EPBN Wise Role Model Ceremony

Project: EPBN WISE Role Model Ceremony.

Location: Warsaw, Copernicus Science Centre.

Client: Reequest Events for Fédération Nationale de L'Autre Cercle (Paris).

My scope of responsibility: creative concept and visual identity, multimedia and set design production, venue selection and coordination, participant logistics, catering, photo and video coverage, live stream, coordination of special guests and speakers, branding and printed materials, and operational supervision during setup and delivery.

Context and challenge

The WISE Project is a European initiative for diversity and equality in the workplace. The EPBN-WISE Role Model Ceremony is an annual ceremony honoring people and organizations that inspire change. Among others, it was honored with the presence of the Minister for Equality, Katarzyna Kotula, and Member of the European Parliament Krzysztof Śmiszek. The challenge was multidimensional, starting with the venue itself. The Copernicus Science Centre is a space with a strong character of its own: visually spectacular, but demanding from a production standpoint. My team's task was to create an international-gala-level setting in it, with full multimedia infrastructure, an awards ceremony, a conference program and an accompanying cocktail party.

An additional factor was the presence of media, VIP guests and an event partner, Sephora Polska, which had its own make-up stand in the venue. The client was a French non-governmental organization, Fédération Nationale de L'Autre Cercle, which meant communication and coordination across borders, from negotiations with the venue to approval of every element of the visual identity.

Creative concept

The theme of the ceremony was change: visible, bold and precisely planned. The auditorium of the Copernicus Science Centre needed a setting that would not compete with it, but would underline its character and give the event the standing the client expected.

The key set design element was a large-format LED screen, which served as a dynamic backdrop throughout the program, during speeches and at the moments of presenting the awards. It was complemented by gobo projectors on the side walls and a holographic LED ring, a visual element that set the ceremony apart from standard conference productions and built a sense of exclusivity.

The event's visual identity ran through every touchpoint with the participant: from the branding of the reception on the level, through the styling of the catering zone and cocktail party, to the statuettes, personalized acrylic trophies presented to the winners.

Production and set design

We built the entire technical and set design infrastructure from scratch, adapting it to the specifics of the venue and the requirements of the live stream. Key elements of delivery:

- LED screen with a media server and a dedicated animation for the ceremony;

- Stage and audience lighting, accent and decorative lighting in the B1 zone, LED backlighting complementing the character of the space; gobo on the walls and a holographic LED ring as a set design element;

- Concert-grade sound system, wireless handheld and headset microphones;

- Live video production: multi-camera setup, live stream, recording and post-production with subtitles;

- Full photo documentation;

- Branding of the reception, the catering zone and the cocktail party;

- Stage and zone furniture: armchairs and tables on stage, cocktail tables in the networking area;

- Personalized acrylic trophies for the winners;

- A specially prepared zone and a photo wall;

- Branding: name badges, lanyards, leaflets, banners, flags, and branding of the reception and the building.

Program and guest care

The event was hosted by Katarzyna Głuchowska, an emcee who ensured both the momentum of the awards ceremony and smooth moderation of the conference part. The culminating moment was the announcement of the WISE Role Model winners. Each award was built as a separate dramatic moment, with multimedia and music.

The presence of VIP guests, representatives of politics, European organizations and the business community, required precise protocol coordination at every stage of the program. The evening part of the event was enlivened by a live DJ during the cocktail party, which closed the ceremony in a networking atmosphere. The Sephora Polska stand worked as a partner zone within the venue and required separate coordination of access, placement and integration with the overall event flow.

Logistics and coordination

The catering served several hundred people throughout the evening: from snacks and finger food during registration, through a cold buffet and a drinks bar, to prosecco and cocktails during the cocktail party. Service was provided by a waiter team supported by dedicated technical staff and hostesses in uniform outfits. Project coordination covered many subcontractors working in parallel, from multimedia and lighting companies, through catering and guest services, to the photo and video crew and streaming operators. We completed the setup on schedule, closing the full production within the time window imposed by the venue, without disrupting the other users of the Copernicus Science Centre.