Phil Mickelson’s down-to-the-wire win at the Phoenix Open last week gave him a 41st career title and nearly set PGA Tour scoring records. On hand to savor the victory was Scottsdale-based master agency, PlanetOne Communications, which invited its top sales partners and vendors to “get into the swing of opportunity” at the event for the third year in a row.
PlanetOne once again sponsored a SkyBox at the 16th Hole at the Open. A selection of vendors and PlanetOne agents who reached a $20,000 sales threshold in 2012 qualified to attend the “Greatest Show on Grass,” which took place Jan. 28 – Feb. 3.
“We look forward to rewarding our sales partners every year at our hometown event,” said Lauren Shapiro, president at PlanetOne. “We have a national tournament taking place just down the road from our headquarters, and for us it’s a great way to congratulate and show our appreciation to our partners in one of the nicest places to be in January!”
PlanetOne said that it architects the events to be a mix of entertainment, networking and business-building. “PlanetOne knows how to birdy the hole with an event like this,” said Darren DeMartino, a managing partner at ATC. “It’s the ideal mix of channel executive networking, information-sharing between partners and a chance to relax in the sun in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona.”
It’s also an event that partners say showcases the character and spirit of the company. “There is nothing better! The PlanetOne team are the greatest of hosts/hostesses,” said Greg Howard, co-founder at US Telecom Group. “I feel like I’m hanging out with my friends, who I just happen to do business with. It’s a great feeling and I’m proud to say I do business with PlanetOne.”
Channel executives were in attendance as well. “These types of events are so important for us carriers to get a chance to build relationships with PlanetOne’s top partners in a relaxed environment,” said Chuck Ward, Masergy’s vice president of channel development. “I would summarize the PlanetOne Phoenix Open Event as a ton of fun, lots of laughs, and I introduced some new friends to our channel program. What more can you ask for in an event?”
PlanetOne plans to continue the incentive program this year, bringing channel partners to town for next year’s tournament, which will take place Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2014. The event is part of an ongoing series of events for channel partners throughout the year; it recently kicked off its 2013 Telecom Tour in Denver, and will next head to Long Beach, Calif. on April 30.
“PlanetOne continues to deliver relevant networking opportunities and rewards to its agents, while providing a fun atmosphere to do it in,” said Dale Bohannon, president of IP Distribution Systems. “Partners really are the soul of its business, and they continually demonstrate that.”
“It’s so rewarding for us to not only congratulate our top performers, but also to create an environment for quality relationship-building,” said Shapiro. “Our partners know how to knock the ball down the fairway—and we want to be the wind behind them as they do.”
