Wear Your Name Badge

When you arrive at the Hilton Cabo on Wednesday, you'll check-in with both the hotel and with our event crew.  Not only will we make copies of your passport and duty card as we mentioned in an earlier post, but we'll also give you your name badge. And, if you are bringing any significant others along with you, you'll get name badges for all of them too.

Included in the name badge holder, you'll also find an insert that gives you the entire trip's agenda and other important information for you. Please be sure to wear your badges to all company events other than the awards night festivities. It's a great way to identify each other, get to know everyone, and make sure you're never late for an event or activity.

Also, please have your significant other wear their name badge as well so we can get to know them too. That is even more important if they're signed up for our meal plan – the sun printed on their name badge is how we know they are signed up to eat.

Fighting Through the Vultures

Have we mentioned this yet? Yes, this is another warning about the timeshare salespeople at the airport.

Just remember, keep your head down, don't get side-tracked and exit the building.  You'll find our Tropical Incentive reps waiting for you in their Blue Shirt and their off-white khaki pants uniform and a Supplemental Health Care sign.

And, if someone does get in your way...just bust out a Kung Foo Panda move on them!

Important Notice for All Attendees

Despite the cute picture for this blog, this is a serious topic. On Wednesday, during check-in hours at the hotel, we need to make a photocopy of your passport and Duty card that you will get on your flight in.  We need it for all employees and all significant others.

These copies are a Federal requirement and failure to have them for every attendee of our event puts us at risk for serious financial penalties.

We will have a copier available at check-in with team members making copies.  If you are checking in that day, make sure you have those copies made.  If you are arriving early and checking into the hotel before Wednesday, you must bring your passport and duty card to our check-in between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday -- please don't make us have to run you down.

Thanks for your help on this important issue.

Sunset Dinner Cruise

What better way to end the perfect trip to Cabo than to board the SS Supplemental for a sunset cruise up and down the Baja Mexico coast?!

That's right, our casual night party takes on a whole new vibe this year as we all board buses and head down to the Cabo marina on Friday night.  From there we'll climb aboard our private 250-person catamaran and sail our way down the coast. Destination: Lands End and a catered dinner under the stars.

Just because we're cruising doesn't mean we've backed off the fun -- we'll also have our very own live band on-board to keep the party going!

As always, all guests -- employees and significant others alike -- are invited to join us for this incredible night. And, just so you're in the know, we will leave the Hilton at  6:00 p.m. and should return to the hotel at 11:00 p.m. -- can't wait to see you then!

Countdown Has Begun - Ten Days and Counting!

Attention all Clubbers -- with ten days left things are beginning to really pick-up around Clubbing2014. Plans are being finalized, lists are being checked, and final details are being nailed down.

That also means we'll be posting a lot of really important information almost every day. Information that will help make your Clubbing2014 experience a great one.

So, make us a habit -- check the blog to start and end your day and you'll be in-the-know and ready for a great trip!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Meet Your Ambassadors & Event Team

We want your trip to Cabo to be memorable for all of the right reasons!  To help make sure that happens, we have a lot of people there to answer your questions or help you out in case anything comes up.

First, as anyone who has been to a past clubbing event knows, our Ambassadors are the unsung heroes that make things work.

This year is no different. Our Ambassadors will be there to help answer your questions, point you in the right direction, make sure you don't miss any of the fun, and in general, make your trip even more enjoyable. Turn to them anytime you have questions or concerns.

This year our Ambassadors are:

• Jessica Hasbrook, Operations Manager from Supplemental Physicians
• Jamie Haggard, Corporate Assistant from Dallas
• Hossein Dadkah, Director of IT from Park City

It should be pretty easy to spot them -- just look for people who have shirts on with big Clubbing2014 logos on them.

In addition to our Ambassadors, you can always turn to our Clubbing Event Team for help too:

• Mike Dunagan
• Jeanette Brown
• Ryan Richards
• Alex Acton
• Sue Hoch

See you in Cabo!

Transportation Hiccups

Of course, nothing would ever go wrong on travel day, right?!

But just in case, we want to make sure you know who to contact in case Murphy were to make an appearance while you're on your way to Cabo!

