Herculean effort at Sevens Stadium as UAE ... - Hercules Trophy

Bayt.com, the number one job site in the Middle East, entered four teams into the Hercules Trophy
as a way of strengthening cross-departmental relationships and communication. Rabea Ataya, CEO
of Bayt.com, said: “It’s allowed our people to interact on a very different level and has been a great
way for us all to break out of our shells and really get to know the people we work with. We’re a
people organisation so investing in events like the Hercules Trophy is really important in making our
staff feel admired and respected.”
Brian Britnor, Global Account and GSP Sales Manager for FedEx, echoed Ataya’s comments. “FedEx is
a people first company so we always try to recognise, appreciate and motivate our staff. The
Hercules Trophy was an excellent event in which everyone could participate. The internal motivation
and team spirit was just fantastic and we’ll be able to transfer that spirit back to our workplace.”
According to Yves Vekemans, Founder and President of Hercules Trophy, the vibe and competitive
spirit of the UAE event was even stronger than that experienced in Belgium, the home market for
the tournament for the past 12 years.
“What is striking is that we have so many cultures participating in the UAE event. It’s amazing to see
so many people come together through the camaraderie of sport. Not many events appeal to so
many cultures and companies,” he said.
“We’re currently expanding Hercules Trophy to Singapore, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and New York,
but after the success of today, we feel Dubai has what it takes to be the new home ground for the
tournament. It really is the mecca of sports meets entertainment meets business,” he added.
Commenting on the success of the inaugural Hercules Trophy UAE, Hazel Jackson CEO of biz-events
said: “We really couldn’t have asked for a better result. The enthusiasm of participants and their
supporters was more than we could have anticipated. We’ve had the perfect crew working on this
event, putting together the perfect sports for our UAE audience. Everything ran like clockwork.
People are already asking us when they can sign up for next year, so I think we can expect a bigger
and better Hercules Trophy in 2012.”
Notes to Editors
-Ends-
About Hercules Trophy:
Founded in 2000 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 one of the
most anticipated international teambuilding and networking events in Europe, attracting more than 15,000
people from 500 companies to date. In addition to Belgium, Hercules Trophy events are also run in Spain and
the Netherlands, with the UAE scheduled for launch in February 2011.
Hercules Trophy was created by 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 all their
employees. Recognising 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 ‘labours’ 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.
Media Contacts:
Louise Mezzina
Mojo PR
Tel: +971 50 343 8223
e-mail: louise@mojo-me.com
Payal Keswani
Mojo PR
Tel: +971 50 7707 635
e-mail: payal@mojo-me.com