“The Bright Sparks event was a huge success and we couldn’t have done it without the expertise and enthusiasm of The Marketing Pod. Because the Pod is an integrated agency we were able to do all the planning, designing and content creation through them. We’re delighted with the event and we’re already planning for the next one.”
E.ON
Celebrating future energy leaders with funfair-themed event
E.ON is a European leader in energy, operating one of the continent's largest networks for electricity and gas. They provide innovative customer solutions to millions of customers, actively pushing the transition towards a more sustainable and climate-friendly energy future.
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The brief
To celebrate the achievement of the apprentices' and those who work with them, E.ON wanted to host a vibrant and engaging event. With a large number of apprentices across all departments, the goal was to create a fun, celebratory event that highlighted the different roles and contributions of these bright sparks.
E.ON faced the challenge of organising an exciting and celebratory event for their apprentices that would shine a light on their diverse roles and achievements. The event had to be engaging and eye-opening, and also showcase the great work of those championing apprenticeships. However, the event was to be held at a venue with limited space, and it had to be executed within a tight budget and deadline. The aim was to create a memorable and thematic event that would both celebrate and inspire.
Objectives
The event needed to successfully recognise and reward both E.ON’s apprentices and their staff who enable such a thriving apprenticeship programme. E.ON also needed the event to include an awards ceremony.
Our approach
To start, the TMP team met to brainstorm ideas. We whittled the deck down to five themes. We then assembled an apprentice working group to support the theme development – this was to give them a sense of ownership of their own event.
From the five ideas, we decided to bring “Bright Sparks” to life. We organised the event around a festival funfair theme, featuring three distinct zones and an awards stage:
Energy Zone: This zone highlighted different work across E.ON, including a real-life dolls house demonstrating insulation, solar panels, and the smart home of the future. Exhibitions from E.ON’s charity partners were also included, providing attendees with cool and informative experiences not just about the business. Additionally, a headshot booth was set up where apprentices could get their first corporate headshot, adding professional development value to the event.
Event Stage: The stage hosted talks, including a notable speech by Claire Ward, the then-candidate for East Midlands Mayor, who spoke on the importance of apprenticeships and lifelong learning. The stage was also used for the awards programme, where various achievements were recognised, including the “Brighten Up Your Day” award.
Fun Fair Zone: This zone was designed purely for fun and entertainment, offering a variety of activities that made the event enjoyable and memorable for all attendees.
As well as planning the event, we support sign ups, management of special requirements, venue set up, props design, pre- and post-event communications with emails and dedicated landing page and a post-event satisfaction survey.
TMP also took charge of the event comms, such as rolling video to be projected onto the event’s large screen, an attendee booklet with information about each area and funfair game instruction cards.
The results
The Bright Sparks event was a huge success, with 180 guests in attendance. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees rating various aspects of the event highly. Quotes from participants included:
- “The Energy Zone was so informative and fun! Seeing the smart home of the future was eye-opening.”
- “Listening to Claire Ward talk about apprenticeships was truly inspiring. It made me feel proud to be an apprentice.”
- “The headshot booth was a fantastic idea. It’s great to have a professional photo for LinkedIn!”
Based on feedback, attendees expressed a desire to hear more direct stories from apprentices, including neurodiverse success stories, and to have more talks from businesses at future events.
Bright Sparks successfully celebrated E.ON’s apprentices, highlighted their diverse roles, and inspired all who attended. The event demonstrated the value of apprenticeships and showcased the bright future of E.ON’s workforce.
150 guests in attendance
