Three annual employee symposiums in Mumbai for Oxford International Education Services

The first edition, titled the First Annual Employees Meet for FY'22, set the quality bar and the awards protocol. The second added employee performances built around the company's values. The third raised the scale to 350 delegates and added a professional entertainer, People's Choice awards and live addresses from a partner university's leadership.

Venue choice followed headcount. Holiday Inn Sakinaka suited 150 delegates and an accessible Andheri East location near the airport. Westin Goregaon had the facilities for a performance stage. Sahara Star Vile Parle gave a ballroom that held 350 comfortably. Group rates were negotiated at each.

Before every edition ICE India agreed the working detail with the hotel. That covered ballroom layout (theatre-style seating for the awards, round tables where lunch was served in the room), AV specification (sound, projection screens, stage lighting and confidence monitors), catering menus, backup power so that nothing could interrupt the day, and parking and transport for arriving employees.

Venue choice weighed convenience for Mumbai-based staff, ballroom capacity against expected numbers, technical infrastructure, catering quality for an event of this formality, and the client's budget.

The awards ran in tiers so that people at every level and in every partner organisation could be recognised. At the first edition there were 5 Outstanding Performer awards across three university partnerships, 11 Shining Star awards and 43 Certificates of Appreciation. At the third there were 4 Outstanding Performer awards, 4 People's Choice awards chosen by peers, 12 Shining Star awards and 40 certificates, presented in four sets of ten.

ICE India collected nomination data from the partner organisations, worked with OIES leadership on criteria and selections, and kept winners confidential until the announcement. Trophies went to Outstanding Performers, plaques to Shining Stars and framed certificates to the Appreciation category. Presenters were drawn from across the hierarchy, including the Managing Director, the Chief Development Officer and, in 2024, the Chief HR Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Technology Officer.

On screen, category names and winners were projected in step with each announcement. Stage lighting picked out each recipient, confidence monitors carried presenters' scripts and timings, and a photographer documented every presentation for internal communications and for colleagues who could not attend. About 60 physical awards and certificates were prepared for each edition.

Every edition included a live video call with the international executive team: the Group CEO, Chief HR Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Commercial Officer joined the first. Their working day is UK time, so the call was timed to the programme and tested in advance.

The venue needed fast internet, with mobile hotspots as backup, large-screen projection, two-way audio and confidence monitors so presenters could see the remote participants. Spare laptops and an alternative video platform (Zoom or Teams) were ready if the main one failed, and a technical crew managed every handover between live calls, in-person speakers and recorded content. The third edition added a pre-recorded message from the Group CEO, which needed playback synchronised to the running order, and live addresses from the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Ravensbourne University London.

From the second edition, colleagues performed. ICE India scouted talent through OIES internal communications, scheduled rehearsals so that nobody gave up much time, and provided sound, stage space and lighting for each act.

In May 2023 the performances were themed on the company's five values, Care, Integrity, Creativity, Passion and Pride, and Smile. There was a 20-minute skit by the BPP India team, duet songs for Care, a six-person dance for Integrity, a rap for Creativity, a group dance for Passion and Pride, stand-up comedy for Smile and a 15-minute fashion show with 16 participants from the OIEG team.

In January 2024 the programme was paced differently. The awards block ran for two hours, so 90-second choreographed dance routines were placed between award categories to keep energy up. Comedian Sapan Verma then performed for an hour as a break before the afternoon sessions. Booking him meant agreeing the contract, specifying staging, microphones and lighting, briefing him on the audience and on what suited a corporate crowd and OIES culture, and fitting his set into the running order. Across the editions there was also a surprise drum-circle activity, which the client's own testimonial singles out.

The speeches were planned to sit around the recognition rather than compete with it. The first edition opened with addresses from the Managing Director, Chief Development Officer, HR Manager, Finance Manager and Head of Marketing. In 2023 the Group CEO gave a 20-minute address on the company's present and future, followed by shorter talks on team importance, motivation, operations and financial results. The day closed with a team activity, photographs, giveaways and snacks on departure.

Events of six to nine hours need food planned like a programme. Guests were met with tea and coffee and snacks to set a relaxed tone, served a hotel lunch, and left with cookies and beverages, which let people network and leave gradually. Vegetarian, vegan and religious dietary needs were documented beforehand.

On the day ICE India stayed on the floor throughout: employee registration and seating, leaders' arrivals and stage transitions, timing of the awards, catering changeovers and the photographer's positions. Problems such as audio feedback, a projection fault or a dropped connection were fixed before the room noticed.

A fixed awards spine

The tiers, the presenters from across the hierarchy and the confidential selection process stayed constant, so employees knew what to expect.

One element changed each time

Employee performances in 2023; a larger room, a professional entertainer and People's Choice awards in 2024.

One production plan, scaled up

The same AV, sequencing and catering framework ran at 150, 200 and 350 delegates.

A client that kept returning

OIES's Head of Marketing and Client Relationships described the first event as the first of many, and the symposium was repeated the following May and January.

Tiered awards call for trophies ordered early, and the award ceremony management page explains how ICE India plans the ceremony.