CDW: President’s Achievement
CDW wanted recognition to do more than reward its top performers. It wanted to create an experience that motivated an entire cross-functional organization to keep reaching.
CDW wanted to make its top performers feel recognized. But the bigger opportunity was to make recognition mean something across the organization. With sales and support, veterans, and first-time qualifiers coming together, the experience needed to celebrate what people had accomplished while giving everyone something worth reaching for next.
Most incentive programs ask: Who do we reward?
CDW asked a more interesting question: What could this become?
When recognition becomes routine, it stops driving performance. The same people win. The same experience plays out. And the opportunity to motivate the many, not just the few, disappears.
It was no longer “How do we deliver a great trip?” but “How do we create an experience people will perform toward and carry with them long after?”
Anchored by the theme “It’s Your Time,” every decision was made in service of that idea.
800 participants traveled to Hawaii across two program waves, each designed with the same energy, intention, and standard of care.
Sustainable branding unified both experiences without making them feel templated. A life-sized “Aloha Postcard” activation created a personal, shareable moment. Cultural programming gave participants choice, from self-paced ukulele sessions to immersive storytelling. And unused instruments were donated to a local school, extending the experience into the community.
Inclusivity was built into the experience, from non-alcoholic options to an agenda designed for different ways of participating.
For the top tier, the experience went further: an elite dinner aboard the USS Missouri paired immersive storytelling with a ceremonial sunset flag experience and a commemorative piece of the ship’s teak deck.
Nearly 40% of participants were first-time attendees. Cross-functional connections were made. Community impact was created. And recognition became something more meaningful than a reward.
What changed: Recognition became meaning. And meaning drove performance.