A blend of rich culture and outdoor pursuits, the Riviera Maya is a paradise for DMCs. EPIC Group (www.epic.com.mx), based both in Cancun and Los Cabos, runs full programs throughout Rivera Maya.
"There are some wonderful ecological parks like Xcaret. We can take a group on a tour where they get to experience four-wheel-drive vehicles, zip lines and swimming in an underground cenote, which is unique to that part of the Yucatan Peninsula," says Beth Lockwood, international director of sales for EPIC Group. "Groups can also experience a real Mayan family. We take them to a village deep in the jungle where you wouldn’t imagine anyone lives. Groups get to experience life on their land. Indigenous Mayan women prepare a casual and local lunch."
EPIC can also arrange scavenger hunts or organize Survivor-style events in one of the many Mayan communities in the area. The excursions can run for either one night or two and include zip-line adventures and a Mayan ceremony in a cave.
For groups interested in an educational experience, the Survivor outing can eliminate competitions and include instead an afternoon with a Mayan guide learning about the local flora and fauna and medicinal benefits of some of the plants.
Team building can also come in the form of corporate responsibility. Two years ago, ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s visited a primary school in the town of Puerto Morelos that was in dire need of rehabilitation.
Chores included cleaning the playground and painting a surrounding wall that was covered in graffiti.
"They spent the whole day, all 400 kids came with their parents and we had a huge ice cream party," Lockwood recalls. "They also raised money to give the principal of the school to buy computers."
Aside from the eco-parks, EPIC also offers event space in a typical Mexican hacienda, Hacienda la Esperanza, with enough room for up to 1,000 people.
In the city of Playa del Carmen, a number of new restaurants offer group options. La Casa del Agua, located on the main pedestrian walkway Avenida Quinta, specializes in seafood and offers semiprivate areas for groups. Another popular group option is The Glass Bar, featuring Italian-inspired Mediterranean cuisine and able to host up to 70.
EPIC can add tequila tasting and specialty welcome margaritas at many of the restaurants for incentive programs.
The company can also provide costumes, such as sombreros and ponchos for men and roses and serapes for women. Another group option is hosting a dine-around in Playa del Carmen.
The company is also known for its hotel-based theme parties such as a Mayan theme night.
"That’s my personal favorite—the Mayan night theme party—great for either a welcome night or a final night," Lockwood says.
