The McRae Agency

Special Event Case Study

La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Summary                      

The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI), a biomedical research company, hired The McRae Agency to help coordinate a groundbreaking ceremony for their new research facility.

LIAI wanted the ceremony to achieve three goals: to get its employees excited about the new facility, to acknowledge the hard work of the construction project team, and to recognize the various contributors to the project and its project's developer. The event would entail several short speeches, a gold shovel "groundbreaking" ceremony and a reception.

Getting the site prepared was our foremost concern.  As a vacant lot with no utilities and hard, rocky ground, even the most basic of needs had to be handled.  Arrangements were made with the general contractor to have the surface leveled off so that we could lay Astroturf and set up a tent and chairs.  Another major concern was weather conditions at the site, which was located on a mesa and prone to gusty winds.  The event required coordinating a variety of vendors, none of which could set up until right before the event because heavy construction equipment was still rumbling through the site.  To make matters worse, rain was forecasted for that afternoon.

Results                                         

Despite the drizzle, those attending the groundbreaking were in great spirits and enthusiastic about the new facility.  In fact, at the end of the ceremony, LIAI's employees, proudly wearing their company T-shirts, spontaneously climbed aboard one of the bulldozers at the site and posed for a group photo as they toasted to the new building with champagne.  As mementos of the ceremony, LIAI ordered prints of the photo for each of their employees to keep. 

The ceremony, which was executed within budget, was considered a tremendous success by everyone involved.

The event received a second place award for special event under $25,000 by the Public Relations Society of America in 1995.

Applicability                  Special event planning/coordination and employee relations