An occasion to remember

What makes an event truly memorable? Leading marketers were asked about the most successful events they have organised and attended. By James Luckhurst

Imagine asking 80 people to an outdoor event in November. Taking a bit of a gamble? Probably. That’s what marketing consultant Josie Jordan could be forgiven for thinking as she stuffed envelopes and kept her fingers crossed for a half-decent turn out. So, when 78 out of 80 actually turned up on the day, she was more than a little pleased.

“That was by far my most successful event – a high-profile launch for Drive Smarter, an online driving safety initiative. We worked hard to target invitations to the right people within a wide range of organisations. Fleet managers came, so did safety and HR professionals, and the end result was an opportunity for my client to make a really big noise without breaking the bank,” she says.

“I think there were three factors that went in our favour. First was venue choice – the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in Berkshire may sound a little old fashioned to the uninitiated, but its facilities were second to none and we were able to piggy-back off its reputation as a serious player in road safety. Many guests came simply because of the venue. “Second was the theme for the day. We decided to launch Drive Smarter within a conference- style event where guests would have plenty of time to network, as well as collecting a variety of useful information on forthcoming changes in the law,” she continues.

Timing it right
“Last was the timing. Offering a relevant day out of the office is one thing, but I’m sure that making it a Friday and ensuring it was over by mid afternoon did something to boost attendance and minimise last-minute absentees,” she adds.

Venue choice is everything for T-Mobile in their annual Street Gigs, where the company seeks to increase profile and visibility using the latest acts in “unbelievable locations, creating incredible live performances that are intimate and totally unique”.

These performances are then screened exclusively on the Channel 4 music programme, Transmission T4. Previous gigs have included The Strokes, The Rakes, Dizzee Rascal, Hot Chip, Basement Jaxx and The Streets. T-Mobile customers sign up online to be notified via email of the latest gig, enabling them to apply for guest list tickets.

Creating atmosphere
A T-Mobile gig gave the events team at the Science Museum an opportunity to showcase the museum to a very different audience and demonstrate that they could even create a nightclub atmosphere in the venue. The gig was held on Level Two, with pre-gig drinks in the Wellcome Wing, with its three-tier balconies above the ground floor, uplit tables and effective dark blue lighting.

As for the detail, mad scientists served cocktails in test tubes, while moonwalkers on stilts entertained the invited guests and a sevenfoot robot guided them through the museum to the gig. Level Two was transformed with planets hanging from the ceiling and video projections showing the band’s album artwork and space-themed images behind the stage.

Prior to the gig, the New Young Pony Club were interviewed in Deep Blue, a very distinctive seating area within the Wellcome Wing, by MTV and NME, among others, and coverage of the gig and band interviews were featured on Channel 4 music programme Transmission, and broadcast to a million viewers plus.

The importance of location
The Science Museum received positive feedback from everyone, including the Channel 4 production team and T-Mobile. Caroline Jones, of Miss Jones & Co, the creative agency responsible for choosing the venue, said, “The Science Museum was an amazing space for a T-Mobile Street Gig. Our brief is to identify unusual locations and bring them to life through music and entertainment. We were able to use different areas of the museum and theme it with entertainers, which enabled us to design a ‘journey’ for the guests, with a gig at the end of it.

“Working at the Science Museum was a real pleasure. The team’s attention to detail was second to none. They became part of our TMobile Street Gigs production team with ease. We had a great turnout and the audience loved it,” adds Jones. Any event that takes a guest into otherwise inaccessible territory is usually a sure-fire formula for success. Lyn Morris, a transport consultant, recalls a recent dinner at the House of Commons. “There was I, a very insignificant figure, seated next to motoring celebrity Quentin Willson, putting the UK’s road system to rights,” she says. “Under normal circumstances, I would never dream of sitting down to dinner at Westminster, so the whole experience was unforgettable.”

Lunch on the Orient Express worked in a similar way for Sally Marshall, marketing manager with Finenco, a Finnish metals and mining company. “We were invited out for the day by the sales team at Finnair,” she says. “There was some element of mystery, as they would only tell us that we would be going on a ‘training’ day. Quite what we needed training for was beyond me, but since we had a good relationship with them, I trusted my contact there that it would be worthwhile.

“We guessed what was happening when we arrived at Victoria Station, and we were soon comfortably on board the beautiful old train for a nostalgic day of gourmet eating, as we chugged through the Kent and Sussex countryside. I never quite managed to grasp what relevance this had to Finland, but it was their way of saying thank you for the considerable business we were putting through them, and I think it worked very well.”

The perfect event Tips for ensuring your event goes as well as possible:

• Make sure your supplier has a good track record of delivering successful events. Don’t be afraid to look for references, quotes etc. A company worth their salt should have those easily available
• Meet the supplier face to face, rather than doing business and agreeing a deal over the phone – face to face opens up much more detail
• When choosing an event, make sure the activity suits your requirements. Before you contact a supplier, decide what you want to achieve and why you’re having that event. If you understand what you’re trying to achieve, then you can ask the right questions
• Venue is all important. Negative comments from guests are most often venue-based, particularly where food is concerned, and this alone can let down what would otherwise have been a highly successful day

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