Hagemeyer in Phuket

The Australian operation of global electrics giant Hagemeyer recently held an incentive programme and conference in Phuket for 840 delegates and their partners. Hagemeyer Australia is a business-to-business distribution operation specialising in electrical, industrial and safety products. The programme was an incentive reward to its partners who supply and buy products from them, a conference to highlight the plan for the coming year and an exhibition for participating suppliers to show new products to organisations buying through Hagemeyer. Hagemeyer booked out the Sheraton Laguna Grande Phuket for five nights, with some delegate spillage into surrounding hotels. The company had originally wanted all of its delegates to stay in one hotel and host a number of events on the hotel grounds. The company wanted delegates to be able to sit in one air-conditioned venue for plenary sessions and keynote presentations. The nature of the event meant they also required an exhibition hall for 82 trade stands. Problems solved The Laguna Phuket did not have a venue large enough to house a group of this size and Phuket does not have its own dedicated convention and exhibition centre. However, Thailand is a country where just about anything is possible when it comes to getting things done and so, one was constructed at full cost to Hagemeyer in the Laguna Phuket grounds, just a short three-minute transfer from the lobby of the Sheraton Grande Laguna. Transporting delegates from Australia to Phuket was no easy task either. Two scheduled Boeing 747 Melbourne-Bangkok Thai Airways International flights were re-routed to fly direct to Phuket, a move the event organisers, Incentive House Asia, says was "incredibly accommodating" from the Thai national carrier. Bangkok-based Incentive House Asia general manager Les Alford says: "Thai Airways were very flexible. That we were able to pull off this event this shows the airline's commitment to Phuket and the incentive industry. Hagemeyer's Connections programme, which is the official name of the incentive trip the delegates attended, has been in operation for eight years. The Phuket event was the third in Thailand after Bangkok in 2003 and Phuket in 2006. Next year it will be held in Kuala Lumpur. "The programme started in 1998 as a 'reward'programme and, with our partners at Incentive House Asia, we have developed and grown it where it is now purely an incentive programme that incentivises and rewards our best and most loyal customers," says Hagemeyer Australia chief executive Robin Norris. Norris is a big believer in Thailand's incentive capabilities and says he would not discount the possibility of Hagemeyer returning to the kingdom in the future. "The reason we keep coming back is because Thailand is incredibly accommodating," he says. "Each year our venue partners have been fantastic and this year the Sheraton Grande Laguna has once again proved this to us." Convention centre The event budget was US$2.4 million (excluding air fares), US$700,000 of which was dedicated to the construction and importation of the Hokker Dome, which was divided into a conference hall and an exhibition hall. The dome took two months to construct and its success was a key element in enabling the group to come to Phuket. Its construction by the Laguna's lagoon was not just a matter of importing it from Malaysia and constructing it. There were issues with local authorities, while unseasonal heavy rain raised the level of the lagoon to the point that it became a concern that the site may go underwater. But in the end it served the event superbly. "Hagemeyer should be given huge praise for thinking outside of the box and going ahead with the dome," Alford says. "It was a significant build and there was no way the event could have been held here without it. "When you have a customer coming back to a country for the third time you have to provide VERDICT ROBIN NORRIS, HAGEMEYER AUSTRALIA Hagemeyer Australia chief executive Robin Norris says he put his faith in Incentive House Asia to deliver what they had promised. He says that he and his Hagemeyer Australia management team were very impressed with the results. "We could not have possibly come to Phuket without the dome because of the nature of our event, which needed an exhibition hall and a conference hall," he says. "There is a lot of risk when you take on a project like this and we would have felt a little bit more secure if Phuket had its own conference and convention centre. If they do build one we would definitely consider returning." HAGEMEYER DIRECTORY Company: Hagemeyer Australia Date: April 7-11, 2006 Venue: Phuket Guests: 840 plus partners Organiser: EventClicks Group Budget:US $2.4m excl. airfares Popular…social event Norris…impressed something a bit different and a bit special." At the conclusion of the event Alford said he would "probably not" go through the process of constructing the dome again and would prefer to consider venues with purpose- built facilities in place. "This was a difficult event due to the construction of the dome, but it was been a great deal of fun and working with the Sheraton team has been an absolute pleasure," Alford says. As a result of the investment in the dome, most activity each day took place inside or around it. The was also two significant concerts, one in an adjacent park where a full stage was constructed for three Australian bands and another on the beach where 1980s pop star Leo Sayer performed. Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket general manager Jan Kirstein says that in his time in the hotel industry it was the first time a company had taken over an entire property for an event. "We did the deal two years ago and there have been eight site inspections since to ensure everything was in place," he says. "It is the first time I have experienced and event that has taken over the whole resort and I believe it worked well for all concerned. The best thing about the experience for me was the teamwork of the Sheraton team involved, it was been outstanding." The Sheraton also got through 8,920 bottles of water, 11,681 bottles of beer, 800kg of toast and 12,500 eggs for the event. VERDICT ROBIN NORRIS, HAGEMEYER AUSTRALIA Hagemeyer Australia chief executive Robin Norris says he put his faith in Incentive House Asia to deliver what they had promised. He says that he and his Hagemeyer Australia management team were very impressed with the results. "We could not have possibly come to Phuket without the dome because of the nature of our event, which needed an exhibition hall and a conference hall," he says. "There is a lot of risk when you take on a project like this and we would have felt a little bit more secure if Phuket had its own conference and convention centre. If they do build one we would definitely consider returning."