Our Case Studies

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Most Recent 2022 2021 2020 Archive

Case Study: Overseas Full Event Management Project

The Brief →

Earlier in the year we were tasked with organising the biannual business meeting for an industrial/retail company, this was the second time we had assisted with their sales meeting, involving 120 delegates from all over EMEA.

The brief was to find a well located European city that was accessible for all delegates, with seamless flight connectivity and proximity to a central hub. The hotel needed to have excellent conference and exhibition space and be well located so that external activities and dinners were no more than 20 minutes travel.

In addition we were tasked with overseeing all of the delegate registration including the creation of an event website, supporting visa applications, liaising with exhibitors and building a bespoke event app. The app would be a key feature of the event and enhance all of the content and engagement throughout the week.

This event marked a pivotal return post-COVID for the client, so it was extremely important that this conference was flawless and exceeded expectations.

The Solution →

Lisbon was chosen as the perfect location to host the event; we selected the Sana Malhoa Hotelthat was ideally located with excellent conference facilities and delivered exemplary service. For the dinners we hosted a fun informal dinner at a local beer museum, Museu da Cerveja, with an opportunity for guests to visit the museum as well as sample a few different beers. The gala dinner was in a converted warehouse, Monte Mar, which overlooked the river and provided incredible views of Christ the King (Almada), which was lit up in corporate colours.

AE assumed full responsibility for the delegate journey, orchestrating a seamless transition from website creation and initial invitations to on-site support and post-event feedback collation. The team utilised our bespoke event app services incorporating several key features that that greatly enhanced the experience for both the client and attendees.

Prior to the event, delegates and vendors were encouraged to utilise the app and create their own personalised profile and engage with one another through a dedicated private chat function. Feedback from numerous participants and vendors highlighted the app’s efficacy in facilitating pre-arranged meetings and helping create connections for future business, thus optimising their time spent at the event for meaningful interactions and networking opportunities.

Vendors also had the ability to upload their collateral on the app which delegates could then download minimising the need for paper flyers and booklets which are easily lost or discarded. This also had a strong positive impact on sustainability.

Other notable features of the app included a user-friendly agenda, a comprehensive list of speakers, a vendor and attendee directory facilitating direct interaction among delegates, as well as dynamic group chat functionalities.

A Q&A feature was enabled, which could be accessed by the delegates through the list of speakers or through the agenda and selecting the specific session. Questions could be asked before, during or after their presentation. The Q&A had the option to be moderated, with selected administrators approving the questions before they were visible to the speakers and public. This feature empowered attendees to actively participate, contributing to an engaging and interactive event experience while providing essential event insights and data for team evaluation.

The polling feature enabled speakers to gauge audience insights either through pre-loaded questions or real-time inquiries during their presentations, allowing for the collection of valuable data for future research purposes.

A couple of fun features we added to the app were the photo board and the scavenger hunt. The photo board allowed delegates could upload pictures throughout their time at the conference and share with their fellow colleagues. Again, this feature had the option of moderation to ensure all pictures were suitable. The scavenger hunt was a great way to get all delegates to participate in the vendor marketplace and allowed for a little friendly competition. QR codes were placed at each station, so it encouraged delegates to visit each one and engage with the vendors. We enabled a visible leaderboard to that delegates could keep track and see who was winning. As well as creating an enjoyable atmosphere it also helped vendors engage with a larger proportion of delegates leading to increased business discussions and connections for the future.

Overall, the event app served as a pivotal tool in delivering key event information, fostering meaningful connections, and ensuring an immersive and enjoyable experience for all participants.

Our app proved to be an invaluable asset in elevating the event experience. If you are interested in incorporating this enhancement into your future events or wish to see a demonstration, please reach out to the team via the Contact Us page.

Feedback →

‘’We have attended many exhibitions and used many apps – but this one is by far the best – it is intuitive, and provides incredible interaction. We had made sales and connections through it even before we got to the live event”

‘’ I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 EMEA EES sales meeting in Lisbon, Portugal this week, a fantastic event organised perfectly’’

“The app has been an incredibly valuable tool for our event as it has helped us collect data and feedback which we can use to help improve our company’s services and enhance the overall experience for our attendees in future events. The data reports that we received at the end of the event are invaluable”

‘’I would like to thank the Autograph Events for delivering a wonderful event.’’

