Garfit Conference & Incentive Travel organise many events in the UK and around the world. Below are a handful of mini Case Studies showing events that Garfit CIT have organised over the past 28 years to give you an idea of the variety of events we can help with. Please contact us if you would like to discuss organising an event for your company.
MK Bowling Tournament
Garfit Group were asked by MK Electric to come up with an event that would entertain the largest number of contractors possible (at the best price possible!) to celebrate the 125th anniversary of WF Electric and the 75th anniversary of MK. We came up with several ideas and they went with a 52 night, nationwide 10-pin bowling tournament. We managed all logistics and ran all 52 nights between 4th September and the end of October. It goes without saying that MK, WF and all the contractors were ‘bowled over’!
Bond Themed Dinner
A client asked us to organise a Bond themed party for their sales conference. We took over Pinewood Studios where so many Bond scenes have been set and went to work giving it the full Bond theme – Shirley Bassey tribute, throw 6 sixes of the dice and win an Aston Martin (we had a DB9 close to the tables), Martinis in company themed glasses, Bond girls and guys (Peaceful Fountains of Desire from Die Another Day, actress Rachel Grant, Jaws, Blofeld & Oddjob) and a bond themed menu. All in all, a great night.
Citylink Activity Day
After another successful year, the City Link Sales director asked us what we could do with 250 sales staff at their annual sales conference citing that ‘there really wasn’t much in the way of pep talk to give them!’ We suggested an activity day and duly sourced a location where we could set up 5 x 5 separate activity sites with Quads, Pilots, Archery, Clay shooting and blindfold driving. ‘Superb’ was all the director could say as he surveyed his sales team having the best sales conference in their history!
Britannia Life Helicopter dinner at Leeds Castle
This client had important guests flying in to Gatwick and wanted to really stun them with a wonderful dinner. We arranged to bring the guests from Gatwick to Redhill in limo’s, hired Westland helicopters and flew them to Leeds Castle. Three choppers landed in the grounds and we took them from the landing circle to the medieval banquet in the Henry VIII Banqueting Hall. A remarkable event and one which the clients still talk about.
Palletways Hot Air Balloon
The Marketing team at Palletways approached us and told us that they had decided to build a hot air balloon to get their name associated with deliveries and disassociated with the large number of Pallet companies who all have pallet in their name. Could we help launch the balloon and run logistics for all of its appearances. A Guinness World record for crossing the English Channel, an appearance ‘inside’ Warwick Castle and a morning to wake the commuters up tethering the balloon between Tower Bridge and City Hall, with a rolling breakfast on HMS Belfast cooked by Antony Worrall Thompson were just three of the events that we organised for them.
Charter of Orient Express
An electrical industry buying group wanted to hold their annual conference in London but needed something really special to entice the members and manufacturers to attend. We came up with the idea of chartering the Orient Express (now renamed Belmond British Pullman) train for lunch. After the morning AGM we bussed all the guests across London to Victoria where the Pullman carriages awaited. ‘A fabulous trip, excellent lunch and a four hour networking opportunity for all on board’ was how the Chief Executive described it.
Independent Distillers Ice hotel
A drinks manufacturer asked us to come up with an incentive to beat all others. We flew the group out to Sweden touching down in Stockholm for a night of typical Swedish hospitality (the drinks manufacturer had to ‘inspect’ some of its venues). The next morning it was back to the airport for an internal flight to Kiruna. There we donned huge thermal body suits (the temperature was – 10 degrees but the windchill factor at 30 mph was much lower!) and went on the 3 hour snow mobile safari to the Ice Hotel. Here we made good use of the vodka bar and had a delicious dinner. Sleeping on a block of ice is certainly ‘experiential’ and most of the guests were in breakfast by 07.00 (warming up). The next day, with the indigenous Sami guides we took part in a day of dog sled, snow shoes, ice carving and many other sports that can only take place 200 miles north of the arctic circle.
Lillehammer
A pharmaceutical company asked us to organise an event with a real WOW factor. We suggested that they might like to get their winners into a 4-man bob driven by the Norwegian 4-man bob sleigh Champion and experience the 120 Km/h ride at 5G. Not only that but we then gave them the opportunity to go down the same track on their stomachs doing the skeleton bob run. ‘The most exhilarating thing I have ever done – and I have parachuted and bungee jumped’ said one guest. This event was enhanced by a downhill ‘go-kart on skis’ competition and a cross country skidoo safari.
Anniversary Party
Garfit specialise in anniversary celebrations of all kinds and this was no exception. ‘Help us to celebrate this milestone’ beseeched the CEO of Tracker and celebrate they did! From ‘Freddie Mercury’ opening the conference element, guests knew that they were in for something different and by the end of dinner, having been entertained by a Flash Mob, Burlesque artiste, theatre troupe performing a Cabaret/Chicago montage and a DJ percussionist, they had been thoroughly entertained. Probably the most fun though was the ‘decorate the dessert’ competition… Call us for more details on how we can make your anniversary one to remember
Photo credits:
Bowling: Public domain
Bond, Citylink, Ice Hotel, Balloon Launch: Owned by Garfit Group
Leeds Castle: Marc Evans (under Creative Commons 2.0 License)
Orient Express: Belmond
Lillehammer: Oystein Nordaas (Lillehammer Olympiapark)
Anniversary Party: Owned by Garfit Group