Driving stronger results at a Cabo sales kickoff event.

1. Strategic venue upgrade to reduce risk and improve performance.

The prior year’s event faced infrastructure limitations, including power interruptions and resource constraints that impacted the production environment.

For this year, our project management team recommended the JW Marriott Los Cabos, leveraging deep local relationships and experience working within Cabo’s supplier ecosystem.

Key improvements included:

• Conducting a strategic site visit focused on production feasibility

• Redesigning the ballroom layout to accommodate classroom-style sessions

• Custom-building production design to work around no-rigging limitations

• Utilizing service corridors and back foyers creatively for staging and technical needs

• Managing expectations across local vendors to ensure alignment

Planning in Mexico requires understanding local business culture and supplier dynamics. By bridging those differences and building trust with local partners, our planning team ensured smoother execution and reduced operational risk.

Business impact:

• Increased reliability for general sessions
• Reduced production vulnerabilities
• Stronger brand presentation during the company’s most visible internal event

2. Streamlining the attendee experience to eliminate friction.

A major goal this year was minimizing confusion and transition bottlenecks, especially around F&B. Unlike the previous property, the JW Marriott offered an all-inclusive structure that helped control costs and simplify the guest experience.

Enhancements included:

• Passed custom cocktails upon arrival to prevent bar congestion

• Branded beer buckets to disperse demand and reinforce event theming

• Private registration with pre-prepared badges and room keys

• Traditional greeters welcoming guests off the bus with cocktails

• A VIP-style arrival flow that made every attendee feel valued

Business impact:

• Faster transitions meant more time for networking and peer connection

• Reduced friction improved overall attendee sentiment

• Elevated hospitality reinforced the company’s culture of appreciation

When recognition feels intentional, morale increases (and drives performance).

3. Building immersive entertainment to reinforce culture and energy.

This year, entertainment was integrated from the beginning with intention rather than layered in later. The event theme blended an EDM/music festival atmosphere with Mexican cultural elements, creating a high-energy, immersive environment.

Event entertainment highlights included:

• Mariachi band and traditional cultural greeters

• Handcrafted performer costumes and visual installations

• DJs all three nights

• A music festival-style welcome event with fireworks and live drums

• Champagne-skirt performers during the awards night

• Themed cocktails tied directly to event branding

Business impact:

• Higher emotional engagement during recognition moments

• Stronger connection to company culture

• Memorable shared experiences that increase loyalty and retention

• Energized sales teams entering the new fiscal year

4. Optimizing trade show and sponsor visibility.

The trade show layout was reimagined to better align with attendee traffic flow. This ensured consistent engagement throughout the program.

Rather than remaining static, the expo area:

• Activated near registration during arrival windows

• Relocated outside the ballroom during peak session transitions

Business impact:

• Increased sponsor visibility

• Improved interaction rates

• Stronger perceived value for partners