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MMM Takes Currys ‘White Show Live’ on the Road
Live brand experience company MMM – renowned for their innovative approach to producing live events - conceived, produced and production managed the Currys ‘White Show Live’ roadshow at four venues around the UK - Glasgow, Bradford, Cheltenham and Sandown.
The one-day event was an interactive training exercise for Store ‘Colleagues’. It presented them with a lively, imaginative and hands-on experience from which they could glean valuable knowledge about the extensive range of Currys in-store products.
MMM’s winning pitch included a fully featured shell scheme exhibition area, occupied by 21 Currys suppliers, including brand leaders such as Dyson, Electrolux, Bosch, etc., all of whom had an ideal forum for demonstrating their various products.
In addition to conceptual elements and the business messaging, MMM sourced the venues, designed and co-ordinated the installation of the exhibition and seminar rooms including sound, lighting AV systems, power and all technical infrastructure. They handled all logistics and co-ordinated two separate ‘leap-frogging’ crews (North and South) and sets of equipment to ensure that the four roadshows ran smoothly and efficiently in the incredibly tough ‘back-2-back’ time window of one week.
Although MMM have worked with Currys for over one year, delivering training, roadshows and conferences, it was MMM’s first exhibition-style project for Currys. The Worcester-based live event producers were approached by the client wanting some completely new ideas for energising its staff.
This had to include a series of intense fast-track training exercises, designed to stimulate delegates into going away and learning of their own volition more about what each brand and product range offers the consumer.
‘White Show Live’ was also the biggest motivational event that Curry’s had attempted to date – serving over 900 delegates – throughout the week. The Roadshow included The Hub, a more social and relaxed space located at the centre of the exhibition where, between seminar sessions and exploring the stands, delegates could network with each another and the suppliers. The Hub also served as a convenient central catering area.
It was intended to keep the whole environment contemporary looking and fast moving, to match the overall pace of the event. MMM created three separate seminar zones within the event. Delegates – who registered online – had to attend each of four sessions taking place in the three areas and also visit all 21 suppliers’ stands in the exhibition if they wanted to enter the daily prize draw. Intended as a fun team-building exercise, they had to get a ‘loyalty’ booklet stamped on completion of each seminar/stand visit.
MMM amassed two separate technical crews that were utilised to rig and install the seminar and theatre breakout areas at each venue. The two seminar areas each seated 50 people and the theatre accommodated 100. As it was a back-to-back tour, this was the only feasible way of doing it. The whole event had to be ready to roll each day for 9 a.m.
The same formula was used to construct the exhibition area and The Hub, which was handled by Blakes Exhibitions. Working closely with MMM, they managed the shell scheme, power and logistics of this element of the roadshow. Power was a key issue here, as requirements for some of the demos (involving cooking, etc) were substantially more than for a standard shell scheme exhibition of this size. Also, each of the 21 stands had their own separate power specs, ranging from 13 to 32 Amps.
One technician was then supplied to run each of the two seminar rooms and the larger ‘theatre’ upstairs. Each area featured PowerPoint set ups with screen, a small Bose speaker/Soundcraft control sound system for voice and video soundtrack reinforcement, 50 inch plasma screens and some basic effects lighting to lift the stage and presentation areas. The Currys Theatre featured a small set and slightly more elaborate lighting including six up-lighters for the back wall and a subtly coloured set wash.
All the sound, lighting and AV equipment was supplied from MMM’s in house inventory. Six 7.5 tonne trucks were used to transport the exhibition equipment, furniture and AV gear around the county – three per roadshow team.
Amanda Cottrell, marketing manager for Dixon’s Stores Group said: “The White Show Live was a great event targeted at our key sales colleagues. It enabled Currys to communicate our key business priorities to those on the sales floor. The exhibition involved all our major suppliers and offered the opportunity for quality product training direct to those serving our customers.
“We’re always looking for ways to make our training more effective and, with the White Show Live we created an interactive experience that colleagues would remember. Suppliers had plenty of time to spend with colleagues, who in turn enjoyed the opportunity for the two way dialogue. The White Show Live was a successful one off event and we are now reviewing how we can incorporate the format into our ongoing product training programme.”
8th August 2005
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