Maritz and the New Incentive Economy: Why Live Experiences Still Define Value

A newly released joint study by the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and Maritz confirms what many in the global business events industry have long suspected, but few have been able to substantiate with such clarity: incentive travel is not only retaining its relevance across generations, but is emerging as the most powerful non-cash motivator in the modern workforce.

Based on a multi-generational analysis of participants across Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, the research reveals a consistent pattern: travel continues to outperform cash, points and other recognition mechanisms as a driver of motivation, loyalty and retention. Yet beyond the headline figures lies a more nuanced shift in expectations, one that is reshaping how incentive programmes are designed, delivered and experienced.

It is within this evolving landscape that Maritz positions itself as one of the industry’s most influential behavioural science-led organisations. Operating globally across business events, loyalty and incentive solutions, the company has built its reputation on translating data and human behaviour into measurable business outcomes for its clients. At the centre of that approach is Jim Russell (right), Global Head of Business Events Solutions, whose career across some of the sector’s most significant organisations has been defined by a consistent focus on the strategic value of live experiences.

Speaking at IMEX Frankfurt 2026, Russell reflects on the findings of the SITE–Maritz study and the broader forces shaping the industry, from artificial intelligence and shifting workforce expectations to geopolitical uncertainty and rising cost pressures. For him, however, the conclusion is less about disruption than confirmation: in an increasingly digital and fragmented world, the value of in-person experiences is not diminishing, but becoming more structurally important to how organisations build trust, performance and engagement.

Interviewed by Manuel Fernandes, HQ Magazine Manager, on the showfloor at IMEX Frankfurt 2026.

A recent research presented by SITE highlights a renewed interest in incentive travel, particularly among younger generations entering the workforce. To what do you attribute this resurgence in live experiences and in-person events?

There was a widespread assumption that younger generations, having grown up as digital natives, would naturally favour virtual interactions over live experiences. However, the research is pointing in a different direction. What we are increasingly hearing from younger audiences is that they place greater trust in information when it comes directly from another person. In an era shaped by AI-generated content, digital manipulation and an overwhelming volume of online information, authenticity has become increasingly important. People want to hear things first-hand and engage with others in real-world settings.

Interestingly, this trend is also reflected in broader industry research. I recently spoke to Kevin Hinton from the U.S. Travel Association about a study conducted in partnership with Maritz, which highlighted a subtle but significant shift in terminology. Rather than referring to meetings as “face-to-face,” the industry is increasingly talking about “in-person” experiences. After all, technology now allows us to be face-to-face through platforms such as Teams or Zoom, but that is not the same as being physically present with someone. That distinction matters. Whether among younger generations or more experienced professionals, there remains a strong desire for genuine human connection. And that continues to reinforce the unique value of live events as a foundation for trust, engagement and meaningful relationships.

Does this growing demand for authentic, in-person interaction also challenge the industry to demonstrate the value of live events differently? Is it no longer enough to simply bring people together in a meeting room, exhibition stand or conference hall?

I have always believed that trust and meaningful relationships are built through time spent together. It is not about talking at people; It is about creating experiences that enable genuine interaction in ways that foster trust, respect and human connection.

So, rather than forcing the industry to rethink the value of live events, I believe this trend is reinforcing something we have always known: bringing people together in meaningful ways works. It has always worked, and it will continue to work. For those of us in the meetings and events industry, that is a very encouraging message.
 

 
Given Maritz's expertise in behavioural science, how are these evolving generational expectations influencing the design of business events and incentive programmes? What changes are proving most relevant for today's workforce?

Many of the qualities younger generations are asking for – trust, authenticity, flexibility and meaningful connection – are not exclusive to them. In reality, they reflect what most people value, regardless of age. What we are seeing is a growing preference for experiences that offer greater autonomy and more genuine opportunities to connect with others. People want the freedom to navigate an event on their own terms, build one-to-one relationships and engage in ways that feel personal and relevant. They are less interested in simply being told where to go, what to do and what to think.

