Written by: Casey Neverman, Program Manger – Meetings and Incentives

As a planner of custom, memorable, in destination experiences, I have one goal:  Design an event that brings an emotional connection between people and their organization.  

A little background: I am writing this update from Secrets Moxche (pronounced moo shay) in sunny Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with our long-time, wonderful partner Renaissance.

Renaissance has been hosting these associate incentive programs since 2016, and through time and simply, consistency of exceptional experiences, this year they are celebrating their incentive award winners through their Circle of Excellence Program with an even bigger and more elaborate experience than ever before.

Programs this impactful don’t happen by chance. There are three core elements to understand and deliver on the personal, custom vision of each unique program.

• An extensive scope discussion.  The most essential part of a successful event really comes down to a full, detailed alignment of goals covering more than just budgets and metrics, but the experiential goals and the connections the team is passionate about. This becomes the foundation for our creativity and custom approach to building out that “something amazing” that uniquely captures the essence of your team.

• 200 Point Check List: If you don’t have your own 200-point check list of everything that needs to be done, thought of, and planned for as well as contingency plans seven, eight and twenty-eight, you should be working with someone like Fox because this is all we do. We have been in that spot where uncontrollables do what they do and because we’ve been there, we know how to respond, we also know how to avoid it in the first place. With so many variables and only one chance to nail it, our check list and planning experience is the foundation to timelines, budgets, and agendas just as much as it impacts making sure unique dietary needs are met, equal experiences for all guests’ unique tastes and needs, and of course that weather and elements add to the energy and are contingency planned.

• FIRE DANCERS. Ok, not every event needs fire dancers, but herein lies a parable. Opportunities exist at all corners of an event to drive home the message, to build a feeling and tie in the culture. But, if we are being honest, we are all up against budgets and sometimes have to make hard choices. I had a situation where a client originally loved but declined the idea of having authentic, Mayan fire dancers on the beach for the final closing ceremony.  Having experienced this amazing show myself, I was so excited to bring this artistic display of culture as the event night cap, however, a financial decision had to be made.

As we sat over breakfast in destination, my event contact was staring out at the beach and said, “I think you were right. I really want those fire dancers.” Without hesitation I was able to use my in-destination connections, made the last minute pivot and of course, the show was the talk of the entire event.

The moral of the story is that when we craft a program, it’s a bit like a fine dining experience. Every “course” plays a role in the total experience, and we are layering the “wow” and the impact strategically throughout the event to create a crescendo of experiences. It’s all part of our plan to build and connect our guests with their event purpose and destination on an emotionally invested level.

So, what’s your “Fire Dancer” move?
Anyone can book some flights or a room, but to build an experience, one that your associates remember for a lifetime, it takes a designer.
Call your innovative experts at Fox World Travel to talk to us about your next up hosted meeting or associate incentive program.  What we plan to deliver has never been done before, so let us put our creative teams to the test.

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