MR. LACMAN SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE ON TEAMBUILDING IN ISLAND HVAR!
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MR. LACMAN SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE ON TEAMBUILDING IN ISLAND HVAR!
Some more great points on why Hvar is not just the place for your ideal Croatian holiday, but also your ideal place for meetings, incentives and teambuilding’s! Here is a great interview with the managing director and co-founder Ante Lacman from Intours DMC.
SHH: What do you expect from Sunčani Hvar Hotels and what are your most important criteria?
Mr. Lacman: We anticipate a fair and correct relationship. Throughout the duration of the incentive program, we expect the hotel to be "par excellence", from the level of service to the details such as the arrangement of the interior, the external environment, personnel, and maximum flexibility in certain situations. Also, with certain hotel companies such as Sunčani Hvar, we often create a common sales strategy and promotional activities to support each other in different ways with the aim of achieving optimal operating conditions for both sides.
SHH: Which event would you single out as the most demanding, and which one most memorable?
Mr. Lacman: Events that are definitely remembered are those with a large number of guests. Among them the AFAS Group: a 3 - day event, which consisted of 700 people (a single production and preparation that took 2 years). Then, the famous Renaissance dinner for Timken Group at Arsenal. Of course there is also the Young Living group that consisted of 1,350 people in Split, when we literally rented everything from buses in the Split area. To me, a special event is the dinner in Malo Grablje for 35 people. At this link you can see a short promo video with this wonderful dinner: https://vimeo.com/182690549
SHH: Have you ever had a request from a client that you could not fulfill?
Mr. Lacman: I would say that we fulfill all the desires of customers, if they are in the range of “legal”. Certainly there were requests that could not be fulfilled because of bureaucratic requirements, which is a shame. As an example: helicopter flights.
SHH: Why would you suggest Hvar as a teambuilding destination?
Mr. Lacman: Intours DMC operates throughout the entire region. We are literally working on incentives from Vardar to Triglav. However, Hvar for me and in the opinion of my two partners Mira Hribar and Tomaž Krušić has the largest "incentive touch", "out of the box", "unique" feeling. Okay, I admit on my part there is also a small dose of local patriotism. Moreover, why Hvar stands out from others is because of the overall ease of execution: transfers to the restaurants, the city, the island, the location of gala dinners and also the sole program of the tours are reduced to the minimum. Literarily the walking distance from the hotel is max 10min – and mostly by foot. Firstly, it is very safe; as most recently this has been a crucial factor when choosing an incentive destination. Secondly, the level of development of destination management infrastructure, meaning the sum of all factors that ensures successful incentives and events.
SHH: Have the requirements of clients changed over the years? If so, in what way?
Mr. Lacman: The customer desires are changing in response to new trends. For example, 10 years ago, the emphasis was on team building: going to the extremes. Today, individuals seek incentives which incorporate a theme, which can be linked to the destination where the incentive is taking place. For example, Volvo wanted a program called “five senses”, and every day we had to deliver a program that incorporated a link with one of the senses. Another example is Dubrovnik and Split, where we were asked to make a Game of Thrones theme incentive. Moreover, nowadays the emphasis is on creativity - they want us to participate with them in creating an event; details become very important.
Furthermore, I noticed that due to client requests, we have less and less time to create a suitable incentive offer. Now, imagine creativity and speed together.
SHH: What do you think island Hvar has that other destinations do not?
Mr. Lacman: As I already mentioned, Hvar has that "incentive touch", "out of the box", "unique" feeling. Additionally, the fact that it is an island, puts it in a desirable category for an incentive destination. Certainly, what further helps is that Hvar is still unknown in the incentive market, and customers are always looking for something new.
SHH: Which factors most affect the organization when choosing a MICE destination?
Mr. Lacman: Simply - accessibility! Followed by the program, the hotel and of course the budget and value for money. Let us not forget, incentives are an investment. You pay and you stimulate your employees, distributors, sales representatives, partners as a sign of gratitude for the work done.
SHH: Do you think that Hvar meets the expectations of every generation?
Mr. Lacman: With certain investments, yes! For me Hvar can and should position itself on the market in three different forms of tourism and product destination. But more on this topic next time.
SHH: For a number of years you have put your trust in Sunčani Hvar, why?
Mr. Lacman: Because you are with us from the very start! And this is something that is important for us and what we appreciate. And yet, as I have already mentioned; there’s that dose of local patriotism ;)