The structure we use for reward programmes — and why the free afternoon matters more than the gala dinner.
Most incentive briefs arrive as a destination and a budget. The good ones arrive as an objective. ## Start from the behaviour you are rewarding A retention programme and a channel-performance programme should not look the same. The first needs time together and shared discomfort — a trek, a long drive, a fire. The second needs visibility, staging and a moment where the top performer is seen by their peers. ## The shape that works - Day one: arrival, low-stakes welcome, no early start. - Day two: the flagship experience, scheduled early. - Day three: a free afternoon. Genuinely free. - Day four: the gala, with the awards moment before dinner, not after. ## Why the free afternoon matters Every post-programme survey we run says the same thing: people rate the unstructured hours highest. The conversations that build loyalty happen at the pool bar, not in a scheduled activity. ## Budget where it shows Spend on the room, the guide and the one unrepeatable moment. Save on transfers, gifting and the second night's entertainment. Nobody photographs a coach.
