GS1 Global General Assembly

This week long, multiple event gathering, welcomed global delegates and their spouses and it included the following events;
– 4-day conference for 300 delegates
– Spouse trips during conference time for up to 50 spouses
– Welcome Cocktail Reception for 300
– Management Board Dinner for 80
– Gala Dinner for 350
– Networking Dinner for 250

Uptown Events were also responsible for;
– Logistic and travel arrangements
– Branding support and delivery
– Speaker arrangement
– Management of travel arrangements
– Management of attendee requests and questions for the event website
– AV and production support

The event:
The conference was held at the Hilton Park Lane, with the plenary held in the main Ballroom where a fully integrated projection wall was installed, and the sound and lighting were flown. As attendees entered the conference area, we had installed a vast amount of branding, in the form of vinyl’s, pop-ups, mobile phone chargers and lounge furniture areas. Throughout the four-day conference Uptown Events coordinated the timings with the hotel to ensure smooth running of food and beverage delivery. We were also responsible for booking the external speakers and managing their onsite requests, this even included HRH The Princess Royal.

A team was also based at the registration desk, to help with check-in and assist with any queries attendees had throughout their stay.

Spouse Trips
We organised multiple spouse trips across the week, which included;
– London Eye
– Afternoon Tea at the Dorchester
– Private viewing of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London
– Tate to Tate boat trip with lunch and gallery tour

We managed the booking process for guests and all trips were attended by a chaperone and included travel arrangements.

Welcome Cocktail Reception
This was held at the Hilton Park Lane in the Wellington room, with views overlooking Hyde Park. The cocktail reception served canapes and drinks from a vinyl branded cocktail bar. We installed lounge furniture and a baby grand piano for a pianist to play in the background.

Management Board Dinner
The client was looking for something unique and within a short journey time of the Hilton Park Lane as guests were coming directly from the cocktail reception, the chosen venue was the Churchill War Rooms.

A Winston Churchill impersonator welcomed guests to the underground bunker and into a briefing room. Actors then entertained guests with a short briefing, setting the scene of the 1940s. After this comical, but insightful briefing guests were then lead through to their dinner room, to enjoy dinner amongst the history of the building.

To add a little extra touch to the dinner, guests place cards and menus were a design of a ratio book and they left with one of Winston Churchill’s chocolate cigars as a departing gift.

Gala Dinner
The chosen gala dinner venue was the spectacular V&A, guests arrived on branded route master buses, each with a tour guide providing some entertaining commentary along the route. As guests arrived into the Dome they were ushered through into the Courtyard where a Champagne reception greeted them with a harpist playing in the middle of the central pool.

When dinner was called guests walked along the Sculpture gallery and into the main room which had been dressed in gold Damask cloths, crystal centre pieces, colourwash lighting and four podiums where 4 electric violinists played to dramatic opera to set the scene.

After main course, the dinner was interrupted by the singing waiters, a fantastic surprise of three opera singers, undercover as waiters. Guests ended the evening in the Dome bar before being collected by the route master buses.