Amsterdam is the most visited city in Europe for corporate events and one of the most frequently cited as disappointing by incentive buyers who have been there more than once. The source of the disappointment is not the city — it is the programme formula that has accumulated around it: the canal boat dinner, the Heineken Experience, the Keukenhof day trip, the gala dinner in a warehouse with a DJ.

The standard Italian incentive programme is built around three elements: accommodation at a marquee property (a five-star hotel in Florence, a converted masseria, a cliff-side villa on the Amalfi Coast), a curated activity programme (cooking class, wine tasting, boat excursion, city tour), and a gala dinner in a photographically significant setting.