Nearly 20 years have passed since Ann d'Eon happened to be in Berlin the night the Wall came down. But the memory is still vivid, even though her business, ADI Meetings & Events, has since taken her to nearly 60 countries and 37 states. ADI specializes in corporate meetings and incentive programs for some of the largest companies in the world.

"I was in Berlin, doing a site inspection with two clients who were thinking about doing an incentive program there," d'Eon recalls. Suddenly, the visitors got word that the Wall was down. "People from East Germany were piling into the West," she says. "It was an extraordinary experience," especially for an entrepreneur whose company vision is "world peace through tourism."

Knowledge and Expertise
While none of d'Eon's subsequent trips have been quite so dramatic, she and her firm have created once-in-alifetime events in Alaska, Wyoming and Hawaii; France, Germany and Hong Kong; Mexico, the Caribbean and many other locations. With more than 125 years' combined event management experience, d'Eon and her team, which expands to 100 during busy seasons, have the knowledge and expertise to meet any organizational or logistical challenge.

Take a recent event for the dealers of snowmobile and ATV manufacturer Arctic Cat. Like many of ADI's incentive programs, this was a family affair. The 2,000 attendees "took over 14 Jackson Hole hotels - and the entire city," d'Eon recalls. "We gave them Arctic Cat dollars with the president's face in the center to spend in area restaurants. We erected a tent, and everyone enjoyed a performance by Jodee Messina and Blake Shelton. It was an amazing event."

Handling Enormous Logistical Challenges With Ease
Sometimes, d'Eon says, the client "needs us to do everything, from incentive or meeting planning to site selection and hotel-contract negotiation to transportation and more. On other occasions, our responsibilities are more limited."

For example, since 2004 ADI has been registering attendees at the largest international jewelry show in the world, the GLW (Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers) show held every February and September in Tucson. This is an enormous job, as the shows typically attract some 56,000 attendees, d'Eon notes.

Fun Is Serious Business
Corporate events may be a lot of fun for attendees, but for d'Eon and her clients they are serious business. "Companies are spending a lot of money to motivate, encourage, reward and communicate with their employees, dealers and customers," she says. "In fact, corporate events are a $77 billion-a-year industry." And, with loyal clients like Arctic Cat, American Suzuki, G&LW and many others, it's no wonder ADI continues to attract a growing share of that business.

As Seen In... Forbes, December 22, 2008