FLAT BRANCH HOME LOAN SHAREHOLDER RALLY 2023
In early April 2023, Flat Branch Home Loans (FBHL) held a company-wide event in St. Louis, Missouri. It was their 10th Annual Shareholder Rally where Loan Officers and Operations came together from across the country. The goal of the rally was to foster a sense of unity among employee owners (ESOP), reinforce the company’s values, and align everyone towards shared objectives. Flat Branch Home Loans is quickly growing as an industry leader and dominant mortgage company in the Midwest.
BEFORE THE EVENT:
Preparation began months before the company event. Our team, Utopia Experience, an event and video production company, worked closely with Flat Branch on their venue, communicating with vendors, incorporating design and theme elements into the venue decor and stage design. In addition to that, our production manager and technical director did a site visit to ensure the best layout of the event, including where the AV booth would be located. Things our production team checked out while at the site visit:
- Load-In/Load-Out Logistics
- Ceiling Height
- Rigging Restrictions
- Lighting Testing
- Power Availability
- Verify Dimensions
- Equipment Storage Space
DURING THE EVENT
We provided the below solutions to deliver an engaging and impactful 2-day event experience.
- Comprehensive Audiovisual Setup
Simply put, our team ensured the 650+ attendees could see and hear the main stage speakers. Utopia provided an audiovisual setup which included the installation of three large LED screens strategically placed for optimal visibility, ensuring that all attendees had clear views of the stage and visual content. The high-resolution screens showcased presentations, graphics, videos, polls, and live camera feeds to engage the audience and amplify the impact of the event’s messaging. For this setup, each screen has 45 panels per screen which is roughly 20 feet each.
- Image Magnification and Confidence Monitors:
Capturing the speakers on stage and projecting their live footage onto the large LED screens. This solution ensured that even those seated further back in the venue could have an up-close and personal view of the speakers.
- Lighting
It was important to stay on brand, so we washed the stage and surrounded the room in uplights with RGB color match to the company’s branding guidelines
- Roaming Cameras, Live Feed & Sound
There were professional roaming cameras strategically throughout the venue to capture dynamic shots of the attendees, which ensured audience shares were captured and projected on screen, as well as when employees were walking on stage receiving their awards.
- Entertainment and After-Party Support
Our team provided a professional DJ and Emcee who provided a vibrant and engaging musical experience for the post-party conference celebration.
- Post-Event Video Content
Utopia went the extra mile to comprehensively record the entire conference, capturing the event from diverse angles and viewpoints. This meticulous approach not only served to enhance event promotion but also offered a valuable resource for post-event accessibility, enabling absent employees access to content after the conference had concluded.
CONCLUSION
The 2023 Shareholder Rally proved to be a remarkable event, bringing together over 83% of employees from across the country. Overall it was an engaging and immersive experience that had a huge impact on attendees. Post event, Flat Branch surveyed their employees and found that this event was the most successful year yet with over 95% of employees rating the event 4 or higher on a scale of 5 stars!
The leaders at the company clearly stand by their core beliefs- family atmosphere, live, work, play and serve. They even have a nonprofit foundation that’s employee-led and employee-funded called The Giving Branch. We are grateful for our partnership with FBHL and it’s clear why it’s they are so highly respected in the mortgage industry. We are excited to work with them again in 2024!
FEEDBACK
“Utopia IS your #1 partner in success at your event. We used Utopia for our biggest company event this past year, and we have already rebooked them for this coming year. From start to finish, they demonstrated a level of professionalism, dedication, and expertise that is truly remarkable – which is not an easy task with 700 attendees involved. They took the time to understand our needs and objectives, and found ways to go above and beyond to elevate our event. – Elena Steinmetz, Director of Marketing
If you’re planning a conference and you want to enhance your event’s production, if you seek a genuine partner to collaborate with, and if you understand how important it is to captivate your audience in a crowded event landscape by creating connective, experiential, and unique experiences, then Utopia is your company.
Contact us: https://www.utopiaexperience.com/get-in-touch
