creative & management consultancy

We were asked to create an end-to-end, three-day event to launch what was being billed as the “World’s largest startup.” Not only would it have to be innovative, engaging and memorable, but as attendees would be travelling from all corners of the globe, we’d need to accommodate function and regional meetings, alongside the main event. On top of that, we’d need to create informal networking and collective socialising moments for over three hundred people.

Our starting point was to examine the UX: at the end of the event, what journey would attendees have been on, and how would they feel? That drove every design principle, from welcoming guests on arrival, to the design of the main space and facilitating breakout meetings. 

Arrival: We didn’t want to allow guests to check-in alone or leave impersonal ‘room drops’ for them. Instead, we wanted to bring them together at the first opportunity. Recognising they’d be arriving at different times, from different countries, I researched how different cultures welcome guests. From that we created a rolling welcome ceremony: ritualised, intimate, personal, short but sincere, where everyone was welcomed with food, drink and words. Thanked for travelling to be there, gifted objects that would be of use during the event and given their room keys. This set the tone for the overall event: We see you. We value you. 

Main space: how could we help accelerate their vision of what their organisation was capable of? Well, we decided to recreate the plenary space every day into an entirely different setting, reflecting their proposed values, playing with expectations of the possible. 

Meeting: rather than just rely on drinking and dining as networking moments, we took a more active approach. We offered attendees the opportunity to upskill: create an inhouse band from scratch; join a choir; learn, (or advance their) yoga; perfect their presentation skills in storytelling session… From early morning to late into the night, everyone had the opportunity to join in as, and when, they wished. Even those who facilitated business meetings transformed into the house band at night. 

For one function meeting we created a “Dine in the Dark” experience where they could experience their products in a new way, by heightening their senses, whilst for one regional group we created a scavenger hunt. By physically exploring the historic & geographic influences on the location, we invited them to explore which of their cultural values they would “stop, start and continue”. Each item they brought back was then tied to a kinetic sculpture we’d had made for them – a model of an iconic city landmark – that would subsequently adorn the lobby of their office.

From arriving to leaving, we thought about every moment and how we wanted attendees to feel appreciated, involved and enthused. Feedback was phenomenal and the company launched in style.