Case Study
Bakers Delight 2022 Conference
Overview
The Bakers Delight 2022 Conference is the flagship event for Australia’s most successful bakery franchise. Here, all national franchisees come together and discuss key business objectives for the future. The on-site event was held over 2.5 days in September at The Star, Gold Coast, with 695 attendees from Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The event was originally scheduled for 2020 but was cancelled due to COVID. This meant the new event provided an opportunity to update franchisees on the business post pandemic. Other priorities were to give franchisees the opportunity to network with like-minded business owners, key Bakers Delight stakeholders, staff, and suppliers, while providing the building blocks to enhance their business.
Challenges
• In the post lockdown and COVID world, both the client and FCM Meetings & Events faced staff shortages and supply chain issues. This had an impact leading up to the event and during the event itself, with some businesses not being able to attend due to COVID illness and staff levels.
• With the event being scheduled during school holidays, flights and accommodation inventory were at a premium.
• COVID cases and illness were still occurring within the community, which impacted the initial audience target number. When it was clear that the target was not going to be met, FCM Meetings & Events scaled down elements of the existing event without compromising on content.
Results
Through the use of impactful content and inspirational speakers, the FCM Meetings & Events team ensured that the agenda and key messages were delivered in a memorable way.
A team of technical experts partnered with FCM Meetings and Events to create a stage set which could host dynamic content and digital assets. Not only did this set the scene and evoke an inspiring mood, but was also used to signify session and speaker changes.
A vibrant educational exhibition showcase was created to allow franchisees to network with suppliers, to discuss products and services and explore potential implementation into their businesses.
Due to COVID related issues, the final night party was hosted offsite rather than onsite as originally planned, which proved to be a huge success and an innovation which will be adopted for future events.
Highlights
• Guest speaker Dr Richard Harris, who played an integral role in the 2018 Thai soccer team cave rescue, discussed the importance of resilience in a post COVID world and how it relates to business success.
• The popular huddle (breakout) sessions facilitated discussion and allowed attendees to deep dive into wealth, elite performance and staff retention sessions, providing them with tools and information to implement in their own businesses.
• Bakers Delight management shared their strategy, goals and valuable insights into how the business is innovating today, for their success tomorrow – including the continuation of delighting customers and supporting franchisees.
Our Approach
The FCM Meetings & Events strategy was to use innovative technology and presentation practices to engage franchisees and internal staff with the Bakers Delight key brand messages. This informed the creation of a learning environment within the corporate head office framework, in both the plenary and the breakout sessions.
The team designed conversation, engagement and networking activities to encourage knowledge sharing, formal and informal learning, and to build a supportive environment.
A standout element which streamlined the flow of the event and delegate participation was the utilisation of a purpose-built Mobile App. This App provided each delegate with customised event information throughout the conference – including the daily agenda, speaker and exhibitor profiles, event map, push notifications, a meeting hub, a scan and connect QR code and more.
To encourage connection between the franchisees, the social activities –including the welcome event and final night Bakers Delight Block Party – featured a fluid design to inspire delegate communication and engagement.
Outcome
The Bakers Delights brief was to make the franchisees feel like true business partners and the FCM Meetings & Events design successfully helped to reduce any hierarchical structure.
The ‘Game On’ theme created a clear direction for the conference and set a benchmark for all components of the program, which heavily promoted collaboration, inclusion and a cohesive experience.
The strategically designed agenda addressed the fact that some franchisees are new to the business, while others have a long history with Bakers Delight, by enabling delegates to ‘choose their own adventure’ and content.
Working closely with Bakers Delight’s key stakeholders, the FCM Meetings & Events team delivered a creative event execution which brought the conference content to life – and delegates together – to celebrate the first live and 100% in-person event in over 24 months.
Quote
“…in what was one of the most inspiring, educational, and powerful events we have ever held…” - Bakers Delight
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