"Spain? Awesome. Yes!"

When my CCO, Fabio Orlando,  asked me if I wanted to go to Spain to participate in the 2011 BBN Academy, my first reaction was "Spain? Awesome. Yes!"

I have to admit that I was a bit selfish at first as I pictured myself in the streets of Madrid, touring the Prado Museum and people-watching in Peurta del Sol. Fabio quickly brought my head back down to earth as he explained what the Academy was all about and how I and tag/BBN Canada would benefit form this gathering. As much as Fabio, or anybody for that matter, could extol the virtues of such an opportunity, it all falls short of actually being there, experiencing it and, more importantly, participating in a conversation about our industry on a global scale.

It all started with a very friendly meet-and-greet on the Wednesday night, and a drink or two… or more. I immediately sensed a great vibe from all those participating and I knew right away that I was mingling with a very intelligent bunch. We quickly got things moving the next day with very intense and fast-paced learning sessions regarding the BAM model, the new Contact Strategy model and my personal favourite, being that I'm a creative, the Big Long Idea. After what seemed like an epic 12 hour day of absorbing new content and climbing a small mountain (literally), any ideas of this being a cushy working vacation had all but vanished, but I was already beginning to see the value in the offering, the touristy stuff could wait.

It was also great to see some balance to our day as we all participated in a hike and were treated to a beautiful view and a tasty spread at the top of the hill. I have to say that I was quite impressed by the determination shown by Norina Jones, from BBN Canada, who hobbled up that small mountain on a severely sprained ankle, you go girl!

Day two saw our team of 8 multi-disciplined individuals from around the world come together to apply the key learnings from day one.

All I'm going to say here is that what all four groups pulled off, in extremely short order, was nothing short of spectacular. Then again this is usually what our industry demands of us and so I guess you could say we all felt at home. Speaking of feeling at home, that's exactly how our gracious hosts at La Finca El Bosque in Madrid made us feel, including the phenomenal culinary offering they put on display for us BBNers.

We wrapped up the event that same night with a great tapas style dinner and traditional Flamenco dancing to which Fabio and Gabi Armstrong (our VP) seemed to pick up quickly. After working so intensely and closely with a diverse group of individuals from around the world it was nice to let loose a bit and get to know everyone on a more personal level. It was during this final night together that I realized what I had experienced over the last two days, the true value of BBN's offering, its people. Suffice to say that the next morning was a bit foggy for some of us.

If BBN Academy 2011 is any indication of what is yet to come, all I have to say is count me in, for all the right reasons and the touristy ones too!