CommuniQuest Incentive Travel Digest - Year 10 Vol. 1, 191

Vol. 1, No. 191

DIRECTORY Visionary, Founder and

INDEX

Master Coach: Jose Manuel Garcia, CDS jmgarcia@ividmc.travel President: Jose Manuel (Manolo) Garcia CIS, CMS, CCM, CES manolo@ividmc.travel

Pg.

4-5

Pg.

Keeping up with the Smurfs!/CSR Event

Vice President of Administration Leticia Garcia lgarcia@ividmc.travel Vice President of Marketing: Raquel Mijares, CIS, DMCP rmijares@ividmc.travel

6-7

Pg.

Me x i ca n h an dmade g o o d s f rom Lo s C abos

10-11

Corporate gifts from the Mexican Caribbean

Pg.

12-13

Costa Ricas’s and Panama’s locally crafted products

Corporate Quality Director: Julia ORTIZ, CES, CMS jortiz@ividmc.travel IT Director: Alejandro Pech apech@ividmc.travel

Pg.

8-9

Pg.

Se r g i o B u st aman t e’s e x tr a o rdin ary d esi g ns an d craf t s

Content & Editing:

14-15

Introducing DQuest.shop and DQuest.travel

Omar Delgadillo corp.news@ividmc.travel

Destination offices

Cover subject: Giveaways and Corporate Gifts in Latin America

Mexico:

Caribbean:

Central America:

IVI DMC Los Cabos

IVI DMC Cuba

IVI DMC Costa Rica

Yazmin ELOSEGUI, DMCP, CIS, CMS

Alejandro DEBASA, CMS

Ligia VARGAS, CIS, DMCP

Destination Managing Director

Regional Managing Director

Regional Managing Director

yelosegui@ividmc.travel

adebasa@ividmc.travel

lvargas@ividmc.travel

IVI DMC Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit

IVI DMC Dominican Republic

IVI DMC Panama

Jaime NELO, DMCP, CMS, CES

Bidia BISSUMBHAR

David JOHNSON, CIS, DMCP, CITP

Destination Managing Director

Planning & Events Manager

Associate Regional Managing

jnelo@ividmc.travel

dr.planning2@ividmc.travel

Director djohnson@ividmc.travel

Follow us on:

IVI DMC Cancun & Riviera Maya Ximena LOPEZ, CMS Marketing & Planning Director cun.planning2@ividmc.travel

© Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.

A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT. Dear reader, The first impressions that come to mind when thinking handicrafts are colors, arts, and tradition. Handicrafts have been a key element in the cultural expression of each region and have also played an essential part in the evolution in Latin America. As we venture to new landmarks, the desire to take a small piece of such tradition is imminent; so why not incorporate this into your Meetings and Incentive event? Uncover the signature handicrafts and handmade products that distinguish each region in Latin America as each destination offers a wonderful glimpse into its tradition. Plan your extraordinary event with our leading quality of service. Our accomplishments and enthusiastic attitude are what upholds up our motto, in your business, “We make YOU look GREAT�!

Sincerely,

Jose Manuel (Manolo) GARCIA, CIS, CMS, CCM, CES President IVI DMC Enterprises

Our Objective: Always aim for 100% overall customer satisfaction.

Our Vision: Associates: Keep the ideal place to work, where our multicultural staff give their best, every day.

Customers: Offer an innovative high-quality service that exceeds expectations.

Partners: Consolidate our network of loyal, honest and successful partners maximizing the return on investment to shareholders.

Planet: Inspire responsible resource management by means of our work.

Our Mission: Serve customers through our international certifications ISO 9001 and ADMC ensuring 100% customer satisfaction to incentives, corporate meetings, conventions, congresses, special events and VIP vacations, providing memorable experiences that leave a mark in each of the destinations in which we operate; maximizing the return on investment to shareholders.

Keeping up with the Smurfs!

As you may know, people call us “The Smurfs” for our beautiful blue uniforms or “The Bees” because we love teamwork! We are always ready to do our jobs with the best attitude, and today we want to give you a glimpse of how it´s like to be one of us for a day. Lets jump right into it!

We’ve had a lot of adventures during these past few months! As you know we are starting the new year, and what better way to start. We had the opportunity to attend SITE Global Conference 2020 “Leaders & Board Members Invite Only at SITE”, which took place in Sheraton Vancouver. We are very proud to have been part of SITE Leaders dinner and to have had the opportunity to celebrate with peers and friends, the new Lunar Calendar, and the beginning of the MICE year.

We were able to connect and have a nice talk with Didier Scailler (our CEO for SITE), Kate Jacobson (from Creative Group Inc.), and Lisa Myers (from EDP Global DMCs).

In the end, it was announced that SITE Global Conference 2021 will take place in Dublin! We are really thrilled and looking forward to visiting Ireland next year!

