Winner’s Circle 2024
In 2023, Kevin hit 120098404% of his quota so he got a reward trip to the Big Island in Hawaii (!) and invited me to be guest. I’ve only heard about Winner’s Circle/President’s Club from sales business partners but I’ve never been to one before. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Is it going to feel like work..but in a beautiful tropical location? Or is it going to be a non-stop party ?
Here’s a high level recap and some of my favorite photos !
Travel: Economy flights covered - because there isn’t a direct flight from EWR, we had a stopover in DEN before getting to KOA
Accommodations: GIANT suite at the 5 star Fairmont Orchid. This place was SO beautiful and the service was fantastic. The only con is that the beach is just ok (I think this more has to do with Big Island than the resort though. BI beaches are very rocky)
Food: We received $800 in room credit at the resort but we also had a bunch of elaborate dinners incorporated into the agenda (more on this later). We also received a $600 gift card to eat off the resort and to cover any other expenditures.
Activities: We got to pick 2 “excursions” from a list of options. Kevin and I picked a round of golf at the beautiful Mauna Lani resort and a Snorkeling adventure
Gifts: Each night of Winner’s Circle we were greeted with presents from client/partner companies. Such a great little touch!
Day 1: After leaving KOA airport we got into a rental car and arrived at the Fairmont Orchid. At Check in we were greeted with leis and it was a super fast and easy process. After hotel check in we had to check in with Winner’s Circle to pick up our welcome packet. This had the week’s agenda as well as our gift card and excursion details. At this point it was around an 18 hour travel day because of flight delays so we were ready for bed.
Day 2: We started the day with a walk around the beautiful resort then had the buffet breakfast at Orchid court. We then headed to the shops at Kings/Queen’s market for some souvenirs. Kevin got some new golf gear and I got two beautiful rings from a lovely jeweler. The only other thing on the agenda for this first full day was a dinner with Kevin’s GEO - Americas. The dinner had a wide range of options from poke and steak to chicken fingers and it also had an open bar. About halfway through dinner we got speeches from the regional leads and the company CEO. The night concluded with a fire dancer and some music. This night’s gifts included an insulated Aloha tote, a beach towel and SPF from Sunbum.
Day 3: What a beautiful day for golf! We started bright and early on a short shuttle ride to the course next door. The greens were immaculate and the views were even better. I’m not very good at golf but I still had fun riding the cart and watching Kevin hit a personal best. After a long day’s work we rewarded ourselves with poke and shave ice in Kona town (about 30 mins away from our hotel). We then headed back to the hotel to rest up for the CEO key note. To close out the night, Kevin and I had a really nice dinner with another guest family at Winner’s Circle. Tonight’s gift was 2 pairs of Maui Jim sunglasses.
Day 4: We started our day listening to a panel with the CEO and some world class athletes discussing what it means to be a winner. I got to meet Andre Agassi (!) and hear about the heartbreaking story of his upbringing. We also got to meet the CEO and get a signed book. We chilled around the resort so we’d have some energy for a long night ahead. This included a happy hour with all of Kevin’s leadership team and a Top Performer’s white party and concert featuring Bret Michaels. The happy hour was hosted in a beautiful indoor/outdoor veranda. Dressed in our white outfits, I felt super proud to part of an elite group of folks but also understood this was part of the psychology to spur on even better performance next year. It’s not enough just to be invited to Winner’s Circle, you also have to be on of the Top Performer’s there! To be granted entry into the special Top Performer’s party, we were given white bracelets. That was the first tip that this night was going to be over the top. At a seaside venue, there were long tables draped with crystals and fresh white orchids. It was stunning ! We ate delicious food, had gorgeous wine and cocktails while Bret Michaels did covers of songs. I am unfamiliar with his game—he brought the ENERGY! The gift waiting for us in our hotel room was a new Gucci wallet for Kevin.
Day 5: Last day/ time for snorkeling! We got on a bus to head to Kona town to board a boat at the Body Glove office. Due to the weather we didn’t have the best conditions and visibility was subpar. I still enjoyed getting into the ocean even though there wasn’t a lot to see. I also had a delicious Li Hing margarita —yum! After snorkeling we spent some time at the pool at the hotel. Since this was the last day, the team organized a Moet Champagne send off party. What could be better than a beautiful sunset paired with some bubbly? After dinner, we got a spot at the stage to watch Fall Out Boy. It was very funny to be with an international group who weren’t super familiar with the band. I still had a BLAST! How lucky am I to have front row at a private FoB concert?! The final present was a Tiffany necklace.
Post Winner’s Circle we did stick around on the Big Island. We were able to explore the petroglyphs, Mauna Kea, get a massage next to a waterfall and even revisit a hike to the Polulu valley. I love Hawaii so much!
All in all, it was a very well done event. I’ve always wanted to be an event planner - after attending this event, I want to figure out how I can host large corporate events like this all the time.
