Background

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients around the world. The Group helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making.

The Nordic CEO of Experian wanted to gather the top management and the department managers to discuss and agree upon the company strategy for the next years. It was a total of 38 managers.

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Solution

As the location, TCC chose Smogen (in Swedish Smögen), a small town in the Swedish archipelago just north of Gothenburg. Smogen is a few hours´ drive from the Scandinavian capitals – it was a client request that the managers could drive to the meeting.

In the summer Smogen is a popular and crowded place but since the meeting was in April, it was still a quiet town, and we practically had the local 4* hotel to ourselves – and at a very favorable rate.

It was a 48-hour meeting with managers arriving at 2pm on Day 1, and departing around the same time on Day 3 after a late lunch.

Since the managers come from several office locations in the Nordics and rarely see each other, TCC proposed a “get-reunited-and-ready-for-the-meeting” activity during the first afternoon. It was a Geocaching activity where teams had to find their way from check-point to check-point using GPS. Altogether they had to visit 11 check-points and solve different tasks at each one. The last station was on the hotel lawn where all teams met and conquered different tasks simultaneously. This was a very successful activity letting people reacquaint and letting them get to know to beautiful sea and rock filled nature around Smogen. The winning team was announced and awarded during the following dinner.

When the managers entered their rooms after the geocaching activity, they found a welcoming note from the CEO, and the program for the coming two days.

When they came back to their rooms later in the evening after dinner, the managers found a bottle of champagne and another note from the CEO suggesting that they share the bottle with their spouses when they get back home celebrating the good results from the past year and looking forward to the year ahead.

On the mornings of Day 2 and Day 3, it was mandatory to participate in the “wake-up” activities at 7am. The first morning TCC had arranged a 25 minute Qui Gong session, and on the second morning it was a core ball activity.

All meals and meetings were held at the hotel.

The 2-day meeting activities were a combination of sessions and business games with a leadership coach (most of Day 2), and internal presentations and discussions on Day 3.