Communication, planning and swift action enables QT Gold Coast to organise a theme poolside event that charms attendees and convinces the client to return for another. By Natasha Dragun
Event
Telcoinabox Annual Conference 2013
Organiser
QT Gold Coast
Venue
QT Gold Coast poolside
Date
August 12-14, 2013
No. of participants
115
Objectives
Bring staff together and kick-start the company’s national conference in a way that inspired delegates
Challenge
Tight turnaround time for converting a public space for the event
Result
Event was a resounding success, and Telcoinabox will be back for future events
In the past, the Telcoinabox Annual Conference was held as a barbeque, a simple social gathering. However, in 2013, the event for 115 Telcoinabox staff underwent a transformation when it was held at the edgy QT Gold Coast hotel for the first time.
“Telcoinabox wanted to bring everyone together and kick-start its national conference in a way that inspired and motivated its delegates,” said Kobi Facto, director of brand development at the hotel. Together with the client, Facto and the hotel’s events team sat down to brainstorm on a concept that would impress.
“We wanted a vibrant theme that matched our colourful Gold Coast setting and poolside venue, and something that hadn’t been done before,” said Facto.
It was decided that the mid-August event would take on a Miami Vice theme. To achieve this, the hotel’s poolside area was transformed full scale, with enticing lighting, projection displays, furniture and hot pink flamingo centrepieces added.
“We created a special welcome blueberry and mint cocktail with a colour matching the sponsor’s logo. Our head chef specially created a tapas menu and interactive food stations for the night – something a bit different from your standard barbeque dinner,” said Facto. Assistance was also extended to the evening’s entertainer, Matt Hollywood, who provided delegates with a 30-minute magic show.
The QT Gold Coast events team is used to thinking out of the box when it comes to events, said Facto.
“We are an extraordinary hotel where an eclectic mix of design and art comes to life, injecting colour and quirk into the MICE space to bring imagination and unique experiences to meetings and events, plus all the facilities planners expect – chic designer finishes as well as unforgettable food and drink experiences.”
The event took some three months to plan, with the biggest challenge being the short turnaround time from changing a publicly used space – the hotel’s pool deck – into an event space.
“We had 2.5 hours to clear the space of guests, set up and get ready to serve,” said Facto.
“Additionally, being held at an outdoor venue, the event was weather dependent. There was also the challenge of improving on previous years’ events and wanting to exceed the client’s expectations.”
According to Facto, communication was key. “We had pre-event meetings with both the client and our operations team to ensure everything would run smoothly,” she said. “We believe we exceeded the expectations of the client, sponsor and delegates as a result.”
Needless to say, the client was overwhelmingly satisfied with the event, and has indicated that it will be back for more.
