ITE 2016 in Las Vegas
Questex Travel Group wrapped up another Incentive Travel Exchange last week, their flagship event in the MICE portfolio. Nearly 300 people gathered at the Delano Las Vegas from March 2-5 to participate in the event, which offered attendees one-to-one meetings in private, luxury suites, including North American incentive buyers, global travel suppliers and a host of supporters.
ITE kicked off Wednesday afternoon with a complimentary education session, “SITE’s Business Case for Incentive Travel: The Link between Motivation and Incentives,” led by Phillip Eidsvold, a 15-year industry veteran who is account director at Aimia (formerly Carlson Marketing). Attendees learned to define the elements of motivation and behavioral change, identify opportunities for incentive travel to build employee/customer loyalty and engagement and apply qualification criteria for incentive travel programs to motivation drivers.
The official opening reception, hosted by MGM Resorts International, took place at Skyfall, the Delano’s penthouse level venue, complete with stunning views, outdoor space and fabulous cocktails. Visitors were welcomed by Meetings Group Director for Questex Travel Group Kirk Lewis and Executive Vice President John McMahon, followed by Chuck Bowling, president and COO of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casinoand Stephanie Glanzer, VP of sales.
ProColombia and Avianca Airlines co-sponsored the opening breakfast and offered a talk on Colombia’s MICE sector. Their presentation was followed by keynote speaker Dan Clark, expert on leadership and peak performance and New York Times best-selling author of The Art of Significance. That night, attendees enjoyed an exclusive experience at Drai’s Beach Club, a stylish poolside venue on the roof of The Cromwell Hotel & Casino.
Breakfast on Day 2 was kicked off with a few words from the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), followed by a presentation and video from sponsor, the Dominican Republic Tourism Board. Lunchtime saw a presentation by longtime partner Maui Jim.
Buyers at this year’s event represented over $1.5 billion in purchasing power including corporate direct, incentive, and event management companies who book high-volume programs across the world.