Bacardi organises virtual team building

Bacardi, one of the world's leading spirit drinks companies, has adapted to these new times marked by the pandemic and launched an experience for virtual events.

The company sends an exclusive kit directly from its distillery to the participants' home, containing the drink and other ingredients, as well as all the material needed to make a cocktail. A mixologist and a presenter are the facilitators of the activity, promoting interaction, and teaching participants how to create their own cocktails. These are shared with the rest of the audience, in a moment of fraternisation.

“When we tested this event we found that it provided a lot of fun, a lot of group unity, a lot of connection between people and we realised that it worked,” says Will Brix, head of Bacardi's MICE department. And so it could fit like a glove on MICE customers, who need to continue to communicate with internal and external audiences. This activity can act as a team building action by itself, but also combined with other events, whether congresses, meetings, etc. “It is basically a show, in which attendees are a part”, he underlines. And it's like three events in one. The first when people receive the kit at home and the respective unboxing, then the event itself, and after the event they still have three quarters of the product and respective tools to replicate the cocktails learnt.

This solution has also been used in hybrid events, with some people in person at Bacardi's studios, and online transmission to the rest of the audience.

For now, this service is available in some European countries like the United Kingdom, Italy or Spain, but the next step is to expand internationally. The response from customers has been “great”, says Will Brix, so much so that it is a product that can remain even after the pandemic is overcome.

MICE on a growing path until the world changed

The company has venues in several countries, where they receive guests, consumers, participants in tours and experiences, to bring closer together the different brands of drinks it represents and their different audiences. This acquired know-how has enabled MICE to become part of the company's global strategy since 2019. According to Will Brix, “some sites were already doing MICE but since 2019 it went global and we wanted to compete as a venue in this industry”. And it quickly became very important. In addition to hosting events, they can organise cocktail competitions as a side activity and other experiences within the scope of incentives and team-building. With covid-19 everything changed and the need for adaptation became very relevant. Virtual visits to the segment and other activities were carried out to keep the communication flowing. And the new virtual team building solutions are part of this strategy of offering products for this sector.