Chad Beamish, manager of promotions for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and Discovery Civilization, has been behind the company's most important promotions, including one that brought Jesse James from Discovery's Monster Garage to Toronto.
What kinds of events do you plan?
We do many client appreciation events. Our spring launch is an annual event to which we invite all our advertising agency media buyers and planners, and we highlight what is coming up in our spring programming. We give them a gift, a lunch, and drinks as a thank-you. We plan our events around highly promotable programming specials or theme weeks coming up. Last year our spring launch revolved around Rome week; we built an ancient Rome-themed tent at Yonge and Dundas Square. We put up huge columns, a huge mural of the Colosseum, themed food, the works.
The year before that it was at the Royal Ontario Museum; we showcased a theme week called "Walking with Cavemen," with a giant cave for the entrance, cave art on the walls, faux torches, and props of rocks, and we had musicians playing jimbay drums.
We also planned an event for the viewing audience last year at the Docks nightclub around Monster Garage. It was a car rally of sorts, and we invited Toronto and GTA residents to bring their cars and compete for the top Monster Garage honour. The winner was hand-picked by the show's host, Jesse James.
How many events do you plan in a year?
Four or five. They vary in size, with the larger ones hosting 800 to 1,000 people, and the smallest, 200 to 250 people.
What do vendors do to make you a return customer?
I don't often have time to shop for suppliers, so I look for ones I can stay with. I need them to be loyal and help me work within and maximize my budget. They need great ideas and creativity. I have complete confidence in the suppliers we work with now; I trust them and can truly rely on them.
What's the most challenging part of your job?
Time management and outdoing ourselves. We're always trying to one-up what we did the year before or what we did for our last event. Because our guests are always the same people and they attend a ton of TV launches, we need to give them events that are new and fun.
What's your biggest event fear?
Any kind of natural disaster or unpredictable element, like a snowstorm. With any event, attendance always has to be a priority.
—Robyn Small
Posted 03.10.05
What kinds of events do you plan?
We do many client appreciation events. Our spring launch is an annual event to which we invite all our advertising agency media buyers and planners, and we highlight what is coming up in our spring programming. We give them a gift, a lunch, and drinks as a thank-you. We plan our events around highly promotable programming specials or theme weeks coming up. Last year our spring launch revolved around Rome week; we built an ancient Rome-themed tent at Yonge and Dundas Square. We put up huge columns, a huge mural of the Colosseum, themed food, the works.
The year before that it was at the Royal Ontario Museum; we showcased a theme week called "Walking with Cavemen," with a giant cave for the entrance, cave art on the walls, faux torches, and props of rocks, and we had musicians playing jimbay drums.
We also planned an event for the viewing audience last year at the Docks nightclub around Monster Garage. It was a car rally of sorts, and we invited Toronto and GTA residents to bring their cars and compete for the top Monster Garage honour. The winner was hand-picked by the show's host, Jesse James.
How many events do you plan in a year?
Four or five. They vary in size, with the larger ones hosting 800 to 1,000 people, and the smallest, 200 to 250 people.
What do vendors do to make you a return customer?
I don't often have time to shop for suppliers, so I look for ones I can stay with. I need them to be loyal and help me work within and maximize my budget. They need great ideas and creativity. I have complete confidence in the suppliers we work with now; I trust them and can truly rely on them.
What's the most challenging part of your job?
Time management and outdoing ourselves. We're always trying to one-up what we did the year before or what we did for our last event. Because our guests are always the same people and they attend a ton of TV launches, we need to give them events that are new and fun.
What's your biggest event fear?
Any kind of natural disaster or unpredictable element, like a snowstorm. With any event, attendance always has to be a priority.
—Robyn Small
Posted 03.10.05
