The now-annual BMW M Sales Awards took place this year in the beautiful, chic and sunny Miami, Florida. The ultra-exclusive event was created to recognize the top M sales people from around the world and for 2012, it saw a record number of participants: nearly 100 people from 23 countries. To align with the company’s motto, The Ultimate Driving Machine, the BMW M Sales Awards in Miami ran under the slogan “The Ultimate Incentive Trip” and it was a memorable experience for each one of the participants.
To showcase the importance of this event, the main hosts were BMW M CEO, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke, and Brian Watts, Head of M Global Sales and Marketing.
The M event kicked off on March 27th at the luxurious Mondrian Hotel in South Beach where the guests were greeted by a bag of M goodies, along with a surprise: a beautiful bracelet designed by MIANSAI, an upscale line of jewelry that meshes vintage style with wartime relics founded by Michael Andrew Saiger.
And this was just the beginning…
The agenda included a day at the Homestead Raceway where a fleet of M vehicles were ready to please and satisfy the eager drivers that sell the same products to their customers, a great way to fully experience the M products.
Aided by the always courteous and professional driving instructors from the Spartanburg’s M Performance School, over the next few hours the guests learned why M is “The Most Powerful Letter In The World.” The driving exercises varied from drifting on a wet skidpad to power laps around the fast Homestead track where speeds reached 140mph and onto the timed autocross where bragging rights were earned by the fastest drivers.
Vehicles of choice? The almighty M3 Coupe and Sedan, and everyone’s favorite, 1M. The outcome? The best way to spend your afternoon beating down on M cars without worrying about brakes or tires.
The super-sporty new M5 was also on-site and Matt Mullins, Chief Driving Instructor at Performance Center, offered memorable rides around the track to those that had the stomach for it. And judging by the smile on the participants’ face, the new M5 might just be their new favorite M car.
Next stop in the exclusive program was the hippie Clevelander hotel where a private rooftop party, M branded, entertained the guests until late in the night. The Miami “Art Deco” party was also the perfect setting for participants from around the world to network and exchange opinions and impressions on the M brand.
A few hours later some of the guests were ready to call it a night, while others got attracted by the charms of Miami’s night life.
Breakfast at the Mondrian was the perfect start for a day that will be unforgettable. Since power is built in the M DNA, the company setup a special trip to the Biscayne National Park aboard two high-speed powerboats that offered a unique view of Miami. Final destination: Stiltsville, a National treasure just over a mile offshore. Stiltsville is a house is built on stilts in very shallow water in Biscayne National Park.
Before hurricane Andrew in 1993, there were over 20 structures that dotted the seascape, but only one prevailed. What makes Stiltsville house unique is its structure sitting part in foot deep water and the other parts built in waters that are between 6 – 20 feet deep.
A hospitality crew greeted the M group and along with food and refreshments, a variety of water activities were offered as well.
All of these fun activities were a precursor to the main event: the BMW M Gala dinner hosted by the sexiest parking garage in the world. 1111 Lincoln Road is the artwork of Swiss architects Herzog de Meuron. The structure is full of sculptural details with ceilings height higher than usual parking garages in order to accommodate special events, all against the backdrop of the Art Deco district of downtown Miami.
The gala kicked off with two special, unannounced guests: the all-new BMW M6 Coupe and to everyone’s surprise, M6 Convertible, displayed publicly for the first time. The two super-sporty Ms instantly captured everyone’s attention and a sea of cell phones just popped out of nowhere.
After a dinner prepared by celebrity chef Brian Aaron, the MC of the night, Brian Watts, kicked off the M Sales Awards ceremony where every one of the nearly one hundred top M sales reps from around the world were invited on the stage to receive a special gift: an M matte black, personalized, racing helmet.
The unique gift was the icing on the cake of this exclusive and extraordinary event that shows the appreciation the M Division has for its sales people who in 2011 produced record sales for the company.
The success of the event was ensured by Jeckl.us, a special events and marketing company based in Toronto, Canada.
