The Little-Known Touches That Make Incentive Trips Unforgettable

by Graham Aldermam, Owner, Ulterior Events

Luxury is about a lot more than just a price tag; it’s about the "story" the guest gets to tell for the next decade.

When travel is your business, as it has been mine for the past 15 years, you develop a sense for “Luxury Logic” - by which I mean that you become unafraid to challenge the status quo and alter the practicalities, knowing that they’ll create a greater sense of wonder for your guests.

These “above and beyond” touches boil down to a few things:

1. Shifting Perspectives

It’s our job is to literally change how a guest sees the world. That can be interpreted in hundreds of ways but on a very literal level, it’s about ensuring that a million-dollar view is never wasted on the back of someone’s head. A few years back, on a site inspection at the ever fabulous Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, we discussed a lunch on the deck overlooking the Zambezi with the Victoria Falls as the backdrop. 20 people, 2 round tables of 10. Standard. Nope. A once in a lifetime opportunity to have lunch looking at one of the seven natural wonders of the world amd 4 people (2 on each table) will have their back to it, and another four would have a side view. So I changed it to a “last supper” set-up. All on one side. All with the same view. Hotel questioned it, but did what I asked. 20 very happy guests later, the hotel now suggests it. 

2. Fluidity

Seamless service means moving the world so the guest doesn't have to - like pushing back a dinner reservation without any fuss if a flight is delayed, so guests never feel rushed, or even aware of the change. It is about looking at a programme even while it is going on, tweaking a departure time by a few minutes either way, slowing dinner service down - it’s all about managing the situation. Never stopped managing. That’s why we go onsite everytime. 

3. Elevating Everything

At Ulterior Events we take existing concepts and push them into the "super-experience" category by adding layers of sensory delight. On another safari trip we transformed a lunch. How? well firstly we asked for a fine dining menu, which thrilled the chef. Good chef’s love being able to show off their skills. He developed a special menu and then the sommelier paired the wines. But that’s not enough. The hotel had a 6” deep ornamental pool. So what did we do? We put the tables in the pool. It was a roasting hot, safari morning so what could be better. Shoes and socks off, feet in the water, exquisite food and great wine. If it can be better, make it better. Everything should be about creating a moment.

4. Crafting Talking Points

Stories are a currency, more so now in this digital age than ever before, so we introduce unexpected and challenging elements that keep the trip alive in conversation for years. From the provocative - like serving fried crickets as a daring local delicacy - to the delightful Gin & Tonic ice-pop stands we took to the game reserve, these touches are engineered to be memorable. OUR experience is everything, and THE experience is everything.