Annual Board Meeting & Conference

A large South African Diversified Services Company required us to arrange a trip for delegates and their partners for 7 days, including all transportation, board meetings and conferences, dinners, tours and a final Gala Evening with awards and entertainment.

Our team were asked to create a spectacular experience for delegates and their partners for 7 days, create a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience and immerse attendees in the local culture. Arrangements had to include all transportation, venues for board meetings and conferences, immersive day trips, dinners with entertainment and a gala evening with awards and entertainment.

We designed an experience in Prague that offered a glimpse at untouched history and architecture while offering the modern services required for the group. We launched the incentive with a teaser campaign and provided pre-program communications to generate excitement and familiarise attendees with the trip location and programme.

EXCO travelled on two airlines 3 days before the rest of the group to ensure traveller safety. The balance of the group (300 delegates) needed to be accommodated, preferably together. We were able to negotiate with Emirates Airlines to change their aircraft to an Airbus 380 to provide the required additional economy class seating on the Dubai-Prague-Dubai-Johannesburg sectors.

Attendees stayed at the 5-Star Intercontinental Hotel, which was centrally located and offered boardroom and conference facilities for the EXCO meetings. This reduced unnecessary stress and travel, as well as the cost of securing additional conference venues.

Tours were designed to maximise exposure to the culture and comprised of visits to Prague Castle with a tram ride, tours to Terezin, Kutna Hora, Karlstein and a walking tour of the Old City and Jewish Quarter. Group and Team dinners were hosted at different restaurants and included a magical evening dinner cruise on the Vltava River. Each evening had varied entertainment, such as local dancers and singers to entertain guests.

The gala dinner was hosted at Prague Castle which is not open to the public and is usually only used for state occasions by the President. The venue provided an opulent backdrop for the dinner and was truly a unique experience for the guests.

We saved the company over R3 million through the airline negotiations and procured complimentary upgrades for all guests at the hotel, ensuring all attendees had the same trip experience. The post-trip survey reflected that the attendees saw the trip as a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.