Case Study: Overseas Full Event Management Project

The Brief →

To support our client, Sensormatic in delivering their annual customer forum. This annual event takes place in a European city with delegates travelling from across EMEA to discuss the latest trends in the retail industry, showcase retail solutions and gain feedback from customers.

Autograph Events were to provide event management services from start to finish including onsite event delivery. This was to include venue management of the host venue, venue finding for the social elements of the agenda and supplier sourcing and management, in addition to delegate management, website creation and hosting and the introduction of a bespoke event app to be used as part of the delegate experience during the live event.

The event was invitation only, with an audience of 100 delegates made up of internal staff, customers and product solution partners.

The Solution →

We started working with the Sensormatic 6 months in advance of the 2-day conference.

The client decided they wanted to return to Melia Avenida America in Madrid for a second year. Situated just 10 minutes from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport this 4-star hotel provides 322 bedrooms alongside a 5,000 m2 Convention Centre within its own wing of the hotel offering 32 meeting rooms all boasting natural daylight. Melia provided a great base for all delegate accommodation being close to the airport whilst also being just a 20-minute drive from Gran Via for those that wanted to explore the capital city. We managed the booking from the initial date enquiry through guest check out and billing including rooming lists, catering and acting as the point of contact for the venue throughout planning an onsite delivery.

We built and hosted the event’s official website. Content was uploaded and updated as planning progressed to include on the venue, the agenda, exhibitors, speakers and delegate registration. The registration process was bespoke to the event with 3 pathways for internal staff, exhibitors and delegates to ensure all the relevant data was captured including breakout session preference, accommodation requests and dietaries.

Alongside the website, Sensormatic utilised a corporate app. Again, the team built and hosted the app making sure content was consistent across both platforms. As a standalone corporate app it was totally customisable with modules added for specific functions for the event including Q&A: allowing delegates to submit questions live throughout the conference, Case Studies, Speaker and Attendee info, Agenda: allowing delegates to personalise their agenda and Polling. Live polling was a key decision maker for using the app as part of the delegate experience. The agenda involved exhibitors taking part in Dragon’s Den pitches to promote a new business solution. Through polling exhibitors were able to get live feedback on their solution direct from delegates as to whether they were ‘in or out’, in addition delegates were able to express interest in finding out more about the solution creating an instant sales lead report which was shared with the client within minutes of the pitches finishing.

As destination experts we have a wealth of knowledge of global destinations not just for venues but for suppliers as well. As well as sourcing and managing the hotel we also sourced and managed the AV supplier who created a full set for the plenary and exhibition space and worked closely with the DMC to deliver the social element of the conference itinerary.

Alongside the formal conference the international event featured social events for delegates and internal staff. Following the first day of conference all delegates were transported to Jardin de Negralejo. Located in a rural enclave this venue is home to a number of event spaces covering 15,000 m2. Sensormatic’s Gala Dinner was hosted in the Pavilion, a spacious space with fantastic lighting, full of natural light and offers views of the garden. It also benefits from an outdoor patio area perfect for pre-dinner drinks and canapes. To bring a touch of Spain to the evening, guests were also treated to a Flamenco performance, all coordinated by Autograph Events.

With the conference finished and delegates departed, Autograph Events concluded the Madrid event with a team building activity and dinner for the client’s Senior Leadership Team. The team headed into the centre of Madrid to complete a Photo Gymkhana where the objective was to locate points on their map all taking in the sights of the capital city. Teams gained points by taking pictures, answering questions and finding objects and of course the team with the most points won a prize! After some fun around the city the team enjoyed dinner at Lateral Arturo Soria. The restuarant benefits from a spacious and open interior and a large terrace conditioned which can be utilised all year round.

The Testimonial →

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you for loaning us Jess! She was an amazing support on the run up to and at the event this year, it was great to arrive stress free knowing we were in safe hands. The event APP went down really really well and actually having Jess in the room for the whole event made life so much easier – enabled fast and efficient communication and resolution and the APP support for the polls worked really well. The wider exec team thought she was great too and we look forward to working with her for future/upcoming events.”

