The Circle - EDGE Creative

Summary
The Results

The Task

Team Members Involved on this Project

Lou

Mark

Kelly

Lydia

Ryan

Sophie

Paul

Sophie

Summary

The Circle is an exclusive, invitation-only networking event co-hosted by EDGE Creative, Brookvale Development Specialists, Smart Homes New Homes, Glenn Clarke Financial Planning, Forecast Finance and Buckles Solicitors. The group came together as the hosts shared a common vision for transparent and honest communication that would lead to the formation of long-term meaningful relationships.

The aim of this collaboration is to create and develop a business network in the Solihull area that allows like-minded professionals and business leaders to connect, share their knowledge and collaborate for mutual growth.

Harry’s Bar, a hidden gem in Solihull, is the perfect venue to host the event, with easy links to motorways and plenty of parking spaces to accommodate guests.

The Task

As co-hosts managing the marketing and planning of the event, we created The Circle: an inclusive, diverse, and modern brand that could be portrayed/displayed/advertised across various mediums, both on and offline. This included the website, social media, presentations, animations, and exhibition graphics.

With the purpose of the group being to invite and encourage local businesses to connect, the brand needed to reflect this and appeal to a wide audience across a multitude of sectors, with a focus on property-related services.

Once the brand was agreed upon, we needed communication channels for fellow hosts, sponsors, and guests to keep them up to date on upcoming events, as well as create a space for them to network and communicate outside of the in-person events. Post-event activities had to include email marketing and social media management, especially the dedicated LinkedIn members group.

The last step was to increase brand awareness, inform the members about the benefits of attending the event and being part of the exclusive LinkedIn group, and, most importantly, attract businesses from Solihull, Birmingham and surrounding areas.

Once the event was launched, our prior experience planning and organising our own EDGE networking events would mean that we were perfectly placed to handle all aspects, from inviting connections and managing guest lists to ensuring everything ran smoothly on the day of the event.

The Results

The first stage of creating the brand was to come up with a name that represented inclusivity and equality. “The Circle” is ideal for portraying this, and we designed a vibrant and dynamic logo that stood out and could be easily animated to appeal to a wide audience.

Our skilled team completed phase one of the website to provide sponsors and guests with more information about The Circle brand and events. Any information regarding the event can be found on the website, from benefits of sponsorship packages and upcoming plans to accessing photos from past events.

Aside from social media graphics, exhibition materials were designed and displayed at the events. These included branded flags for signposting, a media wall for press photos, and on-screen presentations displaying further information about the hosts and sponsors.

Our exclusive LinkedIn group now has almost 200 members, with daily requests to join. This was created to allow only members to post and interact with each other, but any user on the platform can view it and request to join.

The Circle proved a huge success, with guests filling up the venue, exceptional feedback, and numerous connections being made. It has also been featured in The Solihull Times and Birmingham Living, and we have already seen increasing interest in attendees and sponsorship opportunities.

The event will only continue to grow, becoming a referral network for people, and offering new members opportunities to further develop their businesses. There are already plans to continue extending the website and growing the network, with future event plans being finalised for the remainder of 2023 and 2024.