Case Study: More Than an MC — Bringing a New Team Together
Bringing the Audience Advantage!
Client: Mars Snacking
Event: Australian team event following Mars’ acquisition of Kellanova
Role: Strategic Event Partner & MC
Venue: The Langham Melbourne
The Challenge
Following Mars’ acquisition of Kellanova, an important milestone needed to be marked in Australia.
For the first time, associates from both businesses would come together in the same room as part of the new Mars Snacking organisation.
The event needed to do more than communicate business information. It needed to bring people together, create energy and connection, and help set the tone for an exciting new chapter.
Delivering that experience required close collaboration across a cross-functional team, careful planning and an understanding of both the established Mars culture and the people joining the organisation.
The Approach
Andrew Gill has worked with Mars for more than 21 years, supporting the business across conferences, events, communications and significant business milestones.
That longstanding relationship meant Andrew’s involvement in this event extended well beyond his role as MC.
In fact, having Andrew involved was important enough to the client that the conference dates were adjusted to accommodate his availability.
Working alongside the cross-functional event team, Andrew contributed across multiple areas of the event, including:
Venue scouting and selection
Event concept, design and planning
Conference production
Speaker development and preparation
Design and commissioning of branded event and theming elements
Development of fun audience experiences
MC and on-stage event delivery
The result was an integrated approach in which the experience in the room, the speakers, branding, entertainment and event flow all worked towards the same objective.
Bringing the Experience to Life
The Langham Melbourne was selected as the venue, with its team providing exceptional support throughout the event.
Andrew developed and commissioned branded elements and theming that helped transform the environment and reinforce the event’s Better Together message.
Fun experiences and entertainment added energy to the program, while still supporting the broader purpose of bringing the newly combined team together.
Andrew also worked with speakers ahead of the event, helping ensure presentations were appropriate for the audience and contributed to the overall story of the conference.
Then, as MC, he moved from behind-the-scenes planning to front-of-room delivery — connecting the different elements of the program, managing energy and flow, and helping create an environment in which people from both businesses could engage with one another.
The Power of Long-Term Partnership
This event also demonstrated the value of long-term client relationships.
After more than two decades working with Mars, Andrew brings an understanding of the organisation, its people and its culture that cannot be created from a run sheet or briefing document.
That history provides the foundation for something equally important: trust.
Rather than simply being engaged to deliver a predetermined MC script, Andrew can become an extension of the event team — contributing ideas, identifying opportunities, solving problems and continually asking:
“What else could we do?”
The event also represented relationships evolving in another way. It was Andrew’s final event with an event organiser he had worked alongside for 12 years, while simultaneously providing an opportunity to establish new relationships with colleagues from Kellanova as part of Mars Snacking.
The Outcome
The event successfully brought associates from the two businesses together in Australia for the first time, supported by a cross-functional team that collaborated closely throughout the planning and delivery process.
It created an environment that balanced important business content with connection, energy and fun — helping mark the beginning of a new chapter for Mars Snacking.
For Andrew, it was also another example of why the role of a great corporate MC can begin long before the microphone is switched on.
From venue selection and event design to speaker development, creative production and ultimately MCing the room, having one experienced partner involved throughout can create greater continuity — and make life considerably easier for the people responsible for delivering the event.
Planning a Conference or Corporate Event?
Andrew works with EAs, PCOs, event organisers and corporate teams as both a Professional MC and Strategic Event Partner.
Whether you need an experienced MC to lead the room or someone who can contribute from the earliest stages of planning through to final delivery, Andrew can become an extension of your event team.
Planning your next event? Talk to Andrew about how he can help bring it to life.
