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Photo Play Partners "Conventure"
The first "conventure" for Photo Play partners was held last week with over 50 attendees from 18 nations. Photo Play's "conventure" is a combination of a conference and adventure, with Photo Play providing attendees with information, communication and entertainment. The gathering was held from 11-13 September in the picturesque St. Gilgen at Lake Wolfgang. Funworld Ag's creative marketing team organised and staged the event, much to the surprise of the attendees and even chief executive Josef Öhlinger. The conventure saw emphasis was placed upon the joint experience of information and entertainment rather than the workshop and "boring presentations". This was designed to be an experience that goes far beyond the usual kind of business meeting.
During the first morning greeting, Sales and Marketing Executive Marco Huter asked the curious guests to forget everything they'd ever been confronted with during a meeting. After the new partners from Spain, Poland and France had been introduced and Sales Director, Norbert Langer, had explained the coming days main itinerary, Mr Huter invited his guests to put on outdoor shoes and waterproof jackets.
After the weather had been sunny and dry for a period of three months, rain clouds emptied themselves without pardon on this 2nd weekend in September. Flexibility and improvising were called for. A major part of the outdoor programme, which had been prepared together with an experienced adventure training team, and which included mountain climbing and a treasure hunt in a forest, had to be called off at the last minute. An outing to the salt mines of Hallstadt was organised instead and turned out be just as much fun. The process of sliding into the deeper mine shafts turned into a country duel that was won by Switzerland. Funworld Switzerland Manager, Hans-Peter Schild outwitted the speedometer and made 225 km/h instead of the usual average 25!
During a combined meal that was followed by a Photo Play quiz, Norway, Holland, Spain and France were able to convince by pure determination. A part of the officially planned programme was then offered to adventuresome volunteers. Two thirds of the group did not allow torrents of rain to stop them from abseiling themselves from one major rock to another 35 metres above Lake Wolfgang by a 100 metre long rope. A ship brought the adventurers back to St. Gilgen, where they were given time to recover.
Friday evening was all about the World Games 2004, the player's event of the coming year. The best players from all Photo Play nations that support linked terminals will be able to qualify themselves and finally contest for the world Photo Play champions title during an international competition in March.
"The main purpose of these World Games is to increase players motivation in the course of an international event and to spread the community spirit throughout the countries like the Olympic fire. Takings during the qualifying phase in the course of the last World Games in Saalbach, were twice as high as usual," said Mr Huter (pictured), who was the host and talk master of the evening in St. Gilgen's cinema. "It clearly shows what results large-scale international promotions can achieve for operators," he said.
Three towns had been invited to present themselves as venue for the competition. All present were able to post their votes by filling out ballot cards. In an atmosphere of tremendous suspense, Mr Huter asked the representatives of Alpbach in Tyrol, Zell am See in Kaprun and Rauris onto the stage after the ballot cards had been counted. A video screen showed the results according the number of votes but without the competitor's names. Finally Mr Huter began announcing the results beginning with the third place and ending by presenting the winner, Alpbach in Tyrol. Alpbach has a large congress centre and is known for its famous winter sports resort far beyond the country's borders.
After the venue for the World Games 2004 had been decided upon, Mr Huter uncovered the "lectern" which had been wrapped in black, thereby opening the podium as concert stage for sales manager, Norbert Langer, and singer, Ray Carlton. Full of surprise all those present jumped up and began to cheer. Accompanied by the perfect atmosphere, the theme song "We are a family" expressed much more than just a few simple lines of text.
Even on Saturday, the event lacked no action as a group of "waterproof" enthusiasts entered into a golf tournament, while the rest of the guests carried out a go-cart race in Formula 1 style. The culmination of this successful "conventure" was the Autumn Festival at the Funworld headquarters in Schörfling on Saturday evening.
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