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One thing that came out of the pandemic that is here to stay is virtual meetings where everyone is on camera. While this has its pros and cons (I for one really liked staying in my PJs all day and working from home pre-Covid with no makeup on and my hair in a messy bun!), now I really enjoy being able to see the people I'm talking to or meeting with, especially during long stretches of working in my home office and not travelling. Missing in-person connections is eased just a bit by using Teams, Zoom or any of the virtual platforms.
Another positive of "on camera" meetings is the ability to connect people to places or events that they previously weren't able tap into. One example of this is incentive programs. In 2020, we had to find a way to keep things as normal as possible while social distancing. We wanted to celebrate our highest sales achievers as we do every year and induct them into Hilton's "Circle of Excellence." Normally these award recipients are invited to a 4 day trip with a guest in a fabulous destination (Cabo, Tulum, Punta De Mita, Aruba, Hawaii etc.) and are spoiled with amenities, incredible food and beverage, excursions, and a gala ceremony. So our challenge was, "How do we still make our winners feel celebrated, special, and recognized…virtually?"
Long story short(er) we created a virtual celebration for them and included not only their leaders on the call to share what made these folks so special, but we also invited their families, friends, colleagues and clients to the virtual call. While not ideal, it was really awesome to have the people in our star performers' lives join their celebration.
So this got us thinking, "how can we replicate including loved ones in the ceremony when we are able to celebrate in person again?" Turns out it was pretty easy! By partnering with Encore, we set up a Teams call, designed a large screen for viewing in the ballroom, set up cameras, and sent out the dial in information for all to share. It was like watching an awards show with all the glam! The first year it was a surprise to our winners. Imagine the looks on their faces when they walked in and saw their loved ones on the "big screen"! So fun! Each year, the number of viewers have grown, and we continue to tweak the program - last year we had an emcee interview winners so they could "speak" to their loved ones back at home.
Just picture it - the big screen in the beautiful ballroom…all the smiling faces from little ones to grandparents beaming with pride and the winners beaming back in their tuxes and ballgowns like the stars they are! Doesn't get any better than that!
We'll continue this annual tradition (this year in Algarve Portugal!) as it brings such a special element of recognition for our top performers - not only from our Corporate leaders, but from their loved ones. Let us know if we can help YOU with this idea for your incentive winners!
