Corporate Awards Evening

Back in December we worked with KFC to deliver one of our favorite events of the year for the third time running – the RSC Awards!

This event was a chance for all KFC’s head office and equity restaurant managers to get together, cut loose and celebrate their epic achievements in 2019.

We worked closely with KFC to design and manage this event; covering everything from venue sourcing and guest invites, to AV production and content support!

Finding a venue

For the previous two years, this event was hosted at Mercedes Benz World, but in 2019 it was time for a change! After scouring the area for suitable venues and performing multiple site visits, the client opted to move the event to Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre. This purpose-built event space was perfect for the event, with its proximity to the KFC Head Offices and incredibly flexible meeting spaces.

We utilised the Inspire Suite for this event, along with several smaller spaces that acted as dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces and offices. We also managed bedroom bookings for 50 restaurant managers at a nearby hotel and arranged transport to and from the venue to their accommodation.

Working together

As always, consistent communication between the Event Management team and the client enabled us to make sure we were delivering an event that fell 100% in-line with KFC’s vision. Not only was this event to ft in with KFC’s established New South aesthetic, but for 2019 the client wanted the event to be bigger and better than ever before!  

Our event management and production teams worked together to develop an on-brand set (complete with giant bolo ties and a Colonel Sanders neon signature) and added some Premier Events flair to the proceedings with lights, sound and FX.  

In the run up to the event, we looked after all delegate management; we built a bespoke registration website using our dedicated delegate management software, from which we were able to track registrations, send out communications, and manage special requirements for guests. 

We also worked with KFC’s team of PA’s to ensure that transport had been arranged for everyone to get home safely after the event. Some of our event management team were deployed to direct collection/drop off traffic onsite, a cold job – but a vital one! 

Fun and games

For this event we threw the traditional three course dinner service out the window and served a variety of street foods as substantial standing starters during the drinks reception. A “Pimp my Prosecco” station was also available during the reception, and a roaming band delighted guests with offbeat covers of classic hits.

Following a more traditional plated main, dessert platters were presented to the guests featuring boozy ice cream cookie sandwiches and mini shot desserts! Guests were kept entertained throughout dinner as the roaming band made its way from table to table, performing singalong requests!

Entertainment was a huge part of this event, and our hosts for the evening (staff members from KFC’s Head Office) navigated the guests flawlessly through the night. The complex script (based loosely on Saturday Night Take Away) included crazy games, audience participation, prize give aways, and of course the awards ceremony itself.

After the awards were done, the party really started with sets from our amazing in-house DJ and a club anthems cover band!

AV and Production

We provided full production for this event, as in previous years. We work very closely with KFC to style our offering, in order to keep a fresh look and adapt for the challenges that different venues bring. 

Our stage set design included a large width printed backdrop, to which we added CNC routered bolo ties and galvanised mesh panels. On each side of the main stage a large freestanding Layher structure was provided to add depth and as a structure to support neon signs, lightboxes and LED tubes. More mesh was applied to the structure to create a rich texture, with further lighting fixtures within. 

A flown projection screen was integrated above scenic painted corrugated paneling at centre stage to allow clear viewing of presentations and videos. 

The whole stage set was uplit using Sixbar 1000s, to provide vivid and saturated colouring. We used wireless Event Spots for room uplighting, controlled via W-DMX. A mixture of beam, wash and spot moving lights were flown and positioned on stage to add layering. A quantity of lightweight LED festoon was flown to extend the stage set into the audience. 

We installed a distributed L-Acoustics PA system, comprising of X8, 12XT and SB18 enclosures, all powered by LA8 and LA4X amplified controllers. Sennheiser RF and Yamaha QL completed the solution. 

The large projection screen was paired with HD laser projection, and we installed an end-to-end HD switching and distribution system including multiple comfort monitors and clear panel prompting. 

A highly skilled team of technicians, production manager, show caller and crew worked to deliver the event which required two articulated trucks to transport.