The annual Sales Kickoff was in the “Big Easy” this year, and the agenda did not disappoint.  Every year Genesys gathers the sales and marketing teams together to assess where we’ve been, where we are and where we are going. 

 
Day 1
Driving in from the airport it was hard to tell what areas had been affected by Katrina, because I had never been to New Orleans before.  When you got downtown there were pockets of damage and while the French Quarter and touristy areas had recovered nicely, the remnants of the past were still evident.

 
The day’s agenda was chalked full of speeches from the company’s executives, and the news was positive.  We had a record year for sales and growth and if the dollar doesn’t totally tank in 2008, it should be another good year for the company. 

 
After the speeches it was time for some dinner in the French Quarter.  Everyone was buzzing from being in a new city, seeing old friends from other Genesys locations and getting the good news from the executives.  Regardless of how many times management warns us to take it easy on night one and we’ll do the real celebrating on night two, it never really works out that way.  A live band was cranking out the Zydeco music as we were enjoying some tradition Cajun food and watching the few tourists who braved the cold temperatures and ventured out on a weeknight.  After a few hurricanes and a few awards it was time to call it a night.  The speeches started early the next morning, and the guest speaker was sure to be a highlight of the trip.

 
Day 2
Sir Edmund Hillary’s son Peter was on hand to deliver a speech about both he and his father’s accomplishments in mountaineering and exploration.  Despite his father’s passing just a few days prior, Hillary entertained us with his tales of climbing Everest twice and of his 84 day trek across Antarctica.  I know it was supposed to be inspiring, but I felt like a worthless underachiever after hearing his stories.  I am disappointed when the escalator at the mall isn’t working; I can’t even imagine climbing the mountains that he has conquered.

  
After Hillary finished it was time for our CEO Francois Legros to deliver his state of the company address.  Like his executives before him, he painted a rosy picture of the past year and outlined what we need to do as a company in 2008 to keep this momentum going.

 
Night two started mysteriously as the marketing team went all “Eyes Wide Shut” on us.  We waited in our rooms, dressed to the nines and wearing masks.  A colorfully dressed individual then led us back into the French Quarter where a Dixieland band was playing.  After receiving several beads and colorful boas the band then led everyone out into the street, where we became a Mardi Gras parade complete with a police escort.  The locals didn’t even bat an eye at us, but the tourists watched us through amazed, yet confused expressions.

 
Finally, we finished the night with the traditional dinner and an awards banquet.  Top achievers were recognized and the DJ had the dance floor packed for most of the evening.  A big thank you goes out to the marketing team for providing both an informative and entertaining few days in the crescent city.

 
Erik Crawford – Web Marketing Manager