Rae Ann Wright, a San Diego Seminar At Sea Travel Agent says, “I think the number one thing is that corporate executives just don’t understand that a seminar at sea can offer a lot more benefits than a resort hotel.”
One major benefit is that families can come along. Activities that range from lounging by the pool to zip-lining, rock-climbing and even ice-skating rinks are now available on many cruise ships. The families can take advantage of these activities while the business person is in the meetings that take place on the “At Sea” days.
During the “On Shore” days, the entire family can enjoy tours, shopping and exploring. If a round of golf is desired, the courses are readily available.
The advantages to the corporation are many. The event planner is relieved of the chore of arranging meals. All meals are included. Depending on the ship, you have many different types of conference rooms that can accommodate any number of people. Configuration of the conference rooms that you can consider range from theater, or sit-down, school-like. They usually include top-notch audio and video, teleconferencing and include Wi-Fi, which is built into these conference rooms. Most corporate planners do not realize these conference rooms are included at no extra charge.
Assistance is always available. Wright told us, “There will be an activities director on board that will make sure that everything goes smoothly, if they need that kind of help.”
The corporate CEO or the Director in charge of the at sea conference/seminar should consider getting a bigger cabin on board the ship rather than an ocean or a balcony. Instead, they should consider actually getting a larger cabin where they can accommodate different guests at different times. This will provide a place to have either breakout meetings or hospitality-type gatherings for their top people. These rooms will be a private space when you need confidential conversations. Most of these ships do offer suites that can do that.
The advantage of the conference or seminar at sea is that you get so much more for less money. You save a lot of planning time. It’s very budget-controlled. For the employee, the ship is a very safe and self-contained environment. This type of meeting fosters relationship-building and encourages a greater meeting attendance and participation.
Rae Ann Wright can be reached at (760) 479-4327
Or, via her website at: http://searae.com.