Our clients had a strong vision for their inaugural event: A highly curated, exclusive experience that facilitated connection among executives in the real estate development and capital sponsor spaces. The goal? Help the attendees lay the groundwork for future deals.
They were clear on a few things: Their vision, goal and the maximum number of guests – no more than 40 people. Everything else was up in the air, and our team loved the chance to help them create their event from … you guessed it… the ground up.
Together we built an impactful and fun event which helped them achieve their ultimate goal of creating authentic connections among attendees. Here are three highlights that helped make the event a success:
Location | The intersection of convenience and fun
Since attendees were coming from across the country, the team wanted a location in the central US that was easy to travel to and only required a quick drive from the airport to the destination. They also wanted a location with mild weather in the fall and a city that had special appeal. Nashville entered the chat, and they never looked back! With its rich history, incredible music scene and activities from sunup to sundown, it was the perfect backdrop for the first Ground-UP event.
Schedule | Downtime is good time
It can be easy to overload an event schedule with content in an effort to provide attendees with as much value as possible. Our clients made a point to give attendees longer breaks in the schedule to check their email, make calls and decompress a bit. The result? During the “downtime”, attendees opted to have casual conversation and built even greater connections rather than retreating to their hotel rooms to catch up on work.
Experiences | Where the magic happens
Our clients were passionate about offering one-of-a-kind experiences for attendees. Attendees walked to the Tennessee Titans Stadium together for lunch and a private tour of the stadium with the Titan’s Chief of Staff, enjoyed a private dinner at the bustling Twelve Thirty Club and had a special evening at the Blue Bird Café with two GRAMMY award-winning songwriters. They did an excellent job of offering these special experiences in addition to the keynote speakers and industry-specific content. It’s pretty incredible to watch attendees bond over shared experiences like live music or a leisurely walk.
Between the location, intentional scheduling and epic experiences, their attendees connected on a deeper level than they traditionally would have at a large, jam-packed conference. We can’t wait to see the real estate projects that develop as a result of this experience… but for now, we can safely say our client’s goals were met by building something from the ground up.
