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Incentive travel is a powerful and memorable way to motivate employees, partners and clients. This year there are even more exciting possibilities for corporate rewards as up-and-coming destinations offer fresh creativity, luxury concepts and unique tailored experiences. With no better way to drive loyalty, boost morale and recognise performance, we’ve put together our top 8 incentive destinations for 2026. Some are traditional favourites and a few might surprise you. Without the restrictions of a large conference when staying in the UK might feel more appropriate, the sky is the limit with these smaller, exclusive experiential trips. 1. Nikko, Japan Two hours from Tokyo, Nikko national park is a spectacular natural landscape that feels a world away from the crowded streets of the capital. It is fast growing in popularity as a hot destination on the Japanese tourist trail, particularly since the Ritz Carlton opened on the shores of Lake Chuzenji in 2020. With 94 rooms and suites and spectacular views of Mount Nantai, it’s the only hotel in the iconic chain to boast a spa with a natural hot spring. Fuelled by the hotel’s exceptional cuisine, any visit will revolve around outdoor adventures, from hiking, skiing and snowshoeing to fishing and paddleboarding on the lake. In spring you can marvel at Japan’s famous cherry blossom, and adventurous guests can choose to combine the scenic tranquillity with a couple of days sampling the cosmopolitan delights of Tokyo. 2. Antarctica Incentive travel doesn’t get more memorable than a trip to the ‘White Continent’ populated by penguins, seals and whales. Ice breakers and expedition ships now offer responsible excursions through Antarctica’s otherworldly polar landscape in luxurious refinement. The first hybrid electric polar exploration vessel, Le Commandant Charcot is one of the finest, even offering the chance to eat in the only Alain Ducasse

Iconic scenes from film and TV evoke the beauty and drama of a place, giving it instant appeal to visitors from around the world.  From the dramatic drone shots of The Traitors castle to the honey-hewed backdrop of Bridgerton and the sweeping grounds of Downton Abbey, when we see spectacular scenery on the screen, we want to step into the action ourselves.   Holding your corporate event in or near a famous filming location gives your guests the thrill of feeling part of a cultural moment. The brand storytelling and PR opportunities are endless, and it adds an element of fun and excitement to any event. At Octopus, we can liaise with venues on your behalf to negotiate the best possible rates. Get in touch with Sarah to discuss your next Oscar-worthy event and take a look at our list of star-studded locations for inspiration:    Windswept Drama in Scotland: Home of The Traitors, Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands is a private residence so while you can book it for a wedding, photo shoot or filming, it isn’t a traditional events venue. However, there are many other equally grand castles and mansions in Scotland where you can stay faithful to the wild, windswept luxury of Ardross. Give or take a tweed-clad Claudia… Andy Murray and Kim Sear’s hotel, The Cromlix, near Andy’s hometown of Dunblane is a masterclass in rich, vibrant interior design, fine-dining and outdoor adventures. It has several stylish meeting rooms, 15 opulent bedrooms and an abundance of activities for guests to enjoy. With the option of exclusive hire, it would make an excellent venue for a senior leadership event with partners. Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire gives Ardross a serious run for its money in opulent splendour, plus you can give your guests the once-in-a-lifetime experience of a Hebridean

If you have one goal for your company event, it should be to make it memorable – for all the right reasons.  Engaging, interactive experiences leave a lasting impression on guests, immersing them in your brand story. Endless hours of slides and speeches are a thing of the past, and forward-thinking organisations need to unleash their creativity to energise teams and reinforce company culture. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next event, take a look at some of our tried-and-tested ideas… 6 Ways to Create Immersive Event Experiences 1.  Multisensory Experiences Our senses play a huge role in how we feel so make use of their power at your corporate event. Use ambient scent marketing to energise your delegates first thing in the morning or during the post-lunch slump. Fresh, zesty scents work well, but they shouldn’t be overpowering. Smell is surprisingly powerful with one famous study revealing that buyers were 84% more likely to make a purchase of Nike trainers in a scented room than in a non-scented environment. You could take the power of aroma one step further and arrange a perfume workshop as a team building activity to develop a signature scent for your business. Background music plays an equally important role in dictating the energy levels in the room.  While high-octane party anthems are usually too distracting, don’t make the musical vibes so mellow they’re sleep inducing. Music from film soundtracks are always a good place to start (Pirates of the Caribbean works well as guests enter an evening event) and streaming apps like Spotify will have great suggestions too. As an example – music from the Interactive tasting stations work well to re-energise guests between meals. Get attendees standing up and moving around to try food bowls from different countries, jellybean waterfalls, branded biscuits,