So, check out the Travel Information that is now listed in the right hand column under the weather widget. We'll keep these numbers on the site so you can easily find them at any time.  My advice -- go ahead and put them in your phone before you leave for Cabo.  Sometimes every minute counts when you're trying to work out travel hiccups!

One important note -- these numbers are only for travel issues you might run into during your flight to Cabo or your SHC arranged ground transportation from the airport.

A Sneak Peak at the Big Week

Ok, so it's not a full week -- I liked the rhyme so sue me!

That being said, as we move into the next to last weekend before Clubbing, we thought you might enjoy a quick look at some of the highlights of our agenda….and a guide to what to wear for each.

Wednesday Evening – Welcome Dinner:  Business Beach Casual – shorts are fine, just keep it nice

Thursday Morning – Supplemental Scavengers: Beach Casual – we’ll be inside and outdoors this year, so cool shorts and t-shirt are fine

Thursday Evening – Awards Night:  Our formal event, think appropriate dresses and suits

Friday Morning – Excursions: Check out the earlier blog for what to wear based on your excursion

Friday Afternoon – Shark Tank Workshop: Back to business beach casual

Friday Night – Sunset Dinner Cruise and Party:  Keep it casual and cool as we head out on the SS Supplemental catamaran for fun, food and incredible views!

Saturday Morning - Shark Tank Closing Session: Comfortable business beach casual for the session and your trip home.

Bottom line and when in doubt, dress for hot weather and fun times!

Phone & Internet - Important Information

Obviously, Mexico is a foreign country, so in addition to needing passports, there are a few things to be aware of as it relates to cell phones and internet usage.

First, cell phone calls and text messages are more expensive!  If you have a Verizon cell phone, here are what the charges will be:

        >  Standard Rate per Minute: $0.99

        >  Rate per Message Sent: $0.50

        >  Rate per Message Received: $0.05

        >  Pay per Use Rate: $0.005/KB (5.12/MB)

If you have an AT&T cell phone:
  > Voice: $30 plus $0.38 per minute for first 80 minutes
  > Messaging: $10.00 plus $0.20 per message for the first 50 messages
  > Data: $0.0195KB ($19.97/MB)

If you have a 3G Verizon phone, you will need to dial *228 and choose Option 2 before you leave for Cabo to update your roaming options.  If you have a 4G phone, you don't have to do anything -- your phone updates automatically.

It does not take long to run up a very large bill, so please be careful with your phone.  If you don’t use Verizon, we strongly recommend that you check with your carrier to see what charges will apply.  Please use email (see below) as your primary means for communicating with your office, clients, talent, etc.

Wireless internet is also very expensive and very spotty.  As part of our agreement, high speed internet in your room is complimentary and should be used at all times.  Please do not use your wireless connections while in Cabo.

Fun Facts to Know About Cabo

Spanish settlers, pirates, gold mining, ancient native groups, lands end and shipwrecks all make up the colorful history of Los Cabos.  Located at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Cabo marks the dividing line between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez -- and is marked by one of the most famous geographic land marks in the world: Land's End.

Cabo is located 1,000 miles south of San Diego and actually sits on the same latitude line as Salt Lake City. It's striking desert terrain (Baja Desert) and pristine beaches have made it the second most sought after destination in the world.

Given the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the warming tendencies of the Sea of Cortez, Cabo enjoys near-perfect weather.  Temperatures should run in the high 80's to the low 90's while we're there, and -- with luck -- we should enjoy beautiful sunny days and tropical nights!

Finally, Cabo is one of the great whale watching sites in the world...unfortunately the best time for viewing is from January to March when the gray whales make their 6,000 mile journey from Alaska to the warm waters of the Baja California Sur.

What to Pack for Cabo

With only sixteen days before Clubbing2014 in Cabo starts (wow, hard to believe), it's a good time to start considering what you need to make sure to include in your packing for the event.  In no particular order, here are a few things we suggest:

1. Your passport - forget it and you never get to go past GO
2. Your bathing suit, after all we are at a beach resort!
3. Chargers for your laptop, cell phone, iPod, etc.
4. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen...don't let sunburn ruin your trip
5. Any medications and prescriptions you might need -- don't risk being without
6. Appropriate clothes for your excursion -- most important, great walking shoes for sightseeing!
7. Some cash, but you can get money from ATMs there , and yes, everyone takes U.S. currency
8. Cool clothes...as in weather, not style (though cool style is good too)
9. Your regular plug-in appliances, you don't need any special converter plugs
10. Your PASSPORT...I know I said it already, but it's really important

Hope this helps and see you in Cabo!

