The Challenge
Our client’s attendees frequently participate in trips hosted by various generous companies. While beach parties are always a hit no matter the host, the extensive travel history of these guests presented us with the challenge of distinguishing our client’s events from other companies’ beach parties.
When returning to a beach destination a few years later, we faced the added challenge of ensuring our event stood out, even from our own previous work.
The Solution
We incorporated creative touches throughout each event, focusing on allocating our client’s budget to areas that would make a meaningful impact on the overall tone.
We alternated between highlighting unique aspects of the destination and underscoring the culture of the host company.
Transforming a destination and travel logistics into shared, meaningful moments necessitates a thorough understanding of our client’s story.
The Approach
For the client’s first non-domestic trip, it was important to emphasize the distinct features of island life. For our beach barbecue party, we activated all five senses with a unique arrival experience to set the tone. Short speedboat transfers allowed guests to feel the cooling breeze and refreshing splashes of turquoise water. But we took it a step further. As guests approached the island, they began to hear the rhythm of Caribbean drums. As they turned the corner, they caught glimpses of brightly colored feathers. When they finally docked, they were greeted by huge smiles, dancing, traditional dress, and tropical drinks, all evoking the carnival spirit of the island.
The client’s next beach affair needed to be different. There would be repeat attendees, a domestic location and the addition of children in attendance. We knew the participants were proud to share their company and its accomplishments with their families, so we incorporated branding elements to reinforce the company culture. To indicate our privatized area of the beach, we used the logo on banner flags that clearly marked our designated space and also mimicked the shape of the Hobie Cats and water toys reserved for the group. A giant sand mascot welcomed families to professionally taught castle-building lessons.
Nature provides countless opportunities for us to creatively elevate daily rituals into spectacular memories that are talked about year after year. Working with natural spaces requires attention to timing, solid destination relationships, and an openness to doing things differently to capture what’s most special about the beautiful places we travel to together.