Managing a Four-Day Corporate Event in Lisbon for a Global Pharmaceutical Company

A four-day corporate meeting with 90 delegates, multiple session formats, hybrid participation and off-site activity needs more than a suitable venue. It needs careful coordination from the outset, particularly when requirements continue to evolve as the event gets closer.

High 5 Events supported a global pharmaceutical company with the planning and delivery of an internal team meeting in Lisbon, bringing together a full programme of meetings, breakout sessions, training, poster sessions, presenters, suppliers and social activity.

The aim was simple on paper: create an event that ran smoothly and felt effortless for the people attending. Behind the scenes, that meant managing a considerable amount of detail.

The brief

The client was looking for a 4-star business hotel in Lisbon that could offer almost exclusive use for the meeting.

The four-day programme needed to accommodate a full-team meeting alongside breakout sessions, poster sessions, presenters, suppliers and training. Hybrid participation was also part of the format, while the wider programme included an off-site dinner and a walking tour of the city.

The brief covered much more than meeting rooms alone. AV, food and beverage, photography, accommodation and off-site activity all needed to work together as part of the same event.

For the client, the priority was for the meeting to feel polished and well organised, with the different elements coming together smoothly throughout the four days.

Preparing for a complex programme

A significant amount of preparation went into the event before delegates arrived in Lisbon.

High 5 held regular weekly check-ins with stakeholders, helping to keep the different parts of the programme aligned as plans developed.

Two High 5 Event Managers were also onsite throughout the event to oversee proceedings and manage the practical detail as the meeting progressed.

With several different session types, suppliers and off-site elements involved, this onsite presence meant there was a consistent point of coordination across the four-day programme.

Responding when technology did not go to plan

One of the most time-sensitive challenges came right at the start of the meeting.

The hotel Wi-Fi cut out during the first ten minutes, just as the CEO was preparing to open the meeting remotely.

The AV team worked quickly to get the connection back up and running, liaising with the hotel in both Portuguese and English to resolve the issue.

It was a small window of time, but an important one. With hybrid participation built into the meeting format, getting the technology working quickly was essential to keeping the opening session on track.

Keeping pace with an evolving agenda

The agenda continued to change during the meeting itself, which meant printed materials also needed to be updated at short notice.

A local printer was located so that revised hard copies could be produced as the programme changed, with support from the hotel team to help keep everything moving.

The event also evolved beyond the original brief in other areas, resulting in additional requirements and increased costs.

Rather than allowing this to become unclear, High 5 kept the client updated as the scope changed. Additional hours were logged and clearly allocated to specific items, giving the client visibility over where the extra time and budget were being used.

Managing the moving parts onsite

Across the four days, the event included a mix of full-team sessions, breakouts, poster sessions, training, presenters, suppliers, hybrid participation and off-site activity.

Managing an event of this kind means keeping sight of how each individual element affects the wider programme. A change to the agenda can affect printing. A technical issue can affect a remote presenter. A new requirement can have an impact on both time and budget.

High 5’s role was to keep those details coordinated while the event continued around them.

The combination of preparation, regular stakeholder communication and two onsite Event Managers gave the team the flexibility to respond as requirements changed without losing sight of the wider programme.

The result

Despite an evolving brief and a number of changes during the event itself, the four-day meeting was delivered successfully.

The client was pleased with the meeting, and feedback from attendees was that the event was well run. The organiser’s notes also confirm that there has been discussion about High 5 supporting the same event again next year.

For the High 5 team, one of the things they were most proud of was the resilience required to keep the event moving through a constantly changing programme.

It is a good example of what corporate event management often looks like in practice: detailed preparation before the event, close coordination onsite and the ability to respond quickly when circumstances change.

High 5 Events supports organisations planning corporate meetings, conferences and international events, helping to manage the detail from planning through to onsite delivery. Are you planning a corporate event in the UK or internationally? Speak to us about how we can support your next event!

https://www.high5events.co.uk/contact-us