In our first member spotlight, we meet one of SITE GB’s newest members, Ulterior Events Managing Director, Graham Alderman. Graham started his career selling corporate merchandise, before following in his fathers’ footsteps and joining the world of incentive travel.
“I used to love his stories of dinners in deserts, cocktails on catamarans and gala night dinners under the stars so when ill health stopped him travelling, I bought his business, learnt a lot from him, threw myself into the incentive arena, re-branded it as Ulterior Events and carried on his legacy of producing extraordinary incentives. I am a passionate believer in the power of travel to incentivise teams,” he says.
The elevator pitch…
Founded in 1991, Ulterior Events has been delivering extraordinary incentive group travel for thirty years. From fine dining over the Zambezi to open jeep tours around Jaipur, sailing around Dubrovnik to pizza making in Rome, the company ensures every trip is exceptional. From idea inception to onsite execution, the Ulterior Events team has a lifetime’s experience in crafting incentive trips that inspire, reward, and motivate. Through meticulous planning and attention to detail, itineraries are designed to ensure that every individual guest enjoys every single minute.
What’s new?
As a company we’ve led incentive trips to 95 destinations (multiple times to many of them) and counting but it’s taken this past year for us to look inwards, do the research and the recces and really feel uplifted about running stellar UK incentives as well. From private cooking classes to luxury treehouses and pop-up wellbeing initiatives the luxury hotel market here has seriously upped its game over recent years and what has become even more apparent is that if a corporate wants to do a reward programme without a flight element, then it is all on our doorstep.
Most memorable moment
Crisp blue skies and brilliant sunshine as I watched a convoy of Super jeeps carve through the snow on the LANGJÖKULL Glacier in Iceland. It was simply spectacular to watch.
Dream incentive
If budget was limitless, I would take a group on a gastronomic adventure to Japan. With more Michelin stars than anywhere else in the world, we’d kick off in Tokyo taking in the tiny ramen bars, top sushi joints and izakaya or traditional Japanese gastropubs as well as the fine dining delights. Via the mountains of Nagano, we’d wind up in Osaka, a city that loves its food so much they even have a word – Kuidaore – for “eat till you drop”!
Sun or snow?
After the year (and the weather!) we’ve had its sun for me this year. Incentives need to feel different to the everyday and whilst there are just as many highlights to be had in the snow, I’m currently dreaming of that blast of hot air that hits you as you disembark the plane and that first beer beside the pool.
City break or nature escape?
For a two-three-day trip it’s all about the city break and you can’t fail to show groups a good time in Rome, it’s a dream destination for incentives (Disclaimer: a multitude of fabulous other cities are available). Give me a little more time and its safari wilderness all the way!
The bucket list
I’m a huge country music fan have still yet to visit the country music capital of the world, Nashville. I love the idea of getting to know the place and stumbling across acoustic performances across the city no matter what time of day or night it is! Throw in the diverse food scene, stunning countryside and Southern hospitality and you’ve got the makings of an incredible trip… I best get booking!