What to Wear, What to Wear?

The eternal question - you're going to spend a few days at a spectacular beach resort in Mexico...but, it's a business event too.  How do you dress for that?  

Well, here’s your answer. You’re going to Cabo! Pull out your shorts, your bathing suit, your light weight shirts and stay cool! It will be “good taste” beach casual for this trip, with the only exception being the Awards Cocktail Party and Banquet, which is still formal – dresses, suits, tuxes, etc.  

Now remember, you’ll be around people you work with and you don’t want to be “that person” who is the talk of the event, but it will be hot!  So dress cool, dress smart and don’t sweat it!

Beware of Vultures

We LOVE Cabo.  We really do.  It's almost perfect...in fact there's really only one thing that we dislike, getting out of the airport when you arrive!

Honestly, getting through immigration, baggage claim and customs is easy.  It's once you've cleared customs that is the issue -- that's when you enter the final room before exiting the building to get to transportation.This is the room that has no one other than Time Share salespeople...and by salespeople, I mean Vultures!!

These people are cunning, conniving, convincing liars.  They will tell you anything to get you to stop.  They will tell you they are with our transportation company (a lie).  They will tell you that they will call you a taxi (a lie).  They will tell you they went to school with your Mom and Dad (a lie). Their job is to stop you and get you over to their sales desk.

The solution is easy: once you get your bags and pass through the final customs check, keep walking until you exit the building.  Ignore them.  Be rude if necessary.  But keep going.  It's that simple.

Planning on a Little Retail Therapy?

So, one of the great things about traveling to Cabo is the opportunity to enjoy some serious shopping time.  Whether you're talking local wares or top-end retail merchandise, Mexico -- and San Jose and Cabo specifically -- offer an amazing variety of tempting treats.  Nuts, even the airport offers duty-free shopping.

That being said, there are a couple of things you might want to do before the big trip hits. First, check out the U.S. duty-free regulations so you'll know exactly what to expect when you come back through customs. Then is not the time you want to discover that the local Tequila Store owner was a little fuzzy on what is allowed.

Also, if you're going to use your credit cards while on the trip, you might want to give your credit card company a call before you leave and let them know you're traveling to Mexico.  Some will put a hold on your account if they suddenly get a charge request from a foreign country.

And, as you should do every month, check your monthly statement when you get back to make sure there are no surprises to be found.

Shark Swimming in Cabo

That’s right, this year in Cabo you’re all going to be shark bait! 

On this year’s VOA survey, SHC employees gave us hundreds of suggestions on ways the company can improve.  The SMT has reviewed those suggestions and narrowed the list to the top ideas and grouped those recommendations into fifteen over-arching topics. 

Now we're turning to you -- our top managers and producers -- to help us develop the best ideas into new programs that will help us improve as a company.  Best of all, your ideas will be presented to the SMT in our Saturday closing session during our first annual Supplemental Shark Tank.

Each of you has been assigned to a shark tank team and will hear from your team lead in the next week or so to get things rolling!  Thanks for you help and see you in the Tank!

Friday is Excursion Day at Clubbing2014

Get ready for a great time on Friday morning in Cabo -- because it doesn't matter what you decided to do during Excursion Time, you're going to have FUN!

Curious to know which excursion you ended up with?  Then check out the tab above called Excursions and you'll see the whole list. So are you headed to Cabo for a little wabo and shopping time?  Relaxing in the spa?  Headed to San Jose for a taste of Baja mexico?

The great news, it doesn't matter. Because regardless of how you're spending the morning, the rules are simple -- dress casual and cool (weather, not necessarily fashion wise), have a blast, and enjoy the experience of playtime in paradise!

How Much?!

So, it's pretty easy to get confused when shopping in Cabo, since almost all stores and shops show their prices in Pesos...which makes a lot of sense since these cents are in Mexico.

