1. After a difficult year in the press and a comprehensive restructure, BP Shipping wanted to hold a series of conferences to engage all shore based staff around the world As this was the first event of it’s kind in BP Shipping’s history we needed to deliver “events” rather than a conferences. All delegates must get the same experience, no matter which country event they attended, so we gave great attention to the strategic content. Inspiration and motivation needed to be the order of the day. all together now

2. compelling The client sent out an outline agenda and we had to translate this into an innovative series of sessions to get the message across They were clear about their objectives – teamwork, energising people and strategy We wanted to go above and beyond this by the addition of a fourth objective – measurability and return on investment. This would be key to benchmark success memorable innovative energising

3. coming to life From receiving the brief, our intention was to focus on strong content, delivered dynamically throughout the two days. We achieved this by breaking down the two-day agenda and indentifying the key delegate touch-points and then aligning them to the initial objectives set by the client.

4. Secondly, we employed the use of technology to help us measure engagement and return on investment throughout the two days. The technology chosen was the SpotMe networking tool that instantly enabled us to meet several of the engagement objectives. We also worked with the SpotMe developers to push the technology’s capabilities further to deliver delegate-driven content sessions. The 4 touch points were defined as Core business content, business area breakouts, organised networking activities and Informal networking activities deployed during breaks make technology work

5. core business content There were just two ‘formal’ sessions over the two days designed to invite delegates to think about their role in BP Shipping’s overall strategy (using SpotMe’s audience response mechanism) and then challenge the Leadership Team through an open and honest Q&A session (using SpotMe’s live response mechanism)

6. business area breakouts Four sessions designed to place delegates ‘in the shoes of’ different areas of the business. The four one-hour sessions were designed to be totally unique in their delivery with each striving to achieve the collective objectives of interaction and core understanding through experience. Sessions included: A live emergency response situation with teams working through CSI-style evidence after viewing a live news report about a fictitious disaster. This was designed to increase their understanding of the Safety, Health and Marine Engineering function. A marine personnel deployment board game where teams had to allocate sea staff to vessels depending on time-critical information. A vessel chartering activity where teams had to select vessels and allocate cargoes using their SpotMe device. They then had to vet the vessels through the clearing process (using the RFID card scanning function on their SpotMe device).

7. The icebreaker activity was designed to gauge delegates’ knowledge and understanding of the business and to work together to succeed in completing a time-critical activity. Each team had to work through a series of 20 questions (delivered through SpotMe) to progress their team’s vessel to its destination port displayed on a dynamic global shipping map on the main screen. The galley challenge activity invited teams to design and create three meals using a selection of ingredients and directed by a master chef in each region against the clock. organised networking

8. informal networking This activity was used to encourage delegates to exchange electronic contact details with others that unlocked personal information submitted at the registration stage to stimulate discussion. A’ Viral Whispers’ activity was used to engage delegates in the passing of business support function information from one person to another before it was fed back on-stage by the final person in the chain. This enabled us to educate delegates about the support functions without the need for a formal presentation. All four touch points were designed to give a variety of engagement mechanisms throughout the two days. The SpotMe system then enabled us to measure the effectiveness of each session. locate- a - mate

9. compelling The initial client response was incredibly positive with particular mention being given to our consideration to deploying engagement mechanisms at every stage. Our direction required the client to revise their allocated budget to allow for the use of networking technology that was deemed too important not to use in the event. In return, the technology has delivered the performance metrics that more than justified the return on initial investment. As the content developed we were keen to push the style and delivery of the event beyond corporate guidelines (while being sympathetic to BP’s brand and identity) using bold block colours and iconography in the presentation of content. In addition, an animated opening video was created to deliver key business information and to set the tone of the event without the need for film or video footage. memorable innovative energising

10. production values With so much investment in the content creation and delivery, we decided to create an environment that was engaging but not overpowering and deployed basic presentation technology that could be delivered consistently across all regions. A two-projector blend widescreen projection system was used and the screen became the main focus of the plenary sessions with bold and energizing content. It was our objective that no delegate was further than 5m from the presenter, so we designed a low thrust stage environment, framed by our large wide screen. This set up was chosen because we wanted to break down the traditional forth-wall and encourage informal participation.

11. where on earth The venues were already chosen by the local BP offices, contracts had been signed – but we knew they weren’t right. Shangri La Rasa Resort, Singapore was great – but no rehearsal or overnight hold. Beaumont House, England – great venue, wrong room with no breakouts or rehearsal time. Wyndham, Chicago – good central location, but no break out rooms, overnight hold or exclusive space. Our team researched the contracts and came up with the answers to get BP Shipping what they needed. We were the only ones to flag up these problems, meet them head on and deliver answers that worked for both space and budget. Our team supported their team and together we got the job done.

12. Detail The core challenge for the team was the very short lead time between being awarded the project and the delivery of the first event in Singapore. It was only 11 weeks from first pitch to first event. This affected the physical delivery constraints of supplier/venue liaison as well as the pressure to design informed content that was delivered in new and engaging formats. Through a strong project team and exercising of existing relationships with partners, the logistical challenges were overcome and a content producer was deployed within BP Shipping’s offices to gain a comprehensive understanding of their business operations and challenges. This teamwork and wary eye for detail enabled us to develop compelling events that were well researched and imaginatively delivered. an eye for detail

13. the final result The faces of the delegates said it all – the feedback was the best our stakeholder had ever received. “ Massive thanks for a great event. Personally I think we smashed it out of the park, please can you pass on my thanks to the team. It’s also a real pleasure to work with people from the real world!” Adam Smith Media & External Relations Manager BP Shipping

14. measurement the acid test SpotMe connections made at single event - 4892 evaluation The figures speak for themselves My understanding and knowledge of how all the teams function and why has: Vastly improved: 43% Improved: 56% My understanding and knowledge of how all the teams function and why has: Vastly improved: 44% Improved: 53% My understanding of how my individual role contributes to the overall success of shipping has: Vastly improved: 39% Improved: 54%