Too darn hot:
How to make your events hotter
Tony Award-nominated Broadway producer Jeffrey Finn is president of Hot On For more information on our corporate events please visit www. For a case study of a recent event please visit www.HotOnBroadway |
Have you ever worked on an event and wondered, “We are providing all the necessary information to educate the audience, but how are we going to keep everyone engaged and entertained?” It’s a tough job finding reputable performers to entertain and underscore the business message of the event. Oftentimes the entertainment has nothing to do with the event itself. I can’t tell you how many times meeting planners tell me in hushed tones about “last year’s event.” From comedians with inappropriate humour to un-magical magicians, the entertainment landscape can be full of pitfalls. So how can a performance be successfully integrated? In prior decades, the corporate events industry was missing out on the talent of Broadway. In producing Broadway shows, I realised that my industry was providing the same kind of “wow” moments that meeting planners were also trying to create - namely, entertaining and rewarding audiences but also underscoring ideas in accessible way. And with the recent explosion of jukebox musicals, Broadway has connected with an infinitely larger segment of the pop culture population. The songs of The Four Seasons, ABBA, Elton John, Billy Joel and The Beach Boys have recently appeared on Broadway and completely redefined what “showtunes” means. Broadway now contains a catalogue of cherished pop songs that can be customised into song and dance celebrations that fit any type of event. What’s your message? Identifying and successfully integrating your corporate message into an event can be a challenge. Without it, you cannot meet the level of success you wish to attain. In planning the entertainment segment of an event, you should carefully select the songs with the performers to be certain that they are enhancing the theme. Every song carries a message and emotional trigger that can connect immediately with an audience. For a recent event, we engaged the Broadway star of Les Misérables and Jekyll & Hyde, to perform the power ballad “This Is The Moment” with the Denver Symphony. Afterwards the event planner said, “The song choice was perfect. It successfully integrated the performance into the event, raising people’s spirits to a new level with a shot of adrenaline. It provided a motivating break from the other business of the day that could not have been achieved otherwise.” Make it memorable Clients always have the same challenge: how to make their event not just another company function. We can’t let our attendees suffer from “gala fatigue.” While a Phantom of the Opera chandelier may be outside the reach of most corporate events, you shouldn’t be afraid to think big when planning an event. You can always reach out to industry professionals to make your vision a reality. Occasionally, meeting planners tend to think that Broadway is out of their price range because they immediately think of full-blown spectaculars. While we have produced many large-scale productions, when cost is an issue, we’ve found equal success with providing one or two performers singing the solos and duets that Broadway is famous for. It always elates the client to find that Broadway is truly within their reach. The first step in achieving a wow experience is making sure your theme encompasses the entire venue. When planning our events, we always look at the wow factors that provide an unparalleled level of quality and talent. For example, a great way to build excitement before a speaker or general session is to create a “red carpet event”, complete with searchlights and paparazzi photographers. With these arrivals culminating into a fully choreographed, motivating performance, many clients have found success with this memorable opener. In our recent event for GE’s employee and family appreciation picnic, we helped design a 360-degree atmosphere of entertainment. Over 5,000 guests were welcomed at the door by photographers, street performers, and characters from Broadway blockbusters. Each member of the audience received a customised programme of the event, and food and beverages were served throughout the theatre. With cast members re-creating their show-stopping moments from Broadway, the performance culminated in confetti explosions, standing ovations, and thunderous applause. Whether it is with custom-written lyrics, interactions with audience members, or even choreographing a VIP into the show, your entertainment partner should provide the flexibility necessary to create the event of your dreams. Make it personal While wow moments are essential to events, you never want to upstage your message. The secret is to create an atmosphere of corporate appreciation. For the close of the 2007 Global Leadership Conference, Bayer Healthcare assembled fifteen Broadway stars to perform Elton John’s iconic hit song “Circle of Life” from The Lion King. While Bayer logos and corporate video played on overhead screens, the theme of global unity was successfully conveyed to the entire audience. With this performance, Bayer’s global leaders experienced an unforgettable moment celebrating their corporate unity. While that event was on a large scale, for nearly all of our events we design a programme that is handed to attendees that is identical to what audiences receive at a Broadway performance. However, it is customised with the client’s logo, welcome letter from the CEO and other company information. It becomes a fun take-away for the attendees but more importantly, it is another delivery method for the message of the event. Bottom line The bottom line is to know your audience. You can only achieve the “heat” if you take the audience’s temperature. What are the demographics of your attendees? What are their interests and initiatives have they just completed? What is their corporate philosophy and how are they marketing themselves? Answering these questions leads directly to an organic entertainment experience that will have your audiences singing your praises. After all, you demand nothing but the best, so you cannot afford to deliver anything less. |
