Event Porsche China Dealer Conference 2011
Client Porsche China
Agency Uniplan Shanghai
Venue The Venetian, Grand Lapa, and Restaurante Litoral Macau
Group size 100
Date November 20-23, 2010
The brief
Porsche China hosts an annual dealer conference to highlight new products and plans for the upcoming year. The company was celebrating a successful 2010 and wanted to create an event that topped previous conferences. At the June 2010 mid-year meeting, the highlight was a visit to the Shanghai Expo, so the November event needed to impress.
Challenges
Creating an event to remember was no problem once Macau was selected as the host city. The combination of a stay at the Venetian, tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Zaia and a day at the Grand Prix made for an exciting and attractive itinerary.
Logistics proved the main challenge. Delegates arrived via the airport, two ferry terminals and an overland crossing. Uniplan provided signage and staff at each entry point to ensure all dealers found the hotel, and the Venetian provided coach transfers.
The main conference programme was held at the Venetian, but there were also several off-site activities. Many roads are blocked off during the Grand Prix weekend and so organisers had to plan routes with precision, ensure they had up-to-the-minute traffic information and remained in constant contact with ground handling partners.
The scale and layout of the Venetian was initially a concern for organisers, who wanted guests to move about easily within an exclusive environment. Uniplan anticipated each walking route and provided plenty of signage to ensure guests found their way.
Execution
The three-day event included a welcome dinner at Restaurante Litoral, one of Macau’s best-known Portuguese restaurants, a day at the Grand Prix F3 Race, and two days of meetings, topped off with a Cirque De Soleil show and dinner. The Grand Prix was enjoyed from the Grand Lapa, which is located on the circuit.
Four months of detailed research and intensive planning went into the event. Thanks to the efforts of organisers who provided route information, hotel maps and handbooks, multilingual hostesses and extensive signage, there were few disruptions.
Comment “This event was a team effort that required a high degree of professionalism to ensure all aspects were executed smoothly and effectively,” says Porsche China CEO Helmut Broeker.“The good results were derived from good planning and implementation. This only occurs when dedicated and commited individuals are briefed, trusted and involved in every aspect of the event. The Uniplan team completed such a role at this event.