Every productive event begins with a solid plan. When the event is recurring, it is especially critical to take a step back with fresh eyes. That is exactly what AlliedPRA did this year to craft and deliver its annual event. AlliedPRA team members from across the system came together in New Orleans for a three-day brand experience, created by the very same people who plan unique experiences for the organizations AlliedPRA serves day in and day out. What a concept!

Design Approach:

First, we listened. We reviewed our audience members’ survey feedback coming out of last year’s event. We then got current, executing a short survey around the identified business priorities that were launched early in 2016. With that understanding, we designed an experience to address the mindset of the team, and underscore the priorities of the business going forward.

The event was given a fresh brand identity that will evolve from year to year around the contract concept of coming together as a company.

AlliedPRA Together 2016

Dream. Do. Become.

Over a few months, a core event team at AlliedPRA planned and produced an event that was unlike anything AlliedPRA had ever experienced before.

Experience: 

With a data–driven design approach, we crafted an event in New Orleans that covered tremendous ground for AlliedPRA.

Design elements included:

• A surprise welcome from our Founder, Patti Roscoe.
• A session on the importance of the design experience, and how it solves so many strategic challenges in our clients’ business.
• Industry leaders with an informed and fresh perspective on our sector and our company.
• Opportunities for team members to accelerate their own personal brands.
• A technology launch that brought cheers from the crowd!
• A launch of our corporate philanthropic initiative around literacy.
• Moments centered on our culture as a company throughout the event.
• Recognition of our peers for extraordinary performance in a record setting year for AlliedPRA.
• We even managed to experience a giant bite of New Orleans with our own second line parade!

  

  New Orleans AlliedPRA Together Meeting

Experience:

Our objective was to immerse our team in an experience with the local flair we deliver to our engagements. We started the experience in the weeks before arrival, getting everyone excited about New Orleans through weekly recommendations of how to “Eat, Drink, See, Listen, and Talk like a Local.”

The same touches introduced in the pre-event communications were then made evident at the meeting itself.

Together 2016 attendees now talk about New Orleans with their clients through a lens made possible by experiences they had during the program.

Our final night ended with an extraordinary event at the World War II National Museum to recognize our team of outstanding professionals for their hard work and contributions throughout the year, symbolic to the heroic efforts of our veterans, and an even bigger  greater mission in our year to follow.

There are multiple approaches to meeting design. What works best for you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Ready to plan your next meeting? Click here to get started.