After a period of inactivity, SITE Italy is rebuilding with fresh energy, a growing community and a clear vision for the future.
Since re-launching in January 2025, the team has brought together incentive travel professionals from across the country, strengthened its leadership and reconnected with the wider SITE network.
Now officially a Chapter in Formation, SITE Italy is looking ahead to what comes next. We spoke with the leadership team about the journey so far, the lessons learned along the way and their vision for the future of incentive travel in Italy.
1. SITE Italy has officially become a chapter in formation. What does this milestone mean to your leadership team and members?
Becoming a Chapter in Formation is a significant milestone for both our leadership team and our members. It represents the successful outcome of a collective effort to rebuild and strengthen the Italian incentive travel community after a period of inactivity. More importantly, it signals the beginning of a new chapter for SITE Italy—one that is more structured, future-oriented, and closely connected to the global SITE network. For our members, it is a source of pride to see Italy once again playing an active role within the international incentive travel community, while gaining access to greater opportunities for networking, education, professional development, and industry collaboration.
2. What progress or accomplishments helped SITE Italy move from affiliate status to becoming a chapter in formation?
The journey began in January 2025, when a committed group of members worked closely with SITE Global to relaunch the Italian affiliate. Through a structured process of planning, dialogue, and community rebuilding, we were able to re-engage professionals across the industry and create renewed momentum around the organization. One of the most important achievements was the growth of our membership base, which now includes 45 active members. This growth demonstrated both the relevance of SITE in the Italian market and the willingness of industry professionals to contribute to a stronger and more connected community.
3. What steps have been most important in building a strong foundation, such as growing membership, developing volunteer leaders, hosting events, or engaging the local incentive travel community?
Our priority has been to rebuild a community with a clear purpose and long-term vision. Membership growth has been fundamental, but equally important has been the creation of an engaged leadership team representing different sectors of the incentive travel industry. We have focused on establishing a strong organizational structure and defining strategic priorities that address the needs of our members and the wider industry. These priorities include sustainability, education, communication, young leaders, and membership development. At the same time, we have worked to strengthen connections between the Italian market and the global SITE network, while creating opportunities for professional exchange, learning, and collaboration through industry initiatives and events.
4. What challenges have you encountered during this journey, and what have you learned that could help other SITE affiliates working toward chapter status?
The biggest challenge was rebuilding momentum after the disruption caused by the pandemic, which had temporarily halted chapter activities. Re-engaging the industry required patience, consistency, and a shared commitment among volunteers and members. One of our key learnings is that rebuilding a chapter is not only about growing membership numbers—it is about creating a sense of belonging and demonstrating value to the local community. Maintaining open communication with SITE Global, developing a clear strategic vision, and empowering dedicated volunteer leaders were all critical factors in our progress. For other affiliates, our advice would be to focus on community first, build strong relationships, and remain consistent in pursuing long-term goals.
5. What are SITE Italy’s priorities during the chapter-in-formation period, and what are you most excited to accomplish next?
During the chapter-in-formation period, our priority is to build a strong, sustainable foundation for SITE Italy and position it as the leading reference point for the incentive travel industry in the country. We are focused on strengthening our professional community, fostering valuable connections with the global SITE network, promoting education and professional certification, and creating meaningful opportunities for knowledge sharing through events, workshops and industry initiatives. We also aim to collaborate with public and private stakeholders to further elevate the strategic role of incentive travel within the experience economy. At the same time, we are already working on five key strategic areas: sustainability, communication, education, young leaders, and membership growth. Expanding our membership base and welcoming new professionals and companies into the network will be particularly important as we continue to grow. What excites us most is the opportunity to build a dynamic, inclusive and forward-looking chapter that not only supports the development of Italian incentive travel professionals but also reconnects Italy with the global SITE community. After a period of inactivity, it is inspiring to see Italy once again playing an active role on the international stage, creating value for members and contributing to the future growth of our industry.
