drp stage Sainsbury's conference

Paul Milligan, 19 November 2008

The drp group has been involved in the staging of the two-day Sainsbury's annual conference, which has seen the audience rise from 1,200 last year to 3,000. Staff attending on the first day included representatives from each of the company's 880 stores and business locations, the idea being that they would take messages back to their colleagues in stores.

drp planned a different style of event to last year that placed more emphasis on how Sainsbury's values all its colleagues and how each one could make a difference to the business.

The conference was launched with a ‘You Make the Difference' video, which included photographs of teams that delegates had submitted as part of the registration process. The opening video gave CEO Justin King the platform to highlight the impact of the economic climate and outline the challenges that Sainsbury's faces.

Conference activities included an interactive ‘Know Your Stuff' exhibition, including food sampling, beauty, health care and Halloween, so that new products could be sampled. Managers took part in an Apprentice-style challenge to develop, design and sell Christmas hampers, to emphasise the value of working with the Sainsbury's supply chain to meet demand.

Entertainment included The ‘S' Night talent show, which featured eight finalists whittled down from 200 staff who auditioned. This raised £6,000 for Comic Relief through delegates purchasing ping pong balls with which to vote.

The conference also featured the promotion of Sainsbury's own-brand Christmas offering by creating a winter wonderland. Other elements of the conference include a focus on continual improvement in stores, as well as presentations, question and answer sessions, videos and pyrotechnics.

As well as organising a programme of events and activities, drpgroup also organised all delegate movements – between three halls, plus various suites and seminar rooms – and transfers between the NEC and 40 hotels, some up to 25 miles away.