Marketing the Castrol Way
- 1. case STUDY Client: Castrol Event: Marketing the Castrol Way Group Size: 200 Delegates Agency: Venues Event Management Date: April 2012 Venue: ExCel, Silver Sturgeon Outside Agencies: AV Network and NOHA
- 2. case STUDY The Concept Castrol is a brand of industrial and automotive lubricants that is applied to a large range of oils, greases and similar products for most lubrication applications. The client ran high level worldwide marketing training programmes for its top marketers that consisted of three individual modules that commenced May 2011. The three modules were held in different venues worldwide to cater for the demographics of delegates attending. Venues Event Management were asked to project manage the logistics of the event including venue sourcing, planning and management, delegate relationship management and coordination and event registration activities. Venues Event Management were very much involved in supporting the onsite team to deliver the sessions effectively. Modules 1 and 2 were both regional events with the same content for each region, then Module 3 bought all regions together for the final part of the training programme.
- 3. case STUDY The Concept Module 1 May/June 2011 - 40/50 delegates at each of the regional events: · The Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Kuala Lumpur · The Hyatt Morristown, New Jersey · Victoria Park Plaza, London Module 2 October/November 2011 - 40/50 delegates at each of the regional events: · Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur · The Hyatt Morristown, New Jersey · The Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny
- 4. case STUDY The Brief Debbie Bell, Senior Project Manager says “for Module 3, the client expressed an interest in a UK venue for the conference. London was the chosen destination to tie in with the Olympics, as BP are a major sponsor and provided an excellent opportunity for all delegates to come to the city in 2012 and showcase what London has to offer.” Debbie added “Venues Event Management were challenged to source accommodation within walking distance for the 200 delegates and a further 50 rooms for the support team and crew. One of the key reasons for using ExCel London was the accessibility of the Aloft and Novotel Hotel’s that were both adjacent to the conference venue.”
- 5. case STUDY In terms of production the venue was required to accommodate a small number of delegates in ratio to the space: • 100m x 40m with a 10m ceiling height; • A central area for the 200 delegates and four breakout zones for each region; • Further break-out zones needed in one area. Suzanne Purchase, Director of AV Network commented: “AV Network was engaged to produce and execute all live aspects of the event that had to be delivered across a number of engagement platforms. Our brief was to deliver an experience that brought to life the key principles of ‘Marketing the Castrol Way’ to a very discerning audience.” In addition to the brief laid down by Castrol, AV Network were also faced with the challenge of working in a vast exhibition arena, the basic infrastructure considerations of which, would consume time and budget.
- 6. case STUDY The Arena The city radiated from a central arena, with presentations delivered in the round. The design and delivery of all media content was carefully considered to maximise the ultra widescreen displays with sound delivered in 360-degree surround. Dan Rogers, Producer from AV Network commented: “During the presentations we deployed communicator devices to enable audience participation with text response, live voting and in-built microphone functionality. The central arena was open on all sides but the low level screens and clever use of lighting enabled us to close the space down for plenary presentations. This configuration also enabled easy and instant access to workshop and refreshment areas placed around its perimeter.”
- 7. case STUDY Workshops There were 22 small workshop stations, each with a freestanding display, the use of which changed over the three days from dragons den expo boards to interactive write-on walls. Dan continues “we used tablet technology during the workshops to help facilitate a market data analysis exercise, with teams competing with each other around the space remotely.” During market-specific workshops groups were able to move freely between the breakout arenas and workshop zones in an ‘explain to experience’ session format. Breakout Zones Situated in the four corners of the space were four smaller arenas with a capacity of 60 people. These arenas enabled content to be delivered by region where necessary. These spaces also acted as the dragon’s den finalist presentation areas, with teams in each presenting to a rotating wider audience. Dan comments “despite their soft walling system we were able to manage noise interference by deploying numerous, focused speaker systems and LED lighting enabled us to bring the areas to life when required and allow them to fade into the cityscape when they weren’t.”
- 8. case STUDY Dining Defying convention AV Network chose to combine the catering and meeting spaces in order to maximise networking time in the agenda. The intention was to create dining spaces that were accessible and inviting whilst minimising the potential disruption during conference sessions. Two spaces were created at either end of the arena which were separated from the meeting spaces by a low partition wall and designer lighting.
- 9. case STUDY Debbie continues “in addition to main project, evening entertainment was required for two of the nights where both venues had to suitable for the entire 200 delegates.” Best Practice Expo -Drinks reception on arrival night. -An opportunity to showcase Castrol products and share knowledge. -To be within walking distance of the hotels. Gala Dinner - To celebrate the end of the year long programme. - The client requested a venue that showcased London.
- 10. case STUDY Debbie adds “as part of the brief, Venues Event Management were asked to take on the Delegate Management for the project. Included within this was the production of the Marketing the Castrol Way, Module 3 registration website. The website contained information including; • Booking Travel • Accommodation • Support Team • Programme • HSSE • Registration Venues Event Management managed the booking system for the event and took all registration details for the delegates.
- 11. case STUDY Finally to tie the project together Venues Event Management were asked to produce marketing collateral together for the event. All collateral created was branded with the Marketing the Castrol Way logo and went on name badges, welcome packs, menus for the gala dinner and pop-up banners.
