7th Global Event Awards: Best Sporting Event Finalists

Over the next couple of weeks, we will introduce you to the Eventex finalists - those extraordinary eventprofs who are competing for a Global Event Award. You will meet them in person come January 24, at the special gala ceremony at Croke park, but first, we would like to offer you a brief preview of their projects and products that transform events into cutting-edge experiences.

Best Sporting Event Finalists

Djokovic & Friends by SAY WHAT?

21 - 22 September, 2016 | Milan, Italy

Watch videoNovak Djokovic, Nadal, Serena Williams, Flavia Pennetta, Fabio Fognini and Fiorello - they were present at the Mediolanum Forum for this unique event combining sports and entertainment.The main objective of the event, along with fundraising on behalf of the Novak Djokovic Foundation, was to bring great tennis back to Milan after a long absence. The idea was to bring this sport closer to the general public, by creating a connection on a human level, between the players and the public. A billboards campaign was implemented in five main cities in the North-West of Italy: Milan, Turin, Bergamo, Brescia and Varese. Billboards and led walls were also placed at specific locations around Milan such as the train and underground stations of Milan and along motorways. The advertising campaign also utilised national print media, TV and radio DJs.SAY WHAT? designed a spectacular show that was not constrained by the strictness of the rules of a classic tournament. The tennis court at the venue was created from the ground up and inspired by the layout of the tennis court set up for the ATP World Tour Finals. The added value to the event was represented by technology - a mapping of the court in order to make the venue more impressive and engaging for the public. It made the entrance of the tennis players spectacular with music, lights and colours. The players were very willing to put aside the formality of tennis rules in favour of entertaining moments and interaction. The Italian showman Fiorello also contributed to this atmosphere. The Italian singer, comedian, anchorman, who is also a passionate tennis fan, did a classic comic performance. He also created sketches with Novak Djokovic, played tennis and assumed the role of the “disruptor” during the matches.A total of 18,000 presences was recorded at the Mediolanum Forum during the two sporting events. There was a significant media coverage on a national and international levels. On the first night, the live show on SKY Sport 2 had a reach of 800,000 and an AMR of 30,000. On the second night of the event, the show achieved a reach of 800,000 and an AMR of 77,000. The event was also broadcast in Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria and in the United Kingdom. Read full entryUnicredit Champions League Final 2016 by Gruppo HDRÀ18 - 31 May, 2016 | Milan, Italy

Watch videoTo celebrate both the UEFA Champions League Final Match and the new Unicredit Tower, HDRÀ created a public event that engaged 5 million of people both online and offline and involved 4,428 football fans in the course of 15 days.The 360° Project aimed at reinforcing the image of Unicredit and putting it back on the map in terms of media coverage during the Champions League Final Milan 2016. To celebrate the new addition to the iconic Milan SkyLine, the organisers installed a football pitch on the rooftop making for the highest (152m) “stadium” in Europe. More than 500 football fans played 2vs2 matches right at the bottom of the building's spire. The Spire of the UniCredit Tower was illuminated with the team colors of Atletico Madrid for three days and with those of Real Madrid for one day thanks to the 4,059 votes of Twitter users engaged in a UniCredit fan battle.The Champions Festival, located in the heart of Milano, with two UniCredit stands in piazza Duomo and Castello Sforzesco, Match Coins and Champions Rewards showcases along the two squares, engaged around 3K people and 2 special players.The gala dinner at the Unicredit Pavillion gathered 200 guests and featured special entertainment. In addition, there was a media breakfast - a private Press Conference in order to introduce the Unicredit Champions League Final, Ambassadors etc.Fancam brought the emotions of San Siro stadium closer to all the fans allowing them to find VIPs in the stadium and tag themselves on the 360° HD panorama and sharing it with friends on social media generating 13,639 visits and 800 users with tags in just 1.5 days. Conversation around #UniCreditFanCam generated a potential reach of 11.7M followers on Twitter also in 1.5 days.The #Appassionati hashtag campaign generated 69,204 visits and 1,236 user-generated videos with a registration rate of 1.8% (10x higher vs. benchmark) on the dedicated minisite while the conversation around #Appassionati generated a potential reach of 1,043,786 followers on Twitter.Read full entry

