Solène, Alps Project Manager, will tell us about her success story with Selexis.
What was your client’s primary goal?
“The goal was to reward the entire team, which at that time, meant a total of 25 people. All the company’s profiles were combined (from accounting to the executive committee). It was a fast-growing company, close to a start-up model.
Their prerequisite was to live and share an experience all together, but in the local region because it was impossible for them to fly.
As it was their first event with us, it was also an opportunity to test us as a reception specialist in the Alps.
Additional condition: 2h-2.30h maximum for the transfer to where the event would be hosted. “
“With the team, we based our plans on the local, regional aspect to fulfil the brief and we immediately focused on the budget, because we were fortunate for this project to have a customer with a budget that lived up to its ambitions, which is not always common in our business!
The first, and very positive point, we knew that we could integrate – even on a first experience – cool activities that are among the most expensive, but again, as it was a reward stay, the purpose of the boss was to please his employees.
To meet the customer’s main expectations, which were to be together and rewarded, they were first offered to leave their office in vintage cars (Citroen 2CV). In the end, this option was not selected by the client, but the idea was primarily to impress his staff from the start, rather than taking a bus.
And it must be said that, of course, no one else but the boss and the executive assistant knew what was going to happen, so that it remained a real surprise for everybody.
So, we started on a two-stage program with an immersion in nature for an exclusive natural stay in the heart of the Alps to bring them together in a friendly experience. Then came a moment in a cocooning environment, combining reward and celebration in a big hotel with a private spa ,just for them!
So, we started this 3-day reward trip, taking them to a grassy beach along the lake in an absolute relaxation mode, with a mobile barbecue set up just for them, with deckchairs, throws, petanque balls, beach towels. There was no time restriction and the main was idea was to have fun”.
“The client, the executive assistant, with whom we jointly set up the program, was very motivated by the ideas we had brought to her, so motivated that she was ready to test the paragliding activity with me while she was 6 months pregnant …!
Of course, I vetoed that idea!”
“All the camping gear! I asked our genius and true Swiss army knife guy, Christophe and his team, and we got out our most beautiful tents, our tent pegs, our logs, our picnic tables and chairs and the necessary equipment to put in place a whole campsite. Everything was designed to immerse them in the world of a stay in the middle of nature.
For this particular night, we still had a plan B in a shelter in case of bad weather, but that meant that Cameleon Alpes had been able to offer ephemeral and original accommodation, just like we usually do at Cameleon!”
“I don’t think there was one in particular, because there were many surprises that they liked.
The client’s expectations were not that clear for them; they did not know what to expect, as it was their first time counting on us. I think the strength in this programme was to think about everything from scratch, from A to Z and not just with one particular highlight, so there were several things:
The fact of organising 2 nights in different places, with a big contrast between a night under a tent in the middle of nature, with limited comfort, and a night at the Imperial Palace, a 4-star hotel with all the comfort they could ask for and with the Spa being reserved exclusively for them.
So, the highlight lies in this contrast and the continuity of the stay. We can also talk about surprises related to transportation. In order to avoid taking buses, we organised for them a paragliding session, but also crossing the lake by boat, so we did everything to be original and to create a real surprise, even in the logistical details of transport.”
“To roast marshmallows over the camp fire was like travelling back to their childhood!
This was also part of the brief, so that employees could have a good time together. A moment of communion, of exchange, during an evening in the middle of nature after a dinner around the camp fire; in a way it was all about being authentic and coming back to true things.
Finally, they re-discovered their territory, their own region but differently!
In this team, a lot of them were from Annecy, for example, but we made them live something different, something we can call a real experience!
This client didn’t know about us before but was immediately hooked on our philosophy, our state of mind.
Today, they have been working with us for the last 4 years and we still manage to stay in the same region!
There are now 50 employees and we have proved ourselves to them. It is already confirmed that, next year, we will organise something in the region again!
Although they are now ready to fly and go to further destinations, we can make them rediscover a part of their own region, year after year, and this is honestly one of the most satisfying features of customer feedback!”
