events by sourceme: case studies: Lights, camera, action!
Lights, camera, action!
Grupo Pacifico’s creative take on a team building event for Spanish pharmaceuticals firm Chiesi España saw it taking top honours with Best Incentive Programme at the EIBTM 2009 awards. Meetme takes a closer look at the incentive, held in Jordan
FACT FILE
Name of the event: A cinematic event for Chiesi España
Client: Chiesi España
Agency: Grupo Pacifico
Number of Delegates:
Venue: Petra, Jordan
Date: September 4-10, 2008
Budget: undisclosed
OBJECTIVES
Spanish pharmaceuticals group Chiesi España wanted to put on an incentive that would work as a team building exercise for its sales team to coincide with the launch of a new product. The event had to re-energise the sales team, create team cohesion and pride in the Chiesi España brand.
The idea was for a long-term project the team could work on, bringing out their creativity, improve team communications, and culminate in a rewarding event. Spanish-based meeting and event management company Grupo Pacifico came up with the idea of getting the team at Chiesi España to star in an action movie, to be filmed on location at Petra, Jordan.
PROGRAMME
The event started in May 2008 with the ‘casting’ of the movie. Everyone attending the event was sent the script with their dialogue and costume needs, in order to shoot their scene during their trip to Jordan. Nobody knew the entire movie plot or scenes, thus building up expectation for the event.
In September 2008 the team were invited to a check-in reception in Madrid. From there, they were flown in a private charter flight, customised with the Chiesi España branding, to the Jordan capital of Amman, where the activity was to start. During the one-week trip, delegates were able to indulge in a host of activities, including 4X4 driving in the desert, sleeping in ‘haimas’ (traditional Bedouin tents) in the desert, swimming in the Dead Sea, camel treks, and cultural visits to Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba.
The team was accompanied by a movie production team and in between the leisure activities, the team undertook the filming of 28 movie scenes. The movie was an action adventure, with the team taking on extreme character roles. Scenes included a plane hijacking (taking advantage of the charter flight), Roman spies, a gang of thieves, hired assassins, James Bond type heroes and Indian Jones style stunt scenes.
As the climax of the event, a 1001 Nights farewell dinner was hosted in Little Petra. All the staff were dressed in typical Arabian clothing. The private charter flight back to Madrid was the end of the incentive. However, the project continued with the production and editing of the movie, and an Oscar’s style premiere screening of the film at a cinema in Madrid in January 2009.
Delegates were invited to a glamorous, red carpet event, held at a leading cinema in Madrid, complete with paparazzi. After the event, each of the Chiesi España staff was sent a copy of the movie.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
The Grupo Pacifico production team wrote a script that was approved by Chiesi España general management. The plot had to include the project and product values of the company.
Production of the movie was handed over to a professional film maker, with script writers and cameramen. Filming was often carried out amid hard and complicated conditions, and the crew had to adapt themselves to the geography as well as work around the scheduled cultural and free-time activities.
The event in Jordan required a lot of logistical planning and support, since the leisure activities were continuous and sometimes challenging.
Jordan was chosen because of its dramatic backdrop, cultural and touristic attractions, and its moderate cost.
VERDICT
The event was hailed one of the most successful ever by Chiesi España. General manager, Manuel Vivies declared it “One of the best incentive events held by the company”.
