Aunt Martha’s Names Hinda Incentives as its 2012 Crystal Ball Business Honoree

Aunt Martha's volunteer Thaddeus Ridley presents award to Hinda CEO Michael ArkesHinda Incentives was named the 2012 Crystal Ball Business Honoree at the 40^th anniversary celebration of Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center on Friday, April 20^th. The event, which took place at the Patrick C. Haley Mansion in Joliet, Ill., celebrated the organization’s past, present and future. Hinda Incentives was honored for its continued commitment to the Aunt Martha’s annual gift drive.

Aunt Martha’s, which opened its doors in 1972, started when troubled youth began gathering at a local drop-in center in south suburban Park Forest, Ill. It was run by a few volunteers and a village youth worker, C. Gary Leofanti, now Aunt Martha’s president.

Aunt Martha’s Chief Executive Officer, Raul Garza, praised Hinda by saying, “Hinda Incentives and its employees have been the most consistent, significant contributor to Aunt Martha’s annual Holiday Gift Express campaign. They ensure that each and every one of the children and youth has a special holiday experience. The Arkes family and their team at Hinda Incentives have come to represent the true spirit of the holidays around Aunt Martha’s group homes.”

Michael Arkes, CEO of Hinda Incentives and his wife, Helen Arkes, have been working with Aunt Martha’s for more than 20 years and, in fact, Helen is a former member of Aunt Martha’s board of directors.

The annual gift campaign started at Hinda when a group of employees sought an alternative to exchanging small holiday gifts with one another. Andrew Christmas, CFO of Hinda Incentives, helps organize the annual effort, noting, “Our employees really enjoy helping the youth of Aunt Martha’s through this program. Interested employees participate by making donations, as well as helping shop, wrap and deliver the gifts. The gratitude shown by the recipients of the gifts is incredibly heart-warming.” 

Today, Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center is a health care and social service agency which has earned a national reputation for meeting the needs of children, youth and families. The organization offers primary health and dental care, mental health counseling, child welfare, juvenile justice, prevention and youth development services. Aunt Martha’s now reaches more than 80,000 individual clients each year.

To Redeem, or Not to Redeem…

Depending on how you look at it, 2012 is either one-third empty or two-thirds full. We don’t know where the time goes, either, but what we do know is that a lot has happened in the first quarter – specifically in the area of award redemption and fulfillment. Recently, Hinda had a meeting to discuss redemptions so far this year, and it’s interesting to see what people have been redeeming for since January.

As expected, many of these redemptions fall into the “Electronics” category. This shows no sign of slowing down. People love their gadgets, and with new versions and varieties coming out all the time, people like to stay up to date. Another popular redemption category is “Home,” with many people redeeming for items such as coffeemakers and cookware. As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, this is a trend we see in this particular economy, as people cut back on dining out and trips to trendy coffee bars.

Here we present the top ten redemptions according to dollar value. This is where most of the gadgety stuff comes in to play:

Apple® iPad® 2 Apple iPod® Touch Amazon Kindle Fire 7" Multi-Touch Wi-Fi Keurig® Special Edition B60 Single-Cup Home Brewing System HP® 15.6" Notebook Computer Coby® 19" Wide Screen LCD HDTV Nikon Coolpix® S6100 16MP Digital Camera with 7x Zoom Coby 32" HDTV LCD 1080p 120Hz Microsoft Xbox 360® 250GB Bundle Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones

This list outlines Hinda’s top redeemers according to units fulfilled. Much of this list contains the home and housewares redemptions:

World Kitchen® 18-Piece Glass Storage Set with Lids Wagan® Battery Jumper With Air Compressor Royal Consumer 10-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder Titleist® Pro VI Golf Ball Dozen Apple iPod Touch® 8GB with FaceTime (Black) Lipper Bamboo Thin Cutting Boards Conair® Weight Watchers® Body Analysis Scale Dirt Devil®  Swift Stick Vacuum Coby Dual USB Car Charger for iPod® And Other USB Powered Devices Black and Decker® Six-Cup Rice Cooker and Steamer

It’s kind of cool to see what people have been saving up their points for, and it will be interesting to see how these lists change – or if they change – as we move into the rest of 2012. Keep your radar tuned to Hinda Blog for more updates in the future!

IMA Responds to GSA's "Hats Off" Program

This week, the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) released a video in response to the negative press surrounding the General Services Administrations' "Hats Off" incentive program scandal. In the video, Hinda Incentives and IMA president Dave Peer explains that the actions of the GSA are not representative of the incentive industry as a whole, and this was an isolated incident that is being handled accordingly.

In the video, Peer explains that IMA-supported incentive programs have clear goals and measures and when run properly, can boost employee engagement by as much as 27 percent. In addition, companies that offer incentive programs report higher productivity, better sales and higher profits.

View the video and read the corresponding article by Incentive Magazine writer Alex Palmer here.

Merchandise Monday: Beach Reads

Nothing spells relaxation like a good book in a comfy chair on a warm, sunny day. Whether you’re in your own backyard or at an actual beach, it’s always good to have some light, fluffy reading material close at hand as a good excuse to do nothing else but relax and enjoy life. And at Hinda, we have just what you need for your summer reading list – a gorgeous travel companion, a delicious cookbook and a bestselling adventure trilogy. So turn off your phone, grab a cold beverage and get some sun while the gettin’s good!

National Geographic Secret Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Best Hidden Travel Gems

The latest in the highly successful Journeys of a Lifetime series, “Secret Journeys of a Lifetime” offers in-depth site descriptions, dozens of fun, themed top ten lists, locator maps, illuminating sidebars and oversized, lavish full-color images that bring to life 500 novel destinations that have managed to fly under the radar.

