The Brief
The anniversary was meant to do more than mark a history. Publicis wanted to bring clients, employees and the industry together around a shared picture of the future – and create an experience that made that ambition tangible.
Goals and results
Three audiences, one room
Three goals guided the work: create the conditions for stronger client relationships, give employees a shared celebration, and make Publicis’ position and ambitions in the Nordics visible. The ambition was international level, developed and produced in Stockholm.
Stronger client relationships
A carefully curated guest list and settings that made room for meetings and conversation.
181 of 441 invited clients accepted. 189 guests at the afterparty.
Celebrating 100 years together
The whole group in the same room, from seminar to dance floor.
263 employees in Sweden and Denmark accepted.
Publicis as a leading player
Three international speakers, five partners and a separate evening list of media, talent and future employees.
3 keynotes · 5 partners · 47 media accepted.
1,028 invitees in five guest segments, room for 600 in the Winter Garden and five months from booked venue to delivery. Publicis’ leadership stayed close to the project, with Emma Thorp as decision-maker, Andreas Fyrlund responsible for partners, Jimmy Bolander for the guest list and Tara Taghian as the single point of contact for decisions.
Five commercial partners took part, and three of them co-financed the day. That made partner integration part of both the budget work and the guest experience. It required clear guidelines for how partners would be visible without taking over Publicis’ own experience.
Why the day stands out
International class
An international seminar, a club night with artists from Stockholm and Paris, a dedicated digital guest platform and five commercial partners came together in one coherent format. That demanded a shared concept, clear decisions and a production that could change character without guests having to leave the building.
Three international keynotes
Mark Ritson, Dr. Jana Werner, presented by Amazon Ads, and Andrew Tindall of System1 on the same stage, with a moderated conversation after each speaker.
Bookings from Paris and Stockholm
Heartless Club from Paris with Akalex and Lil Rosy, together with Tony Zoulias and Prof. Stranger. Booking, travel, accommodation and riders were all handled within the project.
A dedicated platform for the entire guest journey
Invitations from Publicis’ own sender, personal passes, room assignments, tokens and competitions in the same link, live for 549 guests during the day.
Five partners, three co-financers
Amazon Ads, SeenThis and Bonnier News co-financed the day, and TUI and ZYN took part in the evening. All were visible without taking over Publicis’ own experience.
The concept
Same room, two expressions
An anniversary that only looks back celebrates a history but says nothing about where the group is heading. So the day was built as a movement forward, from content about the industry’s future in the afternoon to a party called NEXT CENTURY. Emma Thorp’s direction was that it should feel like one event, not two: anyone who had accepted did not need to reply again for the evening, and guests never changed venue.
DayNightBy day the Winter Garden was a seminar hall with a seated audience and three international speakers. The stage was built low, wide and symmetrical to give the speakers and the content a calm and dignified setting.
In the evening the same room was rebuilt for the NEXT CENTURY club night. The stage was raised and pulled out into the room, and the chairs were removed so that the guests themselves became the centre. The contrast with the formal day gave the evening its energy.
The visual language was kept simple: few materials, in gold and black. Grand Hôtel already provided the sense of luxury, so the focus was on the details.
The concept was developed together with Emma Thorp and ran consistently from invitations and signage to stage and guest platform.
Venue
Why Grand Hôtel
Grand Hôtel was chosen over the Stockholm Concert Hall and Café Opera because the building could host the seminar, the walking dinner and the party without guests changing venue. The energy could build instead of being broken by a move.
The Winter Garden holds up to 600 guests on 785 square metres, with a 15.5-metre ceiling. Royals and Bolinderska received the guests during the changeover.
The building is listed. Nothing could be fixed to floors, walls or ceilings, and technology could only be supplied through Grand’s technical partner. All scenography was therefore free-standing and approved by the hotel. There is no lift down to the Winter Garden, so everything was carried in through the Royals entrance.
