Case Study
Background
In order to guarantee meetings go as planned from start to finish, our team arrives at the event location prior to clients and attendees, yet sometimes events beyond our control test our conservative planning. On those rare occasions, we are ready to go beyond the expected norm.
In 2007, a large pharmaceutical company retained Rx Worldwide to plan and manage an Investigator Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The two-day event included approximately 200 attendees from the United States and South America.
Challenge
Every event has its challenges, but, in this case, the origin of the challenge was nature itself, and it loomed large. On the day of our team’s scheduled departure for Fort Lauderdale, a massive and unprecedented dust storm blew into the Dallas area, shutting down the entire Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. All flights were cancelled for the remainder of the day with, at best, a limited flight schedule the following day.
Due to the weather and subsequent cancellations, we were at risk of missing our scheduled arrival time, leaving us unavailable to serve our clients and their guests, which was simply unacceptable.
Solution
After analyzing other flight options from nearby airports, we determined we had just enough time (18 hours) to rent a vehicle and drive through the night to Fort Lauderdale. That is exactly what we did (we communicated our plan to the client, which reassured them that we were in control of the situation, and we began the cross-country drive).
Results
Arriving 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the hotel, we were able to survey the location, confirm last-minute details and launch the meeting without further incident. Working on-site as promised, our team managed the meeting to great success. The client expressed amazement at the lengths we traveled (literally) to make it happen.
Reacting to any challenge with a positive outcome demonstrates how we can continue to serve our clients in unique and surprising ways to help them achieve their objectives.
