Bee-ing social
The social committee. We are a bunch of unfortunate individuals selected for our superior social and organisational skills. Or so we have been told.
Our task: organising fun and games for 50 Bees throughout 2012. There is only rule: stick to the budget. The challenge: stop Jas from spanking the budget after her 3rd glass of wine.
Last week we held an international battle (otherwise known as sports day) compromising an all-out fight to the death amongst 4 countries – Poland, Tonga, Egypt and of course, England. Decked out in sweaty Sumo suits, boxing gloves and space hoppers, country teams battled for supremacy. Peace talks were held at the pub – wounds sterilised with alcohol. The UN (or social committee) facilitated a treaty and patient-centric communication was at peace once again.
Admittedly it was great fun, but it was slightly chaotic. Did we provide momentum and engagement in the build-up? Did we elicit any emotions aside from humiliation? Did we immerse people in the concept of an all-out battle? The answer is no, and this is because we didn’t consider how to turn it into an experience.
To anyone that says “it’s just a sports day”, my answer is that any event regardless of the attendees, venue and perceived level of importance should be meaningful and engaging. We talk a lot about creating immersive and creative experiences for clients, patients and consumers alike, but in order to flex our muscles we should weave the principles of experiential design (see most of Tim’s blogs) into how we approach any communication challenge – even if that includes turning 50 people in a field into a meaningful experience. Otherwise we are just 50 people running around in a field. It’s time to start practicing.
With that in mind we are starting to plan out the next big social – an important event – the ‘moving in party’ at the new office. The pressure is on to make it look and feel amazing. Not just a piss up with bad dancing, but a sensory extravaganza that is deeply relevant for everyone involved. We’ve had our briefing session, plans are in place and luckily enough we are about to embark on a 10 week experience design course with a clever chap from Central St. Martins.
No excuses this time. It’s going to be amazing. Watch this space and Flickr for the results.
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