The wind roars, the dogs bark and howl, snow drifts, firelight flickers, tents glow and flap. . .
There are few things more satisfying than entering a conference room that no longer looks like a conference room but has become an immersive stage set for a transformative adventure.
We have provided theming for hundreds of venues, from simple but effective elements like a basecamp recreation to elaborate entrances where the CEO arrives by helicopter and parachutes in with a message from up ahead.
All theming is designed to deepen and support the leadership message and objectives. We work collaboratively to create the most effective environment for learning objectives and visions to be realized.
All of our programs are story-based and linked to a metaphor so they are uniquely suited to becoming more immersive through theming. The “willing suspension of disbelief” means that participants can become more emotionally and imaginatively involved with the story and therefore more deeply engaged in the experience and the learning.
Our approach is to use compact, lightweight themed elements that expand to transform the space. We have over 23 expedition tents including some of the most technical and expensive in the world.
In all that we do we aim for authenticity.
We more intensely theme high traffic areas.
Our specialty is creating experiential activities that are combined with themed elements. In the video above the leadership team are dressed as Sherpas and are leading participants to their tables while a traditional puja ceremony is taking place. The CEO is a humble monk blowing a traditional longhorn to announce the beginning of the session.
The following are theming ideas specific to PolarLeader:
EVENT THEMING
We love tents. We use tents on our own expeditions and collect the most remarkable specialty tents made for the theming of our experiential adventures. We can recreate a basecamp for any kind of expedition. Some tents are even big enough to be unique break-out rooms. Nothing expands and transforms a space like authentic expedition tents - from small mountain perches to 22-person base-camps.
Wind is nearly ever-present in the Antarctic. The landscape is sculpted by it and it can make the difference between succeeding and failing, and even life and death, on an expedition. The best way to experience the power of the wind is in a portable wind tunnel and experiencing what is called indoor skydiving. The 120-mile-per-hour winds that these tunnels create are equivalent to storms in the Antarctic (199 mph is the maximum wind speed recorded in Antarctica).
Snow-makers in combination with expedition tents can transform a dull conference room into a magical place of possibilities. These machines are soundless, the “snow” is dry and inert, safe to walk through and easy to clean up and can be recycled over and over with no pollution or mess.
A wonderful Arctic wintertime team activity is learning the art of igloo building. Fun, outdoors, a practical survival technique and a way to connect and support local indigenous culture, traditions, and peoples. Totally recyclable and ecological.
Dog-sledding where available has proved to be both memorable as one of the best activities to support the PolarLeader theme and all-time best rated off-site activity overall. With expert guidance it provides an intimate experience of northern culture and traditions and provides an opportunity to enjoy these magnificent working animals.
