When our customer experience client set out to connect leaders and stimulate fresh thinking at a FutureWorks Global Employer forum in New York, we jumped at the chance to help bring the theme of innovation to life.
We were invited by the MacExperience Group to project manage this biannual landmark thought leadership event which was devised to share expert insights on the future of work over the next two decades with a focus on technological advances in the light of global social and demographic change and market disruptions.
The two-day forum in New York’s financial district brought together 141 senior global HR professionals in plenary and networking sessions with the objectives to spark bold ideas, foster community engagement, and empower HR professionals to innovate the employee experience.
Working as an extension of the MacExperience team and in partnership with the global professional services end-client, we delivered the delegate, logistical and project management elements of the programme.
We created a branded website for the event, to send out invitations and confirmations of attendance. This hub would also enable us to check in delegates smoothly onsite via iPads, monitor attendance numbers in real-time, and securely distribute links video content after the event.
A pivotal engagement and communications element of the programme was the mobile app developed by TTA on Cvent’s CrowdCompass platform. Integrated with the delegate registration system, the app’s functionality included downloadable content for: building anticipation in the lead-up; sharing event and venue information; providing push notifications and reminders; delivering walking maps to guide participants to offsite networking receptions. It also featured polling and Q&As to enable attendees to submit questions to speakers throughout the programme, and a social wall where people could post comments and upload images under an event hashtag.
The app was required to go live six weeks prior to the event, which demanded a carefully -devised project timeline. It involved working closely with client security departments in respect of safeguarding sensitive data, but at the same time providing the convenience of a single click app download via the app administration site for meeting participants.
The Live Experience
The momentum and vibrancy of the live two-day programme was facilitated and maintained by an outstanding line-up of high-profile, global expert speakers. Participants were also invited to experience an innovation lab, with virtual and augmented reality providing an immersive experience as a compelling example of how these novel technologies can help employees learn, communicate and collaborate more effectively.
We were responsible for managing all logistical and venue elements onsite, and we worked in sync with the production team on live elements of the event. This involved keeping the sessions – which were being videoed and live-streamed - on track and switching between the presentations and live polling results. In addition, we collaborated with the client to moderate questions submitted via the interactive app on a rolling basis, using an iPad.
Outside of the business sessions, TTA managed two networking luncheons and two evening receptions, which were important to help facilitate effective networking. One of these was hosted at the prestigious Manhatta restaurant, perched sixty stories above Lower Manhattan’s financial district with stunning panoramic views.
The Forum provided a unique opportunity for participants to connect with global business thought leaders and each another, to explore innovative ways to address talent-related business challenges and opportunities in the coming decades. We saw plenty of engagement via the app, which supported the desired interactivity without detracting from the presentations or face-to-face networking opportunities.
Delegate feedback indicated that the overall objectives of building a community of senior professionals and encourage stimulating, forward-looking conversations were met and as the event was oversubscribed, the client is now considering staging the Forum annually in future.
“Everyone has had such positive feedback about the seamlessness and professionalism of the Global Employer Forum, which is a testament to all your hard work – both over the past couple of days on-site and many months leading up to the event ” Global Client
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