Meanwhile, in Cancun, Mexico, we had the opportunity to attend the Conference of Tourism Perspective for Quintana Roo 2020. It was organized by Anahuac University, which took place in the Emporio Hotel. We learned a lot about what´s on the way for the year in Quintana Roo, things are definitely looking good!

Page 4

Amigos of the Planet and Cascadia Motivation share a moment of togetherness with those in need This month in collaboration with our Foundation “Amigos of the Planet”, we held a CSR Event with Cascadia Motivation and the CMSBY program! It was truly an incredible day as that morning we all woke up ready for our adventure! We went all the way from Cancun to the Paradisus Playa del Carmen. We met with this great Canadian group of more than 250 people! With their help, we were able to restore a very small public elementary school. We had a great time playing games, carrying out fun activities with the kids, as well as painting the whole school and a mural, and cleaning up the whole garden while reconstructing several parts of the school. The group also brought a lot of “tacos de canasta” and gifts for the kids. An enormous piñata was made by the participants, and children which served as the closing to this event. The piñata breaking activity was enjoyed by all the kids, which rendered a heartwarming moment that neither the Canadian group nor the kids or we will ever forget!

Page 5

Los Cabos

Photo by VisitLosCabos.com

Mexican Handmade goods

When relating to giveaways for your program, you are sure to find an expanded variety in Los Cabos.

1. Mexican handcrafted products are highly unique, as they encompass a world in itself. In Los Cabos, you can find pottery, rugs, clothes, hats, baskets, bags, and even jewelry.

2. If there’s a taste to identify the virtue of Mexico, then it must be with tequila. Imagine receiving a smooth and fresh tequila inside of a bottle shaped like the Arch of Cabo San Lucas? A gift as great as this one can be shared in special gatherings and is also something that can be kept around for decoration.

3. Artsy Glass Fusing, although an antiquated technique, it is still preferred by the creative hands of the artisans all over the world. But in Mexico, the pieces created are beyond compare and the artisans located in Los Cabos are simply one of the best at their craft. Bottles, classic glasses, cups, jars among other pieces that can take an unlimited variety of shapes and forms.

4. These candy assortments are a significant representation of Mexico’s traditional gastronomy that transcends the passage of time. Each corner of the country offers a great variety of candies made with local ingredients. Surely you’ll find a tasty recommendation to pamper the palate and give away to those you love.

5. Damamina liqueur, prepared with Damiana plant, provides the spirit with a vivid yellow glow. Its great variety of components provide it with several medicinal properties. Distinguished by excellence as the typical beverage that characterizes Baja California Sur, its history and origins date back to indigenous times as the people who inhabited this region consumed this drink for ceremonies as it renders aphrodisiac and relaxing abilities.

6. Cholla wood comes from the cactus skeleton (Cylindropuntia imbricata) this fleshy wooded bush with a cylindrical stem armed with spines—which can reach 9 ft high—a native of the desert of Baja California Sur, can be seen in several crafts and products.

Page 7

A uniquely imaginative creative genius who magnifies passion in every masterpiece

Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit Page 8

Sergio Bustamante Since 1975, Sergio Bustamante Mexican artist Painter, Sculptor, and Designer, has stood with his original masterpieces on a worldwide scale.

It is common to receive a request that involves a vendors market with handicrafts and local gifts as it serves as the perfect complement to an outdoor event. IVI DMC goes one step further and provides upscale boutique stands with original brand items, as well as exclusive pieces by extraordinary designers and artists. Sergio Bustamante is of them; he creates decorative pieces and hallucinating jewelry that emerge from his mind.

Page 9

The Mexican Caribbean Corporate gifts are an essential part of all programs, they serve to express appreciation and gratitude to the participants in the business such as customers, suppliers, and key personnel. A corporate gift differs from any other object in the market by its personalization, making it an invaluable object for each participant. It is important to devote time and resources to this part of the program, as it can make a big difference between an excellent program and an UNFORGETTABLE program!

The Mexican Caribbean has a vast number of amenities to offer, of course, those pieces are 100% made in Mexico and also support the economy of local communities.

Alebrijes Figures composed of elements of different animals, colorful, varied, artistic, representing a tradition of many years—the alebrijes are part of the collective imagination of any Mexican— these pieces are an identity of a multiversal nation like the Mexican.

Aluxines The Aluxe (whose meaning is genie of the forest or millenary dwarf) is a being of the Mayan Mythology, guardian of the cenotes, and of those places where an offering based on cocoa and honey is offered. The team that elaborates Aluxín, are elderly people and women of the Mayan communities, who earn income for their families by creating crafts in their homes.

