The Situation:
Destinations and hotels are starting to look the same. With every new idea, CVBs and hotels will pick up on the new concept and implement it as quickly as possible to remain current and reduce any advantage competitors may have. In the 90s, Starwood introduced the Heavenly Bed and changed the entire industry — beds had a renaissance and became the focal point of a hotel room. Many professionals are still not sure how this was a new idea, but it was received as such. It was not long before all the other full-service brands began to boast that they too had “pillow-top” mattresses.
So how do you find your “heavenly bed” for your next meeting of executives when they have seen it all? The bar is as high as ever for meeting professionals to unearth the most compelling destination or hotel to attract or satisfy a target audience — and to deliver these at the same cost as the previous meeting or program.
The average audience for events has become selective and are always demanding something new. They are spending their personal time to travel and being away from their jobs and families is not as attractive as it once was. The entire group has truly been there and done that. Bucket lists are not as long as they once were.
The Challenge:
Provide a high-end warm weather travel incentive experience for top brokers of a major manufacturer that is unique to what has been done in the past and over and above to anything their competitors have done or thought of! Starting with a destination and concept compelling enough to get even the most discerning travelers undivided attention and leading to each detail that make a program special.
The Delivery:
So, we went to work to provide this elite group of 150 well-traveled executives/spouses to design an exciting travel incentive program so unique that it could only be found at one place on earth. We started with delivering them their own private island in the Caribbean! An event where they felt like they were one of the global economy’s business elite arriving by boat, by-passing normal customs to be received at the hotel where the in-country customs process is performed in their own private room—complete with welcome beverages and crudités?
We secured the British Virgin Islands gem, Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina. As an Autograph Collection hotel, it can offer Marriott points and benefits. In our case, we flew attendees into St. Thomas and quickly boarded boats that whisked them off to Scrub Island. The experience of taking a high-speed water taxi to the resort was a once in a lifetime arrival experience. It is all too easy to picture 007 moving hastily upon the guests to take up his vantage point for the next movie scene. Upon arrival, each guest was escorted to a private room where customs protocols took place – relaxed, no lines, no hassle.
The private island resort offers a serene, emerald water bay setting in front of the hotel giving an opportunity to disconnect from the busy mainland, enabling guests to focus on their wishes of the day. We negotiated and provided hotel rooms, suites and private multi-million-dollar residences reserved for the rich and famous in addition to a world-class and award-winning spa, three private beaches, a 62-foot sailing yacht and a marina filled with boats for deep sea fishing and cruising the islands and jet skis for fast paced fun all exclusive for our client’s guests.
We worked side by side with the resorts culinary team to provide cuisine from gourmet to casual. Local ingredients and fresh caught seafood highlighted every menu -even the prime steaks were fantastic at this unique locale. Having the island exclusively allowed us to use the most unique island locations creating private settings with design elements fulfilling our clients dreams and objectives.
Conclusion:
The incentive guests were “wowed” as they had a bucket-list experience that they did not know was on their bucket list and gratefully asking the question; “where are we going next year.” This was music to our client’s ears and business plan.
The OspreyME Difference:
OspreyME has more than three decades of experience planning international travel incentives and meetings. Let us mind the details and allow yourself the luxury of focusing your efforts in your areas of expertise and your meeting’s content. Together we can deliver to your valued constituents a meeting full of memories to last a lifetime.
Contact us for more information and who knows, the next island buyout could be yours!
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