Organization: American Business Media
Budget: Approximately $100,000
Timeframe: June 2005 to March 2006
Planning an awards luncheon is a challenge unto itself. But planning a ceremony to commemorate both the awards program and a special anniversary of the event organizers raises
the stakes considerably. American Business Media (ABM), the professional association of the nation's B2B publishers, found itself in that situation last March at New
York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Not only was the organization presenting its 52nd Annual Jesse H. Neal Awards, but it was also celebrating its 100th anniversary.
For the guests attending the ceremony, there was a need to offer something extra special this go-round. "For the look, I think it is important to give it a sense of drama and
sophistication that matches what the work is," says Gordon T. Hughes II, president and CEO at ABM. "On a 100th anniversary, it was an imperative the minute you got your nametag
and walked into the reception that you were greeted with a sensibility that had impact."
Walk On By
Weeks before the event was to begin, Miriam V. Tomaselli, ABM's manager of marketing and events, joined Doug Gatanis, partner in charge of motion graphics at the New York
design workshop Gigantic Inc., on a tour of the Waldorf-Astoria facilities. As the setting was laid out, attendees would pick up their nametags at a desk in a foyer, which
then led them to a reception hall, which then opened into a larger ballroom where the ceremony was being held. Tomaselli and Gatanis realized the key challenge was to make a
striking first impression for those entering the reception hall.
"We needed to keep in mind the first point of entry and how attendees will feel when they walked through the door," says Tomaselli. "If they feel enthused and excited, that
will carry through the entire show."
To engage a social environment, an open bar was set up for the attendees. Around the reception hall were tall columns created by Gatanis' crew that featured the covers of the
magazines up for the Neal Awards.
"We had a good sense of what it is like to have so many people in a small room," says Gatanis. "So what were their eyes going to gravitate towards? We had to come up with how
to make it comfortable for them visually."
The comfort level was also pegged to the audience demographics. "Having been here for 12 years, I've seen a pretty dramatic shift in the demography," says Hughes of the B2B
industry. "I've sent the age level of our board of directors drop about 15 years of age. For this type of event, we needed to rethink our music, the colors we use, and the fonts
we use to respond to the changing demography on our industry."
Out Of The Past
The luncheon itself went smoothly, with 500 attendees spread across 48 tables. Although there was a rush of late registrants (half of the audience signed up two weeks prior
to the event), for Tomaselli the food service was the least of her concerns.
"The Waldorf has never let us down," she says.
A special opening ceremony film was created to bridge the span of ABM's past century. The organization, working with Gatanis at Gigantic Inc., sought to highlight the history
of B2B publishing through a montage of covers from trade magazines over the past 100 years. Incorporated throughout the montage were covers from the publications that were Neal
Awards finalists.
The effort to locate the covers and clear the rights to use them for this opening film was actually the longest single aspect of the awards program, beginning in June 2005.
But the bounty offered more riches than expected, and ABM is planning to release a book featuring its wealth of historic magazine covers.
For his opening remarks, Hughes could have easily spent a great deal of time highlighting the organization's history and the diverse range of award finalists. Instead, he kept
his microphone time to a minimum. "I have a philosophy on that - leave them wanting more," he says. "Be brief."
Being brief might seem like a tall order for the award show itself, as it covered 32 categories and incorporated several special awards. Yet the production was deftly
coordinated, with the covers of the nominated publications flashed on giant screens while a non-intrusive music track played lightly during the proceedings. There were no
speeches from award winners except for the Grand Neal Award honorees and the individuals receiving special awards for industry achievements.
The entire event, from the opening of the doors for the open bar reception to the final award, ran approximately three hours.
"This was far and away the best show we've had," he says.
Contacts: Gordon T. Hughes II and Miriam V. Tomaselli, 212.661.6360; Doug Gatanis, 212.462.0082.
Lessons Learned: Award-Worthy Luncheons
If you are planning an awards luncheon, here's some advice you may wish to chew on:
- Consider dietary restrictions. In putting together a menu, it might be wise to check in advance to determine if any of the attendees have special dietary
considerations (vegetarian, vegan, kosher, halal, food allergies, etc.). If it is possible, have the menu planned far enough in advance to ensure there will be no problems on the
plate.
- Be creatively healthy. As you may have noticed in our "How To..." column earlier in this issue, proper nutrition isn't such a bad idea. The luncheon menu can be
delicious and nutritious at the same time. Start by cutting out sugary drinks (soft drinks and prepackaged iced teas), then focus on the main course (keep the fried foods off the
table), then rethink the dessert (a fruit cup instead of cake or ice cream).
- Separate the meal from the event. Do not have a guest speaker making a presentation while the lunch is being served and consumed since few people will pay attention to
the speaker. After all, if there is a choice between a meal and a speech, most people will go for the meal.