In this series, features and series developer Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.
This week we meet Viva Esprit, the agency behind an incentive trip for a company in the tech sector.
The Brief:
For the past five years, Viva Espirt have partnered with the chief sales officer of a global technology company to deliver their annual incentive trip.
This year, the brief was to recognise and reward 300 of the companies top performers, plus their guests, with a luxury trip to Latin America that would give them the chance to experience the culture and character of the destination.
For the agency, the brief was about finding somewhere that the group might not have chosen for themselves.
The Execution:
Rather than going for one of the more obvious Latin American destinations, the agency explored a number of options before putting Panama forward.
It gave the agency a lot to work with, from the Panama Canal and rainforest to its wildlife, culture and food, as well as a brilliant range of activities and experiences for guests to choose from.
Once Panama had been confirmed as the destination, the agency started building the overall programme around the client’s brief and the experience we wanted to create for the 550 guests. Viva Creative worked on the event branding and visual identity, while the agency’s venue finding team explored the best locations. At the same time, the agency was developing the activities, entertainment and local supplier network that would bring the programme together.
From there, the agency worked through the programme in detail. All departments met weekly to review progress, align on the client’s objectives and make sure everything stayed in line with Viva’s values. The agency also use event playbooks throughout our projects, which bring all the key information, plans and details into one place, so everyone involved can refer back to the same information throughout the planning process.
Viva Espirit looked at the different experiences they could offer and how the four days would work for such a large group, while making sure the programme was inclusive and gave everyone the opportunity to take part in a way that suited them. Our registration site allowed delegates to find out about the trip, choose their activities and provide dietary or accessibility requirements before they travelled, so we could plan for individual needs in advance.
As it got closer to the event, the agency developed a detailed working document with minute by minute plans for the programme. This covered the timings, guest movements and responsibilities across each part of the event, helping us make sure everyone knew what needed to happen and when.
Viva Espirit also wanted to start building excitement before the group arrived, so they used the event app to share information and introduced a competition for delegates. They could earn points by answering quiz questions, commenting on posts and sharing content, with a leaderboard showing how they were progressing. This gave delegates the chance to explore what was coming up and get involved before they even reached Panama.
Alongside this, the agency spent time on the ground making sure the plans worked in practice. The site visit was an important part of the process, giving us the chance to visit the venues, meet with local suppliers and work through the plans in person. They could see how everything would work for the group and make changes where needed, particularly for the evening events and production, where they needed to make sure the ideas they had developed worked within the actual spaces.
For the client, the event is one of the highlights of the year, with employees working towards earning their place on the incentive throughout the year. Having delviered the programme for the past five years, the agency wanted to make sure this year felt different and gave the group something new to look forward to.
Panama gave us a lot to work with. They were drawn to its wildlife, rainforest, culture and colourful character, and wanted these elements to influence the event from the very beginning. The team spent time brainstorming ideas with our in-house creative team “Viva Creative”, looking at how we could bring Panama into the branding and different parts of the experience.
One of the ideas that came from this was the event logo, which featured a frog. Panamanian golden frogs are a recognisable part of Panama’s wildlife and are particularly associated with its rainforests, so it gave us a simple way of linking the event identity back to the destination. The frog then became a small but memorable part of the event branding, appearing across the guest experience.
Being a B Corp, it was also important to us that our approach to the destination went beyond simply using local culture as inspiration. Where possible, we worked with local suppliers and communities, including sourcing the unique Panamanian masks as an award, that were given to each guest. Each mask was made by a local community and was different, giving guests something they could take home while supporting local craftsmanship.
The inspiration came from Panama itself, but the challenge for us was deciding how to translate that into an incentive that felt right for the client and different from the previous four years. Working closely with Viva Creative allowed us to take those initial ideas and turn them into a visual identity and experience that felt connected to the destination.
Vivaesprit worked closely with client throughout the process, making decision together as the programme developed. Internally, different departments worked closely together too with weekly meetings to keep everyone aligned and moving in the same direction.
They also worked closely with local suppliers and communities in Panama, drawing on their knowledge and experience of the destination.
One of the biggest challenges for this event, came shortly before the event, when there was a explosion under the Bridge of the Americas a few days before the event, which affected access for larger vehicles. With 550 guests moving around Panama, this had the potential to cause major disruption to the programme. During this, the agency stayed in close contact with local suppliers and kept a close eye on the situation as it developed. Where largercoaches could no longer use certain routes, we switched to smaller vehicles and reviewed the transfer schedules to make sure everyone could still get where they needed to be. We kept the larger coaches on routes that were unaffected.