Another important trend is the continued importance of experiential, hands-on learning. Regardless of generation, people learn more effectively when they can actively engage with something rather than passively observe it. If you are introducing a product, for example, let people touch it, test it and interact with it. If you are communicating an idea, create opportunities for participants to build, create or solve something together. The most memorable experiences are those that combine learning with participation. People leave not only with new knowledge, but with stronger relationships and shared experiences that stay with them long after the event has ended.
 

“In many respects, the biggest challenge we face is internal; our ability, or sometimes inability, to clearly articulate the value of what we do”

At the same time, AI and other technologies are increasingly embedded in the industry. How is Maritz leveraging these tools to enhance loyalty programmes and deliver more predictive and personalised experiences for clients?

There are a few strands to this. One of the most immediate applications is around content capture and access. In a live event with multiple concurrent sessions, you obviously cannot attend everything. What we are now able to do is use AI to record, transcribe and package that content so participants can revisit the sessions they missed. We refer to this as a "digital backpack," a space where attendees can access automatically generated transcripts and curated content from the event. What has been particularly impressive is the accuracy of the transcription technology. It has reached a point where it reliably captures and reproduces what is being said in real time, which simply was not the case in the past.

The second, and perhaps more transformative, application is the use of data in real time. Maritz has access to significant volumes of data, and the real shift now is not just using it for post-event analysis, but applying it dynamically during the event itself. That means being able to understand what is happening in the moment and make adjustments while the experience is still unfolding. Until recently, that level of responsiveness was not really possible. With more advanced AI tools, we can now adapt and optimise the live experience as it happens, which represents a significant evolution in how events are designed and delivered.

Geopolitical instability is increasingly shaping global meetings and incentive travel flows, as highlighted in recent discussions within organisations such as IAPCO. In this context, are business events becoming more difficult to justify, or are they becoming even more strategically important?

From what we are seeing anecdotally across the industry, geopolitical developments are not reducing the demand for meetings and events. Rather, they are influencing where those events take place.

In practical terms, we are observing shifts in programme destinations. For example, some programmes that may have originally been planned for parts of the Middle East are now being relocated to Western Europe. At the same time, other regions, such as Australia, are beginning to see new opportunities as flows of activity are redistributed.

However, these shifts appear to be largely temporary in nature. Once geopolitical conditions stabilise, there is a strong expectation that programmes will return to their original destinations. In that sense, what we are seeing is not a structural decline in business events, but a short-term reallocation of where they are executed. The underlying demand for meetings, incentives and congresses remains intact. What changes is the geography, not the fundamental need for connection and engagement.

In destination marketing and event promotion, there is a growing discussion about whether infrastructure alone is enough to differentiate a destination, or whether the human and community dimension has become the real defining factor, particularly in incentive travel. In your view, what currently moves the needle when it comes to destination selection for your clients?

Destinations today are doing an excellent job of listening more closely to what clients are actually trying to achieve. There is a much deeper understanding that different programmes have different objectives, whether it is an incentive trip, a reward experience, or a means of supporting broader business outcomes. What matters is not just the destination itself, but how well it aligns with those objectives. There are many exceptional places globally, but the most effective destinations are those that can translate their unique characteristics into something meaningful for the client’s specific goals.

At the same time, our role is to act as an intermediary in that process. We learn from destinations what makes them distinctive, and we translate that into relevant recommendations for our customers. That requires a genuinely collaborative approach between our team, the client, and the destination marketing organisations. What drives destination choice is not only infrastructure or location, but the ability to understand intent and match it with what a place can authentically deliver.
 

“Ultimately, live events remain irreplaceable in terms of business outcomes and behavioural impact”

In the context of global incentive programmes and corporate events, what are currently the biggest strategic challenges in balancing client expectations with tightening marketing and event budgets?

Many clients are currently operating under either flat or reduced budgets, while at the same time the cost of travel, accommodation and destination services continues to rise. That creates a clear imbalance between expectations and financial reality. As a result, we are seeing clients make pragmatic adjustments. In some cases, a programme that might previously have taken place in a five-star setting is moved to a four-star environment. In others, the overall duration of an event is reduced, from three days to two days, while maintaining the quality of the experience.

