Yesterday was a long but very enjoyable day. On the road by 7am we were on our way to London to attend the Official Skillsfirst Launch Event.

Aboard the Dixie Queen Paddle boat on the River Thames, we set sail around Midday as the presentations began. Special guest speaker, Lord Digby Jones gave an inspiring speech and everyone enjoyed the exclusive opening of Tower Bridge as we sailed underneath. We were all on deck as we passed under the bridge to the cheers of London tourists above. It really was a unique experience.

Drawing on our experience of branding Pirelli’s Worldwide Calendar launch, we have worked closely with Skillsfirst over the last 6 months to brand and promote the event to ensure its success.

Our first task was to decide how best to use the available budget. We needed to create awareness of the Skillsfirst brand and promote the organisation  during the event and long after it. Through a series of consultations we identified and costed a communications plan.

Our proposals were agreed and digital invitations were designed and emailed through our online e-marketing portal. This allowed us to track and monitor through custom reports the progress of the campaign. We also supplied the invitations digitally in pdf format to Skillsfirst for emailing directly during their follow up processes.

Companies who confirmed their attendance received a printed ticket or boarding pass giving full details of the event, a location map and boarding instructions

With the invitation process underway we continued with the design and production of the rest of the material.

To promote the Skillsfirst brand beyond the event itself, we decided to provide guests with something tangible to take away and hopefully use again. So we produced zipped A4 conference folders, pens and ruled pads all branded with the skillsfirst logo.

The brand was further reinforced during the event through a pop up display stand (also used as a backdrop for the video interviews), roller banner stands and presentation slides.

To provide information about the organisation and their services we produced printed sales packs which guests would also take away with them.

Skillsfirst primary markets are employers and Further Education Colleges, each with different requirements. The pack would also be used as a sales tool after the event. With these factors in mind we designed the pack to consist of a folded wallet with pocket and inserts. The folder contains general information about the organisation and the inserts address each markets specific requirements. This will not only allow Skillsfirst to easily tailor the information they give out but also reduce reprint costs. Only replenishing the most popular inserts when necessary.

To further reinforce Skillsfirst brand values the packs were produced to a high standard and various print techniques (matt laminating and spot UV Varnish) were used to enhance the look and feel.

Example of spot UV application

Employer leaflet inserted into wallet

The launch was very successful and we are extremely proud to have been part of it. One of the guests were so impressed with the work we produced, they asked Skillsfirst for our details to help them with a similar event – What a day!

Watch an summary of the launch event
(notice our pop-up display and roller banner stands)

Watch Lord Digby Jones’ speech in full