Case Study: Global Distribution Company Parties

The Brief →

Our brief was to source venues, catering, entertainment and onsite event management for several Global Distribution Company depots for their Post Peak Parties around the UK. The depots expected to have guest numbers ranging from 400-1200 and each one had a different format of how they wanted their party to be. The parties are part of celebrating all their employee’s hard work and efforts over their extremely busy peak periods and is part of the companies way of showing their appreciation. Ultimately, the aim for the Post Peak Parties was for all guests to have a relaxed but very fun evening, let their hair down and enjoy themselves along with the management, bringing together people from every department.

The Events →

The Autograph Team listened to each brief intently and highlighted each of the party’s individual wants and requirements and a plan of action was created whilst working closely alongside the clients. This included searching high and low for the perfect venues, deciding on the ideal catering requirements for a diverse work force and sourcing the best entertainment and theming.

Due to the diversity of the workforce and the requirements for each depot it meant ensuring the events were accommodating for all, all dietary requirements were met and there was entertainment options to suit everyone’s personalities and tastes. These parties were the first since the pandemic, so they needed to be extra special and spectacular to really show the company’s recognition of their employees efforts.

The Key Objectives →

Create an evening which included scrumptious food and beverages to accommodate for all backgrounds and needs.
Show employee appreciation.
Have a beautifully decorated venue to create an enjoyable environment.
Showcase various, exciting entertainment that would engage the guests and keep them wanting more.
Manage the event from pre-event to on the day so that all members of the company could enjoy the evening ensuring the evenings ran without a hitch.
Represent the company – therefore being professional, engaging, and friendly to all guests.
Ultimately just FUN for all the guests!

Solutions →

Each depot had its own unique vision for their parties, and the venues we selected were a perfect match for their needs. They were conveniently located for all depot staff, and their layouts and atmosphere perfectly complemented each depot’s party theme.

For some of the venues, we brought in decorators and theming experts to bring the client’s vision to life. They worked on themes ranging from the enchanting “Secret Garden” to the boujee “Glitz and Glamour.” Some venues were already beautifully decorated, creating a lovely ambiance without requiring extensive additional decorations.

We made sure each venue catered to the guests’ every need, offering high-quality food options that ranged from a three-course sit-down meal to a world cuisine street food buffet. Our parties featured a variety of entertainment that left our guests amazed, including classic magicians, talented singing waiters, henna artists, and even tarot card readers.

The music entertainment, specially selected by our event managers, set the stage for a fun and lively atmosphere. We brought in 5-star bands and DJs who were so good that no one wanted the party to end!

Our dedicated event teams ensured a seamless process from start to finish. They were there for the setup, ensuring that all suppliers arrived on time and set up correctly. During the event, they registered and greeted guests, guiding them within the venues. They organised the entertainment, making sure everything ran on schedule, and accommodated any last-minute requests. This allowed the organisers to relax and enjoy the party without worrying about the management aspect, knowing it was in capable and safe hands.

The feedback from both guests and clients was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone had an incredible time, feeling that these parties genuinely reflected the company’s appreciation and gratitude for the hard work put in during the hectic festive period.

Testimonial →

‘I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Autograph for their support with a recent event. Their efforts were invaluable in enabling us to secure an alternative venue when the original site fell through just a few weeks before our event. The Autograph colleagues who worked at the party were very professional and pivotal to ensuring everyone attending had an amazing time. Would highly recommend their services.’

COP26 Onsite Project Management

The Brief →

To support our client, Network Rail, in delivering a fringe event, at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. The event was to showcase innovative sustainable hydrogen and battery-powered trains from operators Porterbrook and Vivarail and to demonstrate how together we can achieve net zero carbon targets and sustainable rail service. The event was to be invitation only, with an audience to include Heads of State, Royalty and high-profile political stakeholders, as well as rail industry leaders, press, green groups and local school children.