The Results:
The event brought together 550 guests for four days in Panama, with a programme designed to give guests the chance to experience the destination in lots of different ways. Guests chose from a wide range of activities, including rainforest walks, a CSR bike building activity, a catamaran tour, wildlife experiences, cycling and exploring Panama City, as well as having the option to simply enjoy some downtime.
The variety was something that was really important to the agency, they wanted guests to be able to make the trip their own and have the opportunity to chose experiences that suited them, rather than everyone following exactly the same itinerary.
The registration site and event app also gave guests information before the trip and throughout their stay, with personalised agendas, activity choices, live updates and a social wall where they could share photos and experiences.
Sustainability was considered throughout the programme too, with the team using the ISO 20121 framework and a sustainability checklist to guide decisions around the event. This helped us think about the environmental and social impact of different choices, from the suppliers and activities we worked with to the wider guest experience.
The evening events created some of the biggest moments of the trip. The Carnival of Spirits dinner at the Biomuseo brought colour, entertainment and
Panamanian influences together, while the gala dinner saw an empty ballroom transformed into a rainforest setting for the celebrations.
The feedback from both the client and delegates was extremely positive. The client thanked the Viva Esprit team for the “wonderful hospitality” and said the planning and attention to detail “did not go unnoticed”. One delegate described the event as having “impeccable hospitality, beautiful setting, and wonderful company”.
The programme gave the client a way to recognise its top sales performers and celebrate the results they had achieved. It also provided a clear incentive for the wider sales team, with the opportunity to earn a place on the following year’s trip. Therefore, making sure there was a ROI for the client with guest actively saying they will be working hard to try and get a spot on the following years event.
With 550 guests taking part, the programme gave the group a chance to experience Panama through a mix of activities, from the rainforest and Panama Canal to local food, culture and time to relax. Feedback from both the client and delegates was extremely positive, with the client particularly praising the planning, attention to detail and hospitality from the Viva Esprit team.
The feedback we received was positive, with attendees particularly commenting on the hospitality, organisation and attention to detail throughout the event. Several people recognised the amount of work that went on behind the scenes, with the team praised for the planning and coordination that helped everything run smoothly.
It was also great to see how much the event brought people together. Attendees spoke about celebrating with colleagues from across the group, meeting new people and sharing meaningful moments together. The event was described as “truly exceptional”, “unforgettable” and a “unique experience”.
The client also took the time to thank the wider Viva Esprit team, specifically recognising the planning, coordination and attention to detail that went into the event. They highlighted the dedication of everyone working behind the scenes and said their efforts “truly made a difference” in making the event such a success.
Trends and Learnings:
The project reinforced the importance of flexibility and strong local partnerships for the agency. While unexpected challenges required the agency to adapt plans throughout the process, having trusted suppliers, clear communication, and robust contingency planning meant they could respond quickly without compromising the guest experience.
It also highlighted the value of designing around the destination’s strengths rather than relying on a predetermined approach. By embracing what Panama could offer, the agency created an authentic and memorable event that exceeded expectations and will influence how we approach future incentive programmes.
In terms of trends, they are seeing a move towards more immersive, technology led experiences, with AI becoming an increasingly useful tool for creating content that would be difficult to achieve through traditional production alone. For Viva Espirit, it’s less about using technology for the sake of it and more about how it can work alongside live performance to create something unexpected.
For the gala dinner, Viva Espirit’s creative technical producer created a bespoke AI generated visual experience for the LED screens, combining AI generated video and music with live choreography. He worked closely with a local dance group, so their movements and costumes reflected the visual story on screen, bringing the technology and live performance together. The agency even used AI to create a Panther character at the end of the show, who became the ‘Voice of God’ and directed guests outside for a firework display.
The agency are also seeing a growing focus on creating experiences that engage more than just the eyes, particularly at gala dinners where there is an opportunity to completely transform a space. For the gala dinner, we wanted guests to feel as though they had just stepped into the Panamanian jungle.
Guests were welcomed by the sounds of the rainforest, with birdsong and the gentle rustling of trees and bushes playing throughout the evening. Mist machines introduced fresh forest scents, while the abundance of foliage added its own natural fragrance.
Even the tactile elements were considered, with guests able to touch the flowers and foliage surrounding them, while different table linens introduced a range of textures. Bringing together sound, scent, sight and touch created a much more immersive experience and helped make the evening something guests would remember. The event is a memorable experience they take home and remember for a very long time.