Wowing delegates and setting social media alight with the latest innovations in print
Intelligent Partnership is the UK’s leading provider of education and insight on Alternative investments. Their aim is to help financial advisers deliver diversified, engaging and value-for-money investment options for their clients.
The problem
Twice a year IP bring the Investment industry together for The Growth Investor Awards. Only a few years after launching, the evening has quickly become the most credible awards event in the industry calendar.
Table packages are expensive and sponsors invite important clients and industry contacts. Everything from guest speakers and event production, to awards brochures and live bands are high value and provide impressive back-drops which help to elevate the profile of each event.
Always looking to push the envelope, IP’s first objective was to build better experiences for their guests at each touch point in the night. Previously they tried to make their event brochures stand out and used non-standard page sizes and die cut sections to make them feel different. Although eye-catching they were very expensive and beyond looking unusual they added little to the evenings experience for the guests.
Following excellent early success, IP’s second objective was to lock-in commercial momentum by improving the value table sponsors get from their investment and if it was possible, to explore how print could help.
The solution
Palina held ‘deep dive’ meetings with the events team to thoroughly understand the process of each event; how print is utilized and generally what objectives the table sponsors have, and what kind of relationship they have with their guests.
We began by removing the die cut aspect from the internal sections which immediately created a generous budget to re-invest in other, more cost effective and impactful ways. Firstly we swapped the standard cover stock with GF Smith’s Peregrina Majestic, a coloured stock which catches the light on both sides in a beautiful shimmer. Instead of printing the logo on the cover in ink, we recommended a silver foil in the shape of their logo and placed a textural high gloss layer of polymer over the top; providing a supercharged ‘ping’ to the outer cover. Under the lights of the venue the brochures sparkled brilliantly, dazzling delegates.
Using variable data printing we upgraded the standard generic intro letter within the brochure to a highly personalised introduction
Thanks to the budget saving we were able to innovate further, creating more value to sponsors and enhancing the experience for guests. Using variable data printing we upgraded the standard generic intro letter within the brochure to a highly personalised introduction, where each table sponsor welcomed each guest, along with the event organisers to the evening, by name!
Tent cards were also produced using the same technology which matched the font used in the brochure to ensure consistency.
Running a 500+ person awards, it’s hard to make everyone feel part of it. Palina recommended we personalised the brochure to each guest with their name and table sponsor, we even wished a couple of people happy birthday in theirs – it blew everyone away. At the end of the night the tables are normally filled with brochures left behind, but the personalisation turned them into a keepsake – delivering value to us and our sponsors, and made every guest feel included whether they won or not.
Guy Tolhurst
Director Intelligent Partnership
The results
Reformatting the brochures had a genuine impact on the evening. The cover created more impact than the previous edition and released enough budget to add a second dimension; a highly personalised introduction.
Feedback from guests clearly wow’d by the brochure was evident in the uptake of social media to post their reactions, for the first time ever #GIAawards trended on twitter due to photos of the guests personalised brochures. Personal feedback on the night given to Guy Tolhurst, director of IP also clearly showed that sponsors were grateful of the switch to personalised introductions.
for the first time ever #GIAawards trended on twitter due to photos of the guests personalised brochures
Palina were awesome to work with, they nailed the brief and so much more, hats off to them for pulling it all off, especially after they let us have until 9am on the day of the awards to provide the guest list. They even delivered personally and stayed on to help the events team distribute the print!
Debbie Connelly
Events Manager Intelligent Partnership