AUSTRALIAN COMPANY WINS INTERNATIONAL 2008 SITE CRYSTAL AWARD
Most Outstanding Incentive Event - Over $80,000
Winner: The Veritas Group, Sydney in conjunction with Ovation Ireland
A tour through the streets of Dublin and his memories helped Eugene Kennedy of Veritas and their Irish DMC partner 'Ovation' win a SITE Crystal award, regarded as the highest honour in the performance improvement and travel industry.
"Having lived in Dublin for several years during my university days, I traversed the same paths but walked in a different city - a former Viking city in the claws of the greatest economic boom in its history. The memories of my former years were in stark contrast to the bedlam of a city alive alive oh! and in full flight. Dublin, full of pace and thriving had become a "look at me" European capital.
I was proud of its success but still nostalgic so I focused on showing my client a clever, classy Ireland by delving into its history, lifting unturned stones in search of moments of Irish charm and taking them on a journey to show what being Irish meant to me.
Veritas partnered with Ovation Ireland. A DMC with gifted and creative staff, they understood what I was looking for and possessed a 'yes we can do that' attitude. Together (over a pint or two at various watering holes and hundreds of offline and online conversations) we developed a unique experience for our client. At every step we asked ourselves, "Could they do this if they arrived as a normal tourist?" If the answer was "yes", we eliminated it; "no" - we pressed on.
We chose Four Seasons Dublin as our hotel. On our first night in Dublin we knew the group would be tired from their Asian-Pacific flights, yet we wanted to bring the group together and create some cohesion in a lively atmosphere. We began with a welcome dinner at The Gravity Bar in the Guinness Storehouse. We completely transformed the entire space by clearing the bar of its original furniture and created a new atmosphere with the help of design, lighting and sound specialists. We used the lyrical jargon of James Joyce to develop menus and the food had a 'cockles and mussels flavour' in keeping with the area in which the bar is situated. The result was a modern, spectacular opening to the program in a friendly atmosphere.
On the second evening, the entire group assembled for an extravagant dinner at Dublin Castle. The guests entered the castle forecourt to the haunting strains of a lone bagpiper, illuminated by a spotlight on the clock tower. Guests were greeted by music performed by the Irish Baroque Orchestra, the perfect appetizer for their sumptuous five-course gourmet feast in the castle's St Patrick's Hall, the place where Irish Presidents are inaugurated. After dinner, the orchestra and the Resurgam Choir took to the stage to perform the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, first performed in the spring of 1742 in Neal's Music Hall near Dublin's Temple Bar district.
On the final meeting day, I just wanted the group to have fun so we took them to a race meeting in Punchestown, County Kildare, approximately 45 minutes from Dublin. There is no other place like an Irish race meeting with its collection of characters, locals, punters and bookies vying with each other in a fairground atmosphere. Each guest received a customised race card, imprinted with the company logo, and a pair of binoculars. The logo could also be seen at the finish line and in the parade ring, as the client sponsored the feature race. Guests had an excellent view of the racing action through the glass wall at the front of the marquee and from the marquee's wooden terrace. However, if they preferred to remain at their tables, plasma screens were provided inside the space.
Whilst the group enjoyed their day at the races, the event team was preparing the Royal Hospital Kilmainham for the final dinner. The client had requested a casual yet high-end event, a challenge we happily met. The Great Hall at Kilmainham was transformed into a vibrant Irish Ceile dance, giving the elegant room a warm, convivial Irish pub feel. While partaking in a delicious spread of Irish and international cuisine, guests were entertained with Irish music and two world champion Irish dancers. It was good to see some usually conservative people really let their hair down!
From the sophistication of Handel's Messiah to the colourful spontaneity of an Irish racing carnival, I felt that we had achieved our goal of providing an experience for our client that is beyond the reach of normal tourists. Veritas, along with Ovation Ireland, succeeded in designing and executing an upscale, exciting event, meeting even the lofty expectations of our client. And on a personal level, it was both nostalgic and uplifting for me to show the sophistication and beauty inherent in my Ireland and its people."