The Solution →

Our role involved designing and managing fully bespoke and branded websites for the invitation and registration of all guests; and then managing their overall experience on the day, including registration and travelling on the trains. We also worked directly with some of the rail industry and environmental groups to enable them to host meetings and guests onboard the trains.

The station naturally was very busy for the duration of COP26; it was further impacted by protestors and environmentalists wanting to campaign and also enthusiasts wanting to look at the trains. In addition, we had a large “We Mean Green” exhibition stand in the station concourse, where guests could try a train driving simulator; this was also the point where guests would register.

All timings and movements were carefully and meticulously planned, as adding 2 trains to an already busy schedule and having 2 platforms dedicated to our trains had taken months of planning. We also had to prepare for some dignitaries arriving with entourages that we weren’t expecting and surprise visits from unregistered guests at the last minute, including the Prime Minister!

Sustainability was key to all elements of the day, including catering and giveaways. We provided catering on both trains for guests to enjoy whilst on their journeys. One of the trains had been converted to provide a boardroom enabling some of the groups to hold discussions and meetings onboard over lunch or breakfast. Food was all seasonal and sourced locally, whilst any disposable items were compostable and/or recyclable. No plastic was used throughout. Sustainable giveaways included “sprout” pencils enabling guests to be able to take notes and then plant a tree or plant.

In addition, as part of the wider CSR message, a local school from one of the less affluent areas of the city was invited to send a group of schoolchildren to visit the Porterbrook train. Activities and lunch were provided, and we gave all children a backpack packed with treats as well as a set of signed copies of the Adventures on Trains series of novels.

Overall, the event was hugely successful, and over 800 guests were able to experience the future of sustainable trains.

Testimonial →

“Now the dust has settled from an incredibly busy week working on COP26, I wanted to thank you all so much for your help in organising a successful Vivarail event last Wednesday. Everything from the catering to getting attendees on board went so smoothly, even with the visit from Number 10 thrown in!”

Brand Activation

Reaching 50,000 people across the UK

The Brief →

Our brief was to source Brand Ambassadors to support Boothco in the Summer Prime Day Photo Activation event. With over 30 fulfillment centers to staff throughout the span of the UK, we were tasked with sourcing Brand Ambassadors for all locations, arranging couriers to deliver and collect equipment from the staff pre and post-event, as well as managing the day and ensuring that all runs smoothly. This activation was part of a larger incentive within the company so that each fulfillment centre would have a large mosaic created including photographs of all the team at each base. Ultimately, the aim for the Brand Ambassadors was to take as many photos/selfies of staff members as possible through the QR codes provided at all the depots. The Coronavirus pandemic encouraged everyone to get creative and embrace technology helping a new wave of innovation get activated!

The Event →

A plan of action was created within Team Autograph whilst working closely alongside the client. This included gathering all depot locations and sourcing staff throughout the whole of the UK using our network of highly professional freelancers. Once a member of staff was assigned to each location, the appropriate equipment and uniform was then distributed to each individual ready for the activation on 23rd June 2021.

Due to the nature of the activation, it meant working to the timings of the fulfillment centers to capture as many people entering and exiting the sites as possible. This meant aligning the shift times with when our staff arrived. The day began at 2pm and finished at 10pm – this way we were able to interact with those on the day shift and caught the crossover to the night shift staff.

Key Objectives →

Capture as many photographs of staff from the Amazon fulfillment centre
Staff over 30 UK locations
Boost staff morale
Improve employee engagement
Remain Covid-safe throughout the entire activation
Represent Boothco – therefore being professional, engaging, and encouraging to associates to get them involved with the activation

Incentive

40 Delegates

The Brief →

To deliver an incentive programme to a long haul destination that offers a high degree of leisure time for participants to relax and enjoy the destinations. In addition the trip had previously been on 2 safaris in Botswana and South Africa, so a programme that included an element of “safari” was a pre-requisite.

The Solution →

We chose a dual centre programme including Singapore and Borneo. The group arrived in Singapore for a 1 night / 2 day stop over, staying at the stunning Marina Bay Sands hotel. Rooms were available upon arrival allowing everyone the chance to check in and freshen up after the overnight flight. The afternoon was free for people to explore the city or relax at the roof top pool.