Importantly, this is not being driven by a lack of demand. The appetite for meetings, incentives and events remains strong. Rather, it is about adapting to budgetary constraints, which forces organisations to rethink both destination choice and programme structure. For Maritz, the challenge is to ensure that value is still delivered, whether through a shorter format or a different destination than historically used. The focus is on preserving the strategic intent of the meeting, even when the parameters change.

Looking ahead, there is a degree of optimism in the market. The expectation is that as geopolitical and economic conditions stabilise, confidence will return and budgets will begin to grow again. Many in the industry anticipate a stronger environment from 2026 onwards. Finally, one important dimension of this is internal advocacy. It has become increasingly important for meeting planners to be able to articulate the value of events within their own organisations, and to secure the necessary budgetary support. That requires a deeper understanding of economic conditions, as well as the ability to clearly demonstrate return on investment internally.
 

Do you see this current combination of rising costs, budget pressure and geopolitical uncertainty as a sustainable long-term situation, or is the industry moving towards a new equilibrium?

Hopefully, we will move towards a more stable environment, although it is important to recognise that we are not in control of all these external factors. What is encouraging is the level of collaboration across the ecosystem. Through our partner network, we are able to share insights with airlines, hoteliers and destinations, and in turn they provide feedback from their side as well. These are businesses facing their own rising cost pressures, so there is a shared understanding of the challenges involved.

At the same time, the cost of delivering live events is likely to continue increasing. That makes it even more important for budgets to evolve accordingly, and for organisations to ensure that investment is properly aligned with the value they expect to achieve. A critical part of this is education. Clients need to be equipped with the right information so that when they are in the boardroom, advocating for their events, they can clearly articulate the business value of meetings and incentives. Without that ability to demonstrate impact, it becomes very difficult to secure the necessary investment.

Ultimately, live events remain irreplaceable in terms of business outcomes and behavioural impact. But in order to sustain that position, the industry must become increasingly effective at linking investment to measurable outcomes and communicating that value internally within organisations.

Looking across everything we have discussed, what do you think the industry is still underestimating about the power and trajectory of live experiences today? Are we currently in a phase of renewed growth, or simply stabilisation after the post-pandemic surge?

The overall trajectory remains positive. By every indicator we are still on a strong growth path, but it is important to contextualise what we are seeing. The period between 2022 and 2024, immediately following the pandemic, represented an exceptional and highly accelerated rebound. That level of growth was never going to be sustainable in the long term. What we are seeing now is a return to a more normalised cadence of growth across the industry. That does not mean the sector is slowing down in any fundamental sense. Rather, it is stabilising into a more consistent pattern after an unusual period of rapid recovery. From that perspective, expectations simply need to be recalibrated.

Looking ahead, the outlook remains strongly optimistic. Across conversations with clients and industry stakeholders, there is a clear sense that the sector is well positioned for the late 2020s and even into the 2030s. What will be critical, however, is how effectively the industry continues to articulate its value. Meetings, events and incentives are not only important in their own right, but they also generate significant downstream economic impact for cities, regions and national economies. Ensuring that this broader value is understood will be essential to sustaining long-term support and investment in the sector.
 

“In an era shaped by AI-generated content, digital manipulation and an overwhelming volume of online information, authenticity has become increasingly important”
 

In an increasingly globalised industry, what would you identify as the biggest threat or “enemy” to the continued growth of business events and incentive travel?

It is difficult to identify a single external “enemy” to the industry. In many respects, the biggest challenge we face is internal; our ability, or sometimes inability, to clearly articulate the value of what we do. If we fail to communicate the impact of business events effectively, then we inevitably limit our own potential as an industry. We also see this reflected in broader policy environments, whether through the level of support for initiatives that promote business travel, or through practical barriers such as visa processes that make international movement more difficult.

There are, of course, external factors beyond our control, and those will always exist. But the extent to which they affect us often depends on how well we advocate for the industry and demonstrate its economic and strategic importance. Ultimately, the most significant risk is not something external acting against us, but rather the possibility that we do not fully capitalise on the value we already create. Major global disruptions, whether pandemics or geopolitical conflict, sit in a completely different category, with far broader implications than the industry itself.
 

Published by Meeting Media Company, the publisher of Headquarters Magazine (HQ) – a leading international publication based in Brussels, serving the global MICE industry and association community.