One of the world’s leading international travel food and beverage operators, SSP Group, recently held a global managers event to communicate the company vision and strategy following a recent change of ownership.

The concept behind the event was to create an open forum in which to share best practice and launch new brands and concepts.

“We called our event Make It Happen, because we wanted delegates to take away not only messages, but also actions that they would make happen in their own businesses,” explained Chris Rayner, SSP Group’s human resources director.

Award-winning live marketing company Line Up organised the event over two days in Wales during December last year. It occupied a space of some 1,200 square metres, within which Line Up built the main presentation room, designed to encourage sharing and debate and to break down the barriers created in a more traditional plenary space. The result was a United Nations-style debating chamber for all 180 delegates.

The remaining space was used to create an exhibition that enabled delegates to gain hands-on experience of the various SSP brands, and allowed the operating companies within the business to exhibit their best sales drivers. Line Up managed the building of 14 different exhibition stands by designing a stand kit from which exhibitors could create a bespoke look. These included well-known brands such as Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza, new brand Panopolis, and a new concept, The Camden Food Store.

Throughout the event, Line Up’s on-site delegate management team ensured everything ran seamlessly, from breakout sessions through to the gala dinner.

“The conference and exhibition environment really worked in our favour and made it an incredibly inclusive and impactful experience,” said Rayner. “The Make It Happen event was a great beginning to a new chapter in our history – it will be hard to beat.”