In fact, while visiting the Hilton earlier this year we overheard a 10-year old boy, with a very nervous voice, ask the clerk at the hotel store if the candy bar he had just charged to his room really had been $20.  She told him no, that it was about $1.50 in U.S. dollars.  "Thank goodness," the boy replied, "my mom would have killed me!"

So, when shopping, always ask if the price is in pesos or U.S. dollars.  Today, one peso is worth .077 dollars, making a dollar worth about 13 pesos.  A quick trick that will help give you a rough idea of the price is to move the decimal point to the left one position...so if the price tag says 25.00, move the decimal to the left and you know that it is in the neighborhood of U.S. $2.50.

It's not exact (25 pesos = $1.92), but it will give you a rough idea without having to pull out your calculator!

Ground Transportation!

Hi all, please be aware that all Clubbing attendees arriving on Wednesday, August 6^th will have ground transportation from the Cabo airport to the Cabo Hilton provided.   As always, you will see our Clubbing representatives as you exit the airport.

For guests arriving early and staying at the Hilton Cabo, you will be responsible for your own transportation to the hotel.

For guests arriving early and staying at a property other than the Hilton Cabo, you will be responsible for both your ground transportation from the airport to the property where you are staying prior to August 6^th and from that property to the Hilton Cabo.  Please arrive at the hotel on 8/6 between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. that afternoon.

Get to Know Your Top Winners

Did you know that Rick Majors is a reality show junkie?  Or that Karl Lewis left his wife's delivery room for
his phone interview with us!

We didn't until we read their bios!  Take a few minutes to get to learn more about our President's Club and Chairman's Award winners.  Their bios can be found under the appropriate tabs above.  Who knows, you might just learn something that will help put you in these exclusive clubs next year!

Hilton Los Cabos

Get ready to spend four days at one of the top resort properties in Cabo and the top rated Hilton in Mexico and the Caribbean: the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

This beautiful property is our host for Clubbing2014.  From their stunning views to their beautiful decor and accommodations, this property is the crown jewel of the Hilton chain.  Perfectly located between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, the Hilton Los Cabos gives us the best of all worlds: a fabulous pool, the best beach for swimming in Cabo and a fantastic backdrop for our fun and festivities.

Want to learn more?  Click HERE to visit their website!

Don't Be Shy

Ok, we understand that not everyone loves having their photo taken, but we want to have a picture of all Cabo attendees to be on the employee photo page on the Knowledge Web.

That way, you can all check each other out before you head down to Mexico...after all, how embarrassing would it be if you found out the person sitting next to you on your flight was heading for Clubbing too and you didn't know it.

So, if you haven't sent in a picture to Jeanette Brown before, do it now.  Otherwise, we might have to dig around online for a picture...and who knows what we might find!  A quick selfie might just save a lot of embarrassment down the line.

Happy July 4th!

America's Independence Day -- a day where we all take a break for cookouts, parades, fireworks and to celebrate our hard-earned independence with family and friends.  We hope you're having a great one!!

July 4th also means we're only 33 days away from the start of clubbing 2014 in Cabo.  In honor of our Mexican destination, do you know when Mexico's independence day is?  Nope not Cinco de Mayo on May 5th.
 
Actually, September 16th is El Grito de la Independencia (The Cry of Independence) celebrating Mexico's independence from Spanish rule won in 1810.

Have a safe and fun 4th and remember to check this blog every day for important updates -- with just over a month to go, we'll be posting more and more information.

What's Coming Up?

It's time to swim with the sharks at this year's Clubbing event!

The good news is, this has nothing to do with the warm, gentle waters of the Sea of Cortez.  The even better news, is that it has everything to do with you contributing to the growth and continued success of the company.

One of the suggestions from the VOA survey was that many of you would like to see Clubbing used to not just play in the sun and sand, but to also give back to the company -- to find a way to use it for learning or participating in developing future direction for the company.

Well, we loved the idea...but we still have to give it a fun, "Clubbing" kind of twist, so get ready for the first annual SHC Shark Tank competition.  You'll be hearing more about this in the next week or so, but in a nutshell, this is your chance to help determine where we invest future resources to improve the company based on the VOA suggestions received a month or so ago.

It's going to be a lot of fun...and a great way take part in our ongoing improvement as a company.