November is always a busy time for Birmingham’s creative, cultural and digital community and this year has been no different.

2011 hailed the launch of Birmingham’s Digital Week, a series of events which aim to educate and inform organisations about the use of digital and how it can be implemented in a number of areas to improve processes, turnover and audience engagement.

This year marked a new start for the city’s Digital Week with the launch of Hello Culture; a one day conference specifically targeted at the creative and cultural industries.

Featuring a mix of seminars, workshops and panel discussions the event explored how the cultural sector can exploit digital technology, innovation, knowledge and skills to improve audience development, organisational operating processes, raise the business profile and collaborate across sectors to develop new product practices and partners.

Big Cat worked in collaboration with Lara Ratnaraja and Birmingham City Council to develop both an engaging and informative event which provided organisations, no matter what their understanding of digital, a framework of how to improve their business through the use of digital technology.

Taking place at the Custard Factory, Digbeth, Big Cat were appointed as event managers for the conference and worked closely with the speakers to ensure all sessions ran as smoothly as possible. The team worked across four venues within the Custard Factory, preparing each room individually to meet the needs of the sessions.

In the run up to the event, Big Cat’s digital team managed the build and maintenance of the Hello Culture website which included the upload of session content, speaker biogs and blogs.

In order to raise awareness of the event, an e-marketing campaign was implemented, informing potential delegates of what was on offer, the latest speaker announcements and early bird offers.

On the day of the event, all four venues were filled to capacity. To enable global participation with the sessions, a microsite was set up with partner event broadcaster Event with Me who streamed live content onto the web. The sessions saw participants from as far away as the US take part through the live stream and interaction with the twitter feed.

Big Cat implemented an extensive social media strategy which combined tweeting with blogs, Vox Pops and Linkedin discussions. There were over 555 uses of the #helloculture hashtag on the day of the event, a significant increase on previous years.

October 2011 saw final preparations put into place for the grand launch of Bournville College’s new multi-million pound campus in Longbridge.

Encompassing services from across all departments, Big Cat Group were tasked with officially launching the new £66 million facility.

12 months in the planning, Big Cat were awarded the contract following a competitive pitch with a number of other agencies.

The launch event was to be held for 500 VIP guests from across the country ranging from local and national dignitaries, funding bodies and supporters of the new build. The aim was to showcase the stunning new facilities which provide educational facilities for 15,000 full and part time students.

The events team managed the complete set up of the evening which included a light show, flashmob, contemporary dance, ice sculpture and an exclusive keynote speech from TV personality Chris Tarrant. Capital FM presenters Dan & Katy were also brought in to compere the evening and DJ throughout. The evening concluded with a spectacular 5 minute firework display to music from Requiem for a Dream which could be seen from across the city.

The launch was fully branded with the words ‘AMAZING’ which had been designed by Big Cat’s design team who also created a 16-page memorial guide which was placed in gift bags for all 500 guests.

The PR team managed all regional press around the launch which included interviews on BBC WM and coverage in all local papers both before and after the launch.

To hail in the digital era within the new college, a Digital Time Capsule was also created, containing over 50 images, videos and sound bites starting as early as the 1800’s.

Big Cat Group was commissioned by Punch Records to create, develop and deliver a 1-day Caribbean festival at the heart of Birmingham City Centre. In conjunction with the London 2012 Olympic Open Weekend, Jamaica Live was formed to celebrate the city’s involvement in the Olympic Games and the importance of heritage in today’s society.

In the run up to the event, a national and regional press campaign was triggered across print, online and broadcast media. Interviews with Reggae Reggae genius Levi Roots, The Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and Gospel singer Monique were secured throughout these mediums.

One week prior to the event, a Press Day was held in Victoria Square, Birmingham which aimed to give passers-by a taste of what was to come at the festival. Olympic athletes Jonathan Edwards and David Moorcroft OBE were both in attendance, talking to the general public, organisers and press.  Local school children took part in a traditional drumming workshop and guests were invited to learn how to play Dominoes by senior members of the community. Local print and broadcast media were invited to attend the Pres Day and as a result coverage was achieved across BBC, and Global Radio networks.

Big Cat Group managed the build and set up of Jamaica Live which included securing nine street vendors and their stalls, a 20ft yurt, and large outdoor stage. In addition to this they also managed all of the acts on the day as well as their equipment and sets.  The entire event was built and taken down in 24 hours

On Saturday 23^rd July, Victoria Square in Birmingham was transformed into a Caribbean oasis featuring real Jamaican food, arts and crafts, storytelling, spoken word poetry and face painting. At the heart of the square a large stage was erected which played host to 6hrs of live music and entertainment which included a cooking demonstration from Levi Roots, gospel from Monique and a set from the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra.

Following Big Cat Group’s expansion into Europe, the events team secured the build and management of ‘Tutankhamun: His tomb and treasures’ at Manchester’s Museums of Museums located at the Trafford Centre, one of the country’s largest shopping centres.

