Groups
Planning a group or incentive trip: a timeline that works
From setting the budget to the welcome dinner. A month-by-month plan for company incentive trips, association travel and large group tours from Ghana.
By the Evik team8 November 20265 min read
Group travel goes wrong in predictable ways: visas started too late, fares that rise while the group decides, and rooming lists still changing on the day of departure. A timeline fixes most of it.
Six months before: set the brief
- Purpose: reward, conference, team-building or leisure? It shapes everything else.
- Budget per person and what it must cover.
- Group size and dates, including flexibility on either side.
- Decision-maker: one person who can approve choices quickly.
Four to six months before: destination, fares and visas
- Shortlist destinations that suit the budget and the group’s visa situation. A destination where most of the group needs a visa adds weeks.
- Hold group fares. Airlines offer group contracts with deposits and name-change deadlines, and seats get scarcer as departure approaches.
- Start visa preparation now. Collect passport details, check validity, and book appointments early. Visa centres get busy in peak seasons.
Three months before: lock it in
- Confirm hotels and sign contracts, noting release dates for unused rooms.
- Plan the programme: transfers, excursions, dinners and free time.
- Collect a rooming list and dietary or accessibility needs.
- Agree the payment schedule and cancellation terms in writing.
One month before: final details
- Finalise names on tickets (watch the airline’s name-change deadline).
- Check that every traveller has their visa, passport and any vaccination certificates they need.
- Share a simple travel pack: itinerary, hotel details, emergency contacts, dress codes and baggage allowances.
During the trip
One coordinator, reachable at all times, makes the difference: someone who can rebook a missed connection, fix a room problem or move a dinner reservation without the group noticing.
After you return
Collect feedback while it’s fresh, and reconcile final costs. It makes next year’s programme easier.
Evik has coordinated international incentive programmes, including to Australia and Singapore. If you’re planning group travel, tell us about your group or read about our group and incentive service.
