Since 1868, Betts Company has been improving the ways things move. Six generations and 150 years later, it has now evolved into a diversified company that serves heavy-duty transportation, automotive aftermarket and other industrial sectors.
It became clear that this anniversary was an occasion meant for some serious celebration. That’s when they looked to the Public Relations department at JP Marketing to plan one heck of a shindig.
BUT FIRST, PLANNING
The first question we needed answered, as with any event, was “what is the primary goal of this event?” Is it to showcase 150 year’s worth of work? Perhaps it’s to show appreciation of the loyal vendors? Or maybe the goal is to acknowledge the hard work each Betts Company employees does to help make this business successful?
As you can imagine, it was a difficult decision. Naturally, we decided to make all three our primary focus for the Betts Company 150th Anniversary event that would include 400+ guests.
Now that we understood the “why” for this event, it was time to focus on the “how.” We needed to coordinate an event that showcased the work of Betts Company without seeming sales-y while simultaneously focusing on both vendors and employees without making either feel less important than the other. It was a true balancing act that needed to be accomplished here. To do so, we needed to find a common ground. What better commonality than an event?
From there, we brainstormed themes. Although we had many suggestions, there was truly only one theme that would best fit this 150th Anniversary – a Betts Company theme. Once we had a set theme, the big picture started to mold and we were able to work with our trusted vendors to pull off the look and feel for of the event we had envisioned.
REMEMBER, BE FLEXIBLE
I will note that as an event planner, you need to be very comfortable with changes in the plan. Sometimes you feel you have the best idea and it can become easy to convince yourself that idea is the idea that needs to be executed. The fact is, that’s a lie.
Typically, the most successful events include a team of individuals who bring a variety of ideas to the table, all with the aim to meet the goal of that event. That’s exactly what happened for the Betts event.
There were some changes both early and later on, all of which were necessary in order to get it to the level of success it became. Rather than stressing over the changes, an event planner needs to gladly welcome them! This goes for the changes that aren’t necessarily for the best or planned for. No matter what that change is, a successful event planning team handles the change(s) calmly and strategically.
THE RESULTS
So how did this 450+ person event go? We could go on all day about how amazing it was, but we’ll let our clients tell you all about it!
“We would have never been able to pull off such an amazing event without all of you. Your attention to detail with everything was recognized by all. Our employees, their families, our customers, and our suppliers who attended all talked about how great of an event it was. I can’t say enough how much we appreciate all of your support!” – Joe Devany, Director of Operations, Betts Company.
“Your team is AWESOME and we love working with you. There is no way that we would have been able to have such a wonderful and special 150th event without your care and meticulous planning. Everything about the celebration was right on point” – Randy George, Marketing Manager, Betts Company.
–Katie Silva, Outreach Coordinator
