A Tale of the Generous Boss and What Make Marbella a “Treat” Destination
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| Marbella is the best place to come in Andalucia |
If you were to run a Google search for “Marbella” this week
you would be inundated with pictures of happy employees from the travel and
party firm Red7, who were treated by their employer to an all-expenses paid
staff holiday to sunny Marbella as a reward for all their hard work.
The story has become such a hit with leading tabloids
because it has everything an online story needs to be easily digested: There’s
the Costa del Sol and Marbella; there’s pretty girls in bikinis; there’s the
sunny backdrop; and there’s more than enough to make everyone reading it jealous.
The managing director of Red7 Ian Lucas must no doubt be
enjoying all the free publicity. It also reflects well on him as the owner of a
specialist in partying and travelling. It’s clear the man knows how to choose a
good location, a good time, good reasons, and a good vacation length to reap
plenty of excellent PR.
There’s a larger story working itself out here outside of
the generous boss doing a generous thing. That is the question of what makes
Marbella the destination of choice for these kinds of work-based rewards.
Now we do understand that most British firms will just
spring for a hundred quid or so at a local Wetherspoons when they decide to
treat their staff, but there is still the curious trend – mostly found in
London recruitments, sales, and marketing companies – that looks at Marbella as
being the carrot on a stick at the end of the year, the reward for hitting
targets, the dream of summer that can be realised when the staff go above and
beyond to boost business and make money.
There’s no denying it’s a smart strategy; work out a target
that allows for a Marbella trip while still keeping the company firmly in the
black. Even if it doesn’t go as planned, profits and staff motivation are still
on the up.
Marbella is the perfect choice of destination for something
like this. It’s close – which allows for a few days stay; unlike the Caribbean
which – while appealing visually – is not worth the cost in terms of
productivity and financial cost. Marbella has a reputation for being glamorous,
which sure to motivate staff to see and enjoy it for themselves. The
on-the-ground costs of staying in Marbella are cheaper than most people
realise, and it offers a wealth of variety. Companies can hire their own
yachts, nightclubs, beach bars and restaurants, or they could just stick their
staff in a hotel room and leave them to their own devices until it’s time to go
home.
As great as Benidorm, Barcelona, Tenerife and Ibiza are,
they have either too little going on or too much (particularly Barcelona) to
make them a viable destination for work reward programs. On the other hand,
Marbella offers the complete package and has an undeniable level of prestige
that make it stand out.
If you’re out on the beach and you happen to see some office
workers packing away the cocktails, you should cut them some slack. They’ve
likely worked long and hard to get there!
