Paris, Wednesday 20 October 2021 – Convening from the US, Canada, Egypt, Turkey, Ireland and Poland, and with others joining virtually, the international boards of directors and trustees of SITE and SITE Foundation concluded 3 days of in-person meetings in Paris today, hosted by ACCOR at the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel and The Molitor Paris M Gallery. These were the first in-person board meetings for both organisations since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, and provided the perfect platform for future planning, as the business events industry re-opens and incentive travel programs resume.

“The unique benefits of incentive travel for qualifiers, corporations and destinations have never been more obvious, as we evaluate the impact of a 20 month hiatus on the business world, and society at large. Virtual technology helped us to make a virtue of necessity, but we all know now that real people, gathering in real time, in real places are the elements that unleash the full impact of an incentive travel experience. Gathering now, in-person, from all over the world in such an iconic city as Paris represents a powerful symbol for re-set, re-start and resumption”, said SITE President, Aoife Delaney, CIS, CITP, Director of Global Sales & Marketing, The DMC Network.

“SITE Foundation has continued to invest in research and education throughout the pandemic and, with our Corporate inSITEs series, has been tracking sentiment amongst US corporations towards incentive travel and motivational experiences. As we convene again face-to-face in Paris, we’re delighted to report that belief in, and use of, incentive travel as a core element in the reward and recognition programs of the 50 companies who participate in our survey, remains exceptionally high with robust resumption set from early 2022”, said SITE Foundation President, Terry Manion, CIS, CITP, President Inspire Consulting Limited.

“Corporations and incentive houses have long relied on the unique appeal of France and our many regions and cities to reward qualifiers with a magnificent bucket list experience, while building company culture and reinforcing relationships. We’re proud to welcome SITE’s international board of directors and SITE Foundation’s board of trustees to Paris as we re-launch SITE France, and look forward to a bright new future for incentive travel professionals” said Catherine Pascaud, Managing Director, Servitours & Co-President, SITE France.

For further information please contact Pádraic Gilligan, Chief Marketing Officer, SITE Foundation – pgilligan@siteglobal.com

Incentive travel, the “I” in MICE, is the fastest growing sector of the Business Events industry with the highest per capita spend and the widest supply chain.

Accounting for about 7% of all Business Events activities, the Events Industry Council’s Global Economic Impact study (2018) estimates the incentive travel industry to be worth around $75 billion globally.

The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) is the only Business Events association dedicated exclusively to the global incentive travel industry.

Founded in 1973, we are a professional association of 2,500 members located in 90 countries, working in corporations, agencies, airlines, cruise companies and across the entire destination supply chain.

We bring value to our members at both global and local chapter level by networking, online resources, education, certification and advocacy. SITE is deeply committed to the new generation and operates a best-in-class Young Leaders program and dedicated annual conference.

SITE Foundation was established by SITE to raise funds and support research, education and advocacy projects on behalf of the incentive travel industry. Monies raised by SITE Foundation enable us to make the business case for incentive travel and highlight the transformational potential of travel experiences on individuals, enterprises and communities.

SITE Foundation has recently funded certification for mid-manager level incentive travel professionals (CITP) and, with our partners Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) and Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP), the Incentive Travel Industry Index (ITII).

The SITE Foundation is a registered charity holding a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization status.