Talking Incentives and 35 Years with Ulterior Events, UK
Sitting down with Graham and Fiona at The Ned, London
We caught up with Ulterior Events’ Graham Alderman and Fiona Thompson to talk about their upcoming 35th anniversary and the most important lessons they’ve learnt during nearly four decades at the forefront of luxury incentive travel.
A partnership built on trust, balance, and a genuine enjoyment of each other’s company, it’s immediately obvious that while the spotlight may not be their natural habitat, Graham and Fiona are most at ease — and most effective — when working together. The ease between them is unmistakable, and it mirrors the way they approach their work: collaborative, considered, and (sometimes) quietly confident.
Reflecting on his recent time in Sri Lanka, Graham notes how experiences like inVOYAGE reinforce why they continue to do what they do. “It reminds you that there’s always more to discover — new ways to look at destinations, new ways to design programmes. You never stop learning in this industry.”
With Ulterior Events celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, Graham and Fiona shared the lessons that have shaped their business — and continue to guide how they deliver exceptional incentives today.
1. Details are everything.
Fail to prepare; prepare to fail.
On their homepage, Ulterior refers to the art of incentives. Like any great artist, attention to detail is fundamental — every element considered, refined and stress-tested long before guests arrive. Without that diligence, the margin for error grows, and in luxury incentives, dissatisfaction is never an acceptable outcome.
Fiona: “The cliché is you’re on a jolly, and they underestimate the admin hours — the late nights, the weekends.”
Graham: “Behind the scenes, there’s so much to work on. Proposals, budget sheets, databases — then revised proposals, revised budgets, revised databases. It’s endless.”
While the industry often sees incentive planners as globe-trotting creatives, the reality is far less glamorous in the lead-up.
Graham: “We’re very lucky — people see us as global travellers creating incredible events. But before the event itself, there is no glamour. We’re office workers.”
Fiona: “But those non-glamorous bits are the bits I love. The spreadsheets, the emails — making sure everything is perfect before we touch down.”
That meticulous preparation allows Ulterior to deliver a level of personalisation that defines true luxury. In an industry where success is measured in moments rather than margins, making every guest feel seen, anticipated and valued is not a ‘nice to have’ — it’s the baseline.
2. Being present on-site.
There to control the uncontrollable.
No matter how detailed the planning, some things simply can’t be predicted. That’s why being on-site is non-negotiable for Ulterior.
Graham: “So much happens on site that nobody knows about. Clients don’t know. Delegates don’t know. But that’s why we’re there — to make sure things are exceptional for those taking part.”
For Fiona, preparation creates space to react.
Fiona: “I can be a bit of a control freak. I love knowing everything is sorted beforehand — so I know I have time to control the things we can’t control when we’re there.”
And for Graham, presence is about experience.
Graham: “We’re on site just in case. And that just-in-case happens in all sorts of ways. Clients are paying for decades of experience — for handling issues and making sure everything runs smoothly before, during and after.”
Fiona: “There would be nothing worse than asking how everything went and hearing, ‘Yeah, it was great, but this happened…’. I’d much rather be there to deal with it before it becomes feedback.”
Contingency planning is essential, but sometimes the only solution is experience, instinct — and being there when it matters.
3. Loyalty still matters — but it has changed.
Few industries evolve as quickly as incentive travel, and one of the biggest shifts Graham and Fiona have seen is how loyalty is expressed.
Graham: “Knowing your client’s mind probably takes 25% of the work away — because you’re already in tune with their needs and desires.”
Whilst the rapport won’t change, your understanding of them and their desires might not be as useful as it once was.
Graham: “People move roles. Job titles change. They move companies. You can’t take it personally — that’s just how the industry works now.”
Instead, preparation has evolved. It’s about understanding businesses, not just individuals; about building credibility across teams rather than relying on a single contact. For Ulterior, this has meant staying agile, continuously nurturing relationships, and ensuring the quality of work speaks louder than history alone.
*quote from Graham and/or Fiona on the usefulness of inVOYAGE events, building new relationships and catching up with important people within the industry
4. Programme first. Everything else second.
When it comes to incentive design, Graham is unequivocal.
Graham: “It’s not about the destination or the hotel — it’s ‘can you fill the programme?’ That has to be the starting point.”
In a world where destinations are increasingly familiar thanks to social media, the programme — the experiences, pacing and emotional arc — is what differentiates an incentive.
Fiona: “The first question we ask is, ‘Can you get enough out of the destination for the activities, for the dining?’ The rest we can normally figure out.”
Conviction is key, particularly when clients are hesitant.
Graham: “I had a very risk-averse client for an incentive to India. It took some convincing. When I asked them at the airport for their honest opinion, they said, ‘It was bottom of my list — but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.’”
Fiona: “We never suggest anything we don’t love ourselves.”
That belief — in the programme, in the destination, and in their own judgement — is what allows Ulterior to lead rather than follow.
5. Trust yourself — and simplify.
Looking back, both Graham and Fiona admit that earlier in their careers, they sometimes overcomplicated things.
Fiona: “We felt we had to overdeliver — too many options, too many destinations, holding flights, holding hotels, holding everything.”
With experience came clarity.
Graham: “Clients don’t want endless choice — they want confidence. If you don’t trust yourself, how can the client trust you?”
By refining recommendations and standing behind them, Ulterior found that decision-making became easier, programmes stronger, and relationships more collaborative. Confidence, they’ve learnt, isn’t about certainty — it’s about experience and knowing when to guide rather than overwhelm.
A lesson in longevity
Thirty-five years in any industry is an achievement. In luxury incentives — an industry defined by change, expectation and pressure — it is a testament to adaptability, integrity and trust. Graham and Fiona’s story is not about chasing trends, but about refining fundamentals: preparation, presence, belief and care.
And perhaps that’s the most valuable lesson of all — that success in incentive travel is not built on spectacle alone, but on consistency, experience and quietly getting the details right, event after event, year after year.