PREDSEDOVANJE EU 2008 EU Presidency 2008 PREDSTAVITEV ...

Case Studies
Event Title: SOA Event 2006
Authors: Klemen Dragar, IBM;
Irena Jelen, Boris Vrhovec,
Auditoria
Client: IBM Slovenija
Contracter: Auditoria
e-mail contact:
boris.vrhovec@auditoria.si
Key words: SOA, event,
happening, IBM, Auditoria
How can one join several
activities and fresh air into a busy
meeting schedule and at the same
time have fun and, through new
experiences, get to know the
traditions, beauty and sights of
Bled? We found an ingenious
solution for Hewlett Packard. ‘The
search for the sunken bell’ is a
team-building programme based
on a local legend, strongly
connected with Lake Bled, its
unique island and its wishing bell.
Participants at the meeting
expressed the wish to have afternoon
entertainment comprising
idle activity and an emphasis on a
relaxed gathering. We offered
them the opportunity to actively
experience Bled through an
How can an Invitation
attract more Participants?
First, we need to select the right target group for the event. Then we have
to prepare a creative invitation that will arouse additional interest for the
event. Elaboration on the primary point of the invitation must be attempted
to the event itself, and the message communicated in a way that
participants link the content of the event with the invitation.
We prepared exactly such invitation for the event hosting managers of
Slovenian companies. IBM Slovenija, as the event’s client, presented a
service oriented architecture (SOA) system to the partcipants.
The main idea of the invitation was SOA: slive (plums), orehi (walnuts)
and ananas (pineapple). Two months prior to the event and over the
course of three days, each potential participant received a box of plums
the first day, a box of walnuts the next day and dried pineapple on the
third day, without any explanation or indication. On the fourth day they
received an invitation with detailed information about the event, with
venue and time information.
The event’s guiding principle consisted of a change in thought
processes, from disorganisation to an organised structure. We began
with unrelated invitations, followed by the individual pieces of a puzzle
system. Various services from business processes (the individual
puzzle pieces) were displayed as absurdly arranged pieces in venue.
Participants were guided through various spaces, gradually obtaining
information regarding the association of the processes according to the
SOA system. Finally, we associated the various services in a logical
manner, which also represented the key message of the event, shown
as a standardised process – a completed puzzle.
The IBM corporation received special recognition, an EMEA award, for
the event as the most innovative event in Europe.
The Search
for the Sunken Bell at Bled
original scenario, based and a local tale. The search for the sunken bell
is a type of a treasure hunt in which participants by cycling, rowing,
walking or other means advance from point to point, collecting parts of
a puzzle by solving riddles. They learned local sights (have you ever
offered yourself “kremšnita” (cream pastry) while rowing along a green
lake?) while at the same time strengthening ties and improving
communication in a relaxed atmosphere.
The program for HP finished at Bled Castle, where before dinner,
yet another creative surprise awaited the participants – a quest to find
the initials of the company using binoculars ... and finding them on the
Park Hotel building (PH-HP).
Bled is a successful meeting destination visibly lacking products,
connecting congresses and conferences with events, bringing together
participants and actively entertaining them. The search for
the sunken bell is a unique team-building event and gives added value
to conference offers in Bled. It’s suitable for all structures of guests and
comprises adaptable contents at an affordable price. Last, but not least,
it combines the efforts of various tourist service providers at Bled.
Ana Peskar
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