Shoretel Sky
Celebrating a milestone, connecting with key influence industry and pay homage to staff and clients
Overview
When our client M5 Networks was acquired, they wanted to host an event to celebrate this milestone, connect with key industry influencers, and pay homage to staff and clients. They engaged the Wakeman Agency for ideation and execution of an event that would deliver all of the above in an enjoyable and memorable manner.
Our client first approached us in October of 2011 about a Battle of the Bands event to showcase their employees’ new musical skills developed as part of their corporate learning program. While the bands were all novices, the CEO of M5 really wanted to give all participants a full musical experience. We created an event that made all the bands feel like rock stars for an evening, and ensured that guests came away with a full understanding of M5’s appreciation for its clients, its commitment to cloud technologies, and its growth in the industry.
Highlights
- Created true concert experience inclusive of red carpet and paid actors as fans
- Personality/theme styled name tags to serve as ice breakers. Guests were able to choose from 7 themes that included slogans such as “I’ve got the moves like Jagger”, “I’m with the band” and “I’m a Rock Star”.
- More than 500 clients attended the event
- Successful integration of both the M5 and ShoreTel brands
The Strategy
The scope of the event changed multiple times during the course of the project as a result of M5 being acquired by another organization. This acquisition required a total reworking of the event’s branding. The Battle of the Bands would be the first “public appearance” of M5 since its acquisition so we wanted to make sure that guests, most of whom were M5 clients, entered an environment that had some familiarity.
To make the event feel familiar for M5 clients, the Wakeman Agency used the traditional M5 logo in gobos, step and repeat, and on-screen presentations. To introduce their new parent company, we integrated M5 branding into some of the visuals in a non-intrusive manner, ensuring that the M5 brand remained prominent.
Each of the bands received VIP treatment. We arranged a professional photo shoot with each of them. With bands in New York City, Chicago and Rochester and budget limitations, we used three different photographers in each city who understood our vision, and captured the inner rock star of these groups of engineers, sales managers, and administrative staff to create a cohesive look for the event.
Photos from the event were included in email blasts as part of the marketing campaign to share information with invited guests about the event, and used as part of the décor at the venue.
The Results
Each band worked the red carpet, conducted interviews with fans, and interviewed for M5 TV with our on-air personality. The entire evening paid homage to M5’s culture, with a nod to the future as part of their acquisition.
The CEO of ShoreTel, the parent company, l was so pleased with the event he announced the launch of another Battle of the Bands event 2013, to include all 900 employees at 5 locations across the country.