Inaugural event in New York (press). The most successful team building and networking competition in the world, Hercules Trophy, is coming to New York, after a splendid edition earlier this summer in South Africa together with the Olympic team for Nelson Mandela Day. The inaugural event in New York will be held on 28th September, on Randall’s Island, Manhattan. The focus of this one-day event is on teamwork, networking and doing good through sports. The participating teams will support 3 charity organizations through the Herculix Foundation: Randall’s Island Park Alliance, 9/11 Memorial and KidCare, as well as their own fundraising project.
After the success of this unique concept in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where thousands of business people participate year after year, the Hercules Trophy organization has chosen New York as the best location to launch the inter-company competition in the USA.
The previous edition of the Hercules Trophy was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 18th July, on International Nelson Mandela Day, where about 50 business teams came together to celebrate Mandela’s birthday in a unique way. On this year’s Mandela Day, people around the world were asked by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote at least 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela’s public service. It’s a way to make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good. The Olympic South African Team attended the event and contributed their “67 minutes” for Mandela Day just a day before their departure for the London 2012 Olympics. The Olympic Athletes together with the corporate athletes sent out a loud clear message(YouTube) to their fellow South Africans to “Make Every Day a Mandela Day” whilst packaging hundreds of items of sporting equipment, including items donated by the athletes themselves, destined for six under-privileged schools adopted by Hercules Trophy South Africa. Avis, the winner of the competition, also won a check of 67,000 RAND (more than 8,000 USD) for their charity project “Jumping Kids”.
Hercules Trophy is the fastest growing networked team-building competition in the world. The format has already revolutionized the event and team-building market in Europe and the Middle East and is now ready to conquer the North American market. By the combination of competitive experiences, sports and entertainment on one day, Hercules Trophy builds a long-term team effect. The format actively promotes physical and mental fitness for business people. Everybody at the office with a basic physical condition, regardless of age, sex or fitness can join the event, and even win the competition.
The inaugural event in NY will host about 72 teams from various NY based companies. Delta Air Lines, Google, The Wall Street Journal, Saint Barbanas Medical Center, Zico, Hudson Group and a lot of other companies have registered several teams to defend the company honor. For a complete list of the participating companies: www.herculestrophy.com (“Who’s There”).
Nancy Ploeger, President at Manhattan Chamber of Commerce: “There are a lot of great team building, networking or CSR events, but most of the time it’s about isolated initiatives. This event is unique because we unite different companies in their CSR effort and by that means we try to amplify 2 the effect. We are very excited to partner with the Hercules Trophy, because the very specific combination of team building, networking, charity and competition appeals to the values in our community. We think that this is exactly what our members need at this moment.”
“The expansion of the Hercules Trophy format to the USA is an important milestone for our company, after our growth in other regions in the world. Nelson Mandela’s quote: “Sport has the power to unite people in a way that little else does” has been our company adagio for years now”, says Inge Van Belle, Vice-President at Hercules Trophy International and President of the Herculix Foundation. “Teambuilding events with a CSR dimension do not only increase morale, drive engagement and improve employees’ happiness factor. They also have a social impact, which goes far beyond the company’s interest.”
About Hercules Trophy
Founded in 1999 in Belgium, the Hercules Trophy is a super-charged inter-company sporting team day that builds camaraderie, embraces networking and promotes company loyalty. It has developed into the biggest and most anticipated international teambuilding and networking event in Europe, attracting more than 36,000 people from 600 companies to date. In addition to Belgium, Hercules Trophy events are also run in Spain, The Netherlands, UAE, South Africa, USA and Singapore.
Hercules Trophy was created by international entrepreneur Yves Vekemans and a group of corporate businessmen who cared about their people. They looked for a formula that would establish long lasting emotional connections between their employees. Recognizing that sport was a good means for getting people connected and working towards common goals, they created an inter-company challenge that today is the Hercules Trophy. Teams of 5 to 7 people participate in 12 ‘labors’ or sporting challenges with a fun twist. Each activity requires participants to think, act and perform as a team, and the emotional resonance created by the event continues at both the team and individual level long after the day. So successful is the outcome of Hercules Trophy that the event enjoys a 91% return rate every year.