Client: Investment Company

Venue: The Lowry Hotel, Manchester

First Network were appointed to deliver this Manchester Investment Conference and gala dinner for a world class finance client. The venue needed to comfortably host 200 delegates in café-style seating. The event required a central location to ensure it was easily accessible for those travelling from all over the UK.

The day was to comprise of a series of seminars by senior managers and keynote speakers and culminate in an afternoon workshop.  The evening event was a gala dinner, featuring entertainment from the celebrated ‘Duelling Pianos’ of Joe Stilgoe and Anthony Strong. This posed a challenge as the daytime staging needed to be broken down and reset very quickly before the dinner performance.

The event was held in The Lowry, Manchester. The Lowry is a five star luxury hotel on the banks of the River Irwell. Recently refurbished, it boasts a spectacular Grand Ballroom with floor to ceiling windows and seating up to 600. Coupled with an impressive range of function suites and a central location easily accessible from around the UK, The Lowry ticked all the boxes.

First Network provided a full technical set up, which included a pair of 4.5m x 2.5m Absen A3 pro LED walls with customised lighting and D&B audio PA.

One of the highlights of the day was a fascinating speech by celebrated Sports Psychiatrist, Dr Steve Peters.  Professor Peters presented his famous ‘Inner Chimp’ theory. The theory identifies the struggle which takes place in the human mind. Once this is explained, the theory goes, an individual might apply this understanding in a practical and beneficial way to overcome fear of failure or other obstacles to success and fulfillment.

Tight timings presented something of a challenge. Our team needed to swiftly break down and reset the daytime stage before the dinner entertainment, which required two grand pianos to be installed in the ballroom.

The event closed with a sumptuous gala dinner and a world class show from the duelling pianos of Joe Stilgoe and Anthony Strong.