Dazzling with their onstage acceptances this evening during the SITE Global Conference 2022 in Dublin are the six winners of this year’s SITE Crystal Awards — the highest honor awarded in the incentive travel industry.
Representing a true blend of those involved in the incentive travel industry, this year’s recipients were named as Crystal Award winners for their creative, practical and truly memorable incentive programs that took place almost entirely during the most difficult period the incentive travel industry has ever faced.
Massachusetts-based Liberty Mutual Insurance Company was the only pre-pandemic program recognized as an award recipient this year. Each of the other five winners earned their accolades for programs that took place virtually, or were some of the first in-person trips to take place after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is an incredibly special group of Crystal Award winners,” said Kevin Edmunds, MS, CITP, Vice President, AIC Hotel Group & SITE President. “They are all leaders in our industry, with the programs we recognized at this year’s Crystal Awards Gala standing out as shining examples of incentive travel programs being run smoothly and safely that still achieve the exacting, incredibly high business aims all of us set out to deliver.”
Crystal Awards Chair Ellie MacPherson, CITP, Senior Vice President, Canada Operations, Creative Group and a member of SITE’s international Board of Directors, added, “By gathering together in-person as a global SITE community to celebrate the achievements of this year’s Crystal Award winners, we are sending a strong signal as to the immense power of incentive travel and its global business impacts. Our industry will continue to rebound and recover, with incentive travel set to play an increasingly important role in generating business results for corporations while also reinforcing values and company culture.”
Key sponsor of the Crystal Awards Carina Bauer, IMEX Group CEO and a past SITE Foundation President, concluded by noting, “Incentive travel is an incredibly important component of the overall business events, or MICE, landscape. The IMEX Group strongly shares SITE’s commitment to enhancing and showcasing impacts of incentive travel, both for our industry and in the wider communities these programs touch. It is always a thrill for me to see firsthand the creativity, innovation, and expertise that drive these programs and to celebrate as part of such a special night.”
Six awards were given this year, in five categories:
- Excellence in Incentive Travel: North America | Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
- Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis | H&R Block and Maritz Global Events
- Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis | Motivation Excellence
- Best Standalone Virtual Celebratory Event | Forever Living Products International
- Best Virtual Motivational Experience | Event Partners Ireland DMC
- Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility as Part of an Incentive Program | HMI Performance Incentives
What the winners said:
Excellence in Incentive Travel: North America
Trek to Quebec
Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
“The Trek to Quebec program was a monumental opportunity for our winners
to network and learn from senior leadership in a unique and intimate setting. Additionally it afforded them the chance to experience a new part of the world with memory-making activities, and return to the office re-charged and armed with plenty of brag-worthy moments! It hit all of the hallmarks of a great incentive program and with over 1/3 of the winners ultimately getting promoted and staying loyal to our company – we couldn’t have had a better outcome.”
— Kristal Cardone, Director, Reward & Recognition Events
Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis
2021 Top Performers
H&R Block and Maritz Global Events
“It was an honor to work with H&R Block on building the strategy and design and executing this program. Designing and delivering the individual experiences was hard work. But when we started to receive the emails and texts and photos from the winners — when we heard their stories — it confirmed that it certainly was work worth doing! The winners will never be the same as a result. We commend H&R Block for having the vision and the commitment to see this through.”
— Tim Simpson, Brand and Engagement Chief Strategist, Maritz Global Events
“Providing the best expertise and care to our clients starts with providing a best-in-class workplace experience for our associates. Being able to deliver incredible, customized experiences for our top performers is an invaluable investment in our people and our culture.”
— Karen Orosco, President, Global Consumer Tax and Service Delivery
Most Creative Solution Deployed at a Time of Crisis
Gem Club 2020: From Kauai to Concierge
Motivation Excellence
“Being honored within the industry with the SITE Crystal Award means a great deal to our team! We work to Inspire Extraordinary Performance with every client and every participant. But it starts within our own company. We appreciate this recognition as it truly shows the care and passion we value internally and produce externally. “Thank yous” go to our GEM Club team, our client and our strategic partners for helping us fulfill a meaningful reward experience in a time when our industry, and the world, was turned upside-down. Thank you SITE!”
— David Jobes, President and CEO of Motivation Excellence
Best Standalone Virtual Celebratory Event
Forever Global Rally at Home 2021
Forever Living Products International
“Winning the 2022 SITE Crystal Award is a great honor for Forever Living, especially at this time of change for the event world. As an industry, we have been in uncharted waters for almost two years and the innovation required to keep incentive events relevant and engaging to our audiences has been a real challenge. This recognition is a result of the creativity, risk, and dedication that defines business events. Thank you, SITE.”
— Nick Woodward-Shaw, Vice President of Communications
Best Virtual Motivational Experience
The Cream of the Crop
Event Partners Ireland DMC
“The Cream of the Crop events enabled us to communicate with our clients in a unique and engaging way, while face-to-face meetings were impossible. Winning the SITE Crystal Award stands testament to the success of the collaborative approach we took with our partners, during incredibly challenging times.”
— Nicola McGrane, CEO of Event Partners Ireland
Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility as Part of an Incentive Program
Manning Destination Club
HMI Performance Incentives
“Winning SITE’s Crystal Award for Most Impactful CSR Initiative in an Incentive Program is truly an honor. We’re grateful that our organization’s commitment to reimagining group travel by helping those in need is being recognized. It’s a testament to our entire group travel team, their hard work, and the mission-driven approach we at HMI take each and every day.”
— Paul Ferreira, President and Founder, HMI Performance Incentives
