Success Stories

OQK8 – Foqus 2014

Introduction

550 Danish and swedish managers celebrate their annual “FOQUS: 2014” convention in Lloret de Mar 

 

Content

Lloret de Mar hosted the convention of the Swedish company OKQ8, Sweden’s leading chain of service stations, which has more than 2,600 workers.

The annual OKQ8 convention was attended by 550 executives from Sweden and Denmark.

During their stay, managers combined training sessions with teamwork activities. The Evenia Olympic Palace Hotel, which was the main venue for the convention, set up a total of 21 parallel meeting rooms where different presentations and training meetings were held. As regards activities, a package was put together to encourage teamwork, including a teambuilding session in the municipal pavilion, along with volleyball and beach football matches. Additional activities were also organised, such as a gala dinner at the El Trull restaurant and a closing party at Àtics la Carpa.

EVENTYR, the event organiser was given the full support and assistance of the Lloret Convention Bureau: advice during the organisation of the conference in order to choose the most suitable venues for each event, support in offering the services of the bureau’s members and other partners in the area, advice on the teambuilding activity programme and social activity programme, putting together a delegate pack, and coordinating the logistics of the transfer of the 550 delegates (with the local police, etc.).

The organisers evaluated the extensive offering of Lloret de Mar very positively, as well as the destination’s specialised MICE tourism and events offering, in particular the proximity factor which facilitated logistics in terms of transfers. Above all, however, they scored the welcome received from the Lloret tourism sector and its professionalism very highly.

Testimonies

 

Jordi Orobitg – Councillor for Tourism – Lloret de Mar Town Council

The direct economic impact of this action was more than half a million euros for Lloret de Mar alone. In addition, many delegates later stayed on in our area in order to visit the Dalí Museum in Figueres, along with trips to Barcelona, Girona or other towns on the Costa Brava. As such, the event had a positive impact on the wider area.

Anders Wiström – Senior Project Manager – Eventyr AB

When we were scouting for various destinations in Europe I happened to call the right person at the right time. Elisabeth Keegan at the Lloret Convention Bureau was able to give me the correct information that I wanted and also a very attractive, good-value-for-money product near Barcelona. I personally appreciated being able to talk to Elisabeth and explain what we needed without having to send enquiry forms (which I hate). She took great care of our proposal and saw its business potential.

Very soon we were able to invite the client on a site trip to Lloret de Mar and to the Evenia Hotel. The Evenia staff are extremely enthusiastic and professional. The one thing I like about working with Toni Pérez, the hotel’s MICE Director, is that he has the ability to adapt, confirm and change anything and everything while we speak. There’s no hassle with dealing with different departments, so it’s all very easy.

Together we organised a successful OKQ8 event and hope to come back soon again.

 

Event programme

 

Friday 26 September

Arrival of the Project team (30 people) in in Lloret de Mar (Evenia Hotels)

20:40 FLIGHT arrival in Barcelona

10:30 Arrival in Lloret de Mar – Evenia Hotels: check in / cold supper

Saturday 27 September

Internal meetings. Throughout the day: arrival of delegates and suppliers, external staff and preparation of the exhibition area. Organisation of welcome bags: LCB material + OKQ8 material + room key and individual Wi-Fi code.

07:00 Breakfast

09:00 Meeting of 25 people (1 breakout room)

10:30 Coffee Break

13:00 Buffet lunch

14:00 Meeting of 25 people (1 breakout room)

15:00 Coffee break

19:45 Transfer to Sybius Restaurant – 30 people.

20:00 Dinner

Sunday 28 September

Arrival day of most delegates and participants in the event.

Transfers from Barcelona Airport to Lloret de Mar, throughout the day with the CANALS bus company.

Technical setting up of the 20 parallel meeting rooms. Setting up of the exhibition area, hospitality desk in the lobby and setting up of the plenary room (Auditorium).

09:00 Meeting of 25 people (1 breakout room)

10:30 Coffee break

13:00 Buffet lunch

Welcome from Eventyr staff to the entire OKQ8 team, reviewing internal customer information.

