Creating an unforgettable Sales & Partner conference for a global innovation leader requires tech and talent. We unlocked both with these three lessons.
Creating a unique, KPI-busting conference is a lot like cooking. On one end of the spectrum, there are the rushed cafe concoctions where the experience is bland or memorable for the wrong reasons. On the opposite side in award-winning restaurants, your taste buds are rewarded with a finely balanced mix of flavour from Michelin-star masters and award-winning chefs. The latter appeals to all the senses and provides a unique, unforgettable adventure. And just like cooking, event success comes down to having the right ingredients and the right talent in the kitchen.
ABB is a global leader in pioneering technologies. This disruptive company challenged the Because team to partner in crafting the 2023 Motion Australia Sales and Channel Partner Conference Event. Team Because were tasked with theming, designing, producing and managing the logistics for the doubled-up event. It was a multi-faceted challenge over three days with several goals, including hosting a cocktail event and gala dinners. There were over 150 VIP guests, a mixture of select ABB employees from international offices and key channel partners. However, most important was this: tearing up the old, tired conference instruction manual and providing something new and innovative – an experience that’s worthy of ABB’s offering and reputation. This couldn’t be a flash in the pan – as the first event partnership with ABB, it needed to start a new tradition of excellence.
Here are the three lessons that helped craft a conference worthy of a Michelin star or two:
1. The recipe for event success starts with a strong concept and an epic venue.
The team skipped passed the traditionally bland activations and half-baked ideas that are common in the conference world, and instead focused on crafting a layered, powerful creative theme based on visionaries to tie into the groundbreaking technology from ABB. For the venue, the team chose two sleek, versatile options that complemented each other and fitted ABB’s high-tech needs perfectly. The first, the Pullman in Albert Park, a super-luxe venue in the heart of the city for the Motion Sales Conference half of the event, and the second, The Park Melbourne, a sophisticated location with lakeside views for the Partner Conference side.
2. Add flavour through entertainment and speaker value.
You can have the glitziest venues and slickest technology, but if you don’t have charismatic, talented speakers, the event’s punch is watered down. This double-sided ABB event had a potent line-up of international industry heavyweights and leaders, and it was all masterfully concluded with a powerful keynote address from the charismatic ex-Australian Basketballer and five-time Olympian Andrew Gaze. We then added two dedicated gala dinners across the two halves of the conference, included a cocktail function for extra celebrations, and kicked off the closing dinner with a brilliant live band. Oh, and we also recruited a talented live sketch artist to capture each day’s insights to create a creative summary sketch for the end of the conference.
3. Pour in plenty of the secret ingredient.
There’s a huge reason why ABB and the Because team work together like fine food and wine pairings: the success of both companies relies on creative technology. So, it just made sense for our team to craft an event with the latest and greatest in event technology. It all started remotely, with two smart microsites that displayed all the event information and allowed attendees to register for the event and select their breakout session preferences. This included images and profiles of all the talented guest speakers. At the venues, there was a carefully curated Expo Zone where attendees could flow through different spaces to learn all about the different ABB motors, drives, and digital technologies in situ, with engaging elements like LED screen animations, VR, strip lighting and more. There was a nifty Selfie Bot to capture colleagues’ memories together, and two ‘Virtual Reality’ zones. That’s where attendees could experience being in an actual water treatment plant and commission drives for increased energy efficiency in operations or view and operate the technology with remote guided assistance from ABB Motion Services workshop personnel located in a whole other state. But that’s not all: there was even a bespoke digital hologram that displayed a suite of ABB’s digital solutions that are taking uptime and productivity to new heights in several industries, such as ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for powertrains. It displayed the solution’s motor, drive, bearing, and cloud-based analytics output in 3D, and it allowed you to discover all the features and angles in motion.
WRAPPING UP:
The success of a conference boils down to one thing: the right partnership of technology and talent. By partnering with ABB, we provided both to help craft an unforgettable event for their global guests, expert local sales and business development team, and invaluable partner network who supply ABB technology to the industry at large. Ready to revolutionise your next event? Hit here to start talking.