I’M A CORPORATE CELEBRITY – GET ME OUT OF HERE & DOWN TO THE GRAND!

As the latest line-up of celebrities start to battle it out in the Australian jungle, Eastbourne’s Grand Hotel is offering corporate clients the chance to enjoy a slice of action closer to home.

The five-star hotel has teamed up with East Sussex-based outdoor activity specialist Amazon Events and designed a new experience called Amazon Survival – I’m a Corporate Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. In an action-packed adventure participants are split into different survival camps and have to navigate their way out of the urban jungle and into the Amazon jungle by solving a series of clues.

There are communication hurdles along the way as members of the camps individually lose the ability to see, hear, walk and talk. Once they arrive at the jungle they can spend money collected en route at the all-important rations store before plotting a course to the campsite and starting a fire. In the jungle they have to complete an assault course and search for stars to gain more items for camp survival, and there is the chance someone could be taken hostage.

A group of Grand Hotel staff and invited guests took part in the first Amazon Survival event, which began with a briefing in the boardroom by Amazon Events’ directors Mark Collings and Lisa Playford-Smith before meeting the Amazon Team’s expert survival guides. Kitted out in combat gear they made their way to the jungle, the 90-acre woodland site at Hellingly where the company stages a host of outdoor multi-activity experience days for corporates, stag and hen parties and family groups. The activities can include quad biking, a mud buggy grand prix, combat war games, laser clay shooting, archery, rifle shooting and overnight survival camps.

The Amazon Survival day can be tailored as a team building and corporate day to suit different business needs and physical abilities and if any participants don’t want to take part in a challenge they simply shout: “I’m a corporate celebrity, get me out of here!”

Anyone taking part in the Grand Hotel’s survival day package doesn’t need to worry about camping outdoors as the event includes a sumptuous dinner in a private dining room – where jungle survivors can relive their experience and watch their video diaries – followed by an overnight stay and full English breakfast.

Grand Hotel General Manager, Jonathan Webley, said: “Our guinea pigs had no idea what to expect, but they had a wonderful day out combining plenty of enjoyable, amusing and challenging moments with a real sense of achievement. We are delighted to have formed a partnership with Amazon Events and offer this exciting new experience to our clients.”

Mark Collings said:  “Our partnership with the Grand provides a perfect package for corporate businesses wanting great team building, challenge and fun as well as the thank you and reward to their staff when staying at such a top class hotel.”

The Amazon Survival experience is priced from £225 per person, based on two sharing a room, and includes all activities, dinner, breakfast and use of the Grand Hotel’s leisure facilities for the duration of the stay. For reservations and further information call 01323 412345.