Ottawa Event Planning - Canada Retirement
Challenge:
Every summer, the Canada Retirement
Information Centre hosts a massive client appreciation /
thank-you party for its many clients and friends. What started more
than 15 years ago as a small event for just a few valued clients
has grown into the largest "thank-you" event in Ottawa. As such, it
was no surprise that Canada Retirement wanted the 2007 event to be
the biggest and best event in the organization's history, and they
turned to Ottawa event planners they could trust - the team at
Marketing Breakthroughs.
Solution:
After a Hawaiian theme was selected, the
event planners at Marketing Breakthroughs began the massive
undertaking of coordinating every single logistical aspect of the
event, including:
- Planning the schedule of events;
- Venue booking;
- Venue decoration and preparation;
- Booking live entertainment (including a 4-piece jazz band and one of the world's top professional Hawaiian dance groups);
- Booking audio / visual equipment;
- First aid service;
- Complimentary drive-home service;
- Printed marketing collateral (including invites and flyers);
- Media releases.
Results:
With well-known Ottawa media celebrity Ray Stone as the MC, "Tiki
Thursday" was a resounding success. More than 1,000 of Canada
Retirement's clients came out to the Hellenic Banquet Centre and
enjoyed a fun-filled evening of Hawaiian entertainment, an open
buffet and bar, and hula contests (with gift certificates provided
to the winners).
The event was also used to successfully launch the new Canada
Retirement "Refer-a-Friend" campaign, with flyers being distributed
to the people in attendance.
Fred Bowie, Canada Retirement's CEO, called it, "the biggest and
best client appreciation event we've ever hosted."
