SITE Membership, Research To Grow Under New CEO

<B> SITE Membership, Research To Grow Under New CEO</B>

By Chris Davis

Jill Harrington, the newly appointed executive vice president and CEO of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives, said she'd like to see the organization make further strides in research and corporate buyer membership as ways to increase the number of companies that use travel as an incentive.

With the American economy still humming, the iron is hot for more companies than the current SITE-estimated 25 percent or so to incorporate the use of incentive travel. While cautioning that incentives aren't a panacea for every business, Harrington said there's certainly room for the incentive travel industry to grow in the corporate consciousness and SITE can lead the way.

"SITE can be the compass in the industry," she said. "Whether it's emphasizing the meaningful research that we do, or looking forward at trends and guiding business to be successful, we can communicate the powerful impact of incentives to the corporate world."

The explosive growth in some sectors of the economy, particularly in the telecommunications, high tech and financial services fields, offers SITE plenty of opportunities to further expand the use of incentive travel past the traditional bastions of automotive and insurance corporations, Harrington said.

SITE president Wendy Moffatt has said that SITE can take its message directly to corporations through invitations to seminars and workshops (Meetings Today, Dec. 7), which Harrington seconded. "Some companies still don't think incentives work, or that they encourage the wrong behavior," Harrington said.

And in some cases, incentive travel doesn't work. Companies with internal staff or management problems, or employees that don't have the necessary skills to achieve the corporate goals, may not see an incentive travel package boost their employees' performance. "Incentives have a valuable place in business, but they have to be applied correctly and in the correct situations," Harrington said. "And by teaching the corporate world that, SITE builds credibility." Harrington also pointed to education, particularly for experienced association members, as a key to increase SITE's value.

"A lot has been done already to provide education to the industry, but a lot more can be done, and not just for the entry-level members, but some of the more sophisticated members as well," she said. "We can focus on different disciplines, like getting measurable return."

That, Harrington said, can lead to increased membership and increased participation by current SITE members, particularly those from the corporate community. "We need to understand what drives value to the different members, from buyers to suppliers, and see if we're delivering it," she said.

Harrington will join Manhattan-based SITE next month, providing for a transitional period before Bob Vitagliano, CEO since 1993, leaves on Dec. 31. Harrington was the managing director of incentives for Maritz Canada Inc. of Toronto when SITE tapped her last month. A SITE member for about five years, she also has served as a board member and vice president of SITE Canada.