A stunning welcome dinner and cocktail reception was held in a private section of the rooftop Ce La Vi restaurant, enjoying incredible views over the city it was a wonderful way to start the trip.

The next day was at leisure with a choice of activities for guests to participate in or they had access to the rooftop pool to enjoy the weather.

From Singapore we flew to Borneo and on to the Shangri la Rasa Ria Resort for several days relaxation, the resort had plenty of activities for guests to participate in.

An early morning start saw the group fly on a privately chartered flight to Sepilok and world famous orangutan rehabilitation centre, as well as watching the baby apes in the orphanage the group braved a tropical shower to visit the feeding platform – where orangutans released into the reserve can return for food. From Sepilok we visited the Sunbear sanctuary where we were lucky to view a few of the smallest members of the bear family.

An overnight water safari on the Kinabatangan River, gave everyone an even better chance to see some of South East Asia’s finest wildlife including elephants, proboscis monkeys, slow loris, crocodiles and even wild orangutans. It was a safari with a difference that everyone will remember.

A final dinner was arranged back at the Rasa Ria, with traditional dancers and headhunters, audience participation was of course necessary!

Virtual Event

The Event →

The Worcestershire LEADER event was put together as a celebration of local rural business development supported by grants, on behalf of the Worcestershire County Council.

It was important that the event encouraged engagement of rural businesses and industry members, as well as having a purpose of celebrating the programme which has helped so many businesses over the last few years.

We worked with the client to develop an agenda which involved both informative workshops, panel sessions and an awards ceremony.

The Solution →

We used a secure, branded website and mobile-friendly registration portal which was built with 2 purposes, the first being to encourage businesses using the LEADER programme to nominate their business for a specific category award, and the second to inform potential attendees of the event and allow them to register their attendance. Email confirmations were sent to confirm attendance and joining instructions were distributed a few days before the event.

We chose to use the platform SpotMe, integrated with Launch TV, which allows users to experience a main hub area as well as being able to access live streams from the same hub. We felt that having everything in one central area with one log-in point makes for a more user-friendly experience and ensures that delegates are accessing all areas of the event rather than just the live streams. Another advantage point of the platform is that event and users have a log-in valid up to 1 year from the event date, meaning that the delegate can continue to access the recordings and content after the event has ended.

The SpotMe hub has an array of engagement features such as networking lobbies, Q&A, polling, broadcasting of participants, gamification and augmented reality. Having such a large range of engagement elements means that the delegate can interact more freely and therefore be connected and feel a part of the event rather than just an audience member. This also worked well for encouraging delegates to engage with the platform pre-event.

All speakers were provided with their speaker links 1 week ahead of the event to allow them to run through as many dry rehearsals as they wanted, combined with us running several virtual demos for speakers and one-to-one sessions to ensure they had a real understanding of the software and ask for any additional support they required.

Ahead of the event, we downloaded our nomination entries for the Awards Ceremony from our microsite and passed them on to the panel for consideration. Once winners were selected, we opted to notify 2 winners of their success and arranged a date to produce a case study on their business, which would later be shown during the event. All remaining nominees were to find out their success in an announcement during the virtual awards ceremony.

It was important to the client that our winners were still a big part of the event, therefore we prepared all nominees ahead of the day by asking for their permission to ‘bring them to screen’, to formally accept their award on the day should they win and invited the 2 (already confirmed) winners with the case studies to the studio to say a few words live. This combination ensured to keep delegates in suspense and the emotions running high for those finding out they had won there and then.

Hampers

Whilst we started providing hampers in 2020, we now have regular and repeat customers who have been asking us to deliver ever since! We offer hampers for Christmas, Wellness and Incentives. Just get in touch to find out more!

The Brief →

The brief for this event was originally to deliver an Incentive trip to Rome in April 2020 however due to the pandemic this was then postponed to September 2020. With travel restrictions still in place at this point, we decided to take Rome to the winners instead by arranging Italian themed hampers.

