Overview

Key objectives were to:

• Find a unique venue that mirrors the culture and brand of the client. The venue also needed to be in the UK and centrally located with good transport links.
• Secure a space that could hold 450 people for an informal street food dinner whilst having a separate space for a dinner dance set-up for the awards ceremony. Unique entertainment and hosts to be provided.
• Stay within a budget of £70,000 plus VAT.

Challenge

There were a number of challenges including:

• Finding a unique venue & centrally located in the UK. This was key to the client’s offices as depots and stores are located nationwide.
• The location also needed to have good hotel stock within walking distance.
• CTM Meetings & Events would also be responsible for arranging a complex coach manifest with delegates travelling from as far afield as Glasgow.
• The venue needs to be able to accommodate an elaborate host of entertainment acts so a venue with high ceiling heights and built-in AV would be advantageous, as this would keep costs low.
• Total costs needed to be more competitive than the incumbent.
• Enhance the delegate registration process. Last year delegates were invited by email which made the process complicated and time-consuming.

Solution

• Location: Leicester, which was centrally located in the UK and had great transport links via the train and road.
• Venue: a converted vintage cinema located within the arts district of the city. The venue had built-in rigging and AV which kept costs contained.
• The venue backdrop allowed us to suggest a full portfolio of acts that had a true wow factor and mirrored the creativity of the brand.
• CTM Meeting & Events contracted one coach company to supply all coaches for the event. This allowed the manifest to be professionally managed through one supplier which kept the cost competitive for the client.
• The team deployed a bespoke, delegate registration website to ensure registration was smooth, whilst providing key event information to attendees.

Results

£10,000 cost savings and a truly “stand out from the crowd” event fulfilling the brief and delivered under budget.

A truly “stand out from the crowd” event, that had the WOW factor that the client was looking for.

Knowing the demographic of attendees, we selected Towie hosts Pete Wicks and James Lock, who wowed the crowd with a fun and informal approach to the awards. The entertainment was equally well-received – with a vintage photo booth that complemented the aesthetic of the venue, sweet trollies, aerial acts performed over dinner and fire performers, grabbing everyone’s attention before the start of the awards ceremony.