Cigars When Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492, he saw that the natives “drank the smoke” as an early version of a cigar. The natives had been smoking for centuries, sometimes twisting green leaves of the plant they called Cohiba and wrapped in palm leaves or corn. The tradition transcended to Mexican lands thanks to companies that bet on the 100% Mexican product in the expert hands of Cuban twisters.

Page 10

Jaguar in Huichol art The perfect fusion between the holiness of the Mayan culture and the traditional art of the center and north of the country. For the Mayas, the jaguar has a close bond with the deities linked to the underworld, throught the various entrance doors to this sector of the universe such as the caves, the center of the mountains and sometimes, the thicket of forests and forests.

On the other hand, Huichol art groups—in general—the most traditional and recent innovations in folk arts and crafts produced by the Huichols. Huichol Indians (also known as wixarika) are a clear example of Mexican culture and are recognized throughout Mexico for their culture and art, Huichol artisans base their beliefs on their roots, which are centered around the four elements of creation: earth, water, air, and fire.

Henequen Bags Henequen is a plant of the genus of agaves. It is originally from Yucatan, where it was called Ki and whose fiber is known as Soskil to the Mayans, with characteristics that favor its spinning and textile treatment. The fiber is first extracted from the plant and then processed in various ways for the creation of domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial products. It came to existence in pre-Hispanic times by the Mayans, due to the usefulness of its fibers.

Page 11

Costa Rica Being a country with global recognition in terms of sustainability, ecology, and proud to meet the needs of each client in corporate gifts, regardless of the destination they choose in Costa Rica.

Additionally, this country holds a vast knowledge in promoting gastronomic products such as handmade chocolates and organic of the highest quality, as well as textiles, organic products for the care and beauty of the skin. Costa Rica holds no budget boundary when it comes to locally crafted products.

Artisan Chocolates

Wooden Carved Gifts

Long before coffee, Costa Ricans drank chocolate. A fruit so prized by the civilizations of Mesoamerica, Cocoa, produced in forests was soon used as currency. Throughout the colonial period, Costa Rica continued to produce high-quality cocoa. Soon after, the cultivation of cocoa was dismissed by products brought from other continents.

The culture and craftsmanship in Costa Rica are almost as attractive to tourists as the natural beauty of the forests, waterfalls, and beaches.

This country boasts some of the most endemic handicrafts of the highest quality, carved in wood by Costa Rican hands dedicated to their integral development. These can be considered as the most striking options for corporate gifts.

Organic Cosmetics Costa Rica is also distinguished by its high quality, 100% organic cosmetic products, which are used by people, spas and salons around the world while dedicated to making the world a better place by changing the way we all consume body products.

Page 12

Panama

Panama Hat A Panama hat is a traditional brimmed hat made from the plaited leaves of the toquilla straw plant. Straw hats woven in Ecuador, like many other 19th and early 20th century South American goods, were shipped first to the Isthmus of Panama before sailing for their destinations in Asia, the rest of the Americas and Europe.

Panamanian Panabrisa Shirts The Panamanian guayabera originated as a result of the fusion between the camisilla (which is part of the typical masculine costume) and the Cuban guayabera. The result, a hybrid garment, less rigid than the traditional guayabera, looser, and fresher.

Baptized as ‘Panabrisa’, a name that refers to both its freshness and provenance.

Panamanian Artesanal Chocolate “From tree to bar” that begins in the plantations of cacao in Bocas del Toro province, stretching with harvesting, fermenting and drying of the seed to the selection of the best beans to be treated gently and turn them into delicious artisan chocolate 100% Panamanian.

Panamanian Rum

Panamanian Embera Baskets

An internationally awarded rum that features 3 Ron Abuelo options, 7 years, 12 years, and the premium Centuria (100 years). This same house has a separate derivate from sugar cane called Seco Herrerano, which is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the country, and it is to Panama what Tequila is to Mexico.

Panamanian Embera artisans work with a palm fiber called “chunga” to make baskets; basketry has become one of their most traditional crafts. Every culture has likely used plant fibers to make containers and other utilitarian objects, and there is no difference here.

Page 13

You r b e s t o p t i o n f or traditional Me x i ca n gi f t s a nd s ouvenirs !

In this edition of CommuniQuest, we´ve decided to introduce our new line of gifts and traditional crafts; DQuest.shop. Sometimes we find ourselves on a trip where we come across traditional products and crafts that take our breath away. Perhaps we find the perfect souvenir to give to our loved ones.

Unluckily, we do not always have the possibility of returning home with our favorite crafts, due to lack of time or space in our luggage, hence the creation of DQuest.shop. This online store rose with the goal of ​​providing beautiful products to guests that we unable to purchase them at the time of their visit.