Event Details →

Type of Event: Hampers to replace Incentive

Scope of our Role →

We created bespoke Italian-themed hampers to reflect activities the delegates could have taken part in whilst in Rome. The contents of the hamper included a Bialetti coffee pot along with some gourmet artisan ground ‘Roma’ coffee. A ‘make your own pasta’ kit which consisted of a wooden rolling pin and matching pasta cutters, as well as Granoro pasta flour. These products were delivered by our supplier situated in Italy. Within the hampers, they included a special packages award which would’ve been handed to the winner at the Awards ceremony in Rome, along with a handwritten card from the directors. With these hampers, there was also the option for delegates to partake in a virtual cookery class to teach them how to create authentic, Italian pasta at home!

Key Objectives →

Deliver authentic, Italian packages for our client to make the winners feel recognized and rewarded even alongside the ongoing pandemic.
Source ingredients and products that are in line with the ‘Italian’ theme.

Conference

1,300 people

The Brief →

This Midland Heart conference was one of their largest to date, and involved over 1300 attendees, coming to the main conference, a workshop of their choice and the market space – an innovative exhibition and networking space which incorporated 8 different market stalls and numerous food stalls.

At the start of the first project in 2014 we spent time learning about the client, their culture, their team and their work. This is crucial in understanding their objectives and how we can assist in achieving them.

The Solution →

We managed the full delegate management experience from sending the initial invitation, the registration process, welcoming and assisting on-site through to the post event feedback.

Creating a personalised experience was all part of the event from the outset. During the online registration process as well as selecting workshops relevant to them, they were asked for favourite dishes on the food stalls, favourite music tracks for the event playlist and what they wanted to come away with from the day.

The key event stakeholders, including our production and creative managers determine the objectives and message of the event alongside developing the strategy and content for the event. Midland Heart staff come from a variety of backgrounds and are spread out over several locations. Engagement techniques need to be creative, inclusive and suitable for all, but there also needs to be an element of fun to enhance the learning.

Bringing the event to life with a tight budget and deadlines was one of the key KPI’s. A preferred concept idea of “setting out our stall for the future” led to the development of the Market Place, a key focus of the event. This route and identity had great synergy with the irresistible street foods and pseud-market feels, but also showed the key company message is being delivered. The Market Place was created to provide an engaging, fun and highly informative space on a limited budget. The space included street food stalls from around the globe to cater for the multi-ethnic audience. Designs were presented for each sector, and then tailored to suit the space and budget. Market stalls included interactive elements to increase engagement.

From the Voxpops received and the post event feedback collected through the online survey, the event was a great success.

Delegates came away having a clearer understanding of where Midland Heart was going, and the key messages of the day were absorbed.

From our perspective, working in close partnership with the client was essential for obtaining the results and the fact that we have been asked to assist on multiple events since, including the next staff conference is the best result for us!

Virtual Conference

5-day virtual event for 200 delegates and over 40 speakers

The Brief →

To host a 5-day virtual event for 200 delegates and over 40 speakers, with an agenda to include over 35 event sessions and 3 sponsors sessions. Sessions included main plenaries, workshops, Q&A and networking session; conveniently named “Bring a Brew”.

This event would be the first virtual event for the client and many of their delegates and speakers, therefore it was important that we offered additional support, management and direction to all parties.

The Solution →

A secure, branded website and mobile friendly registration portal was built to capture delegate information such as their company (Network Partner) and contact details as well as allow for delegates to pre-select their workshops and submit questions for the sessions ahead of the event . Email confirmations were sent to confirm attendance and joining instructions were distributed a few days before the event.

Key Objectives →

Working as an extension of the client’s team, the key objectives were to:

Select a suitable platform which would be user friendly, easily accessible and offered a multitude of engagement and social networking features.
As this year’s event was sponsored, it enabled the event to be free for delegates to attend. It was anticipated that we may have had more registrations than the previous face-to-face event, therefore we needed to manage and monitor registrations carefully.
To create a virtual event that still gave a feeling of togetherness including social engagement and interaction through chat functions and networking lobbies.
Create engagement with the event; pre, during and post event.
To provide speakers with additional support by hosting their presentations virtually including support with technology and rehearsals.
To provide an event to allow for delegates to attend different sessions, and to encourage the delegate to make use of the hub and attend each day if possible.