Company: Grass Roots Meetings & Events Inc., New York, NY
Company Description: Grass Roots is the world's leading provider of employee & customer engagement solutions. Grass Roots helps customers increase sales; deliver change, excite, educate and motivate to ultimately strengthen and develop relationships with employees, brands, partners and customers. Grass Roots acutely understand how to deploy the power of face-to-face and multi-media communications.
Nomination Category: Live Event Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Corporate Image Event

Nomination Title: Swiss Re 150 Years Anniversary, Open Minds Connecting Generations, New York City Regional Event

The date on which this nominated production was first presented: Thursday, October 24, 2013

Briefly describe the nominated event's objectives and how it met those objectives (up to 525 words):

Swiss Re, the world’s leading re-insurance company reached a landmark 150 year anniversary; A chance to celebrate with and recognize clients, brokers and employees for 150 years of successful partnerships. The theme ‘open minds connecting generations’ became the catalyst to stop, think and fully open minds to the risks facing today's communities and generations beyond.

A series of 16 global anniversary events were created around four key themes: Advancing sustainable energy solutions, Funding longer lives, Partnering for food security, and Managing climate and natural disaster risk. Grass Roots provided venue sourcing/management, production and decor, catering, design and onsite management for all destinations.

New York City became the landmark event for the Americas region. As events took place, interest grew and the format evolved. Grass Roots had to accommodate three events for over 2,500 guests at Cipriani Wall Street to appeal to different generations.

“Open Minds Forum,” moderated by former Economist editor, Bill Emmott, encouraged adventurous dialogue in “TED talk” format bringing Generation Y clients and employees together in fishbowl settings constructed out of free standing dry erase walls. To illustrate the debate visually, artists sketched images on these walls depicting the event’s four key themes.

With a tight 4-hour window, the space was turned around to hold a dinner for 850 prominent industry executives. The dinner included a dynamic keynote address by President Bill Clinton, who interlinked the conference themes with the work of The Clinton Foundation, followed by a commissioned performance by Lucerne Festival Ensemble entitled “Music at Risk.”

The final event, Family Day, gave employees, partners and children the chance to celebrate. Zones were designed around the event’s four key themes with activities and entertainment intended to capture the imagination of a younger generation.

Highlights:

-A “style guide” ensured brand consistency. Grass Roots applied “local” flair through staging, set and lighting design, decor, signage, catering and furniture
-Two 2.5 ton custom designed, interactive LED heads were commissioned, creating a set enhancement illuminated with brand colors, displaying people and video
-Over 300 people worked the event in order to manage the program schedule, set changes and complete venue overhauls between events
=Engaging activities for Family Day ranged from flood models demonstrating natural disaster to a bicycle powered spin art machine

Results:

-New York event “created a lasting legacy of Swiss Re’s impeccable reputation, rich history and brand commitment to how risks will be managed by future generations”
-Feedback from clients, partners and employees was unanimous in the resounding success
-Event received buzz on twitter and written media
-Brand recognition and reputation for thought leadership; engagement in sustainable dialogue / forums on risks and how they will be addressed by future generations

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List the appropriate creative and production credits for this entry: Advertising Agency/City: Client: Art Director: Cinematographer: Creative Director: Designer: Director: Illustrator/City: Music Producer/City: Photographer/City: Printer/City: Producer: Production Company/City: Programmer: Writer: Web Development Firm/City:

Cinematographer- Markenfilm, Hamburg
Photographer- Fifth Avenue Digital, New York
Printer/City- ABC Imaging, New York
Production Company- MME Ink, New York
Lighting- Star Group Productions, New York
LED Heads- Bellprat Associates, Zurich