We work with the best Mexican artisans and designers, who do an outstanding job, with the sole purpose of making your days brighter by giving you the best quality handmade products fused with traditions and unique designs. These are the perfect gifts for loved ones or keep as a beautiful accessory. Dare to be part of this movement, enter DQuest.shop and buy some of our amazing products today!

Page 14

Your one-stop shop for services and activities in the M&E industry throughout Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, including fine hotels, excursions, attractions, golf courses, restaurants, and more. DQuest.travel is an innovative and efficient marketing portal that positions Latin America as a premier all-season tourism destination for Meetings & Incentives. DQuest.travel is specifically created for incentive, corporate, and association meeting planners who are considering conducting meetings and/or incentive travel group programs in the Americas and/or the Caribbean. We acknowledge the difficulty in finding accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information, that is why our top-notch website offers rich content including videos and alluring photography. Visit us at www.dquest.travel Page 15

What our client’s have to say.

“ “

Samantha is wonderful. Thank you!!.

The best!! Fernando, Jose Luis, Alberto always exceed expectations. Gracias!!!.

Mariann Cadieu |Conference and Events Manager

“ “

IVI was awesome as the preplanning of this event, and found suppliers that we wanted (catamaran).

The staff did an outstanding job with the operation of this group. Ekhart was a true professional and we want him in all of our programs. Thank you IVI! PS. We love Ligia too but she is the boss.

Deven Crane |Director Incentive Travel

The team did a great job with the site inspection and created a very productive agenda. We were able to see a lot of the activity options and the area and this will be a big help for planning purposes. The IVI and vendor staff were friendly and able to provide a lot of useful information”.

Vicky Mischler|Senior Sourcing Manager

Fausto, Nicolas, Fernando, Zambrano fantástico!!

Highly recommended!!! We will come back.

Richard K. Johnson |Founding Partner Page 16

Doctor Travel’s cure for the common trip Locals know best!

Don’t be afraid to talk to a few locals as they are the true experts on the destination you are visiting.

They’ll surely point you out to the most awe-inspiring sceneries, the best coffee shops, not to mention the best local shops or dine-ins you won’t find online.

Page 17

Why advertise with Communiquest Incentive Travel digest?

Advertising and promotional opportunities are now available in CommuniQuest Incentive Travel Digest. Sponsorship placement opportunities are limited and are reserved on a “first come, first served” basis. We invite you to advertise in our vastly distributed Incentive Travel Digest which is already available to over 10,000 avid readers. These readers are dedicated members, stakeholders, and fine suppliers. This Incentive Travel Digest is an inviting ‘cover to cover’ read, ensuring eyecatching and successful advertising.

Click here to receive more information

Serving the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions industry since 1986.

Find us in over 31 destinations throughout: • Mexico • Cuba • Dominican Republic • Costa Rica & • Panama • Colombia

Page 18

CONTACT:

Dear reader!

Thanks for reading Communiquest Incentive Travel Digest I hope you find in this newsletter a useful tool that will help you make decisions for your successful business.We would be delighted to know if there anything else you’d like to see or experience in this monthly newsletter. Your suggestions are more than welcome.

We wish you the best in your endeavors and business adventures, and please, don’t forget, working with us “Will make YOU look GREAT”.

IVI DMC² Corporate office: Ave. Acanceh #1-01, SM 15 Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mx Phone: +52 (998) 287-1700 Email:ivicorp@ividmc. travel

Sincerely,

For further information on the finest hotels, deals, activities, and group packages mentioned in this travel digest, please contact:

José-Manuel GARCÍA, CDS Visionary, Founder and Master Coach

Raquel MIJARES rmijares@ividmc.travel

Follow us on:

© Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.

OUR CREDO (A company with a soul) We promise to be those neatly dressed people in white and turquoise blue uniforms. Many people call us “The Smurfs”.

We are an extension of your own business; and we are knowledgeable, witty, fun to have around, and beautiful or handsome (not necessarily in that order).

We can run faster than “Speedy Gonzalez”, and can be in two or three different places at once. We are also committed to doing everything in a legal and personalized way for our clients.

You can find us popping up at airports, historical and archaeological sites, deluxe resorts, charming hotels, golf courses, scenic beaches, and even at the best restaurants in town.

We enjoy “Smurf Team-work” because it’s fun and having fun while doing our job is our passion. We can do the impossible right away – miracles may take a little bit longer.

Since 1986 we’ve been working passionately with the sole mission to Make YOU look GREAT!

by José-Manuel García, Founder

CORPORATE OFFICE José Manuel (Manolo) GARCÍA, CIS, CMS, CCM, CES President of IVI DMC Enterprises manolo@ividmc.travel Calle Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez Lote 19, Mza 20, SM 308 Alfredo B. Bonfil Cancun, Q. Roo 77560 Mexico Tel. +52 (998) 2871700 Page 20