Small Meetings Find Business Impact & ROI at Sea

Posted by: Brad Nickel

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Travel industry research firm PhoCusWright estimates that nearly 900,000 meetings were held in the U.S. in 2009 and nearly two-thirds of them were “small meetings” with fewer than 50 attendees. This is not entirely surprising, given that the recession has shifted organizations toward hosting more intimate meetings and events to reduce costs and drive greater business impact.

If you’re among those planning a small meeting, there’s likely one option you have overlooked that offers a surprisingly elegant solution for maximizing impact and ROI while still staying well within budget—a meeting at sea.

Cruising for Business

Contrary to popular belief, cruising is not just for leisure anymore — there are many ships that are suitable for small groups, ranging from luxury yachts to mega-ships.

One of the biggest benefits that a cruise offers is an all-inclusive program—not so with a typical hotel or convention center venue. Your budgeted dollars will go much further when you consider that most ships have excellent, state-of-the-art conference facilities which can accommodate groups as small as 10 and up to 1,500 participants. AV equipment is readily available and included in your package price along with individually ordered gourmet meals, cocktail receptions, and world-class entertainment options. Altogether, cruise meetings can offer savings of up to 40 percent compared to a hotel because you don’t need to budget for spouse programs, table linens, lighting, staging/risers, décor or florals.

A Captive Audience

If your top concern is sourcing a discrete venue for your next board meeting, consider that a ship is a naturally self-contained environment, which lends itself to complete privacy. Everyone onboard is screened, luggage is checked and secured, and there is no risk of a competitor picking up leftover materials after you leave your meeting room. In addition, participants are more likely to show up for your events when there are no off-site distractions and temptations to escape for a lunch on the town or an afternoon round of golf in the midst of your organization’s tightly scheduled events.

Bonding at Sea

Of course, leisure activities naturally facilitate wonderful networking opportunities and serve to strengthen existing relationships among colleagues. During “off-work” hours, meeting participants can engage in a plethora of exciting activities–both on-board and ashore in port. This is particularly useful if team-building is a part of your organization’s overall meeting goals. Examples include basketball, pool games, nature hikes, kayaking, rock climbing, group dining and maybe even team bowling tournaments,

Pardon the pun, but literally being “in the same boat,” is a memorable experience, enhancing bonds and providing new shared experiences that will stay with your group participants for a lifetime.

(Photo by Port of San Diego)