CASE STUDY
BUPA kicks off 2024 with another exceptional event!
Overview
The largest dental care network in Australia, Bupa Dental Care, kicked off 2024 with their annual conference in February. Bupa Dental Care has around 200 practices and a community comprised of over 800 clinicians and 2,500 support staff in their network offering patient-centred care to almost half a million patients annually.
Each year, the long-standing Bupa Dental Care conference treats practice principals to leisure and social activities as a token of appreciation. In 2023, this shifted with the introduction of business strategy content and inviting practice managers to the conference. This shift continued in 2024 with a greater focus on business content.
Objectives
Following the success of last year’s event created in collaboration with FCM Meetings & Events, the Bupa Dental Care team embarked on a mission to replicate the success of 2023 and elevate it to new heights. Partnering with FCM M&E again this year, the Bupa Dental Care’s 2024 event objectives were crystal clear:
- Acknowledge and celebrate the efforts and achievements of Bupa Dental Care’s people.
- Reflect on 2023 and share priorities for the year ahead.
- Provide opportunities to learn from each other and industry experts.
- Provide opportunities for practices to connect with each other and build their own networks.
- Have fun!
Our approach
With around 300 guests including sponsors and Bupa support staff confirmed for the conference, the FCM Meetings & Events team got to work choosing the perfect venue in collaboration with the Bupa Dental Care team - the RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast.
“The location fitted guest numbers perfectly. The conference was all on the same floor, and the location had an interesting Gala dinner venue option,” FCM Meetings & Events Producer Kara Johnson said. “Our client had also used the venue before so they felt comfortable with the venue choice.”
The destination also gave guests the time and space to immerse them into the event and content.
The event entertainment included Welcome to Country, keynote speakers, a special roving act called ‘Mr & Mrs Von White’, a Hand Balance Act at the Gala dinner, as well as the Franky Smart Band which performed at the afterparty.
“At the end of the main course, we had a planned cirque act that really grabbed people’s attention and draw them back to the room,” Kara said. “Tying in with the dinner en blanc theme, we had guests twirling their napkins to signify the start of the Gala dinner, and then everyone received a sparkler at the end of the dinner.
The FCM M&E team also created a space for suppliers and partners, offering them an in expo sponsored theatre allowing guests the chance to listen in to short supplier talks
Challenges
Kara said the event had very few challenges and the team were able to overcome these quickly and using flexible solutions.
“Having a Gala dinner outside in an undercover tennis court was different, as we had to setup a room outside that didn't exist. Our solution was to offer guests hand fans to help with the heat, and also moving the afterparty inside.
“But everything went very well for our client, because our team integrated with the client’s team, ensuring open and transparent conversation from the beginning.”
Results
The client was over the moon at the end of the event and so was senior leadership,” Kara said.
Kara mentioned one highlight from the event was the Gala dinner en blanc reveal.
"All guests were wowed by the room setup. As they entered the dinner via a ramp, most guests stopped to take photos of the overall view of the gala dinner, which they got to see from a couple of meters up, overlooking the room. We essentially gathered everyone in the exhibition space, and then guided them onto the undercover tennis court, and they didn’t know about this space, it was a surprise for all the guests."
“Overall, it was a great collaboration with the client, everything ran smoothly on site, and the delegation was lovely. It was nice to see the event come to life after working on it for months. It was really rewarding.”
Plan your next event with FCM Meetings & Events now!
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