Recognition
25 Most Influential People in the Incentive Industry
President of Brightspot, Mike May, having owned and operated Brightspot for nearly twenty years and serving as Chairman of the Incentive Research Foundation, was recognized for his constant contributions to the industry in Incentive Magazine’s “25 Most Influential People in the Incentive Industry.”
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Planners Share Top Destination Picks
“Every Fall, our globetrotters assemble and debate our list,” said Brightspot President Mike May. “It balloons to 40-50 places where recent trips operated or a staffer attended a site inspection visit or FAM. The debate is a blast and spirited enough to narrow down to only 20 favorites when the world offers us so much!”
Read more about our Top 20 destination picks for 2025 and how they compare to the 2024 Global Destination Index.
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Expert Tips For Selecting Your Next Destination
Mike May and Michelle Crosby share their expertise about selecting the perfect incentive travel and meeting destinations for your group demographics and company goals.
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Tax Tips for Incentive Programs
Federal income tax considerations for incentive programs often are overlooked. Mike gives his insight on Tax Tips for Incentive Programs to help make programs more successful — and avoid unpleasant surprises for award recipients
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75+ Ideas to Cut Meeting Costs
Mike May tells clients to expect increases of around 30 percent for airfares, 20 percent for guest rooms, and 10 percent for food and beverage.
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Need to Cut the Meeting Budget? Start with the Big Picture
“We tell clients that the research says attendees want more downtime, so let’s reduce the activities on one day and just let them enjoy the resort.”
– Mike May
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Look Forward. Don’t Discount Your Value.
“During the last two years, the MICE industry was forced to shift its thinking on everything. Right now, 2022 is a more robust version of 2019 for the incentive travel industry. Close the door on the Covid years and old thinking.”
– Mike May
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Mixed Response in IRR Industry to Rise of Human Capital Management
“We need to be consultants sharing advice, because if we are not, we become an administrator. We need to push back when appropriate. Clients want to have a good healthy exchange.”
– Mike May
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2022 Starts With Déjà Vu, But… Business Events Will Be Strong
Mike May, CMP, president of Brightspot Incentives & Events, agreed. Based on incentive industry surveys and his own experience with clients, “75 to 90 percent of consumer attitudes have already shifted to this virus being consistent, limited and managed. People are moving on and resuming the old normal.”
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IRR Leaders’ Reactions to SEC Human Capital Disclosures
“I just don’t believe that the disclosure of HR practices will have much, if any, impact on the decisions made by the Global 2000.”
– Mike May
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Incentive Program Design for Crisis Recovery Expert Testimonials
“The most critical elements of effective reward program design are essentially the same, indeed more so, as when I was asked this question during the financial crisis one decade ago…”
– Mike May
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Key Insights from the 2020 Incentive Industry Roundtable
”There’s going to be more work to set up rooms, ensure that cleaning procedures are in place, and monitor social distancing.”
– Mike May