The worthy winner of this year’s Grand Prix Award was Yellow Fish for the Mazda Elite Club Colombia incentive. Also crowned winner in the Best Incentive category, judges were blown away by the entry, with many giving it the perfect score. We check out the winning entry in more detail…

Yellow Fish was given the opportunity to pitch for the next incentive event in a legacy campaign that came with an incredible industry reputation of pushing boundaries – The Mazda Elite Club.

The brief asked for a genuinely unique and motivational solution that would be considered by all that attended ‘a once-in-a-lifetime experience’. The appeal of the event needed to align with the high net worth of the individuals likely to be awarded a place.

A highly competitive pitch against four of the best incentive specialists in the events sector – Yellow Fish knew it needed to find a destination that would motivate and inspire – a solution that would stand out above all that had preceded it.

Multiple destinations were considered and reviewed before a final shortlist determined, and Colombia was selected as the leading programme destination.

A bold selection – Colombia has a perception as an edgy destination to travel, which was guaranteed to raise intrigue levels. Yellow Fish created a series of principles to put sustainability and DEI at the heart of its proposal, including investing in local, engaging and having a positive impact on local communities, and creating unique experiences that are true to the culture and heritage of Colombia.

Pre event comms ensured high engagement levels leading up to the event including a curated microsite capturing the essence of the destination and experience boxes encapsulating the magic of Colombia delivered to all qualifiers.

The five-day programme showcased three iconic Colombian highlights – the magic of Cartagena’s Old Town, the adventure of the coffee plantations interior, and the thrill of the Caribbean infused northern coast.

In Cartagena, Yellow Fish curated a special Mazda Elite Street Party that delivered an authentic local experience, and the trip ended in style with a buyout of perhaps one of the most unique hotels in the world, built around (and on top of) a mangrove jungle on the Colombian Caribbean coast.

Throughout the trip, the agency captured imaginations with surprise and delight moments and unique shared experiences, including an immersive tour of a cacao farm and a coffee plantation, a local fiesta, a street party, rum tasting, local village experiences, mangrove kayaking tours, and bioluminescence night swims.

Approximately 25% of the dealer network qualified for the trip with a 100% uptake in places. To qualify dealers really went above and beyond for the opportunity to be part of the trip, with qualifiers on average delivering 115% of their objectives.

One attendee said the trip surpassed all expectations, while another said “Apart from the birth of my kids, the best thing I have experienced”.

Judges said the entry showed a real trust and bond between client and agency and were impressed by the ROI measurement. “To bring it 20% under budget is brilliant to see. I like how they are giving back,” said one, while another said the incentive “put Mazda on the map in the automotive world as a legacy event.”