3,000 people, 8 divisions, one powerful kickoff.
A multi-division company needed one event to connect and celebrate their people from across the country.
INDUSTRY
Manufacturing
QUICK SUMMARY
GoGather was brought in just six months before the event date, inheriting a venue, existing vendors, and a full program already in motion. The event's complexity was unlike anything the client team had managed before, and getting everyone aligned quickly was the first order of business.
RESULTS
The program had two major layers running at the same time: one large all-attendee experience covering general sessions, a tradeshow, meals, and an evening event, and then eight separate division programs each with their own breakouts, team building, and awards ceremonies.
ABOUT THE CLIENT
This global manufacturing company hosts one of the largest annual sales kickoffs in their industry. With thousands of sales professionals spanning multiple divisions across the country, they needed a partner who could manage the full scope of a high-stakes, high-visibility event, from cross-divisional logistics to on-site execution, all under a compressed timeline.
Rethinking how to staff at scale.
Most events get staffed by function, food and beverage here, production there. At this scale, that model breaks down fast. Instead, GoGather assigned two team members to own each division end to end across every part of the event. That structure gave each division a consistent point of contact and gave the event leads room to stay agile and handle high-priority issues as they surfaced.
GoGather also consolidated communications across two production companies and all vendor partners using a reformatted run-of-show document that worked as a single source of truth for internal teams, vendors, and the client throughout both the planning process and on-site execution.
Unified run of show
One document reformatted to work across the client team, two production companies, and GoGather's 22 on-site staff. Everyone knew their assignment and where to be.
Division-based staffing
Each of the 8 divisions had two dedicated GoGather team members managing every aspect of their program, creating ownership and consistency the client felt immediately.
Vendor consolidation
GoGather was tasked with bridging two production companies and coordinating recurring calls to keep all parties aligned through a compressed timeline.
Executive rehearsals
Dedicated GoGather staff managed VIP meals and executive rehearsals at the Grand Ole Opry buyout, with client feedback calling out the attention to detail and hospitality.
Kickoff night at the Grand Ole Opry.
The conference opened with a full buyout of one of Nashville's most iconic venues, bringing all 3,000 attendees together for an evening of live entertainment and hospitality.
- Full venue buyout coordinated across GoGather, the production team, and on-site F&B
- Dedicated GoGather staff managed VIP experiences, executive rehearsals, and pre-show meals
- Positive client feedback specifically called out the hospitality, attention to detail, and problem-solving on the night
Team building built around each group.
Each division had its own team-building activity, with GoGather pitching and managing options scaled to groups ranging from 30 to 650 people.
- Smaller groups ran a hotel-wide escape room scavenger hunt throughout the Gaylord property
- Larger groups tackled a live charity game show where teams solved puzzles and cracked codes in small groups
- All supplies from the game show were donated to vocational schools across the country
Eight awards dinners.
Eight separate awards dinners ran simultaneously across the property, each with its own personality while keeping the overall hospitality experience consistent.
- Unique elements per group including photobooths, live bands, and custom décor
- Plated dinners, award presentations, and VIP touches executed in parallel
- Consistent menu and service standards maintained across all eight events at the same time
300 breakout sessions.
Each division had its own individual sessions with unique room configurations, A/V needs, and scheduling requirements managed by dedicated GoGather staff, coordinated across two production partners.
