by Pádraic Gilligan, Founder of SoolNua & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE
Since its triumphant debut in 1954, Fontainebleau Miami Beach has had more work done than your favourite Instagram influencer! We’re talking body contouring, tummy tucks, augmentations, Brazilians—you name it.
Not to mention the countless facelifts. Yet, through it all, its original curves, as envisioned by modernist architect Morris Lapidus, still manage to stand out as its most defining physical feature on Miami Beach: those sweeping curves along with the iconic bowtie-shaped floor tiles that Lapidus specified for the stunning voluminous lobby, a narcissistic reflection of his own favoured dress code.
The bowtie has now been incorporated as the principal logo-mark for Fontainebleau, Miami Beach as the hotel celebrates the latest reincarnation of its 70 year history and this latest re-imagining includes the launch, later this year, of a brand new convention centre that promises to “re-define meetings and events”.
The 250 attendees at SITE Classic were effortlessly accommodated within the existing meeting and event spaces of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Despite the property’s vast scale, navigating its extensive layout was made easy by the cutting-edge, high-resolution digital wayfinding system—an exciting preview of the soon-to-be-unveiled convention facilities, making its debut at our event.
During our three-night stay, we immersed ourselves in the variety of indoor and outdoor settings on property, including an exclusive buy-out of the ultra-chic nightclub LIV (a clever nod to both the Roman numerals for 54 and the idea of living in the moment).
Our meals—spanning breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—were wonderful. Thoughtfully crafted and abundant, they featured standout dishes like the Lumache Pasta, a signature of Mirabella, Fontainebleau’s coastal Italian restaurant, the truffle mash and seared beef at our elegant auction dinner, and the irresistible fried rice at LIV, of which I savored three helpings!
Much like the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, SITE Classic is also undergoing a transformation. Once solely a fundraiser for SITE Foundation, the event has evolved into a strategic platform for thought leadership within the incentive travel community. This year, we introduced SHAPE as a new pillar of SITE Classic, offering attendees a unique opportunity to actively shape the future of our industry.
One key outcome of this transformation will be the publication of a legacy white paper, capturing the collective wisdom, expertise, and insights of our attendees. This document aims to guide the future purpose and direction of incentive travel, elevating SITE Classic beyond just an event—it is now a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and long-term impact within our industry.
As SITE Foundation’s premier fundraising event, SITE Classic raised an impressive $232,000 through silent and live auctions, with prizes generously donated by attendees. These funds, along with over $10 million already invested in the incentive travel industry, will continue to support crucial initiatives such as education, professional development, research, content creation, and grants that drive innovation and growth within the sector.
SITE Classic 2024 opened with a keynote from speaker / entrepreneur / musician, Felipe Gomez, who brought massive enthusiasm, energy and enlightenment to the event. His theme was virtuosity which he broke down into three steps, method, attitude, and passion, all explained and illustrated by live musical quotations from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and … Coldplay!
The Wednesday educational sessions combined a panel presentation on some emerging aspects of this year’s Incentive Travel Index (ITI) with four workshops on themes and topics impacting the future direction of incentive travel. Panellists Karim ElMinabawy (EMECO Travel, Egypt / Emirates and current president of SITE), Carvie Gillikin (MGME), Freddy Muller (Royal Caribbean International) and Carmelina Iannarone (Melia Hotels) offered valuable sectoral perspectives on budgets, program inclusions, destination selection and the challenges ahead.
Workshops topics included “Changing demographics – do millennials get incentive travel?”, “Working the C-Suite & the business case for incentive travel”, “Mitigating challenges in a VUCA world” and “Let’s debate – a contrarian’s view of incentive travel”. The proceedings from the panel presentation and workshops will be published in a White Paper prior to IMEX, America.
Much like the cloudy skies and distant thunder that lingered throughout our week at the Fontainebleau, subtle notes of caution and uncertainty surround this year’s Incentive Travel Index (ITI), set to launch with our partners at the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) during IMEX America. Just as SITE Classic attendees embraced and adapted to the changing weather, so too will our industry rise to meet the challenges ahead with resilience and optimism.