Released on = March 8, 2007, 2:48 pm

Press Release Author = Amy Kaplan

Industry = Consumer Services

Press Release Summary = Make Employees Feel Like They Have a Purpose.
Make Communities Feel Like They Matter.
Make Your Company Bigger Than its Bottom Line.

Press Release Body = Denver, CO, March 5, 2007 - It's a funny thing, but somehow
money stopped motivating people. Customers want more than just cheaper prices; they
want a product with integrity. Shareholders want to see an earning report and brand
image study. And somehow that "employee of the month" parking spot just isn't as
enticing as it once was.

i-to-i, a meaningful travel provider, offers programs for companies to send their
employees on volunteer projects around the world. These are used by companies as
sabbaticals, performance incentives and team building activities. Projects can be
designed for any length of time, and people can volunteer nearly anywhere in the
world.

Recruitment: What differentiates your company? Is it your benefits package or
competitive salary? Probably not. How could it be when every company has a benefits
package and 'competitive' salary? You hire employees who stand out from the rest of
the field, and they choose employers who do the same.

Companies with inventive salary packages not only recruit inventive employees, but
they also keep them. Enticing employees with a structured career break, such as
ecology and sea turtle conservation work in Costa Rica, offers recruits a new
perspective on their employer and job.

Motivation: Being happy at work, doesn't always mean better work. Throwing money
at a problem is hardly ever the solution, so why would motivating employees be any
exception to this? Whether it's with positive or negative reinforcement, employee
motivation is being reinvented.

The idea that employers motivate their employees is a misnomer. Employees motivate
themselves, but their employers can give them the tools, incentives and environments
to do just that. No one looks forward to seeing a motivational speaker in their
conference room. Though, few people would turn down an enriching community
development project in Thailand for their team-building activity.

Image: Buying a product is no longer just about cost or quality to many consumers.
Buying a product is about subscribing to a way of life. Nowadays, businesses need
to show they care not just about the consumer, but about the planet. The rise of
organic and environmentally sustainable businesses is a direct result of this.
Companies with an evident sense of social responsibility are seeing unprecedented
results.

Make employees feel like they have a purpose. Make communities feel like they
matter. Make your company bigger than its bottom line.

Editor\'s Note:

To get involved, visit www.meaningfultravel.com or call 1-800-985-5882. Since 1994,
i-to-i, with offices in the US, as well as the UK, Ireland and Australia, has been
the award-winning leader in volunteer adventures and TEFL (teaching English as a
foreign language) training. Each year, i-to-i sends approximately 5,000 volunteers
to 500 projects in 30 countries and helps 15,000 people gain the certification
necessary to teach English overseas. i-to-i volunteers contributed approximately
one million hours of service last year.

For more information, please contact Amy Kaplan, i-to-i Public Relations Manager at
(303) 991-5414 or amy.kaplan@i-to-i.com. Photos available upon request.


Web Site = http://www.meaningfultravel.com

Contact Details = Amy Kaplan
amy.kaplan@i-to-i.com
(800)985-4852
190 East 9th Ave. Ste. 350
Denver,CO 80203