Checklist · free
Incentive trip planning checklist
A 36-point checklist for an incentive trip that rewards a sales team or channel partners: qualification, travel, stay, programme, communication and reconciliation. It splits the work between the incentive owner and the travel desk.
No sign-up needed.
Who it is for
- Sales and channel leads who run an incentive scheme
- HR leads who administer recognition travel
- Travel desks and agencies handling bookings
How to use it
- Write qualification rules before announcing the destination; rules drafted later cause disputes.
- Give the travel desk the winners list in one frozen version with a date and an approver.
- Use the rooming and itinerary lines to build one sheet per traveller.
- Reconcile costs at the end against the budget and note exceptions.
The contents
Scheme and qualification
- Write qualification criteria and period
- Set the budget per traveller
- Decide whether guests may join and who pays
- Define the approval path for exceptions
- Announce the scheme with dates and prize
Destination and vendors
- Choose the destination with visa and season in mind
- Shortlist hotels and confirm group rates
- Select the ground handler or agency
- Confirm travel insurance cover
- Check local rules and customs for the group
Winners and documents
- Freeze the winners list with a date
- Collect passport details exactly as printed
- Check visa needs and processing time
- Collect dietary and medical needs
- Collect emergency contacts
- Confirm guests and companions
Travel and stay
- Book flights as a group or by origin
- Assign rooms using the rooming sheet
- Plan airport transfers by arrival cluster
- Plan the return journey and baggage allowances
- Prepare travel kits and wallets
Programme
- Build the day-by-day itinerary
- Plan a welcome dinner and a recognition evening
- Add team activities with options
- Leave free time and explain it
- Plan a group photo and gifts
- Prepare a rainy day alternative
Communication and close
- Publish itineraries to each traveller
- Share a pre-departure briefing
- Run a helpline during the trip
- Collect feedback and photos
- Reconcile costs and send thanks
Where it has been used
Based on an incentive programme that ended in a group trip abroad, where qualifiers collected travel documents in an app and then received the trip agenda, venue and emergency contacts.
Questions people ask
When should winners be announced?
As soon as qualification closes, and no later than eight to ten weeks before travel, especially for international trips. Visas and flight availability create the real deadlines.
Can guests or spouses join?
Decide this before the announcement and say it in the rules. State who pays, which rooms they share and whether they join all activities, so there are no surprises at the airport.
How do we keep communication simple?
Give each traveller a single page with their flights, hotel, pickups and contact. Send changes as short updates, and keep a helpline for the trip dates.
Want this running inside your event app?
Sociana turns lists like this into live screens, requests and reminders for your guests and your desk. A 20-minute walkthrough shows how.