How B2B brands are rewarding VIPs with amusement park takeovers
You’ve gathered your company’s top sellers or clients in one location… what are you going to do next?
For some B2B brands, an iconic ’80s ad is the answer: “We’re going to Disney World!”
As it turns out, theme parks don’t just appeal to kids and consumer audiences; business professionals like to let their hair down, too. And as part of internal events and user conferences, companies are opening up the gates.
Whether it’s to reward top performers, or build on relationships with customers and prospects, brands are buying out destinations like Epcot and Magic Kingdom for an evening, and turning them into platforms for hospitality.
Around the World with Batteries Plus
Batteries Plus has been hosting its annual Sales Achievement Event for franchisees for decades. In 2026, after several years in Las Vegas, the event was moved to Orlando, FL, the theme park capital of the world. And the brand took advantage.
To celebrate its elite sellers, Batteries Plus hosted an afternoon event at Epcot, where the franchisees and their families were let loose for three hours of exploration. With brand leadership positioned around the park at various “countries,” attendees could stop by each station for conversations and complimentary f&b. (Partner: GoGather)
“The point of the [sales event] is to build the culture of the brand internally, recognize our top performing franchisees and their contribution to the brand and the industry, and their own personal successes, and then have a good time,” says Joe Malmuth, chief development officer at Batteries Plus. “We would say: ‘Mission accomplished.’”
Paycom’s Passports and Prizes
Paycom has been part of the Orlando-based SHRM Annual Conference & Expo for more than a decade, but this year, the brand put its money on a decidedly experiential strategy, including a nighttime takeover of Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
Clients (and a plus-one) and invited prospects had free rein of the venue, and spent the evening using their Fast Passes to enjoy the rides, indulging in free f&b and meeting brand ambassador James Marsden.
They could also interact with Disney characters that plugged Paycom’s services; check out branded touchpoints, like a “Toy Story”-themed block installation that spelled out the company’s name; and catch a fireworks show.
“They got experiences that normal Hollywood Studios attendees would have never gotten,” says Jason Bodin, evp-marketing and communications at Paycom. “And we did that not only for our clients, but for our prospects, as well, with branding all over the park in really unique and fun ways.”
In addition, Paycom’s gamified passport experience invited attendees to score stamps and collectible pins at each of its sponsored stops, including the Hollywood Studios event, by interacting with the brand. Those who completed the passport scored prizes.
SAP’s Exclusive Entertainment
The audience at this year’s SAP Sapphire and ASUG Annual Conference Orlando, the company’s flagship event, was in for a conference fairy tale of sorts on the final evening of this year’s show, when the brand bought out the entire Magic Kingdom and hosted a private “Celebration Night” there.
As if the takeover of the massive park weren’t enough for attendees, live entertainment came in the form of an exclusive Dave Matthews Band performance in front of Cinderella Castle.
And a small but important detail: Free shuttle service was available from all official conference hotels to and from the celebration. (Agency: Sparks)
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