Delivering ‘Wow’ to Large-Scale Events

Triumph Leisure Solutions Managing Director Blake Harris shares his tips and tricks, like how he scored that photo of 4,000 at Darling Harbour.

The changing needs of the Asian incentive market mean the “wow factor” has never been more important. New and returning corporate groups want experiential events with a distinct local flavour, sophistication, and an inspiring trip that rewards their top performers and business partners while delivering a strong brand presence.

This ever-expanding sector, which often sees groups of several thousand incentive delegates take over cities like Melbourne and Sydney, has created opportunities for event planners to flex their creative muscles and deliver events that no one has staged before — breaking new ground with high-production value at a massive scale.

Planning large-scale events is logistically challenging. In order to meet this challenge and deliver high-value experiences, engaging and collaborating with the best in the business is essential.

At Triumph Leisure Solutions (TLS) we work on a subcontractor model with a half- dozen full-time staff and, at times, more than 200 subcontractors on select events.

In 2016, we delivered a series of events for the Nu Skin Greater China Success Trip in Sydney — the largest single-wave incentive trip in Sydney’s history, which saw more than 4,000 delegates from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong descend on the harbour city for a five-day programme. We also orchestrated a massive group photo of all delegates in front of the iconic Sydney Opera house — and given the numbers, this was no mean feat.

So how do you deliver a welcome party that inspires and rewards more than 4,000 top performers?

We worked in collaboration with Business Events Sydney to secure exclusive access to the entire Darling Harbour space — the first time a corporate company had been able to do so for an event. Taking advantage of this unique venue and full creative licence, we erected a huge floating stage and delivered presentations that integrated 60 dancers across the stage, pontoon and gangways supported by water performers, a cavalcade of boats, water skiers, fly boarders, lasers, fountains, water screens, LED screens, lighting, flames, Co2, and pyrotechnics.

The event wouldn’t have been possible without extensive planning, utilising the relationships TLS has formed with industry partners and suppliers over the last decade and understanding their logistical capability to deliver an event of this scale. This satisfied Nu Skin’s brief of an unforgettable welcome party featuring a uniquely Australian experience that delivered strong brand exposure at Darling Harbour.

Last year, we engaged the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) to deliver a gala dinner for Perfect China — the largest corporate incentive event in Melbourne during the last decade. Together with MCEC, we served 9,600 meals to more than 3,000 delegates in 90 minutes. Moving guests efficiently through the venue and ensuring meals were served on time during an extensive programme of live entertainment required experience and careful planning. But most importantly, it required extensive collaboration and clear communication with an experienced venue partner.

When you’re working to produce events at such scale, collaboration and strategic partnerships are critical to success.