Global University Program Faces Economy Head-On and Creates Business Opportunities

2009 SITE Crystal Awards: Most Effective Use of a Motivational Experience for an Internal Business Solution

Crystal Winner: World Marketing Group & Singapore Airlines
Client: MICE planners
Program: “Global University” changing

Crystal-1b

Some times it is not a company that is in need of an internal business solution – but an industry. Faced with changing market conditions, World Marketing Group sought to create an educational experience for qualified MICE planners that would be so motivating, guests would choose to participate and share in the investment needed to create a behavior changing experience during one of the most challenging economic times to date. While it is not uncommon to extend to a buyer the invitation for a firsthand experience of a destination, World Marketing Group took this experience one step further and created the Global University/Business Development Program.

Crystal-1aThe Global University team, composed of World Marketing Group,Singapore Airlines, Pacific World Singapore, Pacific World Bali and Russian Event, designed the program as a destination trainingcurriculum focused on infrastructure and how that plays into the selection of future international programs. Three diverse destinations were selected for the program: Singapore, Bali and Moscow. Singapore to highlight a country that employs intelligent design in its infrastructure for MICE groups, Bali to re-introduce a destination still crippled nearly seven years after travel advisories and Moscow to demonstrate its continuing developments.

With the goal of attracting highly qualified buyers willing to transverse 24,000 miles over ten days, the team collaborated on resources to generate excitement for the event. Tools utilized by the partners included an email marketing campaign focused on the destinations, the Singapore Tourism Board’s BOOST program (Building On Opportunities to Strengthen Tourism), and World Marketing Group’s Price Point Primer© and Virtual Sales Call©.

This program also focused on the need to understand what excellence means when selecting program partners. Credentials were presented for each DMC and hotel involved on the tour. Convention bureaus and tourism boards provided briefs on short and long term projects related to the industry. And in a unique opportunity, attendees visited the Singapore Airlines headquarters (for the first time ever) and experienced food preparation processes, cabin crew training facilities, and evacuation and water landing procedures. Also included was a review of additional services and products available to incentive houses and end users along with a special meeting with the Senior Executive Vice President of Singapore Airlines.

The visits included traditional icons and new developments. Participants dined on local specialties and were escorted by professional guides at all times so they could continually learn about historic places and points of interest. In addition, sustainable initiatives were highlighted and each supplier pointed out their contribution and their country’s efforts toward communities and global warming. The program also pointed out CSR points of interest such as Singapore Airlines’ fleet of aircraft with the lowest carbon footprint in the industry and in-destination facilities of interest like John Hardy’s Green School in Bali.

By providing a university level education, cultural experiences, and interactive exercises the program truly created brand ambassadors for the destinations. The Global University is already promising a strong financial return on investment with requests for proposals for all the destinations involved in the project,  which if converted, will translate to significant business 18 to 24 months post program.

Testimonials:

“So many experiences, all of them memorable. The Global University was by far the best familiarization trip I have ever witnessed.”

“In a short ten days I not only learned about, but truly experienced three totally different cultures and countries.”

“ I came away with knowledge that I can confidently share with my clients and offer them firsthand enthusiasm about destinations that I had previously never seen.”

(Ιούνιος 2010)