Summary

• Aggreko's incentive travel event was designed to salute and inspire the global industrial company's dedicated staff.
• Sullivan Group organized venue selection, transportation, food/beverage and all activities.
• Included among the tips highlights was a sandcastle building group activity, choreographed by experts specially flown in for the occasion.

Objective
Aggreko's 2007 "Excellence Program" trip illustrates the value of working with meeting planners - in this case, Sullivan Group -- who know more than a couple of creative tactics to make events resonate with attendees. The client, a successful industrial company new to incentive travel, asked us to take a "Four days in the Bahamas" concept and make something spectacular happen.

Production Management
Off and running, we flew to Freeport for site surveys of prospective properties as well as dinner and activity venues, including the premiere space for a big trip-ending awards gala. Upon returning to Houston, a master proposal was developed, pulling together all factors from airfare and ground transportation to an array of group events for attendees. An early hint of something special in the air on this trip was the sandcastle building group activity choreographed by experienced sandcastle builders specially flown in for the occasion. Sand came into play another way, too. The gifts that attendees received at registration included flip flops designed with the company logo on the bottom, so that attendees left imprints wherever they walked on the beach. In fact, company branding opportunities abounded everywhere, from beverage napkins to other goodie bag items.

Results
When Aggreko's super-achievers returned from the Bahamas after the sun-drenched days and final blowout gala, had it been all they hoped for? Here's the type of feedback the company management received: "Thank you for making the trip...such an awesome experience...so much more than we could have ever expected!"