A company in Korea or Singapore rewards its top employees with a four-day, three-night trip to Ho Chi Minh City. The itinerary is usually the same: sightseeing in the center, a riverside dinner, a market visit, a museum, shopping. After a few groups on these itineraries, the organizer starts asking the local operator: "Is there anything different?"

What are international incentive groups?

Incentive travel is one of the four types in the MICE industry, which covers meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, as the article on MICE lays out. International incentive groups are corporate guests rewarded with a trip by a company from abroad, usually for hitting sales or performance targets. Groups range from about 20 people to a few hundred.

What sets them apart from ordinary tourism is the purpose. An incentive group travels to be recognized. The organizer has to create moments guests can retell: a surprise, a private experience, the feeling of special treatment. A standard sightseeing itinerary won't do that, however pretty it is.

Why indoor kart racing suits incentive groups

Local organizers designing itineraries usually mention four reasons.

First, it's indoors, so the weather doesn't matter. Rain in Ho Chi Minh City in peak season can wreck a whole group's outdoor schedule, and foreign groups have little time to rearrange.

Second, it takes half a day, which fits a packed itinerary. You don't need to give up a whole day.

Third, language isn't a big barrier. Taking the wheel and racing together doesn't need many words.

Fourth, it's different. A multi-level indoor kart track isn't something guests can find in their home city.

Kart racing for an incentive group is more than one more item on the schedule. It's where guests get to be players instead of spectators.

International groups are used to the traditional sights and often look for a different activity
International groups are used to the traditional sights and often look for a different activity

The venue: why Thao Dien

Infinity Racing is at Vincom Thao Dien, 161 Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Thu Duc City. According to its introduction page, the center gets about 20,000 to 25,000 visitors a day and has parking, so it is easy to find. For groups with shuttle transport, that removes a lot of operational risk: the coach is easy to locate, and guests step off and go straight into the center. Thao Dien is also familiar to many foreign visitors, so the itinerary can continue with a meal in the area.

The track is 300 m long with 16 corners over three levels. There are two private event zones: Zone 1 (73 m²) for waiting and warm-up, and Zone 2 (115 m²) for socializing and small ceremonies, such as handing out certificates and souvenirs.

What to confirm before adding it to the itinerary

Foreign groups raise questions that domestic groups rarely do. Don't guess at these. Ask the operator in writing.

  • Driving requirements for foreign guests, and any paperwork they need to bring
  • How safety briefings are given, in English or with an interpreter
  • Minimum age, height and physical condition needed to drive
  • Maximum number of heats for the group and time per heat
  • Options for guests who don't drive, such as cheering or photography roles
  • Menu options for guests with special dietary needs

Training material on exhibition management notes that special meal requests, such as food allergies, should be declared by guests in advance on the registration form and confirmed again on site. The same principle applies to incentive groups.

A sample half-day itinerary

The timeline below is for reference only. Adjust the times to the whole group's schedule.

  1. Coach takes guests to Thao Dien, 20 minutes, name tags and a general briefing.
  2. Safety briefing and heat assignments, 20 minutes.
  3. Racing heats, about 90 minutes depending on group size. People waiting stay in Zone 1.
  4. A light dinner in Zone 2, ranking announcement and souvenir presentation, 60 minutes.
  5. Return the group to the hotel or continue to an evening activity.

For a large group of more than 80, work with the operator to split into two waves, each doing a different activity, rather than making everyone wait.

Guests chatting in the waiting area between heats, where many talk with colleagues from other branches for the first time
Guests chatting in the waiting area between heats, where many talk with colleagues from other branches for the first time

Budget and timing

The operator's reference all-inclusive package runs from VND 70 to 100 million (about US$2,700 to 3,800) for kart racing, food and drink and on-site entertainment. The real budget depends on group size and the number of rounds. In the October to December peak season, the best time slots usually fill 4 to 6 weeks ahead. International groups tend to lock their schedules even further out, so send your request early.

If a foreign organizer needs a half-day option for a group, see the Infinity Racing page or send a quote request with the group size, planned date and the group's main language. The article on indoor kart racing also explains the experience quickly for anyone who hasn't tried it.

An incentive group remembers only a few moments from the whole trip, and a shared race is often one of them.