L’Oreal CPD Conference 2019

L’Oréal requested a proposal to design, produce and manage the 2019 L’Oréal CPD Conference from 12-14 June 2019, which included including a cocktail party for the Thursday evening of the conference where they showcase their own talented staff in "CPD's Got Talent". Previous to this, they had managed the production of the conference entirely in-house, largely handled by a single staff member. A review of this process highlighted the huge amount of time and resources this placed on the staff in question, and ENGAGE was approached for advice and direction for the conference moving forward.

By sitting down and working through the budget, must-haves and overall objectives for the conference, ENGAGE was able to identify where we could take the conference to the next level and ensure maximum output for the budget they had.

OBJECTIVES

• Provide an opportunity to boost staff morale and create strong team support
• Deliver new product and content to the CPD team succinctly and effectively
• Showcase CPD’s Got Talent

In 2018, the theme for the conference had revolved around the concept of a drum beat uniting the conference. As part of their brief, L'Oreal requested that the original concept of a drum beat be "put on steriods" for the 2019 Conference. We love being challenged to bringing innovation and creativity to a project, so went away and worked hard on an ideation that brought the drumbeat concept into 2019 with a fresh view.

Ulimately, we played on the theme "The Beat Goes On"

The beat of a drum. The heartbeat of an organisation. A rhythmic constant that provides the foundation for life and creation. This was “The Beat Goes On” - elevating the concept of the CPD team being the heartbeat of L’Oreal and taking the drum beat to another level. Surprising and thought-provoking throughout the conference, this set the scene for learning and collaborating with friends and colleagues across the 3 days of conference.

The heartbeat of L’Oreal was brought to life in a wave of colour and motion, celebrating a universal connection at the 2019 CPD Conference at the RACV Resort in Torquay.

The conference programme commenced with a bang - surprise neon breakdancers setting the scene for a dynamic 3 day event of learning and engaging with friends and colleagues. Expectations were high and the response from the attendees was overwhelmingly positive as a way to kick off what was deemed a successful conference.

A striking branded stage anchored the conference element of the event, with shapes of colour and light balancing the modern theme and allowing a consistent thread across the 3 days of content. The stage allowed brands to bring in their own touches and flair, whilst ensuring the underlying look and feel was maintained.

Bright and engaging Brand Activations punctuated and enriched the conference programme, with interactive elements to surprise and delight attendees and present new products and objectives into the mix. For more detail on the Garnier activation, have a look at its case study. 

The Cocktail Party on Thursday evening was the social highlight of the Conference, with CPD’s Got Talent showcasing the untapped talent and showmanship of the L’Oreal CPD Staff. DJ Perri was a huge hit, with the dance floor always full and pumping until last drinks.

The full team pulled up the next morning and attended an in-theme but out-of-the-box team-building experience, which not only offered a fun and engaging experience, but encouraged collaboration and creativity amongst colleagues. The music videos were a huge hit and provided the perfect send-off after 3 days of content and connection.