- 12. case STUDY Execution Set up took place over 3 days from Saturday to Monday at ExCel. Teams were also in place for delegate arrivals and additional meetings prior to the module commencing at the hotels. The event started with the Best Practice Expo and informal welcome dinner and drinks reception at Zero Sette, a local Italian Restaurant. The venue was ideal with a warehouse below the restaurant that could cater for the number of delegates attending for the welcome drinks and then the group moved upstairs for dinner.
- 13. case STUDY The 3 day programme commenced on Tuesday morning. The delegates entered the main event arena through a walkway and the sense of engagement was apparent on their first view of the Castrol arena that had been created. Content over the days included a Guest Speaker – Sir Keith Mills, who discussed the challenges of winning the Olympic bid. In addition to this, bespoke footage was shown of Olympic medallist Colin Jackson. Pictured above: Mike Johnson Senior Vice President BP Lubricants
- 14. case STUDY The Gala dinner took place on Wednesday evening on board the impressive Silver Sturgeon which was boarded at Canary Wharf Pier. The concept behind the gala dinner was to celebrate the end of the marketing programme. Guests enjoyed a 3-hour cruise along the River Thames with food by Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts.
- 15. case STUDY The finale to the event on Thursday, was the grand final of the ‘Dragons Den’ competition, that had been launched during module 1 of the programme. The teams that were successful with their business ideas, were given the opportunity to present To the audience and the leadership team of Castrol then voted for the winning team.
- 16. case STUDY Challenges Production – while working to a set budget, bringing the venue to life and ensuring the space was utilised but not over or underused and filled. Contracting bedrooms There were a limited number of bedrooms within the area and with the Olympics approaching, trials were being held in the venues restricting bedrooms further. This was resolved with careful planning of delegate management and communication Best Practice Expo The brief was received two weeks prior to the event to hold the Expo and drinks reception. We hired warehouse space through a local restaurant, as we needed somewhere within walking distance.
- 17. case STUDY Clients Comments Venues Event Management were the company we chose to partner with on the Marketing the Castrol Way Events in 2011 and 2012. Operating as members of the core project team, Debbie Bell and the team worked hand in hand with the Capabilities team and the Subject Matter Experts to work towards developing and delivering 9 events around the world. The Venues team were accountable for sourcing and managing venues for the events as well as delegate registration and management live at the events. However, in the usual Venues way, their team spirit, professionalism and commitment to their clients saw them not only deliver this to a very high standard, but roll up their sleeves and help out in many other ways. I have worked with Debbie and the team for almost 2 years consistently now and while I struggle to think of any areas for improvement, I would list the following amongst their biggest strengths: Their positive, can do attitude.....nothing is ever too hard and they are a pleasure to work with, even during times of great pressure Their meticulous planning, which is the foundation of delivering a successful event (in this case the complexity involved in 9 events in 1 year culminating in a tough global event where EVERYTHING had to be thought of well in advance) Their willingness to help out as part of the team, going way beyond what was expected of them. I never had to ask them to do anything because they had always thought of it before me and done it already.
- 18. case STUDY Exceptional negotiation skills, ensuring that Castrol received the best possible deal from every venue we visited. Their expertise and professionalism - they know their jobs inside out and execute it to the highest standard. I believe they represent Castrol and our Brand to the highest standard. I have only ever received exceptional feedback from delegates on the levels of support that Venues staff provided Their ability to deal with challenging/difficult situations - always managed efficiently, directly and with the least fuss possible. I rarely had to intervene as they just got on with it. They are quick and responsive, always making both the small and more complicated requests appear simple to deal with (when in reality they are not) They know and understand Castrol very well. This allows them to operate confidently on our behalf, knowing exactly how we expect things to be done (from HSSE to budget management to culture to people) without having to constantly ask. This saves time and effort on our part and means that in my mind they operate as partners rather than suppliers. In summary, I would ALWAYS have Venues on my team for any project, small or large......we simply couldn't do it without them, and wouldn't really want to. Sarah Holland Project Manager Marketing the Castrol Way
- 19. case STUDY The Verdict “The event was a huge success and ran very smoothly. We had a great team onsite and it was great to be able to work with the team from Castrol too. In terms of the delegate management the website was an efficient way of managing the delegate registrations. Changing the registration input to allow those delivering the programme to specify their attendance dates was a huge help and in turn reduced cancellation charges. The ExCel London venue was challenging due to its immense size but I really think AV Network came into their own with the production set and transformed the venue amazingly. Finally the offsite dinners both worked well; the venues were superb and unique in their own way that it gave the overseas delegates a fantastic experience of London.” Debbie Bell Senior Project Manager Venues Event Management
- 20. case STUDY Testimonial “Team - I wanted to thank you for all your hard work in preparing for and delivering Module 3 of Marketing the Castrol Way. It was an exceptional event and one which I think will have a significant impact on our business going forward - both in terms of the growth agenda for the Lubes business and the capabilities of our Castrol marketing community. Many of the delegates mentioned the words "Flawless Execution" in their parting comments to me - and that was all due to each one of you. You were an absolute pleasure to work with.” Kevin Fitzgerald Castrol Limited Global Customer & Marketing Strategy Director