Case Studies:Venues Event Management Recognition Dinner

Client:	Various including; BP, Castrol, AXA, Morgan Stanley, WH Smith, BMI Healthcare, National Trust, MAN Truck and Bus, Hyundai, St James’s Place and Honda.
Event:	Recognition Dinner to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of trading for Venues Event Management.
Group Size:	130
Date:	Wednesday 23rd September 2009
Venue:	QHotels Norton Park, Winchester

The Brief

On the 4th September 2009, Venues Event Management celebrated it’s 20th Anniversary of trading. To celebrate the occasion, Venues Event Management wanted to invite a number of key clients - many of whom have been working with us since we began trading - to a gala dinner to recognise their support: past, present and future.

The brief required creating an 'experience' for the guests, rather than just a typical gala dinner. The event also needed to act as a showcase of what we as a Company can do for our clients.

The following elements were also required as part of the brief:

Enlist the support of a network of suppliers to sponsor various elements
To develop an event theme, brand identity and logo
Full delegate management
Online registration and post event evaluation
Full AV production

"As well as thanking our clients for all their support over the last twenty years, this was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate what we do best – events!" says Chief Executive Anita Lowe

Challenges

Venue
The venue needed to have the facilities and space to accommodate a gala dinner for 130 people in a location that was easy to get to for as many of the delegates as possible. The venue also needed to have as broad an appeal as possible.

Production
The event required a set flexible enough to accommodate the various different entertainments planned for the evening, which included sports demonstrations and live opera singers. The AV also needed to acknowledge the sponsors and display the company’s brand and the event theme in all the visuals.

Guests
Create a networking opportunity for the guests as part of the pre-dinner set up so that clients from across Venues Event Management’s entire portfolio could share best practice and their experiences of the industry.

Successfully demonstrating our entire service portfolio was one of the main objectives of the evening in addition to the twenty year celebration.

Solution

QHotels Norton Park in Winchester was selected as the venue for this event. It ticked all the boxes in terms of appeal, standard, size, facilities and location. Having held a number of events there in the past, it had been tried and tested.

Venues Event Management’s preferred production partner AV Network built a tunnel from the reception area into the main room using drapes and LED lighting. This created a little mystery and controlled what the guests saw first. In the main room, AV Network again used drapes and state of the art multi wall projection to create a complete transformation. The projection allowed all of the sponsors to be featured on all four walls simultaneously as well as facilitating video footage of the companies brand mascot, Domino the Dalmatian, who appeared to be running around the room.

A set was built that could accommodate an awards ceremony as well as participant entertainments and a motivational speech.

Execution

Delegates were invited to register on line. As part of this process they were asked to upload a photograph of themselves for a 'who’s who' book which was presented to each guest at check in. All of the event details were on line and every guest was sent a text 24 hours before the event with contact details in the event of any problems.

Guests arrived at their bedroom with a waiter outside offering a choice of beverages. Room drops consisted of environmentally friendly gifts from carbon management company Ethical Nation.

Pre-dinner drinks were served in the open reception area, encouraging networking between guests. Every guest was photographed by team building company Catalyst, for a special commemorative DVD to be presented after the event.

In the main room, Venues Event Management produced all the collateral for the event. This included branded menus, name places, table centres, table names and chair covers. Music consisted of every UK number 1 single from the 4th September (the date in 1989 when we started trading) for the last twenty years.

In between a three course meal, guests were treated to a plethora of special football tricks by Colin Nell from Sports Talent. Next up was an impromptu ‘This is your Life’ presentation to Venues Event Management Chief Executive Anita Lowe. After the presentation of the recognition awards - honouring some of our longest standing clients - guests were treated to a fantastic operatic performance from four piece group, Figaro. Last but not least on the agenda was motivational speaker Mark Denton, skipper for the BT Global Challenge 2000/2001.

Verdict

The event was an enormous success and has already generated nearly £1 million worth of new business enquiries. Below is just a selection of some of the feedback:

"It was a fabulous occasion with superb entertainment, outstanding food and excellent company.

I would also like to thank Venues Event Management for presenting me with the lifetime achievement award, it was totally unexpected but I was really delighted to have been recognised in such a prestigious way.

I have to admit I was extremely impressed with the overall organisation and quality of suppliers involved on the evening. It’s made me seriously question the way I have been managing our events and perhaps my reluctance sometimes to allow Venues Event Management to have more input and control when on the evening they proved what an outstanding capable organisation they are.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to have worked with this company during the last twenty years. The way they have managed our business has been amazing and I was very fortunate to find such a company because at the end of the day, whatever people say it’s about relationships and this is one that’s truly stood the test of time.

I am looking forward to working with Venues Event Management over the next twenty years and continuing to develop our business objectives together."

Martin Pickering
Communications, Events and PR Manager
MAN Truck and Bus Ltd

"It was a fantastic evening at a great venue. It was a complete honour to have been invited and to celebrate Venues Event Management’s success. They have a fantastic team and it is clear their enthusiasm and energy is driven down from the top. I wish them continued future success."

Patrick Ryan
Events and Marketing Manager
AXA PPP Healthcare

"I really enjoyed the evening, especially meeting lots of different people from other industries and also I thought the whole evening went really well. I have worked with Venues Event Management for a number of years now and always find the staff to be both friendly and very efficient in everything they do. I am certain they are very proud of their company's success over the last 20 years and I wish them success for the future."

Neil Tuxworth
Manager
Honda Racing