The 2026 IRF Trends Report highlights how incentive professionals are navigating rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty,...
Research / IRF Webinar: COVID-19 and Disruption in the Incentives Industry
by Incentive Research Foundation
During this webinar, we examine the incentives industry’s response to COVID-19 and recovery plans. Stephanie Harris, IRF President, and Allan Schweyer, Chief Academic Advisor, will discuss key findings and actionable takeaways from the newly released study, COVID-19 and Disruption in the Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events Industry. They will review threats to running incentive programs, including COVID-19, weather, travel hazards, politics, economic downturns. With a focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, they will discuss actionable advice collected from industry leaders for the study on how to rebuild incentive programs through strategic collaborations with clients, participants, hotels and resorts, DMCs, and partners.
This Academic Research in Action explores how cognitive biases shape the effectiveness of incentive and recognition programs. It highlights why well‑intentioned designs often fall short and emphasizes the need for behaviorally informed approaches that account for how people actually interpret rewards.
The incentives industry is entering 2026 amid persistent cost pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, and evolving participant expectations. At the same time, we are seeing optimism in both North America and Europe as organizations embrace the power of incentives to engage and motivate their workforce. During this IRF webinar, our panel will discuss what lies ahead for the incentives industry as reported in…
