|
October 2005
Article
Creative Events with a Benefit Bonus
The
plan: Send a group of 150 high-level executives to the Great
Moscow State Circus. The problem: The circus auditorium holds
2,000 people, but the planner wanted this to be a private show.
The solution: Invite 1,850 orphans to share the show with the VIPs.
The result: The execs enjoyed it even more thanks to the
children’s presence. It became a charity event with local
sponsors donating to the children. The local papers gave it good
coverage and everyone came away happy.
This event with a benefit bonus was described by Timo Heinaro,
now of RUSSKIE PROSTORI in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was one of
eight planners who shared their “most creative event” at this
year’s GEP Executive Summit in New Orleans.
Several of those events brought a little extra happiness to more
than just the participants.
Some were costly, some simple. But all worthy of adapting.
Here are eight more event ideas with some out-of-the box
ingenuity:
Flowers for the Brave
The guests were all from Ohio. They spent some lively time in
Paris. Next on the itinerary was a trip to the Normandy beaches.
Kim Hester of Travel Dynamics
Group, La Jolla, CA, chose to pamper her people on a 2-½ hour
ride aboard a chartered Orient Express. En route the group saw a
film about D-Day.
Upon arriving at Omaha Beach, each participant was given flowers
and the biography of a soldier from Ohio who was buried in the
Normandy American Cemetery. The guests were instructed to find
the grave of their soldier and put the flowers on it. They were
also given information on the soldier’s family so they could
write to them. Emotions ran high as this truly personal approach
brought home the sacrifices of World War II and honored the
bravery of American troops.
On the return trip aboard the luxury train, guests were served a
five-course meal and then sang old songs around a piano bar.
“They didn’t want to get off when we got to Paris,” Kim says.
“So we sat there at the siding for a while until they were ready
to leave.”
Renting a Village
During a meeting in Mexico, Lourdes Crossley of Destination
Mexico
wanted a truly special venue for a Mexican Fiesta and what could
be more authentic than a quaint village located in the Sierra
Madre! Guests spent the day in team building activities learning
how to make piñatas, guacamole and margaritas. Some also learned
how to dance La Bamba.
At night, tables were set up in the town square, which had been
decorated by the local school children. Villagers gathered round
to play music, present flowers and demonstrate and sell their
local crafts. The mayor of the village used the donation he was
given to paint all the buildings around the plaza. The guests
mixed with the villagers, were invited by some of them into
their homes, danced together and enjoyed a 20-minute firework
display. The villagers made some extra money and improvements
were made to their hometown. This was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience that neither guests nor locals will ever forget.
Building a School
Youngsters in a town in Myanmar will soon have a wonderful new
school thanks to an incentive produced by Creative Travel
Planners of Woodland Hills, CA. Gabriel Haigazian reports an
incentive to Myanmar for a California radio station includes two
community service elements.
First, participants in the incentive, happening this month, will
attend the dedication of the new school financed by the radio
station. Second, in Burma young men are expected to serve some
time as a monk. Yet, induction as a monk is expensive and quite
a hardship on youngsters in poorer villages. The incentive is
sponsoring five children in their Novication Ceremony…attended
by 500 villagers. His group also is providing the boys with the
essentials for their service time. “We wanted to leave a lasting
impression,” Gabriel said.
His travelers will also enjoy a luxury land and cruise package
in a “bold and daring journey to a country that needs to be
experienced,” Gabriel says.
Speaking of lasting impressions, other creative events presented
at the Summit may not have had a community service benefit but
they did impress their guests.
Dining on Ice
In the sunny destination of Dubai, 220 guests from France were
asked not to forget their coats while traveling on an incentive
trip to Dubai, reports Zaki Badawi of Gulf Dunes. For the gala,
the diners were seated at tables on an ice rink where they got
white-glove service and were entertained with a private ice
show.
Drive-In on the Golf Course
The price was low but the creativity high when Mike Farmer of
Meridian Enterprises, Hazelwood, Missouri, invited his guests to
take part in a putting contest and miniature golf tournament on
a course in Cabo San Lucas. After the low-pressure golfing time,
the 50 participants enjoyed having their photo taken at sunset.
Then, a fleet of golf carts arrived, one for each couple. The
guests followed a leader down the cart path to an outdoor movie
theater. There, they sat in their carts, or on blankets and deck
chairs to watch the movie. All were given flags to raise to
quickly summon a server to attend to their food and drink needs.
Simple, but oh so charming and relaxing.
For Young Techies Only
Charged with impressing a crowd of 20-something techies from
IBM, the American Express Incentive team combined a slew of
memorable activities that kept the Gen-Xers hopping. First they
were split in teams, each given a motor home, and sent off on a
hunt for clues and adventures. They were challenged to throw a
pizza, climb a rock wall, and teach aerobics, among others. At
the end of the day, the guests were introduced to a songwriter
who helped them create a personal tune, which they then recorded
in a studio. The CD the participants took home was an awesome
souvenir.
Seven Wonders
A French financial company with a generous budget used Mykonos
as their home base as they traveled by Lear Jet each day to a
new entry in a Seven Wonders of the World tour.
Rhodes, the pyramids and others served as the site of a private
function each day. This magnificent luxury tour was created by
Horizon Travel of Greece and described by Aristides Tsaldaris,
president.
Island Fantasy
If it isn’t there, build it. If you want to use it, just ask.
These could well have been Barry Wolpa’s mottoes as he turned
his considerable skills to creating a fantasy world for guests
on Haiman Island, off the coast of Australia. His rainforest
party arrangements were rather complex but they included:
-
Asking guests to wear white shirts, which turned purple under
the black light enhancing the magical atmosphere.
-
Building a fake wall in a garden courtyard to hide the
eventual dinner setting.
-
Having an opera singer perform a spirited rendition of “Some
Enchanted Evening” as the fake wall crumbled under a pyrotechnic
display revealing a chorus of children dressed like fairies
serenading the crowd.
-
Using the road leading to the resort as the dining room. It
was lined with elegantly decorated tables – all exposed when
that wall came tumbling down.
"They said it couldn’t be done,” reports Barry who did it for
his company Genworth Financial.
Honors That Give Twice
Event professionals often have to present awards or gifts to
honor individuals for special service. The wall plaque or
sculpture is nice for an office, but how about going a step
further. At the Summit, Chris White, GEP CEO, presented an usual
gift to Bonnie Boyd & Company, hosts of the event. It was a goat
from Heifer International. That goat will be given to a family
in need whose fortunes can rise dramatically, thanks to the
milk, cheese, and other products from the animal. Featured
recently on 60 Minutes, Heifer International truly helps people
help themselves. For more, visit www.hiefer.org.
For more information on the creative events reported here,
contact your GEP or Krisam representative or e-mail
newsletter@theeventinsider.com
|
