Distant Frontiers Wins SITE Crystal Award for Incentive Program in Jodhpur

by  EVENTFAQS Bureau Marketing | November 29, 2016 | News

Distant Frontiers

Destination Management Company Distant Frontiers, a fully-owned subsidiary of Thomas Cook India Limited, received the 2016 SITE Crystal Award for ‘Best Destination-Based Experiential Incentive Travel Program’. The award ceremony was held on November 6 during the SITE Global Conference in Panama City, Panama. Lovleen Sagar, Head – Operations & Business Development, Distant Frontiers received the award on behalf of the company.

“We are honoured and delighted to receive this recognition of excellence for an experiential incentive program from our peers in the Incentive Travel community, especially since it is our very first shot at the award,” said Dipak Deva, Managing Director, Distant Frontiers.

The award-winning programme came from CWT M&E/ORMES, France, where the brief was to create a truly exceptional experience for the company’s directors. There were 60 Directors who participated in this programme that took place from March 2 to 7. Distant Frontiers chose Jodhpur, India for its diverse landscape, delicious cuisine, and rich cultural heritage. To meet the client’s goal of offering a truly out-of-the-ordinary experience, throughout the five-day trip Distant Frontiers chose accommodations and activities that took advantage of every aspect of the unique destination and ensured that each day unfolded as a surprise to participants.

Throughout the program, activities and accommodations were selected with two key goals in mind: that the experience be out of the ordinary and authentic. Diverse accommodations – from tented desert camps at Manvar Desert Camp to an old mansion in the heart of Jodphur, Raas, added to the authenticity.

The five-day itinerary was filled with authentic and unique experiences. From sunset camel rides with cocktails, to celebrating a traditional Holi festival, to a memorable gala evening with magnificent views, participants were treated to the best one of India’s lesser-travelled regions. Among the most notable experience for participants was a trip through the rural region surrounding Jodphur, where participants learned about local wildlife and interacted with local communities. A local bush lunch was organized outside a village in the desert, and participants played a cricket match against locals. Later in the trip, a gala evening at the Mehrangarh Fort gave participants unbeatable views of the city and the opportunity to wear traditional clothing, partake in a procession with fire torch-bearers, dancers and drummers, and view a magnificent fireworks display over the city skyline.

While many of the participants had travelled to India previously on business, the inspiring program left them with a new impression of the destination and was described as “one of the most incredible incentives they had ever been on.”  The unique and authentic experiences helped the team to bond and collaborate while creating experiences that would last a lifetime.

On what goes into planning a remarkable incentive trip, Deva added, “A recipe for a Perfect Incentive involves a great deal of planning and precision with the support of a team that lives and loves travel. Attention is paid to every detail with carefully crafted experiences with a diverse product range to create lasting impressions and to build relationships that last.”

SITE Crystal Awards Recognition Program provides industry acclaim for world-class organisations that excel in the design of unique, memorable group travel experiences that deliver measurable benefits for their clients. Today, the awards serve as a benchmark for incentive travel programs and are regarded as the highest honour in the motivational events and incentive travel industry. Incentive programs held between 1 May 2015 and 1 May 2016 were eligible, and an independent panel of judges’ evaluated entries.