Today we launched the first edition of The Incentivist’s monthly newsletter. We are thrilled with the overwhelming support we have received from industry colleagues—buyers and suppliers—and we are confident that we are in for a great ride! Thank you to everyone for your kind words, encouragement and content contributions!

Our journey to today’s newsletter started with a single word: Incentivist.

Most people react to it in one of two ways. If they are from outside the MICE industry, they don’t get it and will ask what an Incentivist is and does. If they are an incentive travel professional, they understand it right away. No explanation needed.

Everything that is right and wrong with the industry is summed up in these two reactions.  Incentive travel professionals know the value of what they do. The rest of the world? Sometimes, not so much.

We chose the name, The Incentivist, for one reason: We believe wholeheartedly that the selling, buying, planning and operation of incentive programs is a profession and that its practitioners should be respected for their training, skills and the work they do. Language—what you call someone, how you talk to them—is central to respect.

The website was also born from respect for the industry and its members. We created it because we want to contribute to the growth of the industry. We want to help elevate the profession. We want to connect with Incentivists from around the world and connect Incentivists within this global community with each other.

Fortunately, there’s a lot to talk about—for example, the just-released Bangkok Manifesto from SITE Global—and we have a lot of people to talk to. We’re delighted that our subscription list includes incentive travel professionals from six of the seven continents. And we’re looking forward to reaching out to our VIP Incentivists for their opinions and insights on industry issues. (Learn more about becoming a VIP Incentivist.)

For us, today is the realization of a vision we have had for many years. We started a conversation with each other and now we want to share the conversation with you and all the other Incentivists around the world.

Alanna + Lori