Project Overview
The Victorian Education Excellence Awards recognise inspirational teachers, principals, business managers and support staff who improve young lives and give Victorian children the skills, courage and curiosity they need to be their best.
The awards recognise the exceptional staff going above and beyond to improve the education and wellbeing of more than 570,000 government school students across the state of Victoria.
The Awards underwent significant changes for 2015, from nomination process through to event delivery. The event not only moved venues to the Regent Plaza Ballroom, it changed from a traditional sit-down dinner, to an impressive theatre-style ceremony and inclusive cocktail reception.
The new format and theme added to the level of prestige, sophistication and professionalism. This change created a memorable experience and an aspirational view of what is being achieved in the sector, creating momentum for future awards.
Another important change was scheduling the event to later in the year to coincide with World Teachers’ Day; a fitting tribute to recognise those who deliver school experiences that change the lives of children in Victoria.
Project Commissioner
Department of Education and Training
Project Creator
Team
Department of Education and Training
Senior Communications Advisor - Julie Gray
Immediacy
Producer - Tara Byrne
Production Coordinator - Karen Chatterton
Lighting Designer - Chris Newman
Graphic Designers - Gina Batzakis and Nicole van Dijk
Project Brief
The theme of ‘education excellence’ was integrated in the event design, with particular attention to the room look and feel, screen design and video content.
A ‘chalk stroke’ design element was used as a unifying design element across event theming and marketing. The symbol is immediately recognisable of the teaching profession. The objective was to ensure that the audience felt a sense of prestige, pride and excitement about attending the event and being amongst Victoria’s public education sector’s leaders and high performers.
The event design solution included:
- Creation of a pre and post awards cocktail reception that was welcoming, elegant and conducive to collegial networking
- Seamless integration of the ‘chalk stroke’ design to provide consistency between the awards program and the event
- Visual theming and event elements that positively engaged with the audience
- Creation of video segments that profiled the award finalists and a multimedia screen presentation that explained the unique contribution of the finalists
- Design of the event elements that leveraged the assets of the Plaza Ballroom including a customised lighting design
- Projection on the organza curtain featuring personalised messaging
Project Innovation/Need
The 2015 awards adopted a very different format to what had been delivered in the past, by creating a cocktail party format either side of a theatre-style presentation. This resulted in a more compact event, yet maintained a respectful balance of holding the finalists in high esteem and provided adequate networking opportunities with colleagues.
The other challenge was in the production of 27 video profiles designed to capture the essence of the awards. The solution was to leverage the opportunity with commissioned photography of each finalist for the booklet and website.
Photographers were briefed on taking motion footage, how to frame the shot and what questions to ask. Immediacy edited the footage into short segments that provided a relevant, authentic and heart-felt look at what the finalists had accomplished.
When attendees were asked how the AV presentation made them feel (nominating more than one option), the following positive responses were received:
40% Inspirational
52% Informative
48% Enjoyable
Overall, the event design, content, delivery and audience experience achieved:
- Rewarding excellence in the state education sector
- Highlighting educational initiatives and best practice
- Fostering interest for future award programs
User Experience
The new format, an elegant venue, the approach to the event design and the production of the video and screen content combined to a totally enjoyable and celebratory audience experience.
The main objective was that all of these elements contributed to a successful event to a standard that supported the good reputation of the Department of Education and Training and the Victorian Government. There was positive anecdotal feedback from the Department of Education and Training, their stakeholders and event guests.
Supporting this anecdotal feedback, survey results from the Department showed:
84% of attendees were extremely or quite satisfied with the award ceremony
88% of attendees enjoyed the format and content of the ceremony.
Sustainability
Immediacy observed sustainable practices such as sourcing materials ethically and considering the lifecycle of products through purchase and recycling.
The selection of venue is important to ensure it was centrally located and convenient for public transport.
In terms of economic sustainability, the venue and all suppliers were required to comply with health and safety regulations and adhere to safe working ethics and WorkSafe Victoria practices.
Immediacy needed to identify and manage risks at the event to maintain the reputation of the Victorian Education Excellence Awards and Department of Education and Training.
Tags
Event Experience
This award celebrates creative and innovative event design. Consideration given to originality, creativity, theming, audience connection and engagement and how the event created a seamless experience for the visitor and helped to reinforce the program's core message
More Details