Working in collaboration with some of the world’s leading international experts, Tutankhamun is the largest Egyptian replica exhibition outside of Cairo.

Big Cat Group managed the full build and break logistics of the exhibition, ensuring all artefacts were carefully placed to form this highly intricate exhibition. In addition to this, the events team took on full onsite operational management for the event which included staff, tour and merchandising.

In addition to the day-to-day logistics, the events team also organised a number of special evening events which featured talks and seminars from acclaimed historians about Ancient Egypt and its Pharaohs.

Originally running for five months before being extended for a further month due to phenomenal demand, Tutankhamun saw over 150,000 visitors walk through its halls and tombs before closing its doors for the final time in March 2011.

2010 saw Big Cat Group partner with Digital Birmingham, Business Link and AWM to create one of the country’s largest digital conferences. Taking place at venues across the city including, the ICC and Zellig building at the Custard Factory, the conference saw speakers such as Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission and European Digital Agenda, Alex Hunter, former Global head of Online Content at Virgin Group and Horst Hortner, founding member of Ars Electronica take to the stand and speak to 500 key decision makers and influencers from across the country.

Big Cat Group provided support on a number of levels including event management, PR, marketing, design and website maintenance. The events team managed the entire running of the 2-day conference, ensuring appropriate venues were booked, rooms branded correctly and that all speakers were prepared for their individual slots.

Big Cat’s design team developed all of the branding for this year’s digital festival which included emailers and posters and billboards. In addition to this they also designed the Hello Business 2010 website which was used as a ticketing platform and festival planner for guests.

The PR team managed all press inquires for the festival and established partnerships with local publications such as The Business Desk to raise the profile of speakers and the topics they were discussing.

In October 2010 Big Cat Group was awarded a rolling contract for the planning, management and promotion of events for two of the city’s largest professional networking bodies; Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future.

With a membership of over 1,400 individuals, Big Cat Group manages and implements a calendar of networking, lobbying and educational events for both Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future. These events range from the prestigious Chairman’s Gala Dinner, the highly attended AGM, debates, meet and mixes, seminars and various speed networking events.  A strategic and integrated marketing campaign runs alongside this activity to support an extensive events calendar.

Big Cat, formally AMP Entertainment were chosen to provide the entertainment for the 17^th Open GDF Suez. One of the 20 best tennis tournaments for female players in the world, the Open GDF Suez took place at the Stade de Coubertin in February 2009 where Big Cat introduced many new innovations for this year’s tournament.

Big Cat coordinated the theatricality of the player’s introductions and created a musical and visual identity through the use of an innovative light show.

Big Cat was selected to redesign the overall indoor experience of the BNP Paribas Masters in order to offer a unique tennis experience and atmosphere to the public.

Big Cat coordinated the theatricality of the players’ entrances and produced shows and animations to generate world-class entertainment for the audience. In addition to providing sponsorship enhancements, Big Cat also created and set up interactive video screens and created a graphic and musical identity through light and sound design and video projections onto the court.

Big Cat was appointed to create and develop a unique concept: ‘Roland-Garros in to the city’. The objective of ‘Roland-Garros in to the city’ was to bring the famous Grand Slam tournament out from inside its hallowed stadium walls to the esplanade in front of Paris City Hall.

For five days in 2008 and nine days in 2009 and 2010 tennis fans, novices, tourists, Parisians and young and old alike discovered a veritable annex to the French Open. Big Cat provided various tennis activities including a clay-court replica of Roland-Garros Center court, a mini-tennis court for kids, a Smash-corner to measure the speed of your serve, practice walls, and even a Jokari court. In addition to equipping the event with a giant 55 m² screen to broadcast the matches, Big Cat also organised several tennis exhibitions with visits from tennis legends such as John McEnroe and Ilie Năstase. A French Tennis Federation stand and sponsor area complete with a Lacoste trampoline were also provided.

Following the success of Bodies Revealed, Big Cat undertook a similar 360 degree agency project in the form of CSI: The Experience, an interactive entertainment experience. Big Cat events ensured that the shipping of the containers from Poland before loading the show into Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre. Once unloaded, the show took seven days to build with a total of 10 crew.  Big Cat took charge of all the logistics, technical work and the aesthetics of the entrance. During the exhibition the General Manager looked after the day to day running, reporting to the Event Director before the show was broken down and loaded to its next destination.

As part of the 360 degree agency input into the Bodies Revealed exhibition the Events team looked after many different facets of the delivery of the show at the Custard Factory, Birmingham. The venue had a completely new floor, electric overhaul, new toilets, new entrance and both a ticket office and staff room was installed before the show arrived. When the show container trucks arrived Big Cat managed a 35 man strong team of build staff, all the equipment hire, technical, show and management riders. The exhibition was delivered on time and in budget. During the exhibition the General Manager looked after the day to day running, reporting to the Event Director before the show was broken down with a similar complex system to the build 3 months prior.

