Company: IBM

Programs: Travel

Program Types: Reseller

Program Details: Worldspan International, a Swiss incentive house, was given the assignment of providing a first-class travel award that overcame cultural and language barriers, time and budgetary restraints, and featured no more than a four-night stay in an exotic destination. The site: Cape Town, South Africa. Participants traveled to London and Zurich from 25 European air gateways. A multilingual staff directed them to their Cape Town flights. A staff fluent in English, French, German, Italian, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian greeted them in South Africa, where they enjoyed traditional delicacies at a welcome dinner held at Mama Africa. The trip also featured a champagne toast at the Cape of Good Hope, a botanical gardens tour, a jazz night, and a visit to Paarl Mountain for a unique Boere Fest. IBM executives highlighted strategies for the coming year at a NETworking conference the following day. The group then enjoyed a township tour, a cable car ride, and a hike on Table Mountain. The trip culminated with a visit to the wine regions of Franschoek and Stellenbosch.

Objective: The PassioNet program is designed to defend IBM's market position and create a stronger relationship with resellers and distributors.

Supplier: Worldspan International

Results: A total of 500 resellers and distributors from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa enrolled in the program; 55 qualified from 12 countries