Hello All,
Time sure does fly by when you’re having FUN!!! Isn’t this such a true statement!?! I have just come off the most incredible couple of weeks of my entire life. Not only did I get MARRIED; yes, that’s right people, Mr. Will Leggett now has a Mrs. Leggett! But I also just delivered the most complex/integrated/customized/memorable/fun event of my Grand Dynamics career!
The event was for Brainlab, a company which develops, manufactures and markets software-driven medical technology that supports targeted, less-invasive treatments. They stayed at The Equinox Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont and had a wonderful weekend experience.
When Brainlab first came to Grand Dynamics, they asked us to develop an experience that would allow all of their employees in North America to receive a true Vermont experience outside of the office, leaving them with many great stories to return home with. Having grown up in the great state of Vermont, I was beyond excited at this opportunity and the ideas started to run thru my head. But now I was provided with a challenge myself…how do I choose? After reading the event description below, let me know your thoughts, if we chose the right activities, and if this sounds like a “great story” you would want to share with your family and friends!
The weekend started when the participants were flown into Albany airport. There were five shuttles ready and waiting to take them directly to the Equinox Resort. Waiting on each of the shuttles were civil war actors dressed in full uniform. The actors were on board to not only to provide colleagues with the history of Vermont but also were there to play interactive games to pass the time on the hour and a half bus ride. Once they arrived at the resort and checked into their rooms, participants changed into warmer clothing and headed out for a mile hike into the woods to reach the Equinox’s pond pavilion. Lining the trail were over 100 hand-carved pumpkins which provided both light and fall Halloween fun. I also had strategically placed staff along the route at critical intersections so there would be no confusion among the 230 participants, especially since they would be walking back in the dark. Yes, you saw correctly…there were 230 participants trekking through the mountains of Vermont and I didn’t lose a single one of them! The hike brought them directly to the pond pavilion where their amazing opening dinner celebration was set-up. Participants were beyond pleased once they arrived! The pavilion was set-up for a feast containing just about anything you could dream of! Waiters were waiting with passed hors d’oeuvres, cold seafood stations and even had an onsite mozzarella cheese making demonstration. Once the cheese was ready, chefs used gastronomy, which uses the application of biological and chemical knowledge in cooking, to prepare even more delicious treats. To top it all off, President and CEO of Brainlab, Stefan Vilsmeier, made a special entrance for his opening speech…via canoe! And this was only Day 1!
But Day 2 was when the true Vermont experience began! There were eight different activities for participants to choose from which included Archery, Falconry, Fly-fishing with Orvis, Mountain Biking, a Survivor Hike, a Maple Syrup Tour, Horseback Riding, and visiting a working dairy farm. With so many great choices, some found it hard to pick. Below is a brief description of each activity:
1. The Falconry experience took place at the British School of Falconry which is offered on property at the Equinox and is the only school of its kind in the country. There, participants were able to call a real hawk from the roost from over 30 yards away to come and land on their hand.
2. Also on property at the Archery School, participants were then given the opportunity to try and shoot targets using the ancient hunting method of a re-curve bow and arrow.
3. Fly-fishing with Orvis gave the participants a chance to learn how to tie their own fishing flies and then got to use their flies to try and catch 30″ rainbow and brown trout in the stocked pond outside of the headquarters. For all the beginners, Orvis staffers also taught the proper technique on how to fly fish and a brief history lesson on why fish eat bugs, flies, and when the best time and place to catch fish would be.
4. Mountain biking took participants on their choice of a 4 mile or 8 mile trek through back country roads of Vermont with various single trek routes for those who wanted the bit of an extra challenge.
5. The survivor hike had two different options: the first was to summit Mt. Equinox, making it up the 3 mile, 2,800 foot vertical gain incline or the second choice, which was to learn more about wilderness survival skills that provided the 10 essentials to survival including edible plants.
6. The maple syrup tour took place at Merck Farms and Forest. The group started off by getting a tour of the farm by horse and wagon and followed with a chance to press their own cider. After the cider pressing, the head forester took participants up into the sugarbush, taught them how to identify maple trees and how to properly tap a tree.
7. The horseback riding tour took them on a 2 hour trail ride where they got a chance to connect with nature, their horses, and even got to stop to make some s’mores! Back to ranch, the ride ended and participants were able to groom their horses they just rode.
8. The final activity was held at the 180 year old working dairy farm, Taylor Farms. Participants got to chase pigs, bob for apples, wax cheese and had a manure shoveling contest in which the girls team beat the guys team.
After the full day of events, everyone was shuttled to Hildene, the old Lincoln family estate, where they enjoyed a final dinner awards ceremony. Various awards were provided and once all winners were announced, a surprise fireworks display filled the starry sky with bright, colorful lights. Overall, the event was a huge success and everyone left happy with many “great stories” to share!
Testimonial from event manager:
“During the initial stages of planning our event, we decided that we would like to offer our employees unique Vermont activities that individuals would not normally get to do. Grand Dynamics offered us a variety of options to fit everyone’s interest and abilities. When there were changes to our schedule or events Grand Dynamics was flexible and helped us create the experience we wanted. After the event, the responses from our employees were nothing but positive. Whether it was a trek up the mountain, a day as a farmer or horseback riding, Grand Dynamics and their staff helped create a memorable afternoon.” (Ann Marie LaCasha, Brainlab)
