Rare Indigo: Games Bring Rare Learning Opportunities
Publish Date: January 2010
A small Vancouver company that moved quickly to seek opportunities connected to the 2010 Winter Games is now finding post-Games work even before the torch arrives back in B.C.
Rare Indigo, an event planning and destination management firm, has been chosen to provide its specialized services to a number of clients during the Games. And while the company is still developing other business linked to Olympic events, its connection to the Games is already generating work beyond February 2010.
"We're looking forward to expanding internationally for similar work and are already working on post-Olympic projects which are spinoffs of the present work," said Vivian Farkas-Tsogas, president and creative director of Rare Indigo. Significant contracts have been signed with both Fortune 500 and other multinational companies, including one of North America's leading full-service investment dealers, a leading legal services organization, an international non-profit organization for leadership development, and various premier providers of intelligence, telecommunications and travel.
"Everyone working with us is being swept along together in these amazing positive changes that will result in long-term business sustainability and success beyond the 2010 Games."
Farkas-Tsogas and Yvonne De Valone, the company's vice-president and director of business development attended the first workshop organized by the 2010 Commerce Centre to encourage businesses to bid for Games-related work. They were quick to join the 2010 Business Network and kept in the event and workshop loop in the years that followed.
When an opportunity was offered to submit a proposal to provide event planning and management services for the BC Winter Games Secretariat, the partners were on the frontline, and their company was added to the list of pre-qualified suppliers.
While the company regularly wins business through competitive bids, going after Olympic work was a new experience.
"We view the scope and scale of our participation in the Winter Olympics as a very significant opportunity for our company," De Valone said. "We kept our focus on the company's plan for long-term growth and success. We were selective with our bids because we believe the Winter Olympics is more than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
That focus led to a contract with the Netherlands-based travel company, The Advanced Travel Partner, to be its exclusive tour director in B.C. during the 2010 Games. Rare Indigo will coordinate with its local suppliers and provide tours and programs for Dutch nationals, corporate sponsors of the Dutch teams, and the athletes. Among a host of duties, the company will organize transportation, unique activities, venues and restaurants as well as various tours.
Rare Indigo has also been selected by a UK event production company to provide local talent and suppliers for Samsung's gala VIP events during the Winter Games. It is still waiting for the results of its other proposals.
"The world is watching," said Farkas-Tsogas. "Ensuring that our clients' programs meet the high expectations of the Winter Games will mean raising the bar to new heights for all of our partners and for our company — we will all benefit tremendously from this experience."
"We are noticing a significant increase in requests for proposals from people who have not considered Western Canada as a destination for their incentive programs in the past," said Yvonne De Valone. She thinks the increases in RFP's are largely due to the Games. "The 2010 Winter Games are really putting BC on the map as one of the top destinations in the world."
According to Farkas-Tsogas, she had no idea how the company might get involved in the 2010 Winter Games until she attended the first procurement workshop and began to research what the Games means for host cities. The workshops and resources from the 2010 Commerce Centre gave the company the tools it needed to develop successful bids.
She believes competing for Olympics-related business presents special challenges for small companies. It means working with foreign clients, researching unfamiliar contracts and learning to deal with different business practices. And everything must be done in a very short time.
Although it has been challenging, the company has benefited from the experience — and not just financially. It is working at a higher level of professionalism and producing even more quality work, giving clients the most creative ways to experience their destinations.
"Needless to say we are learning and gaining a unique and specific experience by being involved with the Games," Farkas-Tsogas said. "It did not come without learning pains, but if you asked us if it was worth it, we would answer with no hesitation: 'We'll do it again in a heartbeat.'"
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