Safari Greetings

Should a group incentive safari for VIP’s, top-end performers or celebrities be held at a venue that offers total privacy to your group only or is it okay to block off a small corner of a venue and hope for “exclusive” service?

I believe that this IS the very difference between a mediocre travel incentive /event and a never to be forgotten travel experience.

Just think about it for a moment. Why on earth would a top performer choose for himself or herself a place where the “in” crowds hang out, where he has to fight the bar and buffet queue with strangers (heaven forbid), or wait patiently for attentive service whilst a honeymoon couple swoon away in a nearby corner.

What a contradiction in terms.

Surely when searching for a venue or experience for your top performers or business associates, one should look for a place or experience that your guests could not access themselves – maybe cannot even afford, but certainly a place that is not open to them as an individual, but rather a place they can only access via the special and rare safari event you have set forth and created for them.

As an example – one books the top 100 performers of ABC Inc. on the legendary QE2, a beautiful vessel in all her splendour. However, unbeknown to you, quite a few of these performers have already experienced her out of their own pockets – on their own personal holidays… sometime in the past. Well, even if they haven’t, they certainly could – at any time. They are, after all, top achievers, earning a top package and the venue is open to all and sundry – provided they pay.

On a recent exclusive and private Sustainable Safari event we did for a group of 250 celebrities and the world’s number one female talk show host, “O” out of the USA, I was constantly being asked (in an obvious American twang), “Are we the only people here?” – by celebrity after celebrity.

It took me a while to realise that they were totally enthralled to be on safari in the middle of the African bushveld… all by themselves.

They were so in awe and appreciative of this simple action – the ownership of their own space. No press, no paparazzi, no autograph screamers, no security …and no other public. Just them, the timeless space of Africa …and us, in the simple presentation of canvass, and classic safari ambience.

It took me a while to realise that true exclusivity at the level we cater to – is priceless…and it felt good to know that we had been doing this since the very first grand safari expedition camp we composed.

Lets talk exclusivity next time we meet.

Yours sincerely,

All my exploits are on facebook, and
All my dirty secrets are on my website
But its always best to meet face to face

P.S. The Guests say it all – Since our inception in 1999 Hayward’s have achieved an average of 9.6/10 across 22 points of guests satisfaction feedback – see our client and guest feedback letters here.