GL events UK lent its event production and event management experience and expertise to an exclusive, charitable gala dinner that was attended by leading business representatives, sportspeople, dignitaries and politicians, and held at London’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Street League and Sport Dans La Ville, two sport-for-employment charities serving disadvantaged young people and communities through sports and employment training, began collaborating on an exchange programme in 2010, and joined forces once again, in October 2017, to host an Anglo-French gala event, raising more than £200,000 to address youth unemployment challenges in both nations.
Attendees enjoyed a champagne and canape reception, three course dinner, music and entertainment. The event was attended by 250 people; among them guests from British and French corporations including Total, Chanel, L’Occitane, DHL and GL events (which supports Lyon-based Sport Dans La Ville from its global Group headquarters, also based in the French city). Both charities gave presentations on their work; while young people shared stories of their life-changing journeys, encouraged by charity ambassadors including footballers from Premier League club, Arsenal.
GL events UK is best known as a long-established specialist provider of temporary event venues, bespoke temporary event infrastructure and complete temporary event overlay. However, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office offering an outstanding and very much permanent events venue; the GL events UK team played a slightly different role in its partnership with Street League and Sport Dans La Ville.
Our event management and in-house design teams were perfectly connected, skilled and experienced to take on project management of the occasion. The GL events team closely liaised with event managers from Street League and Sport Dans La Ville, meeting at the venue in to devise a seamless experience for both organisers and attendees.
Our delivery of audio-visuals, lighting and sound included the installation of two giant screens, at either side of the expansive, 500-capacity Durbar Court dining room. Our design team at GL events UK headquarters were on-hand to assist with the formatting of all on-screen video and image presentations. Mood and feature lighting was designed to subtly enhance the beautiful, Italianate venue; and included a bold, red, white and blue theme to reflect the Anglo-French links behind the partnership.
GL events UK’s design team likewise produced and coordinated the event’s directional and on-table signage and graphics, ensuring a smooth flow for the evening’s proceedings; while our event management team connected the charities with local suppliers of furniture, décor and flowers, coordinating third-party supplier activity, schedule management, set-up and clear of the event.
The evening was a resounding success, with the charity alliance more than doubling its £100,000 fundraising target and event operations running exactly according to plan. Nithee Kotecha, New Business Development Manager at Street League, contacted GL events UK, to say, “thank you for all your support with our gala dinner, the event was accomplished beautifully and we have already received a great deal of positive feedback.”
Photography © Street League and Sport Dans La Ville
