An event on location at Geofort Herwijnen
In my penultimate blog, about the inspection trip to the Netherlands, I introduced you to a number of new locations in the Netherlands that GoMICE wanted to add to the portfolio for our Meetings, Incentives and Events. In that blog post, I mentioned that we were looking for a venue that is ‘different from the rest’. A place where companies can truly hide away for ‘Top Secret Meetings’. GeoFort in Herwijnen offers this venue and, following a good conversation with the manager, we decided to present the location to our client. In the blog below, you can read how that went.
GeoFort it is
And there's no two ways about it. The client was immediately enthusiastic about the location and very satisfied with the way in which goMICE was able to offer at this location. In the previous blog post, I already wrote briefly that purchasing is more important than sales. By keeping purchasing in our own hands, we save a lot of money for our clients.
Off to Herwijnen
On 10 November, the time had finally come. At 06:30, I picked up my colleague Nadia from the underground station. At goMICE, we work with dedicated contact persons for our clients, and Nadia and I have been the dedicated contact persons for this client right from the start. Which is great, of course, as it means communication is lightning fast!
We set off at half past six on the dot because we wanted to arrive at around half past seven. With half an hour's leeway that shouldn't have been a problem, but by 07:00 we had already arrived. For once, there were no traffic jams on the way.
Shortly after our arrival, the first delegates of the client arrived and, while enjoying a cup of fresh coffee, we briefly discussed a number of matters before we started the preparations.
A good preparation is half the work.
We started, as always, with the on-site branding across the grounds and spaces. Flags were raised, logos were attached and the welcome sign was put in place. Visitors couldn't miss it: this was the right place!
Another important component is the technical side. Nadia and I introduced the sound and lighting technician to our contacts so they could get to work. Sometimes we run into a few challenges within the technical part, but today everything thankfully ran smoothly and we were able to tick off the most important part!
Arrival of the guests
Once the checklist had been fully ticked off and everything triple-checked, we made our way to the reception area. The coffee was ready and the delicious sweet treats made the party complete. The participants had come from all over the country, so coffee with a treat went down a treat. This became apparent as the first guests trickled in.
At 09:30 the presentations began and we were able to get on with the other things on our to-do list, such as filling good bags, meeting with the venue manager and preparing the afternoon's activities. By the time people started to get hungry, a few more boxes had been ticked off the list.
After devouring the delicious ‘recruits’ lunch' (only honest food), everyone was ready for some challenge. The meeting was dedicated, amongst other things, to teamwork, and that challenge was certainly built into the activities Fortopoly and Forttrivial.
The afternoon at GeoFort
In a unique way, the participants were challenged by us with tasks that led everyone across the entire site of the fort. They had to work together in groups to escape from the mazes and subterranean tunnels of Geofort. Through the deployment of all kinds of technical ingenuity, this was no simple feat. Air rifle shooting was a resounding success and the remaining activities also ensured that everyone had to collaborate to the utmost to achieve the goal. Right at the end came the ultimate challenge: Tug of war.
It remains funny to see that this part makes the testosterone levels of many soar to unprecedented heights and there are always a few women who suddenly transform into iron-strong ‘blokes’.
After the winning team had received their prizes (including a good bottle of champagne), it was time for suitable drinks to warm up with. Steaming mulled wine and hot chocolate (with or without whipped cream for those who wanted it) were waiting for us, and while everyone was nicely warming up in Kazernestraat, preparations were being made to serve a delicious mash buffet. Sauerkraut, red cabbage, kale, hotchpotch and accompanying meat and sausage dishes quickly vanished like snow in the sun after this challenging and eventful day.
Reflecting and chatting, this day came to an end. Fortunately, we received many compliments. Not only were our contact persons very satisfied, but the participants also spontaneously stopped by to let us know that they found it an effective, but above all, an enjoyable event. Naturally, that always makes us happy! By around eight o'clock everything was packed up and we too could head back home.
Fired up?
Have you become interested in GoMICE after reading this blog post and the Events and Meetings that we organise? Then please feel free to contact us! It is in our heart to make things as pleasant as possible for our customers and to provide them with unforgettable events. Ensuring everyone has a fantastic time is the goal. That gives us energy and that is what we do everything for. And preferably going that extra mile!