrian Segar, author of Conferences that Work – Creating Events that People Love, did a great job assembling best resources for meeting and event professionals who want to learn how to use this currently-popular social networking tool.

http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/technology/2012/03/resources-for-using-pinterest-for-events/

and finally…

Event Marketing and the Next Big Thing
(Planner Wire)

Now that you’ve learned more about Pinterest, should you use it promote your next big event? Read this blog post by Keith Johnston and then decide.

http://plannerwire.net/2012/03/09/event-marketing-and-the-next-big-thing/

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Here’s another great infographic for meeting and event planning professionals; we found this one on Event Managers Blog. Some time ago, a member of their LinkedIn group, Event Planning and Event Management – the 1st Group for Event Professionals, initiated a wildly popular discussion, “You know you’re an event planner when….”. It received over 1,400 comments!

To celebrate the LinkedIn group’s 4th birthday and 60,000 members mark, the group’s owner (and Event Manager Blog Editor) Julius Solaris asked “corporate cartoonist” Chris Shipton to produce an infographic out of the best answers. (Click on the image below for the full infographic.)

Check it out… very funny! By popular request, a printable landscape version is now available to download (click here). And don’t forget to join the first LinkedIn group for Event Professionals.

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The more we learn about Norwegian Breakaway, the more excited we are about Norwegian Cruise Line’s first 4,000-passenger Breakaway-class ship, scheduled to launch in April 2013. (The second vessel in the class, Norwegian Getaway, will launch in spring 2014.)

The latest announcement from innovative Norwegian Cruise Line is a breath of fresh air – literally – that brings new meaning to meeting at sea!

The Waterfront

A new oceanfront destination called “The Waterfront” will offer guests an inspiring connection to the sea. Located just eight decks above the water, The Waterfront promenade deck will span a quarter of a mile as it wraps around the ship, and is designed to give guests an exhilarating outdoor experience.

Here, your group event participants will find a multitude of places to meet friends and colleagues for dinner, relax with a cocktail, enjoy the fresh sea breezes, and have a front row sea to watch the gorgeous sunsets.

The Waterfront on Norwegian Breakaway

Eight unique dining venues and lounges will open onto The Waterfront including a traditional Brazilian Churrascaria, signature Cagney’s Steakhouse,  La Cuchina Italian Trattoria, trendy cocktail bar, and Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar. Two new venues round out the mix – Ocean Blu on The Waterfront will feature sea food, a raw bar and special takeaway menu; and another first for Norwegian – a gelato bar.

A “yet-to-be-announced” entertainment venue with an outdoor entrance will also be located on The Waterfront.

La Cucina Restaurant opens to The Waterfront

All of these spots will feature open air seating, so you attendees can dine al fresco on the deck or indoors – and still have exposure to fresh sea air.

678 Ocean Place

The Waterfront will connect to 678 Ocean Place, an elongated, three-deck atrium running the length of the ship that will house restaurants, bars, the casino and shops. This energetic destination will be the heart of Norwegian Breakaway.

Each level within 678 Ocean Place offers something different for your group to experience. Including The Waterfront, this space will include17 dining options, the ship’s 18,000-square-foot casino, and plenty of evening entertainment in12 bars and lounges.

With the number of Norwegian Breakaway restaurants will levy per person surcharges, Breakaway will have more complimentary dining options than any other cruise ship. The two-deck Manhattan Room, first introduced on Norwegian Epic, is one of three complimentary main dining rooms. The elegant restaurant features a central floor space for dancing and entertainment, backset by a two-deck-high wall of windows.

And it’s not just the dining and entertainment venues in 678 Ocean Place that are creating a buzz. The architecture is also mesmerizing – from the sweeping views from each interconnected level, to the showcase chandelier and glass staircases that elegantly spiral up and down. Just take a look at the artist rendering – in a word: dazzling!

Norwegian Breakaway 678 Ocean Place Atrium

Itineraries

Norwegian Breakaway will homeport year-round in New York City. Following a seven-night transatlantic voyage on April 30, the ship will being its inaugural season of week-long Bermuda cruises featuring three days in King’s Wharf.

New: Beginning in October 2013, Breakaway will sail a series of 25 seven-night cruises to the Bahamas & Florida. Port stops include Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian’s private island) and Port Canaveral.

Search all Norwegian ships and itineraries, and request a quote for your next group event (your RFP will go directly to Norwegian Cruise Line).

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