Who We Are
First Incentive Travel is a boutique corporate incentive travel agency, increasing people and business performance inspired by worlds most compelling destinations.
We help companies increase overall performance, boost motivation and increase company alignment, through sales incentive and reward programs, corporate meeting & events, corporate retreats and cruises, and company cohesion and team building activities.
Our mission
Our mission is to create personal, inspiring and memorable local experiences that get the best out of your teams, fulfill your business objectives and drive your company forward.
Our team
Our tight knit and multi-lingual team consists of experienced industry leaders who have travelled to almost every country on our planet and thereby know which destination suits your needs like no other.
Experienced leadership also means no details are left to chance. Day-to-day operations and coordination is handled seamlessly by our dedicated Program Managers. Each is well-experienced in the industry, passionate about negotiating great contracts on your behalf and making their local destination knowledge your advantage.
And we all share a passion in seeing people’s energy being lifted through the programs we create.
our philosophy
We believe group traveling warms the heart, matures the soul and fuels happiness, thereby getting the best out of people and teams.
We believe in working respectfully with clients and our industry partners, providing professionalism with a friendly touch, and always challenging ourselves to deliver above and beyond.
Partnerships
DOnating 1% turnover to help children in Haiti
There are over 145 million orphaned children around the world who spend an average of over 10 years in a foster home or orphanage. Each day there are over 5,800 new orphans. Every year, over 38,000 children “age out” of the statistics with no family to belong to and no place to call home.
It is estimated that over 12.5 million children are orphaned in the Caribbean and Latin America (Unicef 2008).
As Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, CEO Joost de Meijer has committed to support My Neighbor's Children by donating 1% of our annual turnover.
My Neighbor’s Children is a non-profit organization founded to help the children in need in Haiti. They do this by supporting and leading programs which provide the basics such as shelter/food/medical care, as well as have a strong focus on providing education to those who cannot afford it on their own. The need is great in Haiti, as it is now considered to be the poorest country in the world. My Neighbor’s Children is set up so that it can operate by physically being on the ground on a regular basis, working directly with the children, and making sure that all money is truly spent to serve the mission. The organization supports several established orphanages and rescue centers, a school, and a private home for special needs boys.
For more information, visit www.nochildhungry.net
MEET OUR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
JOOST DE MEYER, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman
Joost was born in the Netherlands and is a hospitality industry veteran having worked in the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Croatia, Spain and resides since 1997 in the USA. He was named "Member of the Year" at the SITE International Conference 2005. During the IMEX Gala 2015 in Frankfurt, he received the SITE Master Motivator 2015 reward. He was a SITE International Board of Director of from January 2007 to December 2010.
Joost achieved his CITE (Certified Incentive Travel Executives) Certification in 2007 and the CIS (Certified Incentive Specialist) in 2015. To follow his own mantra "to never stop learning", Joost received his CITP (Certified Incentive Travel Professional) in 2019. Additionally, Joost is an MPI member and received his CMM (Certified Meeting Manager) Certification in 2005. He has also several certifications form CLIA (Cruise Line International Association).
Joost has traveled to over 145 countries with incentive groups and has more than 35 years of experience in organizing incentive programs for small companies to large entreprises. He is frequent speaker at conferences to share his wealth of experience of the incentive travel industry.
IRIS LANGANKE, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President
Born in Germany, Iris earned her degree in International Business Administration and Foreign Languages at universities in Montreal/Canada as well as Paris/France and Bonn/Germany. She then started her career in tourism and was quickly promoted to managing partner of L'TUR Tourismus in Mönchengladbach, Germany, the largest last minute tour-operator in Europe at that time. Later, Iris studied Spanish in Merida/Venezuela where she also worked for a multi-national incentive company in Caracas before coming to Florida to become an executive leader of First Incentive Travel in 1999. Iris is fortune enough to have visited around 100 countries and brings a wealth of destination knowledge to our clients.
Nationality: German
Languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Dutch
Office location: Orlando, FL.
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration and Languages (Montreal-Mc Gill University, Paris-Sorbonne University, European Management Academy Bonn, Institute of Iowa Mérida)
Memberships: SITE member
MEET OUR TEAM
MELANIE SELL, Senior Program Manager
Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia. Melanie received her Bachelor of Business degree in Tourism Management from Adelaide Institute of TAFE. After 2 years in tour wholesaling ventured into hospitality working in 5 star hotels and resorts across many departments including; front office, concierge, sales & marketing and catering over a 10 year span. After moving from Adelaide to Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef she made the decision to broaden her horizons a little further and moved to the United States to embark on new adventures, develop her career and travel.
Nationality: Australian
Languages: English.
Office location: Orlando, FL.
Education: Bachelor of Business, Tourism Management & Advanced Diploma of Tourism (Adelade Institute of Tafe)
Certificates: CIS
ASHLEY MILES, Assistant Program Manager
Born in Missouri, Ashley has lived in six states across the US. Ashley earned a BA in History from Cornell College then spent some time working in education and customer service training, and project management. Ashley shares our mutual passion for exploring new countries and local cultures. She spent a year as a Rotary exchange student in Třeboň, Czech Republic; following a semester of college in Moscow, Russia and interning in Prague. Ashley brings her knowledge and experience of Europe and Central America destinations to the First Incentive Travel team, works passionately on program research and assists with program planning and execution.
Nationality: American
Languages: English
Office location: Orlando, FL.
Education: BA in History (Cornell College), MA in Secondary Education (University of Phoenix)
LORISSA FENDRICH, Program Manager
Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Lorissa Fendrich graduated from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where she also received a women's soccer scholarship. Lorissa has 15 years experience in the Hospitality Industry, gaining her experience with a local hospitality company in Orlando and later with the largest Destination Management Company in Orlando before joining the First Incentive Travel team.
Nationality: American
Languages: English
Office location: Orlando, FL.
MICK DE MEIJER, Marketing
Mick is a brand and marketing specialist living in New York City and has helped major brands, enterprises and startups with their brand and business growth. He co-started Amsterdam based mobile marketing agency MobGen in 2009, and moved to New York in 2011 where he has had hands-on leadership roles for Meredith Corporation and at branding agency for New York’s most promising startups, Red Antler. In 2016, Mick co-founded creative custom framing service Framafoto. Over the last two years Mick has partnered with Joost and Melanie to grow the First Incentive Travel brand and he helps clients with their program’s communication strategy and execution. Mick has a Masters degree in New Media and Digital Culture from Utrecht University and studied Corporate Communication and Advertising at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Nationality: Dutch
Languages: Dutch, English
Office location: New York, NY
Education: Msc. New Media and Digital Culture (Utrecht University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)