In April, direct sales giant Amway organized the largest incentive program in Australia’s history. A total of 16,000 representatives from Asia visited Melbourne in six waves of 2,000 and 3,000, each with five days, with an estimated spending of $100 million.
Direct sales organizations are thriving in the Asia-Pacific region, with Amria’s Asian division, for example, accounting for 80% of the company’s global $7 billion operations in 2024. Their rise reflects Selina Sinclair, CEO of Destination Management Company in Singapore, said the region’s large population, a growing consumer market and opportunities for product sales in the region.
“We also have high-tech capabilities culturally, and we rely heavily on social networks and word-of-mouth advice, which makes this business model attractive in our region.”
As with other industries, direct sales incentives are often stratified, offering different programs for club performers of the highest chairman and second-tier president clubs. Destinations are the main attraction of potential qualifiers. Recognition on the stage is also the driving force for the best performance.
Large scale and energy
But that’s the end of the similarities, said Tom Wilson, vice president of Maritz Group. “The main difference is that most incentive travel in other departments is a combination of quantity and goal-based programs, whereas direct sales space is more about quantity, recruitment metrics and building downstream pipelines. They also have a greater degree of product/sales training.”
Eileen Lee, senior vice president of Americas at Singapore Tourism Council, is well aware of the direct sales incentive program, and the future Asia-Pacific president at Nuskin and Herbalife Nutrition in 2024 withdrew 500 attendees in 2022 and commissioned 1,700. Herbalife will return to Singapore in 2026 with 25,000 Apac Extravaganza.
“These programs stand out from the rest because of scale and energy,” she said. “They are looking for not only cities, but also regions and countries that can handle large-scale logistics and provide a variety of experience.”
Travel can be deeply rooted in the culture of the organization. “Many people in the United States are based on faith, and founders are often seen as inside celebrities,” said Melissa Van Dyke, senior vice president of integrated marketing and innovation at Creative Group.
“Old organizations exhibited a deeper generational structure,” she said. “For example, a company with 10 original founders and 30 years of history may need to provide dedicated content and space for each founder’s extended network.”
Not your mother’s motivation
While previous generations of winners view annual motivational travel as an opportunity to escape from their homes, families are part of a growing number of travels today. “The increasing emphasis on ‘hierarchical experience’ – participation activities cater to a variety of interests and demographics,” Lee said. “This shift reflects the awareness that these trips involve not only professional achievements but also enrich personal connections.”
Experts say the biggest change has not yet happened as direct sales companies leave old models. Rather than relying on independent sales representatives to show products directly to small groups through family gatherings or demonstrations, more than 35% of existing direct sales companies are now included in the membership program, offering commissions ranging from 15% to 40%. Startups in the industry have adopted this approach from the very beginning.
This attracts more millennials and Zers, college students and young parents who are looking for additional sources of income. Sellers, including bloggers and influencers, are now using social media, Facebook Live and Zoom to market to people around the world.
To drive sales for this new group, “these incentive programs will need to adapt to a variety of preferences, needs and ages,” Van Dyke said.