Divided into themed chapters, the book features the "World at Your Feet," "Last Wildernesses," "Island Getaways," "The Road Less Traveled," "Secret History," "Spiritual Havens," "Hidden Treasures," "Undiscovered Villages," and "City Secrets." This book also features numerous short sidebars by National Geographic contributors entitled "My Secret Journey" that eloquently describe and personalize travel experiences for readers and also provide insight on bonus excursions near the featured destinations.

As with other books in the series, each chapter contains several lists of "Top Tens" – shorter features describing experiences in a wide variety of categories, from quirky museums and quiet city garden oases to atmospheric ghost towns and the best spots for amazing ocean views.

Weeknights with Giada: Quick and Simple Recipes to Revamp Dinner

Giada De Laurentiis is one of America’s most-loved culinary stars, adored for her Food Network hit shows and her New York Times bestselling cookbooks alike, both of which feature her fresh, flavorful Italian recipes. For the first time, Giada tackles weeknight cooking, sharing her favorite tips and go-to dishes—all in her vibrant signature style—to get a delicious meal on the table in a flash.

 After a full day, Giada, like most parents, wants nothing more than to sit down for a home-cooked dinner with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade. “Weeknights with Giada” rises to the challenge, delivering soups, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, and meat and fish dishes that come together quickly as stand-alone main courses, most in half an hour or less.

Some of Giada’s delicious recipes include Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup; Lemony White Bean, Tuna, and Arugula Salad; Spicy Linguini with Clams and Mussels; and Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Pepper and Caper Salsa. From inventive breakfast-for-dinner dishes and meatless Monday vegetarian recipes, to picnic sandwiches and hearty salad recipes for reinventing leftovers, “Weeknights with Giada” reveals every secret in her repertoire. Even the desserts are quick to mix and bake, should a craving—or a last-minute school bake sale—strike.

The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set

Suzanne Collins’ extraordinary, ground-breaking New York Times bestselling trilogy “The Hunger Games” is now available in a beautiful boxed set addition. For the first time ever, get “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” all at once and embark upon the fantastic tale of Katniss Everdeen in the nation of Panem.

The harsh, cruel Capitol of Panem is surrounded by 12 districts, and the way the Capitol keeps its districts in line is by hosting an annual Hunger Games event, in which one teenage boy and one teenage girl are sent from each district to participate in a fight to the death on live TV. When Katniss Everdeen is chosen to participate she vows to outwit the creators of the games, and to do that she must be the last person standing at the end of the deadly Games.

Will she or won’t she? And what other shocks come with the sequel books? You’ll have to read to find out!

Feeling relaxed yet? Or are you amped up to try some new recipes, explore hidden corners of the world or…engage in a futuristic battle? Let us know how the first two go in the “Comments” section down yonder.

Merchandise Monday: Oh, Baby!

Is it just us, or does springtime make you think of babies? Probably the whole buds growing, flowers blooming, rebirth/renewal thing. Luckily, several great baby-related items have been added to Hinda’s assortment this month, just in time for all the baby showers and baptisms you’ve been invited to – or if you’re expecting a little one soon, yourself.

Graco® Alano™ Travel System

Stylish and feature-friendly, this system includes the innovative Alano stroller, the top-rated SnugRide® infant car seat and a stay-in-car base. Fashion meets function with this durable system that stands up to rough handling and is loaded with features that make traveling with and transporting your little one easier for you and more comfortable for baby.

Graco® DuoDiner™ LX Highchair

Let your child learn to eat on his or her own while still enjoying family time at the table. Graco’s DuoDiner three-in-one highchair grows with your child from infant to toddler and converts to a space-saving booster. The highchair features six-position height adjustment, a three-position, one-hand adjustable reclining seat and a frame designed to easily stow away when you’re using booster mode.

Zoobies® Baby Ellema the Elephant™

This super-cute baby blue pachyderm is sure to become your child’s constant companion. Ellema has a microbead-stuffed head for ultimate squishability™, a molded teething ring that attaches easily to purses and diaper bags and a super-soft coral fleece polka-dot blankie zipped inside. Your little one will not want to let go of this soft, squishy friend.

Zoobies® Baby Hada the Hippo™

This chubby pink hippo is sure to become your child’s best friend. Hada has a microbead-stuffed head for ultimate squishability™, a molded teething ring that attaches easily to purses and diaper bags and a super-soft coral fleece polka-dot blankie zipped inside. Zoobies blankets are machine-washable and make ideal gifts for baby showers and newborns.

iBaby™ Monitor

Unlike stationary monitors, the iBaby camera lens follows your little one with a quick swipe of your iPod touch®, iPhone®, iPad® or click of your PC mouse. Your baby’s movement or cry activates an alert to you, and two-way audio capability carries your soothing voice from wherever you happen to be. iBaby also features infrared night vision and unlimited picture-taking capability using your device’s existing camera.

Motorola® Digital Photo Frame with Video-in-Picture

Take a multimedia trip down memory lane through a wireless camera and live video feed that allows you to protect and cherish what matters most. The DECT camera with the frame’s wireless technology automatically link together and allow you to view crystal clear video. Showcase your favorite memories while keeping an eye on your little one, or use as a great gift for a baby shower or new parent.

We must admit we’re a little jealous of some of these baby items. Plush animal blankets? Cozy strollers? Sign us up! What are your thoughts on some of the new-fangled baby items available on the market today? Leave us a comment before you go down for your naptime.