It’s not everyday you get to share the highlights of an event through the eyes of your client. We were incredibly humbled to receive the following review from Kerry Timander, Director of Events and Creative Services for Navarre Corporation. It was such a wonderful recap of our recent collaboration throughout the Triangle including Pinehurst NC and Rockingham NC, that we thought we would share as is… take it away Kerry….
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“Navarre Corporation recently hosted our 16th annual Interchange event at Pinehurst Resort and Spa in North Carolina. The week’s event featured several days of countless meetings throughout the day and wrapping up the evening’s with entertainment at various offsite locations. Our challenge each year is to put on a bigger and better event than the previous year, 2011 was no exception.
Partnering with a destination management company such as Sterling is crucial to the success of our event. We look for a team that is well connected in the area, creative, energetic and competitively priced. Jan Levine and the Sterling staff met all this criteria and when all was said and done, exceeded all of my expectations.
Interchange features two large off-site evening events. These two events are chosen from the proposal and recommendations given to us by the destination company. The proposal is made up of a variety of local options, design and themes, catering menus and various entertainment suggestions. The Sterling proposal was complete and well thought out, which made the decision to partner with them an easy one.
Our first evening event was set at Rockingham Speedway “The Rock”. With NASCAR being a North Carolina tradition, this just seemed a natural. The speedway had never hosted a corporate event of our size before which created a few logistical challenges. Jan met these challenges head-on and delivered exactly what had been originally proposed over a year prior. As our guests stepped off the buses they were greeted by the sound of revving engines coming from custom designed race cars.
Corporate Ride Along at Rockingham Speedway. A hit!
As they headed towards the doors of a garage they were welcomed with decorations of race flags, more race cars, set tables of delicious food catered by XU catering and a backdrop of rockin’ music from a NASCAR DJ.
The "Rock"! This garage never looked so good!
Blue Dogs Band from Charleston SC kept the party going! We just love these guys.
Interactive car games added a fun networking twist.
It was the perfect location for a unique event that really excited our guests. This event was truly North Carolina traditional and excellent!
Moonshine anyone? Custom Moonshine Bar complete with legendary racer, Jimmy Johnson's Original Car!
The following night we loaded buses for the Koka Booth outdoor amphitheater where we wrapped up our week with a concert featuring Styx.
Koka Booth Amphitheater at Regency Park - Recognized by thousands as the most unique boutique outdoor venue in the Triangle Region.
The guests were greeted by cirque performers, cocktails, and a wide assortment of delicious hors d’oeuvres and local cheeses. The focal point of this evening was the 8ft x 8ft live lobster tank with 300+ swimming lobsters that were hand grabbed and tossed on the grill for our guests to then enjoy cracking open and savoring the fresh taste. To call this an action station would not do it justice, this was entertainment!
One flying lobster... coming right up!
Now THAT's an action station! Yuummm!
Table set and ready, complete with lobster mallets and custom logo bibs.
We just love these salad presentations from XU Catering. You just flip the jar over and voila, a beautiful dressed salad.
The early evening featured performances by a troupe of cirque characters interacting with and demonstrating their various acts for our group.
Cirque performers filled the Koka Booth Amphitheater with a wonderful, playful energy.
This culminated with a grand finale of a cirque ribbon dancer floating above the main stage and then followed by an exceptional performance by Styx.
She is nearly 100 feet in the air at this point. Incredible!
The evening was seamlessly choreographed, planned and timed to perfection. This event could not have gone any smoother.
Jan Levine and the Sterling staff managed all of our VIP airport transportation, offsite event management, catering, entertainment and the Styx band rider. Their energy, communication and calm demeanor gave me a sense of confidence in their ability to deliver what was proposed. Their vision, creativity and execution provided for an event that we will not soon forget.
From the initial site visit and event proposal, to the execution of each day of the events, it was a pleasure working with Jan Levine and the Sterling staff. Should we ever find ourselves in North Carolina again, I would not hesitate to work with Jan once again.”
Smiling Sterling faces.
Thank you so very much, Kerry, and the rest of the Navarre Corporation team for allowing us assist you with this phenomenal week of events. It was an absolute pleasure and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Carolinas soon!
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You can reach Jan Levine at jan@sterlingevents.com or 919.228.6458.