March 2008

Carnival’s New President Presents Pinnacle Award to Landry & Kling

Carnival’s Cahill, Torrent, Zarmati Present Pinnacle to Landry and Kling
Tue Feb 12 2008, by TravelTrade Staff

Landry and Kling Cruise Event Services, has been inducted into Carnival Cruise Lines’ “Pinnacle Club.”  As one of Carnival’s top 10 group producers, was presented with a highly detailed replica of a Carnival “Fun Ship,” and joins an elite group of agencies who meet a certain sales criteria and exhibit excellence in promoting and selling the “Fun Ship” cruise experience.

Pictured here during the induction of Landry and Kling into the “Pinnacle Club” are (from left to right): Carnival’s Vice President of Corporate and Incentive Sales Richard Weinstein; Landry and Kling Cruise Event Services’ owner Joyce Landry; Carnival’s President and CEO Gerry Cahill; Landry and Kling Cruise Event Services’ owner Jo Kling; Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Guest Experience Lynn Torrent; and Vice President of Sales Maurice Zarmati.

5 Worst Practices in Planning a Cruise Program

#1 – Skipping research
Sticking with what you already know will get you exactly where you have always been.  A survey of your participants after your last program will tell you where they would like to go, but you have to make it fit your budget; and work in your agenda; and provide a wow factor.

Solution:  Get an expert involved, you’d be surprised to know that site selection services alone can cost no more than booking directly with a cruise line.  And you can get impartial advice.

Every cruise line will do their best to fit your program into their existing routine.  If one ship doesn’t work, do you know all the alternatives?

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Will Companies Clamp Down on Corporate Travel and Meetings in the Face of US Recession?

Friday, March 21, 2008

In times of economic uncertainty, recession fears can become self-fulfilling prophesies: cautious strategies edge over from prudence into phobia, and the capitalist conga line slows to a crawl. As broadcast media and the internet act as echo chambers for this phenomenon, playing on the deep concerns of managers and businesses and magnifying market ebbs into tidal waves, it falls to the managers on the ground to increase revenues even as their budgets are scrutinized and shrunk. Particularly as pertains to sales incentive programs, which are often spared the budgetary axe due to their inherent link to revenue generation, finding the destination that is both motivational and cost effective is especially critical during the current slowdown.

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