Exceeding expectation is the AIM. The Bay of Islands offers a beautiful location for a summer conference setting with its large conference facilities and spacious grounds.

The team set "sail" in a conference room to meet the theme. The stage and room was set to reflect a ship to create an atmosphere of nautical adventure. From the minute they stepped off the coaches in the Bay of Island's the delegates experienced a conference that challenged their thinking, conveyed key messages and took part in team building that was tailored to the theme.

Day 1 welcomed them to the Bay of Islands; with an ice breaker team building and then dinner on the lawn of Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

Day 2 saw them come together in the conference room and then take in the scenery of Paihia and Russell by way of an Amazing Race challenge; back to Copthorne to relax in the sun and shade of the Resort and then they were off to set sail on their Cruise Ship for the evening with a twist that they had to prepare their own dinner! A conference room was transformed into a cruise liner, set with full cooking facilities for 22 teams (220 delegates) to prepare their own entrée and main. Competition was intense and the quality outstanding.

The evening was completed with a Beach Party on the front lawn overlooking the bay with the band "The Mermaids", festive theme, delicious desserts and fun atmosphere.

Day 3 dawned with time for a conference session with a twist - a courtroom trial, followed by a team building activity and concluded with a delicious lunch. The trip back to Auckland seemed a lot shorter than the ride to the Bay of Islands plus a lot quieter...