VERVA Street Racing 2016 – National Automotive Festival by Walk Events

17 September, 2016 | Warsaw, Poland

Watch videoThe 7th edition of VERVA Street Racing 2016 was not only an automotive festival but an eight-hour spectacle. The main objectives of the event are to support sales of premium fuels, create brand attributes for VERVA as well as a positive image for the sponsor PKN ORLEN. The 7th edition aimed at and refreshing the formula of the event, which after three editions organized on the PGE National stadium had begun to exhaust. The new concept combined the image of the automotive industry with elements of entertainment while targeting a wider audience - not only fans, automotive geeks and existing or potential customers but also families with children. The turnout - at least 110 000 participants.The static area, or Pit Party, was a zone where visitors had the opportunity to observe 600 extraordinary vehicles and well-known drivers (professional and amateur) with access to live music, two restaurant zones and attractions for children. The dynamic Action Zone with a designated track, was where spectators could admire stunts and driving shows (rallies, racing, drift, stunt, FMX).The project infrastructure was built from scratch (building up an asphalt demonstration track, safety barriers, pedestrian bridges, scenes, etc.), and the design of the facility enabled an effective, simultaneous participation in both: dynamic and static areas. Reliable organization and thoughtful planning contributed to high security standards - there were only 3 medical interventions – each of them related to minor injuries of children, such as cuts or bruises.The new concept of the event was very well received, and a high percentage of surveyed visitors plan to participate next year. VSR 2016 also received wide coverage in the Polish media - 590 items of publication including social media.Read full entryVhi Women's Mini Marathon 2016 by Verve The Live Agency6 June, 2016 | Dublin, Ireland

Watch videoWomen’s Mini Marathon is the largest annual female charity 10km race in the world, with 35,000 participants. 2016 was the second year of a 5-year title sponsorship for Vhi Healthcare, and the event is now known as Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon.The key objectives for the 5-year sponsorship were to promote participative running, generate positive brand sentiment and reinforce Vhi’s medical expertise & bring to life in a meaningful, relevant way. The goal of this year’s edition of the marathon was to establish Vhi as title sponsor bringing value and freshness while providing solid foundation for future years’ activities.Verve expanded the lifespan of the event by engaging with potential participants in relevant & meaningful ways 16 weeks before race day. The marathon had a complete new look & feel for the event including course branding and comprehensive range of platforms including a new look website, new app and refreshed social media channels. The official Vhi WMM app was the perfect training companion for the marathon – providing regular nutrition and fitness articles written by experts, and a training tracker to monitor participants’ improvements. Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon Spotify playlist was created and included 4 different styles of music to cater for all fitness levels.The PR campaign created news hooks throughout the 16 weeks of engagement, and the event attracted visitors with high-profile advertising and an enhanced registration process. The registration was turned into a positive experience intended to generate a sense of excitement, anticipation and build‑up to Race Day. Seven regional registration events nationwide promoted the #VhiWMM social media campaign through making videos of participants with their friends and family in front of our specially created START line. Videos were instantly sent via email to be shared via social media. Race Day saw enormous branded helium heart balloons creating fun photo opportunities and 10,000 branded Clappers for everyone to support the participants.The marathon featured an innovative solution which displayed personal messages on a 6m screen to runners using an RFID & web based system.The “Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon Wall of Support” allowed runners, & friends/family of runners to leave messages of support using the official website. Runners who did not have a personal message written for them were displayed a generic message with their name mentioned. EG: “GO MARY SMITH – from Vhi.” A unique Relaxation Area featured a tent, lounging couches, hammocks, bean bags, complimentary lemonade, tea/coffee & protein balls. Face painters & balloon modellers for kids were all topped off with the best chill out music.2016 was a huge success with total awareness of Vhi’s sponsorship at 5 in 10 of the Irish Adult population in June 2016 up from 4 in 10 in 2015. Participant numbers were in excess of 35,000.Read full entryThe winners and runners-up will be revealed at the gala ceremony at Croke Park, 24 January 2017. Register now and join the league of extraordinary event professionals!