The ICC in Birmingham played host to the 2009 Chamberlain Awards which is championed by Councillor Alan Rudge from the Birmingham City Council. The evening was set to highlight and celebrate the work of committed staff that make Birmingham run smoothly. Big Cat managed the technical element of the show which involved designing the feel and look of the stage in accordance to the brochure, the content of the show and managed the guest host Rhonna Cameron on the evening. The biggest task facing Big Cat was the design and implementation of a complicated call sheet. On the night Big Cat managed the production of the awards and breakdown of the set and technical installation.

Big Cat was selected to create the concept and project manage the inaugural Soundstation event, held at Eastside Park, Birmingham in May 2006. Attracting 4,000 people, Soundstation offered an extensive line-up of indie/rock bands, dance acts and DJs across two stages.

The Soundstation festival programmed two stages including live performances from Graham Coxon, Orson, Guillemots, Boy Kill Boy, Kenny “Dope” Gonzales and Mr Scruff. Big Cat was responsible for booking the acts and stage/artist management as well as Festival Logistics including site planning and licensing.

Big Cat also sourced sponsorship for the event which included Red Bull, Banks Bitter and Bacardi.

Big Cat has a strong relationship with MyTravel/Thomas Cook’s Escapades Brand and has project managed their end of season Reunion events for six years and worked alongside the NHS to promote the Safe Sex campaign throughout Europe over the Summer season within Escpades resorts. With 12 resort destinations across Europe and South America, Escapades offers package holidays for 60,000 young people every year and is the second biggest brand in the youth market.

Each year, Big Cat programs the entire event for the 2,000 attendees via its excellent relationships with various music managers both in the UK and Europe.
After a series of successful events across the UK, Big Cat adapted the Escapades concept into a three-day cruise for 1,500 people departing from Newcastle going to Amsterdam.

The team organised the entire event logistics, customer call centre, customer bookings, liasing with Port Authorities both in the UK and the Netherlands, licensing and health & safety, and conducted full risk audits.

Moseley Folk Festival is an annual event held in the Birmingham suburb of Moseley. Attracting 6,000 visitors, the folk festival showcases new talent and high profile artists in folk and acoustic music, from international best selling artist Jose Gonzales to Scott Matthews.

For three years consecutively, Big Cat events was appointed by the Moseley Folk Festival organisers to obtain an event license for Moseley Park, and provide health and safety services for the event, including all necessary risk audits.

Each year, Big Cat established and chaired a Safety Advisory Group working closely with Moseley Park and Pool’s committee and other stakeholders such as city council licensing, local emergency services and the event promoter. In addition, the team secured temporary event notices.

In additional Big Cat ran all wet sales and logistics on the site.

Big Cat was selected to manage a high profile national roadshow to support the ‘Agenda for Change’ conference being delivered by the CEO of Learning & Skills Council (LSC). The road show catered for over 500 further education principals from all over England.

A series of workshops across nine cities were organised by Big Cat, who were also responsible for sourcing suitable venues based on quality, cost and location. Establishing individual invitation processes, Big Cat handled all responses and enquiries, setting up dedicated a response and communication channel.

Big Cat was responsible for all event logistics, delegate management, workshops and networking activities. The contract, worth £60,000, marked the start of a prolific relationship with LSC to provide future conference, exhibition and event services.

Big Cat were appointed project managers for South Staffordshire Council’s programme of summer events. The interactive outdoor road shows consisted of six sports-based events, each with a wide variety of different activities designed to engage local young people.

Working closely with South Staffordshire Council and other partners to achieve key objectives, Big Cat events produced the ‘Hype’ brand, developing it though the agency’s creative design department creating an exciting youth brand. The IOSH and NEBOSH qualified team were responsible for all aspects of the event from planning, logistics management to risk audit.

The Hype was recently cited in a publication from the local government’s Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), as one of the best examples of the vital role that cultural service provision can play in delivering high profile community programmes.

Value – £150,000

Big Cat was appointed by the Greater London Authority, in partnership with the London Health Commission, to facilitate the staging of the Activ8 festival in Hyde Park. The high profile outdoor event was attended by 25,000 Young Londoners. Designed to create excitement around play, physical activity and healthy eating amongst young people, Big Cat produced interactive fun ideas and outdoor activities to deliver the events key messages.

As the project managers for Activ8, Big Cat had a wide reaching remit including responsibilities for obtaining all necessary permissions and licences for the event, risk audit, site planning, health and safety, exit strategies, security and engaging 92 different partners to deliver various activities throughout the day and generating £150,000 of goodwill.

Previous experience within the youth sector and the successful delivery of the event enabled Active8 to win the prestigious Eventia Public Event of the year 2006/07. Big Cat has since worked with the Greater London Authority on other large-scale children’s events such as Playday.