At Achieve, we’ve always believed that any organization leading an event has the opportunity to make a big difference. For over 70 years, our team has seen firsthand how travel and gatherings can transform not only the people who attend – but the communities that host them.
That’s why we have been building a strategy to help our clients design events that leave a meaningful and lasting impact.
Through a new partnership with Kind Traveler, we’re taking a holistic approach – starting with aligning values, making financial donations, and forging real relationships with vetted nonprofit organizations in the destinations we work in.
One of our first partnerships has been with Na’atik, a nonprofit based in the Yucatán region of Mexico that provides intercultural language education and fosters community empowerment in and around Cancun, where our team frequently plans programs.
Recently, our Senior Program Manager, Ellen, had the chance to visit Na’atik in person. Read on to hear about her experience and how you can partner with local communities to make your events more impactful.
Ellen’s Experience at Naatik
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of spending time at Na’atik Language and Cultural Institute in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo. It was a visit I’ll never forget – one that left me feeling inspired, grounded, and more determined than ever to helping our clients lead events and incentive programs that create meaningful, lasting connections with the communities they visit.
First, I want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to the team at Na’atik. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with warmth, openness, and a genuine desire to share not just what they do, but why they do it. Their hospitality wasn’t just kind – it was an invitation to engage deeply with their mission and their community.
At Achieve Incentives & Meetings, we often talk with our clients about the importance of local connection – about designing events that go past the surface to partner with people and places in a way that’s meaningful and sustainable.
We don’t want events to just pass through a destination. We want to leave something of value behind and take with us what’s most meaningful: experiences and understanding.
Na’atik reminded me why that matters so much. It also reminded me of my own time at a similar language institute years ago – an experience that changed my worldview and shaped the way I approach my work today.
Being immersed in another language and culture, not as a tourist but as a participant, shifted something in me. It taught me to slow down, to listen more than I speak, and to recognize the value of connection over convenience.
My conversations with the team at Na’atik weren’t about checking boxes or performative partnerships – they were about building real relationships and asking the right questions to help us get there.
- What does true partnership look like between event professionals and local communities?
- How do we approach communities with humility and reciprocity – ready to listen, learn, and build something meaningful together, rather than arriving with assumptions or just taking from these communities without giving back?
- What are the ways we can create events and incentive experiences that benefit not just our clients, but the communities that host them?
These are big questions that I believe are essential – and Na’atik is answering them beautifully.
Their model is simple but powerful: they provide affordable English education to local Maya and Mexican students, while offering immersive Spanish and Maya language programs to international students. This creates a rich, reciprocal learning environment where cultural exchange thrives, and education becomes a bridge – not a one-way street.
As we continue planning programs in the Quintana Roo region, I’m excited to introduce our clients to Na’atik as a strategic partner. Collaborating with them opens the door to so many one-of-a-kind experiences – creating both impact and memories long after the final farewell.
Aligning Business Goals with Community Impact
As more companies aim to align events with sustainability and social impact, we hope our partnership with Na’atik inspires new ways to turn those intentions into action. If you’re hosting an event in the Quintana Roo region and want to bring purpose into the experience, here are five practical ways to create meaningful impact – for the community and your attendees
1. Include Immersive Cultural Experiences
Building free time or choice-based activities into your agenda? Add a visit to a local nonprofit, or cultural center like Na’atik, to the list of options.
This will give your attendees the chance to learn about the local community, hear stories, engage in language exchange, or connect over shared meals or music.
2. Make Corporate Social Responsibility More Than a Donation
Incorporate community engagement into the flow of your program – not as a side event, but as a story woven throughout. Your attendees will remember it long after the trip ends.
3. Celebrate Local Culture Authentically
Bring in local voices – not just as entertainment, but as partners. Include artisans, chefs, musicians, and storytellers in a way that centers and respects their contributions.
4. Offer Pre-Trip Cultural Learning
Educate attendees before departure with short videos or articles about the community and organization you’re partnering with. It builds anticipation and respect.
5. Show Measurable Impact
Make your partnership count. Whether it’s funding scholarships, donating educational materials, or supporting local teachers, show attendees how their presence helped make a difference – and tell that story post-trip.
