Since 1973, when SITE was founded as the Society of Incentive Travel Executives, the association’s mission has been to serve as a source of expertise, knowledge and professional connections that enhance and sustain professional growth and build the value of incentive travel experiences worldwide.
As part of a long-term strategy to help grow and strengthen SITE—and the incentive travel industry as a whole—the association is embarking on a new chapter in its evolution with the strategic decision to rename the association the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence.
“As we implement the first year of SITE’s strategic plan, every aspect of what we do is being questioned and scrutinized by the SITE Board of Directors,“ shared Paul Miller, SITE President 2014. “We have listened to the membership and will continue to react to the changes and demands of our industry as well as member expectations. These subtle but necessary changes in the SITE name and word mark pave the way to building a more robust global community which will help us achieve our goals and aspirations.”
The name change is based on feedback received from surveys and focus groups with SITE members and industry professionals worldwide. In alignment with the new name, a new logo, a new tagline, and refreshed values better illustrate the association’s philosophy and value proposition and ensures that SITE has the a more compelling positioning and messaging to build an even stronger market presence into the future.
Meaning Behind the New Logo
Changes to the SITE logo may appear subtle, but they serve a powerful purpose. To help better represent the association’s mission, the “i” and “t” have been emphasized. Incentive travel works and IT (Incentive Travel) is what unites SITE members around the world.
Business results are what SITE members and their clients are achieving through this powerful business tool. In order to better promote this message, a new SITE tagline, “Incentive Travel. Business Results,” will be prominently promoted on the web site, in marketing collateral and at tradeshows and SITE events.
The SITE brand values are the characteristics that form the framework and set the guideposts for everything the association and its members do. Although the values have changed very little, the difference is in way they are expressed: Connections, Creativity, Results and Trust.
Reducing Brand Confusion
Feedback also clarified that there was brand confusion between SITE and the SITE International Foundation. As a result, the SITE International Board of Directors and Foundation Trustees made a joint decision that the SITE brand will be the umbrella brand for everything SITE does including research, education, fundraising and advocacy.
SITE will continue to reference the SITE Foundation (the word “International” has been removed because SITE is already a global brand), as it relates to the critical roles that the Foundation Trustees carry out, however it will no longer be a separate brand.
“The Foundation Trustees are fully aligned with the SITE Board of Directors on these subtle but powerful changes to our branding and communication approach,” stated Kurt Paben, SITE Foundation President 2014. “The Foundation is committed to enhancing the awareness and effectiveness of motivational experiences and incentive travel. The Foundation’s primary goal remains to develop fundraising initiatives to facilitate research, trend analysis and educational program support for the incentive travel professional. “
