Corporate Parties And How We Do Them

It is well known in our office that Alyssa, our senior planner, is a big fan of corporate parties! She absolutely loves working with clients to understand their needs and wants, and then plans an event that knocks their socks off.  Weeks prior to the event, you see her shopping online for the event, buying props, backdrops and decor elements that fit the theme.  

In this blog, we'll be featuring Pyramid Brokerage, one of our repeat clients who hire us to plan and produce their annual sales and awards meeting. Every one of their meetings carries an inspirational message or a takeaway for their employees. That message is what sets forth the planning process for us, from it we derive ideas for speakers as well as theme and decor. 

Let's show you exactly what we mean.

For our client's 2016 annual sales meeting, the message was passion! Harley-Davidson came to mind as one of the most inspirational brands out there. From its first bike in 1903 till today, the brand is able to withstand competition (over 200 companies make motorcycles in America)  throughout its 100+ years, and is still going strong.  

As you can see from the pictures, we set to design the stage, the room, the tables and chairs to reflect the theme. With a Harley-Davidson bike on stage, black and orange linens, creative and funky centerpieces, the space was transformed into a Harley-Davidson haven!  "That's what we do best, we take a single idea, and build a beautiful space around it. Transforming spaces is our niche" says Nicole Samolis, CSEP, our Founder and Creative Director.

Another year, the message our client chose was: Dream, Achieve, Believe. We were happy to find speakers that so aptly embodied this message. The Beekman Boys.  Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his partner Brent Ridge - the former an advertising executive, the latter a VP of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia- both lost their jobs in the recession of 2008. To make things worse, they had bought a farm in 2007 as a getaway from their busy NYC lives. With both jobs lost, their farm was facing foreclosure. They started to think of ways to make their farm profitable, like making soap and cheese and selling their products. The magic happened when they both took part in CBS's The Amazing Race. Not only did they finish the race, they won it, along with 1 million dollars which they used to pay off their farm! They have built an empire of healthy living, and a very profitable business indeed!

The decor, lighting and centerpieces were inspired by the Beekman Boys farm and one of its products, tomato sauce!

This last example we're sharing hits pretty close to home. For this annual meeting, the message was "Totally Engaged, Fully Committed, Now is The Time". Nicole, our founder, thought of her father, Spencer Thew,  who is a successful entrepreneur, a businessman, a college professor, and he happened to complete an Iditarod in 1993. He lived the message that our client wanted to convey to his team! He has so much passion, that at 75 years of age, he has been chosen to participate in the Sleddog World Championship! With him as the event speaker, our vision - decor wise- was pretty clear.  We went with an iditarod-themed corporate event, with a sled on stage, huskies, and a floor-to-ceiling snow backdrop.  

Whether you're planning an annual meeting for your employees, a customer appreciation event, or a team-building activity, we're here for you! We bring over 20 years of planning experience, we know how to plan events that WOW. Call us for your event needs, we'll do all the work while you take all the credit!