19:00 Dinner at the hotel

Monday 29 September

Day 1 – Talks

07:00 Breakfast

08:30 Organisation of the group in the 20 parallel meeting rooms, 1 room for each region-

09:15 Inaugural session in the plenary room – Auditorium

Introduction – Expectations and challenges – Nominated for awards – Values

10:20 Coffee Break in the exhibition area – Auditorium Hall

10:50 Auditorium talk: Values

12:00 Buffet lunch

13:00 Transfer to Santa Clotilde Gardens – TB activity. – refreshment stations – drinks, fruit, water, biscuits.

15:30 Transfer back to Evenia Hotels

16:00 Team work in different parts of the hotel and in breakout rooms.

16:00 – 17:00 Extended coffee break in the exhibition area.

17:30 After-work activity in the exhibition area

18:00 Talk – 100 people in the Auditorium

19:30 Delegates’ dinner at the hotel

20:00  Exhibitors’ dinner – Sybius Restaurant, Cala Canyelles

21:00 Comedy show at the Pergola (Evenia Hotels)

Tuesday 30 September

Day 2 – Talks

07:30 Breakfast

08:30 Plenary meeting in the Auditorium – round-up of the previous day

10:00 Coffee break – exhibition area

10:30 Auditorium talk

11:00 Training – 20 breakouts

12:00 Buffet lunch

13:00 Auditorium talk

13:30 – 16:30 Sales training – 20 breakouts

15:00 Coffee break – exhibition area

16:30 Afterwork – exhibition area

17:00 Auditorium talk

18:30 Auditorium talk

19:30 Cava drinks reception and buffet dinner – networking activity during dinner to share the experience and sensations of the first two sessions.

Wednesday 1 October

Day 3 -Talks

07:00 Breakfast

08:30 Plenary meeting in the Auditorium – summary of the previous day

08:45 Talk – Suppliers and products – plenary room Auditorium

09:30 Coffee break – exhibition area

10:00 Sales training sessions – 20 breakout rooms

12:00 Buffet lunch

13:00 Sales training sessions – 20 breakout rooms

15:00 Coffee break – exhibition area

15:30 Regional meetings – 20 breakout rooms

18:30 Joint conference – plenary room Auditorium – Summary and awards ceremony

19:00 Transfers to Restaurant el Trull

19:30 Welcome drinks and gala dinner – Restaurant el Trull.

23:00 Transfers to Penthouse Àtics la Carpa – closing party

Thursday 2 October

Departures, day off

Breakfast, lunch and dinner at Evenia Hotels

14:00 Incentive activity at Sanddance: sports play area with live music / DJ, swimming pool, football fields, beach volleyball, chillout area. Drink-free bar. Transfer on foot from the hotel – 10 minutes approx.

Friday 3 October

Free day – excursions in the local area – Lloret de Mar HUB

Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner at Evenia Hotels

Excursions:

Barcelona city

Dalí Museum

Saturday 4 October

Day off

Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner at Evenia Hotels

Paella teambuilding activity at Evenia Hotels – Pool terrace

Sunday 5 October

Departures of the rest of the group

End of event

 

The result

 

The event has been evaluated very positively. More than 500 international delegates spent more than a week in Lloret de Mar, holding their meetings, TB activities and meals in different establishments in the town. The direct economic impact for the town amounted to more than half a million euros. This event has enabled the participation and collaboration of different members of the LCB, as well as that of companies from Lloret de Mar specialised in organising events: Evenia Hotels, Olympic Conference Centre, Santa Clotilde Gardens, municipal sports facilities, Sybius Restaurant, Trull Restaurant, Canals and Sanddance, among others. The organiser has been very happy with the combination of these specialised companies, our municipal facilities and the characteristics our town, and has decided to organise other events of a similar size and characteristics in our country.

Technical data

 

Date: 29 September to 5 October 2014

Event – Kick-Off Foqus OKQ8

Organiser: Eventyr (Stockholm Agency)

Venue: Olympic Conference Centre

Format: Kick-Off + incentive. Plenary room + 20 parallel meeting rooms, plus exhibition area. Use of sports facilities in Lloret de Mar.

Participants: 550 delegates

Objective: To bring together all the company’s workers, from Sweden and Denmark, the main suppliers. To achieve the cohesion of their teams and employees, to give them relevant information about the company’s strategy for the coming year, and to let them know first-hand the offering of their suppliers, establishing sales guidelines to become more competitive. In addition to the kick-off programme, a few days of incentives are included as a reward for workers. There will also be TB (sport-related) activities throughout the week to bring the groups together.