2017 Stampin' Up! Incentive Trip to Thailand: Day 1 and 2

Day 1:

The official event started on Day 1 with a buffet breakfast of everything you could imagine, including a Stampin' Up! carved melon. I loved the tropical fruits and noodles (not together!) but if was definitely the bacon for my boys!

After breakfast it was off in cute little shuttle buses with wooden benches (and no suspension!) off to the Latitude marquee in the main Laguna resort. More snacks and drinks and thankfully air conditioning, The event was very exciting as the 2017 Holiday Catalogue was launched and we saw stamping demonstrations and received lots of free product give-aways (can't show you any Holiday Catalogue images until the 28th)!  We were also very excited to find out that the location for the 2019 trip is a Greek Isles cruise (we already knew 2018 was an Alaska cruise). As we walked in, the Stampin' Up! Corporate Team / Board of Directors and each country Business Development Manager and their partners were waiting to clap us all into the marquee. Stampin' Up! always make us feel so appreciated.  It was fabulous to have Shelli and Sterling there and we made her cry with a standing ovation.

There were lots of hugs and I hung out with my partners in crime Alisa and Pam. We each had boys around the same age here, so it was great to see them getting to know each other during the week too, and to be able to help each other out with them.

After lunch we returned to a yummy boxed lunch - Thai style!

 

Next it was our first chance to check out the hospitality room. This is always a highlight on the Incentive Trip for me. It' where lounges are set up so we can mingle with fellow demonstrators and the Stampin' Up! representatives. They also spoil us with candy (with logo lollie bags so we can take some back to our room - the boys loved that), drinks fridge, snacks (my fave were the banana fritters with caramel sauce, but the Thai ice-creams on a stick were delicious too). Each day there is a bean bag game for free product giveaways and the items change each day! 

Time also to drop off my 25 global card swaps for collection later in the week (you receive 25 different ones back, and Stampin' Up! keep one to display at events). Here was my swap:

Many of the South Pacific girls also participate in their own 3x4" pocket memory keeping card swap. We just pick a colour theme, and otherwise theme it to the location. Here is mine, the groups and those who participated (Ann Craig is missing from the photo,

Monday afternoon / evening was an optional bus trip to Patong. Things turned a but crazy when we were delayed in a traffic jam for an hour waiting for a jack-knifed crane to be moved from the road, but I used it as a great opportunity to get to know the demonstrator sitting behind me. I love to get to know new people. Patong was quite an eye opener for me. Very touristy and somewhere that is good to see, but also good to retreat from. The boys were happy with some cheap shopping and I am glad for the experience, and especially enjoyed the varying sights out the window on the way there (including a few alarming sights of 3 people on scooters with children, sans helmet!). We were on Patong beach as the sunset which was really beautiful.

Tonight's pillow gift was our full day excursion on Wednesday, and a logo waterproof iPhone holder (they think of everything). Combined with the huge amount of product we got earlier in the day, we were very spoiled!

Day 2 was a rest day for us. We planned to not do too many excursions as it was our mid year school break and we really needed some rest and relaxation time. I love we are given that flexibility. There was sleeping in, lots of swimming, more visits to the hospitality room and my first visit to the onsite Angsana Spa. I love the plaque on the wall about the Angsana flower and what it represents.

Today's treatment was a lovely Javanese massage (my Myotherapist had suggested I avoid a Thai massage this trip as it might be a bit much for some treatment we are in the middle of). The treatment, atmosphere and therapist were all fabulous, and afterwards you get to enjoy a honey tea with fresh fruit.

 

This evening we headed out to dinner outside the resort with some Aussie friends who also had teenagers with them. Came home to another lovely pillow gift (can't show you yet as it was Holiday Catalogue product).

Stay tuned for day 3 and 4.

Claire

(Disclaimer: Less than 1% of Stampin' Up! Demonstrators earn the Incentive Trip each year)