“Working with Sarah is nothing short of an absolute dream, her knowledge and experience in the world of events is abundant and her customer focus is paramount.”  Maddie O’Hanlon, Engagement and Amenities Executive at Milton Park Milton Park in Oxfordshire approached Octopus Events to support them in organising a one-day Christmas Market in November 2024. The goal was to foster a sense of community among the different companies in the business park and showcase local small businesses selling seasonal products. It was a short lead time but, together, we worked our festive magic and the client was delighted with the results. A Christmas market is a wonderful way to boost morale and add value to the different organisations based in a business park. If you’d like to find out more about creating something similar, now is the perfect time to start planning – get in touch with Sarah and the team to find out more. The Brief: As Europe’s largest business park, Milton Park holds events for its occupiers throughout the year. They asked us to support them in organising a large, feel-good Christmas Market where all the money raised from stallholders would go to Didcot Powerhouse Fund, a local charity that tackles inequality. The market was to be held in a designated area of the car park, we were able to work with the on-site facilities team and they were keen to use local stall holders for a community feel. Our Execution: Initially the client was keen to have traditional wooden huts but the logistics and cost of setting these up for one day was prohibitive, so we worked with a local supplier of luxury gazebos. All the gazebos matched and the cost to hire the tents (including a trestle table in each) was kept very affordable. The company

The 2025 events season is underway but before you start booking venues, grab a coffee and take 5 minutes to familiarise yourself with the biggest trends in the industry this year. In a climate of uncertainty, it’s important to have your finger on the pulse so that your organisation can create events that are relevant, sensitive and impactful. This year, budgets are likely to be tight so it’s time to use creative strategies to achieve your goals. Here are our top 8 event trends for 2025: Immersive experiences Passive attendance is a thing of the past. This year, think about ways you can use technology to enhance the storytelling element of live events and deepen guest engagement as a result.  Attendees want to be fully involved in the event experience and to connect with tailored content on a deeper level. That doesn’t mean going fully immersive straight away. Start small, get feedback and refine the experience for next time.  One easy win might be moving from static presentations to more interactive workshops or using pre-event and onsite surveys to get instant feedback from delegates. VR headsets and technology-enhanced event production will make your guests feel like VIPS and foster a sense of pride and excitement in your organisation    AI strategies Think about using AI to enhance brand activations at your event and create unique personal experiences for each delegate.  As well as using AI for practical initiatives like note taking and personalised meeting content, consider other playful uses. Perhaps guests could customise their own event avatars based on the theme of the conference.   Sustainability is expected   Sustainability is no longer a nice to have, it’s the norm so make sure you sense check every decision against the environmental impact. According to an ICCA 2023 international sustainability report in the events

The fun of event planning comes from finding an incredible venue, choosing your suppliers and finessing the creative details, but the real satisfaction lies in creating an event that resonates deeply with attendees and leaves a lasting impression. The more quantitative and qualitative data you have about your guests in terms of demographics and feedback, the more tailored and effective your event will be. There are several benefits to using data to plan events: 1. Savings and Efficiencies Using data to plan events can streamline costs and reduce unnecessary expense. For example, if a three-course lunch on the final day of last year’s conference wasn’t well attended, perhaps a more practical buffet with compostable to-go boxes would prove more popular. That way guests can grab food on the go as they set off on their journeys home. By providing guests with exactly what they want you can reduce the environmental impact of your event and cut down on unnecessary waste. 2. Improved Engagement and Impact If take-up from an online event invitation was low last year, try a hard copy this time. If you have one, talk to your internal comms team about the best time to send an invite – they should have valuable insights to share. If last year’s event giveaway was left behind by a large portion of delegates, consider something more practical. I’ve known organisations hand out bulky beach towels to guests at a January conference then see most of them left behind as people couldn’t fit them in the hand luggage they’d travelled with. Always link the data you gather to your event’s objectives in order to assess its success meaningfully and think about what matters most from a business perspective. 3. Maximising Sponsorship Opportunities The more insights you have into the demographics and expertise

If the idea of company team building events makes you shudder, you’re not alone.  Most of us have had a cringe-worthy experience over the years, including one member of the Octopus Events team who had to write and perform a song about a company product to the tune of a well-known Christmas song.  Toe curling doesn’t even cover it! It’s time to rebrand team building as an opportunity to build relationships, improve communication and boost morale without the need for staff to feel embarrassed or exposed.  Good team building events bring employees together to share an enjoyable experience and get to know each other better in a relaxed environment, away from the distractions of the office.   Team building is usually either incorporated into a larger conference or run as a stand-alone event.  If it’s a bolt-on to a bigger event, scheduling is vital so that staff don’t opt out.  Putting team building in the middle of your sales conference is usually a better idea than at the end when delegates are itching to get away. Make sure the activity you plan complements the venue and location of the wider event. Stand-alone teambuilding events should be carefully planned, taking into account busy times of year, and any flexible working arrangements.  In a hybrid working landscape, the benefits of bringing the team together can be huge. Done well, team building improves performance, encourages collaboration between different departments and improves retention rates by keeping staff engaged and interested. It can also help to identify strengths and weaknesses within a team. Making your event inclusive is key. Make sure you invite any homeworkers and those on maternity or paternity leave.  Create a buzz around the event by promoting it internally and gather feedback and suggestions afterwards via a survey so that employees can have