Staying Ahead of the Curve

It’s a super spectacular day. The sun is out. The sky is blue. You’re driving down the highway. Then suddenly … there it is. That sharp curve in the road.  Time to slow down? Or, do you put the pedal to the metal and hope that when you take the curve, you won’t fly off the road?

At Global Events and Retreats (GEAR) our clients charge us with keeping them, their employees, and their customers ahead of that curve. They expect us to be on our creative toes, and to take them beyond where they have been – to help them do something they’ve never done, learn from someone they never thought they could meet, see places they would never venture. They hire us to create innovative, meaningful once in a lifetime experiences … the kind that energize the intellect and the spirit.

We’ve found that the cool factor for our curated experiences is different for everyone. We’ve planned heli-skiing in the middle of no where, batting on the field at Fenway, walking on fire rocks, an afternoon with one of the world’s leading inventors or behind the scenes with prime ministers and presidents of countries, all spark our clients’ senses.

So how do we accomplish that time and time again? First and foremost, WE LISTEN!  Then we apply our GEAR Client Process – a simple and consistent research-based methodology designed to clarify our client’s vision, determine wants and identify needs.

The GEAR Client Process

• Define the goals of the program (retreat, off site, experience trek, conference, meeting)
  What are their Business and Personal goals of the program? Fun, learning?
• Query previous experiences. What have they done in the past, what worked, what didn’t?
• Determine Restrictions. Are there budgetary, physical, size, food, travel, timing
• Understand Logistics. What type of transportation, distance, locations, weather, time of year, activities, size of the group, speakers, AV and more.
• Express Dreams or Vision – If there is one thing you could incorporate regardless of logistics, what would it be? This gets to the heart of it!

Once we have the client information, we begin our creative planning process.  It’s iterative and we work with our clients to ensure their experiences incorporate the critical must-have factors and things they may never have imagined. More on that later!

Next time you need to plan an executive or Forum retreat, company meeting or conference, offsite or experience trek, why not give us a call.  We are ready, willing and able to design your next business adventure and keep you ahead of the curve.  What keeps you ahead of the curve? Let us know in the comments below.

PS. Photo in Utah by Caryn Saitz.