WITH ambitious targets set for its 2024 financial year, corporate giant Red Stripe suspended its operations for three days to host a strategy immersion retreat for all employees.

The company shuttled its 227 team members to the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa in Hanover for its annual Evergreen Strategy Retreat and Employee Recognition event.

Inspired by the beer brand’s multimillion-dollar partnership with the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), and in anticipation of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the presentations featured athletic-inspired content and a competitive approach to how it will deliver this year.

“We are Red Stripe, we are one strong team, and yes, this is a special year, it is an Olympic year with many opportunities. And we are on a mission, a mission in a very special year, and of course, we are going for gold and glory,” said Red Stripe Managing Director Daaf van Tilburg as he panned the large crowd to acknowledge his hard-working team and referenced their partnership with the JOA.

“I have full confidence that we can make this a fantastic year. We are the team that brews the joy of true togetherness. We are coming from a place of strength. We have a strong team with very strong brands, great partnerships, [and] a beautiful brewery. We are a top trusted company and have a very strong strategy for 2024. But we still need to get stronger every day because competition is fierce,” he added.

With more than 100 years of operation under its belt, numerous awards and accolades Red Stripe has consistently engaged its employees in its strategic planning process through robust internal communications informed by data-driven insights and people engagement at its core.

“We have always done it differently. Many companies stop their strategic plans with mid-level management, and it doesn’t cascade to the wider employee population, but we have seen consistently at Red Stripe that this type of employee engagement works and helps us to drive a high-performance culture. It gives employees a sense of ownership across all levels and fosters transparency and inclusivity,” shared Judon Bowden, Red Stripe’s head of human resources.

The retreat also included a strong focus on customers as key stakeholders and enablers for success in 2024.

Red Stripe team members spent the first of the three days with customers in the trade. Day two began with a strategy discussion hosted by veteran broadcaster and athletics commentator Neville Bell, who facilitated an engaging conversation with the company’s management team.

Built around an athletic theme, the presentations aimed to ignite a sense of pride among the company’s employees, celebrated phenomenal achievements so far and inspired hope for the future.

Following the presentations, team building activities pulled out the competitive spirit of employees who brought vibe and energy while demonstrating that behaviour will drive success. The day ended with an elegant dinner and awards ceremony where staff members dined, chatted, accepted awards, and cheered for their colleagues just before heading to the ballroom for an after-party.

“We came to strategise and fight for every single consumer and customer to continue having great experiences with us. With great campaigns, great services, events, creativity, the best quality, and a team of employees who care and feel cared for, we will continue celebrating with each other, work even harder, and improve our strategy so that together, we cannot be beaten,” asserted van Tilburg.