A trip to the Gold Coast was how Japanese distributor POLA Cosmetics chose to celebrate the company’s 85th anniversary – a triumph for Queensland as the region’s second mega-incentive within 12 months. Destinations across Europe and North America had been contenders to be host but the Gold Coast trumped them following a site inspection in January 2014.
Winning Pitch
POLA Sales and Service General Manager Kazuhiko Segaki said the company wanted to mark the firm’s milestone with a trip outside of Asia, and to a warmer climate than a Japanese winter could offer. This was the company’s first incentive to Australia – a destination choice that was driven by the country’s reputation for “good shopping and great natural attractions”, says Segaki.
In three waves, 1,500 delegates flew to the Gold Coast for the four-day, five-night visit, which was organised by JTB Business World Travel & Solutions (JTB). The guests were housed in hotels including the Sofitel Gold Coast, Outrigger Surfers Paradise and Marriott Surfers Paradise. JTB worked with the Gold Coast business events team to arrange a programme that included POLA’s 123rd convention awards ceremony, a gala dinner at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) and trips to nearby nature reserves and fashion retailers.
Highlights
Among the activities on offer was a day trip to Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island, where delegates were given the chance to hand-feed bottlenose dolphins, ride across sand dunes on toboggans and ride quad-bikes. Nature lovers could cuddle koalas at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, sun themselves on the beach at Byron Bay or visit the glow worm caves at Springbrook World Heritage National Park.
Shopping was a must for many POLA delegates, and visits were arranged to retail spaces along the Gold Coast, such as Marina Mirage Shopping Centre, Harbour Town and Robina Town Centre.
To organise the POLA Convention at the GCCEC, the Gold Coast team needed to be flexible, says director of Gold Coast Business Events Anna Case.
“The challenge was how to deliver the 40ft stage and the original plan of 1,800 seats, and turn the room around for a banquet dinner on the same day and on a specific date,” she says. “It is all about flexibility and communication is key, on a regular basis. We consulted with everyone involved from your stage set designers, convention centre operations teams to the agent – it’s a team effort to pull off a major event of this kind.”
An impressive Australian menu was put together for the gala dinner, with the majority of ingredients sourced locally, including Black Angus beef, king prawns and salmon from Tasmania. Winners from the POLA awards ceremony were presented with Australian native wattles, a flower native to the country, as well as the Cooktown Orchid – Queensland’s floral emblem.
The Upshot
No matter the language barrier or cultural differences, great hospitality smooths hiccups and translation issues, says Anna Case.
“A warm hearty smile works wonders in any communication situation, but having a translator on the team also helps. When the delegates were in town before the banquet, all we could do by way of communication was smile, and I even danced with a few of the ladies with our roving band. The colourful characters really helped bridge the language gap – so they would take photos with the delegates, and the band played a popular Japanese song which was a hit among the POLA ladies.”
