Your Vegas is Showing – As a Group Travel Incentive That Is!

So I read recently that “Your Vegas is Showing” is currently being trademarked as the new catch phrase to promote Las Vegas reflecting the idea of “escape from everyday life”.  After my recent Peak Performance group incentive trip where we stayed at the magnificent Bellagio, I can definitely say it was the ultimate escape from every day life and the memory of it all is still “showing” as one of the best sales incentives I have ever been on. The first year we had gone on a cruise and it was planned in-house.  Proving to be too much to plan for our marketing team, the company decided to work with an incentive travel planning company so finding the right travel partner was key to the success of our President’s Club and its future.  We definitely found the right travel partner in Peak Performance Meetings & Incentives.

Our trip began with a flawless airport meet & greet and transfer to The Bellagio. Check in was easy and as we headed our way to the Van Gogh room to pick our welcome packet from our Peak Pro, we were struck by how quickly we were able to learn the layout. With fabulous fountains that display a glorious water show every night to music of all genres and of course “O” – the water version of Cirque de Soleil which the group would be going to our second night, it was obvious why this venue was chosen.  Our Welcome Reception was a  “Casino” themed special event that Peak had planned for us in the Grand Ballroom. Not only were there poker and roulette tables but in an adjoining room there was a billiard room set up for a championship tournament.  The event management was superb and we had Casino Vegas at our fingertips without leaving the hotel!   The next day, the group had a choice of attending either the Hoover Dam tour or a golf outing.  We decided to do the Hoover Dam and totally enjoyed the bus ride through the desert that included spectacular views of Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the beautiful Black Canyon and the Dam itself is not only a work of art but also rich with compelling stories of the workers and their lives during the construction. It was an incredible day and tonight  Peak Performance had put together a dine-a-round on the Strip and everyone ending up back at the hotel to see “O”.  The dine-a-round was a great way to experience other hotel restaurants.  Each of our Regional Managers hosted a dinner and Peak had put together 4 choices for us that included: Samba at The Mirage, Botero at The Wynn, Lavo at the Venetian and “Cut” at the Palazzo.  Our group ended up at Samba – a Brazilian Steakhouse that served huge family style portions that we all shared in Following dinner we headed back to the Bellagio to catch the 10pm show.   What an aquatic adventure, from synchronized swimmers to acrobatic divers, the entire show took place in and on a 1.5 million gallon pool in the center of a rustic European opera theater.  I’m still in disbelief of how this is accomplished.

The next and our last day in Vegas, we chose to go on the Canyon Zipline Tour where you experience flying over the desert ecosystem from the top of Red Mountain by a high-tech zip line from where you see breathtaking views of Las Vegas, Lake Mead and the Eldorado Valley while soaring down the mountain at speeds up to 50 mph.  What a rush!

Finally, we had our formal Awards dinner in the Grand Ballroom at the Bellagio.  Half the room was set up for the dinner and the awards presentation and the other half was pitch black.  As the awards ceremony started coming to a close the lights started to dim and as soon as the the PowerPoint stopped, up came the lights on the other side revealing a dance floor and a 1970’s like disco ball and the DJ started playing the music.  The party rocked on and not a beat was missed transforming the room from a formal award ceremony to a nightclub!  It was awesome.

So, I took lots of pictures on my I-phone and all I can say is “Vegas is definitely showing” every time I open my picture gallery!   And from my perspective, the Peak Performance experience took this travel incentive to an entirely higher level.  I know they are already working on next year’s destination – it will be announced next month and my nose is already to the grindstone to make sure I’m a part of it!

Incentive Heaven – Service like No Other – Los Cabos, Mexico

Of the many incentive trips I have managed for Peak Performance Meetings & Incentives, one of the most enjoyable and memorable my recent trip in Los Cabos, Mexico. From the impeccable convention management services at the Marquis Hotel, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, where we stayed and the overall personal service that is extended everywhere you go on this slice of heaven, to the fantastic water sport activities and scrumptious food, every attendee said the trip was beyond their expectations. It is no wonder this destination won the Traveler’s Choice Destination Winner Award for 2011.

Our sales incentive started with a beautiful ride from the airport with a view of the rugged hills set against a backdrop of light, sea, sky, mountains and desert. From Cabo San Lucas to San Jose Cabo or the “corridor” as they call it, you immediately learn this is a mecca for artists and art galleries. Each day we awoke to stunning scenery and near-perfect weather and the Marquis has one of the most breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the Peak Performance client hospitality desk was stationed right in the middle of it all. Our attendees would check in with us for their welcome packet and would be greeted with not just any registration desk, but one with a magnificent infinity pond behind it (The Marquis houses a fabulous infinity pool also!) and a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and warm, calming, breezes flowing through the open-air lobby. Our opening dinner was held on the Sunrise Terrace to the sounds of authentic Mexican entertainment and buffet style cuisine.

As for group tour activities, throughout the week we offered tours and activities that included: San Jose Downtown Tour, Golfing, Deep Sea Fishing, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, ATV, all of which we had plenty of registration but the two favorite activities of this group were the Zip Line Adventure (not for the faint of heart as you glide over Casta Azul Canyon going from mountain to mountain) and the ecological version of Swimming with Dolphins. There are two places you can swim with the dolphins and each offering uniqueness and fun. One location is in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas located at their state of the art aquarium which is great for families, very clean and the dolphins are well taken care of. The second is a location called the Dolphin Discovery Los Cabos which stands in the beautiful Marina Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo surrounded by mountainous scenery, where the dolphins swim in a more natural habitat, a bit more spacious and well taken care of. Truly a wonderful experience, but the most outstanding feature of this incentive trip was the Mexican hospitality. Every tour guide at every location was helpful, knowledgeable and sincerely wanted you to enjoy every aspect of what the activity had to offer. From the hotel and restaurant staff to the taxi drivers, we were always greeted with a smile and the destination staff from Lands End, was with us every step of the way, answering questions, making last minute arrangements with precision and ease, and every guest was treated as a VIP throughout their stay. As for Peak Performance and its incentive travel planning efforts for this program, we couldn’t ask for a better destination when trying to insure a memorable, flawless incentive trip than Los Cabos, Mexico!