The event that broke a world record
Our client’s big ask: inspire 500 salespeople to break every sales record. So, what better way to inspire the team than to help them break a Guinness World Record?
The Challenge
In 2018, Eventique worked with the consumer goods company Reckitt Benckiser (RB) — on their annual sales and marketing conference. The RB team asked us: “How can we unite 500 employees from around the country and make sure they leave our conference ready to break every sales record we’ve ever had?
The Brilliant Idea
We came up with a brilliant idea: if the RB team could break a Guinness World Record together, they could certainly be motivated to go on from there and break their sales records. RB loved the idea, so we quickly kicked off a quest to find the perfect record to break. RB is a purpose-driven company, so we knew the record had to be meaningful. We also wanted it to add value to the community where the event took place.
After a lot of brainstorming with the Guinness World Records in-house creative agency, The Records Lab, we had it: We would bring the sales and marketing teams together to break the record for “most backpacks stuffed with school supplies in one hour.” Then, we’d donate the backpacks to the local Andre Agassi Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for kids without the means to buy their own school supplies.
Execution: Breaking a World Record
The wheels were in motion. In addition to preparing the entire production including general sessions, evening receptions, and offsite activities, we needed to arrange this record-breaking spectacle. The team ordered palettes of notebooks, calculators, pencils, pens, and other essentials. We bought more than 1,000 backpacks in a rainbow of colors, then flew to Las Vegas to prepare for the spectacle.
The event went exactly as we hoped. It was a bright, sunny day and we gathered all 500 RB employees outside on the blacktop as the hour approached. Then, we hit the timer! They went into a charitable frenzy while our team of coaches looked on, keeping things organized and making sure all 1,512 backpacks were filled properly by the end of the countdown. The RB team needed to stuff each backpack with at least five different school supplies and zip them all shut by the end of the hour. They were well prepared, ready to execute — and they rose to the challenge!
The energy on that blacktop when the record broke was incredible. Excitement and pride poured out while the team arranged the backpacks into a massive “RB.” The drone shot we took of their work — surrounded by beaming people — was the highlight of the entire sales and marketing conference.
That final scene was what my team and I call “the glitter”: a magical moment that can’t be duplicated and makes an event truly memorable.
Five Steps For Creating a Meaningful Spectacle
Here at Eventique, we try to add these elements of spectacle to every event we execute. Each immersive and emotional moment looks different. The glitter might be a laser light show, an incredible dance performance, or a mind-blowingly realistic hologram. Adding this “wow” factor is an art that’s more complicated than most people think.
To create a fantastic spectacle, you have to …
1. Understand who your audience is, and what drives and inspires them. A great idea is only as good as the impact it has on its audience. The attendees of the event have to appreciate the concept for it to make a lasting impression.
2. Keep your budget and logistical options in mind. My team and I won’t suggest a confetti drop that costs more in cleanup fees than our client is willing to consider, or book a pyrotechnic display at a venue where we’re not allowed to have an open flame. These are common-sense considerations that a lot of event companies miss.
3. Ensure the spectacle is a seamless part of the story being told. A spectacle can’t exist separately from the event’s goal and theme. It has to make sense with the rest of the client’s message and agenda, just like the RB backpack record.
4. Build meaning into the moment. A good spectacle isn’t just eye-catching: It’s meaningful and inspiring, too. If RB hadn’t donated its backpacks to kids in need, breaking the record wouldn’t have been as motivating or heartwarming.
5. Plan the reveal strategically. Should the audience be surprised by the spectacle? Or should we tease it and prepare them to ramp up the excitement? These are questions my team always asks during the planning process.
A well-executed spectacle provides more than just a “wow” factor. It leads the audience through the first step of a journey the brand wants them to continue.
