Taking Corporate Events To The Next Level.

• Author: Olson, Pamela M.
• Position: Special Section

When a group of corporate executives wanted to visit Utah and experience the maximum amount of Olympic activities possible in 24 hours, they turned to Laird Crandall, director of operations of Destinations Services Corporation (DSC/AlliedPRA).

Mr. Crandall took the group snowmobiling, then to dinner. They completed a biathlon in the morning complete with target shooting. They went bobsledding at Utah Olympic Park and even had lunch with retired skeleton racer Jimmy Shea, who won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"This was probably one of the most extreme requests I've had to fulfill/' says Mr. Crandall, "but that is our job-crafting the best experiences using our local knowledge."

SOME EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES GO ALL OUT

DSC is an event management group in Park City that services close to 30 destinations, all featuring local, on-the-ground experts like Mr. Crandall who are familiar with regional venues, cultures, activities, and top-notch vendors and can aid out-of-state companies with much more than just finding a hotel and vetting catering. Want to feel like a local foodie? Want to meet an X-Games athlete? A DSC expert can make it happen.

For destination groups, the service starts when the wheels touch the ground, says Sarah A. Carey, Vice President of Marketing and Creative Development at RMC, a management company in Park City. The company uses experts in locales from Los Cabos to Savannah, GA. "A corporate event planner provides all the services a group needs from the moment they arrive at the airport to the moment they take off on their return trip home from the airport," Ms. Carey says. "This encompasses welcome amenities, entertainment, evening events, transportation, activities, staffing, and a truly knowledgeable on-the-ground guide."

Ms. Carey goes on to list specific services, including logistical support, decor, off-site scouting and special enhancements. This could even include a cowhide branding station. "Anything and everything a client could want!" she says. For one such client, a Saudi prince, Ms. Carey's firm was hired to construct a full tent in the middle of the woods for private dinner service at midnight. "He also wanted wild animals, so we brought in a bear and a mountain lion. All of this for himself and three family members. It was a very interesting evening!"

HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU SPEND ON EVENT MANAGEMENT?

According to CostHelper, hiring a full-service corporate event planner (CEL) typically costs 15-20...