LightBulb Teams?travel from Holywood (Co Down) to Hollywood (Florida) for Merck Animal Health Event
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January 13, 2023
The team at Merck Animal Health invited keynote speaker David Meade and Lightbulb Teams to the Hollywood Diplomat Hotel in sunny Miami to deliver one of his powerful and thought-provoking keynotes followed by the Lightbulb Water Works team building activity.
The purpose of the Water Works initiative is to challenge ordinary participants across the world to work together to help build water filters that can save lives of individuals and entire communities in the developing world. Empathy and emotional intelligence are at the heart of this session.
The room was full of excitement, with over 800 delegates from across the US that had come together in Miami for their annual conference. Through teamwork and personal resolve delegates worked together for just over 1 hour to build 215 life changing water filters, which we soon be on their way to being distributed throughout Africa, South America, and Asia. 
The Lighbulb Team spoke to few of the delegates after the Water Works team building experience and the feedback received was phenomenal! One group found it, ‘Extremely humbling and a great reminder of how fortunate we are and we don’t even realize it.’
After completing the team build, delegates are asked to write a dedication card and design the front of the water filters, which will be given to the recipient. Each box has a unique tracking number, and teams can follow online where the water filter is received along with a photo of the family who have gained one of these life changing water filtration systems, outlining the full evolution of the water filter journey.
Another member of the Merck Animal Health team stated on completion of the programme, ‘We loved the process. It is wonderful to think about the impact these water filters have on the lives of others.’
The full session takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, which includes a compelling keynote from David which we co-author with you, to include your company strategy and future goals. 
Commenting on the event David said: “We’ve been so lucky to work with Merck throughout the years, and the whole Lightbulb Team have enjoyed meeting the Animal Health division and delivering the Water Works Programme. It’s an amazing way to bring teams together, while showing true determination.
“The room was electric as over 800 delegates worked together to build the life changing water filters, and the feedback we have received makes it all worthwhile. To see the guys around the room working together to achieve something extraordinary is incredible. We have had a fantastic time meeting everyone at Merck and I want to thank Scott and Tom for their generosity and hospitality towards my team while we were in Miami”
Lightbulb Team have now returned home, after spending time with the lovely people at Merck. Even though the team have been involved in many team building programmes, each one is different, and they were all humbled by the spirit of the delegates at the event. The team left the event in great spirits and delighted to have been a part of the experience! This delegate from Merck summed it up perfectly, ‘Super humbling & moving! Teary eyed in our group at moments but we feel fulfilled that we can help folks so much less fortunate than ourselves. I love this initiative that you’ve put together, David. Fantastic.’
While this event was an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, it also allowed for a chance to pause and reflect. The Water Works programme will live on in the minds of your team for many years to come. People will never forget that they have built lifesaving water systems for people in desperate need on the other side of the world.