ORLEN Press Conference × Polish Basketball Association

Project: ORLEN × Polish Basketball Association press conference.

Venue: Warsaw, lobby of the Senator building, ul. Bielańska 12.

Client: Reequest Events for ORLEN S.A. & the Polish Basketball Association.

My scope of responsibility: creative concept, set design, AV and multimedia production, sound, venue coordination, attendee logistics, catering, artistic program, media coverage and live broadcast, operational supervision.

Context and challenge

The ORLEN Group, one of the largest fuel and energy companies in Poland, entrusted us with organizing a press conference announcing a strategic partnership with the Polish Basketball Association. The event had to meet two completely different requirements at once: the formal rigor of a media conference and the dynamic energy of a sports spectacle.

The space was a challenge in itself. The lobby of the Senator building at ul. Bielańska 12, prestigious but not designed for event production, had to be arranged completely from scratch: from technical infrastructure to full sports set design. The presence of several dozen journalists, TV cameras, a live broadcast and special guests meant zero margin for error in every aspect of delivery.

Creative concept

We chose dynamism and partnership as the central theme, values that connect the DNA of the ORLEN brand with the philosophy of Polish sport. The lobby was transformed into a stage that joined the world of business with the energy of the court: the dominant visual element was a large-format wall of basketballs with the ORLEN and PZKosz logos, serving as both the stage backdrop and a gift for attendees, as journalists and children could take the balls from the wall after the event.

The visual identity ran through every touchpoint: from the branding of the journalist cube, through dynamic LED backgrounds, to decorative cubes with basketball motifs at the reception area. Visual effects, including heavy smoke during the basketball shows, built tension and gave the event the feel of a premiere rather than a routine conference.

Production and set design

We designed the complete production and set design infrastructure of the event from scratch, adapting every element to the unconventional lobby space.

Key elements of the project:

- 3×3 m basketball court with a hoop and technical flooring; rental, installation, dismantling and transport;

- Set design backdrop with basketball motifs and the ORLEN and PZKosz logos;

- Stage platform with a wheelchair ramp, covered in white HIPS;

- LED screen with a stage sound system, complete sound and lighting, technical platforms for cameras, the online broadcast and the AV crew;

- Set design and visual effects: production of a dedicated wooden wall holding the basketballs, and production of heavy smoke for the basketball shows;

- Chair rental for the press conference guests;

- Event staffing, reception, handing out wristbands and gift packs, hostesses, a makeup artist;

- Key visual, invitations, loop, jingle, visualizations, other graphic materials;

- Photo coverage, video coverage, live broadcast.

Artistic program and media coverage

We entrusted hosting of the entire event to Piotr Sobczyński, an experienced conference host, who kept the program dynamic and invited guests onto the stage smoothly. The culmination of the conference was a basketball show featuring Piotr 'GRABO' Grabowski and Daniel Olejniczak, a spectacular highlight that turned a standard press meeting into a full-fledged sports and media event.

Our media production included a live broadcast with steadicam operation, video and audio direction, streaming and a full recording. Within three days of the event, we delivered to the client an edited photo report and a summary film of about 120 seconds with a music track.

Logistics and coordination

For more than 100 guests we prepared full catering: a buffet with cold snacks, hot dishes and dessert, with complete waiter service, tableware and catering equipment.

The gift for journalists and children was the basketballs taken straight from the set design wall, a solution that combined a spectacular element with a gesture that builds relationships with the media. Coordinating the whole production in a space not originally meant for events required detailed planning of delivery routes, the installation schedule and managing several subcontractors in parallel, without disrupting the client's headquarters.