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Year in Review
2018 was a year for the record books! From the bottom of our hearts, we want to send a big Texas “THANK YOU” out to all of our clients, local partners, fellow DMC partners, friends and families for being there with us, supporting us and celebrating with us last year. We couldn’t have done it without you!
The new year has gotten off to a great start! There is so much to look forward to in 2019, and we already have some exciting news to share with you. Join us in celebrating recent award wins and nominations, as well as, team promotions and learn about some destination highlights!
But, before we embark on 2019, let’s look back at some of the highlights from 2018 in our “Year In Review” video. Enjoy!
Cheers and Happy New Year,
The UV Team
Ultimate Ventures Named Best in Texas!
There’s nothing like starting the year with BIG NEWS!
We are THRILLED to announce that Ultimate Ventures earned top honors by the readers of Texas Meetings & Events Magazine and has been named Best Meeting & Event Planning Company in Texas. The magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice awards, announced in their January 2019 issue, honor the cream of the crop in the regional meetings and events industry and celebrates above-and-beyond service.
“Being the best at our game and delivering outstanding DMC services, consistently, is something our team takes great pride in,” said Laurie Sprouse, CITE, CMP, DMCP, President of Ultimate Ventures. “Our clients can relax knowing they are in capable hands when planning corporate meetings and events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.”
With more than 90 industry awards or award nominations over our 25 years of business, the UV team takes great pride in saving our clients time, creating exceptional experiences, and providing Peace of Mind. In 2018, UV executed over 170 programs for meeting and event planners with local destination services ranging from multiple massive transportation movements for groups over 5,000 people to award-winning special events and unique local activities.
Many thanks to our clients, vendors, and industry partners for giving us this Texas-sized honor!
To learn more, click here.
2019 ADMEI Award Nomination for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program – “Winter Wonderland”
We are over the moon that we have been named a 2019 ADMEI Awards Finalist for best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program for our “Winter Wonderland” giveback event benefiting the Dallas Boys and Girls Club. The CSR Activity was exceptional in that it spanned over two nights, it incorporated numerous ways for guests to get involved and make an impact, and it delivered over a-whopping-1,000 gifts to a deserving charity.
As our clients began planning their 2017 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Anatole, they enlisted our services to incorporate a charity/giveback component into their meeting. Since the program took place in early December, we took our inspiration from the holiday season and bringing joy to children in the local community.
When we first reached out to the Boys & Girls Club of Dallas, we realized they were struggling to figure out how to give 400 children their precise Christmas wishes. Once we shared their story with our incredible clients, they decided that every child would get their individual wish granted! While only 125 children could attend the Winter Wonderland Event, our clients wanted to ensure that they reached as many children as possible. Along with the Christmas gifts, bears and books, they also donated unwrapped baby toys, board games, and art supplies that the charity could benefit from all year round.
In the weeks leading up to the event, our team spent endless hours ordering gifts online to fulfill the gift request of each of the 400 children in need. As the orders came in from Amazon, Toys R Us (rest in peace), Walmart, Target, and every other major retailer of toys, our office filled to the brim with packages. FedEx was delivering approximately 26 packages a day for two weeks and our marketing room became “The North Pole”. Each gift was unpackaged, labeled, and sorted by grade to be delivered to the hotel for the Welcome Reception. Our staff members worked tirelessly to ensure that every toy was accounted for.
To make certain that all 1400 participants had an opportunity to connect and participate in a meaningful way, we planned two events with plenty of ways for each guest to contribute.
On Night 1, guests attended a Welcome Reception that was designed to get the group immediately invested in the meeting’s mission to “Change. Lives. Now.”, introduce them to the charity, and to facilitate guest participation. With Christmas music in the air, 1,400 elves got to work wrapping 400 gifts at the gift-wrapping station (125 of these to be distributed to the children attending the celebration event the next night) and building and dressing 400 teddy bears at the Build-a-Bear stations.
On Night 2, our team took over the massive Trinity Exhibit Hall at the Hilton Anatole and transformed it into a dreamy and magical winter wonderland for their Celebration Event. This custom event was designed from a CSR perspective with a goal to create opportunities for children and guests to interact. Not only was it visually stunning, it was filled with music, games, food, and love.
Our team loved creating the Winter Wonderland giveback event for our clients. It was a joy to watch the faces of the kids and the attendees light up as they experienced our one-of-a-kind event. There’s something so special and heartwarming about using our team’s skills, creativity, and drive to give back to children in our community.
There are many unique ways you can add a CSR element to your event, and we would love to assist you in making a difference through your next event!
Join Us in Congratulating UV’s Recent Promotions!
What’s New in DFW
The Westin Irving Convention Center Hotel, It’s Music to Our Ears!
The brand-new 350-room Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is set to open in March. The hotel’s central location in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth and its close proximity to both the Irving Convention Center and Toyota Music Factory make it an ideal location for North Texas meetings and events.
The hotel boasts 32,369 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor event space, a whopping 300,000+ square feet of event space when combined with the space at the Irving Convention Center. Each event space has been planned with the intention of offering guests a music-inspired atmosphere that will take meetings and events up a whole octave! Whether groups are small or large, The Westin has a perfectly designed modern meeting space to fit a variety of needs, including:
- Harmony Grand Ballroom, the 10,296 square feet grand ballroom boasts a maximum capacity of 1,450 guests. Harmony is ideal for an awards dinner paired with energizing live music and dancing!
- Melody Ballroom, the 4,218 square feet junior ballroom features a maximum capacity of 540. Melody opens out onto a trio of private terraces and an event lawn, making it the perfect location with many different areas for a team-building event!
- Cadence and Rhythm are great for groups that need a more intimate space. Cadence is a 600 square feet boardroom with a capacity of 12. Rhythm is a 793 square feet boardroom with a maximum capacity of 12.
- The Pool Deck and Rooftop Event Lawn feature an additional 10,758 square feet of available event space overlooking the Toyota Music Factory. About 85 guests can enjoy cocktails and networking under the stars on the 2nd floor rooftop space.
Guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with Heavenly® Beds and Baths, making it easy for guests to recharge and relax during their stay. In addition to the meeting and event spaces and guest rooms, the hotel features a restaurant named Mesa Mezcal, state-of-the-art technology, and a focus on wellness.
Book your stay at the Westin Irving Convention Center, and Ultimate Ventures can help you plan an event that will make your attendee’s hearts sing!
The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
The Dallas-Fort Worth Airport has been awarded the 2019 Airport of the Year by Air Transport World, a leading media brand in the global airline and commercial air transport industry. The airport was recognized for their innovation in providing a world-class customer experience, global leadership in sustainability, cost effective and efficient operations, excellent partnership with airlines, and collaboration with local communities to further develop the economic benefits of aviation in the Dallas- Fort Worth region. A big international airport with rave reviews, nearly 1,900 convenient daily flights, and a central US location is hard to beat!
Dallas Love Field Airport
Turns out travelers love the Dallas Love Field Airport just as much as we do! The airport was voted by Tripit users as the 2018 Best Airport to Arrive at/Depart from! This is the second year in a row that the airport earned top marks by users on the TripIt app.
One Response to “The Ultimate Update Newsletter – Winter”
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March 29, 2019 at 4:20 pm, Taking Events to the Next Level with Dylan - Ultimate Ventures said:
[…] (The event won a 2019 ADMEI Award for “Best Corporate Responsibility Program”. To learn more about our “Winter Wonderland” Event, click here.) […]