NAME: Nortel’s Circle of Excellence
TYPE: Incentive
VENUE: Wynn Hotel, Macau
CLIENT: Nortel
ORGANISING TEAM: EventClicks, particularly project manager, Sharon Lam
PAX: 40
Budget: Top secret
WHAT YOU DID: In April 2007 EventClicks hosted Nortel’s annual ‘Circle of Excellence’ for the fifth time. An incentive trip to reward their top sales achievers, this event brought together 40 delegates and their spouses to enjoy a four-night stay at the Wynn Hotel in Asia’s hot new ‘MICE’ destination, Macau. Whilst the client selected the destination, EventClicks was given a free hand putting together the exhilarating five-day program.
The days were packed with fun-filled elective activities such as golfing and go-karting. One of the more thrilling activities, the Skywalk X, was also the most popular. This really got the adrenaline pumping as the delegates walked along the open platform 233 metres above ground, around the outer rim of the ultra-modern Macau Tower.
A real hit, especially among the female delegates, was the Cooking Academy. With expert guidance, provided by a top chef at the Westin Hotel, delegates were treated to the secrets of Macanese cuisine. The chef led the group through the local market providing advice on how to pick the right ingredients for use in the dishes they were to create later that day. Having cooked their own authentic Macanese dishes, the delegates were treated with a doubly satisfying feast, made by their very own hands!
The glamorous James Bond: Casino Royale themed gala dinner was a perfect way to close the action-packed program. Delegates and their spouses slipped straight into character when given their “Bond” accessories upon entry: fedora hats for the men and satin gloves for the ladies. The night involved gambling tables with customised chips, Bond film character talents, a card tricks expert and various live entertainment acts later in the evening.
CHALLENGES: Despite Macau’s growing reputation as ‘Asia’s Las Vegas’, getting there may take longer than expected. The logistics of meeting and greeting delegates became one of the major challenges, leading to the implementation of two transfer programs – one to service delegates flying directly to Macau Airport and another to service the majority of the group whose flights took them to Hong Kong. The latter group was then transferred to the Macau Ferry Terminal, enjoying the leisurely one-hour journey to Macau onboard fast-ferries. Informing the delegates with regard to transportation was particularly important in order to avoid missed meeting points and transport connections.
The second hurdle concerned the program itself. Macau can be challenging in terms of creating an exciting incentive program as many of the delegates will have been before and may have seen the majority of the historical sites. EventClicks responded to the challenge by putting together “Discover Macau”, a day-long treasure-hunt program enabling delegates and their families to explore Macau in a novel way. Teams were provided with clues which they needed to solve in order to reach the next destination, while on the way being provided with the opportunity to sample various aspects of Macanese culture. At the final stop, delegates were met by a row of Pedi-cabs offering a well-deserved reward for their efforts: a relaxing ride back to their hotel to rest! Each Pedi-cab and its passengers was captured on camera, framed and presented to the delegates as a souvenir.
When planning the event, it became clear that there was a lack of deluxe venues, outside of hotels, suitable to host large-scale, exclusive dinners. However Macau is developing at a prodigious rate, with an extraordinary number of venues and attractions opening on an almost monthly basis, so it is only a matter of time before this problem is resolved.
SPECIAL TOUCHES: Justin, the MC, was said to be terrific. He really made sure the audience participated by getting some people up on the stage to show off their funky dance moves and also participate in a fashion walk at the gala dinner. As the delegates enthusiastically took to the dance floor for the rest of the evening, it became evident that the night clearly did not need an icebreaker. The event was undoubtedly a rewarding experience, both for delegates and their families – not to mention the planning team at EventClicks.
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