Make Events are entering their 6th year in business! To celebrate we will be sharing our favourite moments. Today, we’re sharing the 6 most special events we’ve created. We have worked with so many incredible clients over the past 6 years, read about just a few of our favourite themes we’ve created!
Betfred 50th Anniversary
Betfred approached Make Events to organise their 50th Anniversary celebration.
The aim was to recognise achievement throughout the business. From VIPs in the head office, to sales staff and cleaners which included everyone who had worked for Betfred for over 10 years.
We decided on a sports theme with a game show feel which would spark the interest of all the guests attending. Bespoke giant props were built for around the room, with smaller versions on each table.
We chose Northern lad Vernon Kay and as his glamorous assistant, Denise Van Outen to host.
Throughout the night, documentary clips of the history of Betfred played on large screens across the venue. To kick the evening off, we started with a boxing match featuring Fred Done and Vernon Kay. A trash talking film was shown and โDone v Kayโ flashed on the screen.
Each and every guest had a personal and engaging experience, from their invitation to the personal service ahead of the event. On check in at their hotels, there was a host and branded check in desk so that no one felt nervous attending the event.
It was clear to see on the night all guests enjoyed the food, the reaction to their entertainment was highly enthusiastic and all activities got used on the night. Many guests had selfies with Vernon, Denise and Fred Done! The venue was full until close at 1am โ a sign of a great party.
Virgin Trains East Coast Red Hot Awards
Make Events produced the third annual Red Hot Awards in 2017. The aim of the night is to reward outstanding performance within the delivery team, meaning everyone from train drivers to receptionists.
The Boiler Shop in Newcastle was chosen as it is a unique, new venue that is right next to the train station where the Virgin train comes into. It was also where boilers used to be made for the trains, giving it a link to the train industry.
Make Events suggested a projection mapping piece to be projected onto the mezzanine windows within the boiler shop. The structure mimicked train windows and provided the perfect backdrop.
We designed a piece showing the history of the trains from the Flying Scotsman right through to the future which will be the launch of the Hitachi Azuma in 2018. It was an extremely immersive experience that many of the guests hadnโt seen before. We did this to get truly under the skin of their brand.
The industrial theme continued with brass reclaimed lamps as table centres. The chairs were also an industrial chic design.
Read more about the event here.
An Overseas Incentive for Kellogg’s
With a 3-month lead time, we were tasked with finding a unique location for a once-in-a-lifetime overseas sales incentive for 70 of Kelloggโs employees.
We knew straight away that Dubai would give delegates the luxury experiences the brief required.
The trip started with a conference at the exclusive Dubai Yacht Club. Delegates were then handed bespoke branded passports to get onto a private boat, with no idea of where they were going next.
Following a tour of Dubai from the water, when they thought they were going home, we in fact pulled up to the private jetty of a private island. Every moment of their experience as they stepped off the boat was choreographed, from branded towels by the pool to a bespoke treasure hunt to help with some team bonding.
Read more about the event here.
Thomas Cook Airline Party
Thomas Cook approached Make Events to produce their belated Christmas party at Concorde in Manchester. The drinks reception had a San Francisco theme with an alco-traz bar and a Golden Gate bridge to lead the guests through to the main space.
The main space had an eclectic mix of cultures from Mexico to Cuba; think tacos, tequila, cigars and old cars.
Different food stations typical from those regions were dotted around the room and we themed the bars to give guests a reason not just to go to one bar eg. Tacos and Tequila where guests could order Margaritas; Feathers and Fizz which was the Dominican Republic Bar where you could get Prosecco; in Cuba there was a rum bar.
With 85 entertainers at the event, there was always something happening in the space. Including inflatable volleyball in Cuba, tequila shot girls in Mexico and a glitter station in Mexico.
Swinton’s Landmark 60th
Swinton Group approached Make Events to create an event to celebrate Swintonโs 60th Anniversary and to introduce the new HQ building in Manchester, 101 Embankment, to their Partners; as well as raising funds for the Childrenโs Society.
The guest experience began when they were sent a beautifully boxed invite featuring the bespoke skyline which we designed.
We also created a dramatic 6-minute live projection show beamed onto a 4ft x4ft model house. The projection took the audience on a journey from Mr Ken Scowcroftโs house where the first premium was sold, through the decades, to the opening of 101 Embankment.
Once sat at their table, guests were delighted again when they looked at their personal black gloss acrylic menus. As the guests are used to high end dining, we engaged with celebrity chef Aiden Byrne to design a bespoke Manchester menu.
From the moment the guests received their invite to the moment they left the building their experience was peppered with magic touches.
Read more about the event here.
Citation’s Twisted Circus
In 2016, the brief for Citationโs Christmas Party was to reward the team for a fantastically successful year with an unforgettable event at a location close to their Wilmslow HQ in Cheshire. Citation wanted to build intrigue before the party, then hold an evening suitable for 300 employees with the long term goal of improving employee engagement.
Emailed invitations in the weeks beforehand suggested just a mainstream circus theme. However, as the Ringmaster pulled back the curtains, a crazy Cirque De Soleil style panorama unfolded. The black and white big top featured a mirrored circular bar in the centre and a giant birdcage hanging from the ceiling.
Read more about the event here.
Make Events are the go-to corporate events agency for the Northโs household names. Whether you want to educate, motivate or celebrate, we will create the ultimate experience
