THE CHALLENGE
BMSA deliver a national sales conference annually. The conference theme and content needs to inspire, motivate and educate the teams, while aligning to the current global priorities for the organisation. The conference program comprises plenary sessions, tailored breakout programs for departments and their bi-annual awards night. The venue for the conference is very important – it needs to fit multiple meeting room configurations but also offer an attractive and rewarding destination that makes the attendees feel appreciated and valued. Creative content that promotes an authentic and empathetic response is essential, as is consideration for the local community where the conference is being held.
LOCATIONS:
Throughout Australia – name a city or large town and it’s likely I have delivered an event there!
THE SOLUTIONS
Over the numerous conferences delivered there were many highlights, a few are touched upon here:
- The Gala Awards Dinners – these events always wowed! One of my most memorable was Celebrate the Stars Awards Night whereby all of the guests became the ‘stars of the show’. Guests were greeted by ‘papparazzi’ on arrival, and led backstage via the stage door. The dinner setting was on the stage, with tables elegantly adorned in deep red velvet, silver and florals. The presentation screens and stage were built out over the auditorium seating, so guests really felt like the stars of the show. Other award nights created a hidden garden of Eden world, adorned with vines and tropical plants and Hollywood Oscars, complete with grand staircases and golden couture.
- Community engagement activity – as part of the conferences’ sustainability plan, we created bespoke experiences for delegates to give back to the visited community – this is authentic team building, encouraging altruism. Delegates would split into small teams, and were sent out to 5 different community groups or charities. The charities supported homelessness, domestic violence, health priorities, indigenous communities, youth social work, aged/childcare or animal shelters. The activity would always push the delegates to think about others and to work together toward a final goal/achievement/produced outcome.
- Event companion/conference app – with the natural evolution of personal devices for work, it made sustainable sense to create a dedicated event app for the yearly conference. The use of the app allowed for easy communication of last minute program changes, notifications to delegates, and easy collection of live feedback for each session. In addition, it provided a confidential social platform where delegates could share their photos and comments, and connect with one another, within the secure confidential space of the event, reducing the risk of sensitive data and content being shared.
OTHER CORPORATE EVENTS: BMSA Annual National Sales Conferences (3yrs for Jack Morton; 1 for Bunch; 1 for DBL Events); Telstra Licensee & Partners Annual Conferences (3yrs Jack Morton); Telstra Business roadshows (2yrs Jack Morton); CEO Awards Masterclass (Jack Morton); Microsoft (as required); Dell and Intel workshops (Forum Group Events); Ipsen National Conference (Bunch and Ipsen direct); XeroCon (Stage manager for INVNT); Vale sponsorship stand (Nectar CC)
