Mirage creates 'Apprentice'-style challenge

A Mirage Events product story

Edited by the Marketingweek Marketplace editorial team Nov 10, 2009

Mirage Events has created a contemporary 'Apprentice'-style challenge to fit within a pharmaceutical company's 'Power to Perform' initiative.

The pharmaceutical company had clear objectives when it briefed Mirage on its annual conference.

It also faced some challenges as the conference was scheduled to take place just after the company had been acquired.

Management needed the 80 UK field sales staff to better understand the processes and elements crucial to successfully bringing a product to market.

It also wanted the day to incorporate teambuilding, leadership and personal development in an entertaining and relevant way.

The overall objectives were to further empower the sales team, encourage each of them to think outside the box and develop their skills and confidence.

Dan Germaine of Innocent Drinks was booked to kick off the session with a motivational speech and to act as lead judge.

Delegates were split into teams and given rigorous deadlines to complete the following challenges: invent the perfect smoothie; create a business plan; and present and sell the concept.

This exercise encouraged the delegates to think about target audiences and a typical product development lifecycle.

Mirage provided an innovation centre equipped with blenders and a variety of fruit, vegetables and other ingredients to allow delegates to try their creativity.

Members of the public were on hand to act as tasters and to give feedback.

Once teams had agreed on their winning smoothies, they were tasked with getting it to market.

Mirage created a resource area including PCs, internet access for research, a studio to produce voxpops, graphic designers and marketing advisors to help them create their final presentations.

The day ended in presentations; each team had the challenge of impressing the judges, consisting of Dan Germain and two managers.

The teams were judged on their smoothies, plans, creativity, entrepreneurial abilities, innovation, sales skills and how well they had operated together.