The Brief
The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Customer Drive was an evening event in April 2019 held at the exclusive Yas Marina Circuit, the impressive state-of-the-art venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The event’s main feature was a driving experience for the 80 guests on this incredible track, but it also needed to include registration, driver briefing, catering and relaxation.
Noble Events was tasked with planning and executing the whole event, with a brief from the client of creating an environment that best represents the Black Badge. The overall focus was to create something ‘bold and brave’, challenging the norm at every available touch-point.
Taking inspiration from the vehicle, we explored the imagery that represents the darkness and alter-ego that runs through its design, and the ‘Bolder in Black’ statement.
Location & Venue
As the client requested a circuit location, the venue selection was limited. This meant when we started planning for the event, we had to sculpt our ideas to the venue, rather than sculpt a venue to our ideas.
The Schedule
The guests were in 5 groups of 16 customers, spending a total of 2 hours onsite; a logistically challenging schedule for our team, but a seamless experience for the customers. They were greeted at arrive, took exquisite refreshments, had their briefing and drive, and then more refreshments before departure
The event activities were largely based around the Rolls-Royce driving. As well as this, there was also a mixologist present who created beautiful bespoke mocktails and a resident DJ who created a “club-type” atmosphere.
The entire “Black Badge” elements of the event our theme reached every know area bespoke Black Badge cocktails with dry ice and bespoke black food products such as macarons .
This was our first event for Rolls-Royce and the attention to detail was extremely important. The Black elements worked extremely well as well as the LED starlight wall which represented the Starlight Headliner present in Rolls-Royce cars
Food
Catering played a key role in this event and the client’s request of ‘bold and brave’. Cold Canapes included venison en croute and blueberry hibiscus salt Braised Arabic beef tacos to name a few. Our Hot Canapes had such dishes as Wagyu burgers, truffle aioli chicken sliders and shawarma.
Verdict
The event was a complete success. Client was delighted. Both our client contacts have now moved on to another manufacturer, but we are delighted to still be working with them. Guests said how impressed they were with what we had achieved in a pit garage. Regional team members from Rolls-Royce were also in attendance; they were extremely complimentary of our delivery.
Penny Noble, our Managing Director, had this to say - “This was a true team effort, resulting in a brilliant event for our newest client. Transforming a couple of pit garages into an edgy, sophisticated space took some time to achieve but we are so pleased the client loved the end result.”
The client said that it was a pleasure to work with us in the run up to the event as well as on site and made a comment that we caused them absolutely no stress when it came to organising this event. Something which they always have with other agencies.