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Effective visual storytelling also feeds into this. “You want it to reflect the event’s message and strengthen it in a nonverbal way,” he says. “If, for example, during a staff party, a company wants to show how important their staff is to them, we’d make sure that every guest is treated like a VIP.” The event message is also key for the type of catering and choice of decorations. “If a company values transparency, we would use see-through bowls for the tableware and incorporate clear, frozen blocks of ice in the catering service.” This is an example of storytelling translating in a solid production for the client and a unique experience for the guests.
A miracle message Another recent success story was a staff event for a pharmaceutical company in Belgium. It was a thank you for a good sales year, as the company had taken the nation’s top position in terms of turnover and wanted to show appreciation to their staff. De Vos: “Everyone in the company is essential to the production of life-saving treatments, so that became the message of the event. During their day-today work, most members of staff don’t consider they work towards the miracle of healing every day. We captured this in the shape of a droplet, which was reflected in the invitation as well as in the outfits of the event staff. When we served dinner, all these droplets came together by means of a projection on the tables.”
ceiling for an extended period of time. This way, even small-budget events can incorporate them, and the cost for mounting and demounting will be shared among all the clients who use it.”
Three elements of success Lifting the veil on what makes his company a success, De Vos identifies three elements. First of all, is working closely with the clients. He says: “We really unpack the message a client wants to relay, and try to arrive at something that is better than the original briefing. Often, we help clients to understand themselves in a different way.” Secondly, De Vos is able to rely on a highly experienced team and has long and productive working relationships with suppliers and venues. “You get the best results when you work together in a pleasant way, so this is very important.” Then, thirdly, is working hard – in particular on detailed event preparations. “A good event is 90 per cent preparation. The better the preparation, the more relaxed you can enter the day of the event itself. Thanks to this way of working, we often have spare time in the run up, so we can sit down with the client and discus the final details. This creates a strong sense of trust,” he concludes.
Profile: Bart De Vos After earning his stripes in the industry for four years, Bart De Vos set up his own events management company in 1998. B-Art Eggsclusive quickly became an internationally renowned, award-winning agency for organising corporate events using a very transparent style of project and budget management for its clients. In 2011 De Vos sold the company and made a shift towards event consultancy, becoming a speech coach for CEOs and politicians. Live Nation became an important client and, four years later, De Vos was asked to organise the 2015 Davis Cup Final in Ghent. Soon after, he returned to event management full-time and founded Creationz. Creationz is a full-service events company, specialising in staff parties, conventions, product launches, customer events, trade fairs and corporate anniversaries. Events have included the world launch of the new Mini and the BMW X2 series, the 2018 Transport & Logistics Awards and The Hive at Rock Werchter, among many others. Bart De Vos also specialises in venue creations, developing event venues for the market.
Web: www.creationz.be
Image and food pairing Many high-tech solutions such as table projections are typically only available to large companies with big budgets. But Creationz has found a way to make expensive technology more accessible. The company is currently running ‘Living Tables’ at the Napoleonzaal, which has space for up to 400 guests. For events held here, clients can incorporate custommade audio-visual table presentations to blend with the food service. “One of our regular venues allowed us to keep the projectors mounted in the Issue 61 | January 2019 | 73