So, not for the first time do I have reason to grumble about Manchester United – as an Arsenal fan I do that a lot. But we were on standby to put together a large party for the Schalke team and players last night here in the UK if they made it through. Unfortunately Man U have put paid to their celebrations and we don’t get to have the fun of throwing a party for Schalke! Grr!

It made me think though about the importance of winning, of incentives for teams and about how we are seeing a definitive rise in our incentive and reward enquiries at the moment. As businesses warily raise their heads again after the crushing struggle of the last year or two, we’re receiving calls from companies asking for parties and celebrations, incentives and rewards again. “We haven’t done this for the last two years, but we’re doing it this year,” is something I’ve heard more than once this week. Up too are client days out, and hospitality – a welcome return to the ‘schmooze’.

Getting this kind of thing right in the early stages of economic recovery is vital. There’s a fine line between cautious optimism and excessive or over-enthusiastic celebration. We’re working on a few events at the moment, where our input and guidance has been really helpful. It’s great to incentivise the team, to entertain the client, and to celebrate success – even if it’s just making it through the recession alive! But when spending is still cautious, it’s important to consider your ROI – clients are not just looking for a feelgood factor out of their events, but some kind of payback too. We know exactly how they feel

If you’re interested in chatting to us about this and want advice or consultancy even, pick up the phone or email and we’ll call you. Speaking personally, I’m finding things really quite exciting at the moment, things are definitely on the up and up. So get in touch, find out how we can help you