What was the main purpose of this event?

This time, we held two events. One was the “Isuzu Innovation Day”, for managers and younger members that are expected to lead our company’s transformation, and the other was the “Isuzu Group Leadership Summit”, for the executives and leaders of related companies. “Innovation Day” had been held since last year, and “Leadership Summit” was our first attempt this year. Both aimed to strengthen our business by spreading the corporate philosophy and engraving the concept of proprietorship.

What was the trigger that caused you to entrust GP with this project?

This project started around September of the previous year, and we began looking for partners then. However, we couldn’t find the right company in the first competition, so we held a second competition. At that time, our project manager recommended GP, saying, “I’d like to work with GP, whom we met at the Event EXPO,” which ended up being the trigger.

The feeling that they were a team we would enjoy making plans with. Also, while many companies presented certain extremes, such as being too formal or too flashy, we thought GP balanced the necessary elements of an internal event with our desired features.

What was the most important point you focused on while planning?

The overall atmosphere. We aimed to create a space where attendees would immediately feel a sense of proprietorship as soon as they entered the venue by carefully decorating various elements, such as objects and windows, to give the impression that Isuzu had taken over the venue. Additionally, we opted for a more casual approach to panel discussions as opposed to the typical style, and we adjusted the design of the presentations to match global standards, so participants could envision an evolving Isuzu.

What were the challenges in implementing this event?

Despite running two events simultaneously, the production period was very short, and there were many decisions to be made. Furthermore, the core program was not easily finalized within the company. However, once GP introduced us to a reliable advisor, things moved quickly, and we quickly reached the day of the event.

What was impressive about GP’s responses?

Our company holds various events and has connections with many event companies, but GP stood out due to their meticulous communication. For example, while selecting guest speakers, there was a lot of back-and-forth, in order to make the most of their professional knowledge and connections.

Also memorable were the meetings that were fully online. While other companies often insisted on face-to-face meetings, or had difficulty coordinating, GP constantly suggested quick online meetings, such as “Can we have a 30-minute online meeting with an external designer?” or “Can we talk for 15 minutes online?” This sped things up significantly. Given the tight schedule, we were in almost-daily contact towards the end.

Another impressive aspect was their reliability regarding finances. In events, costs tend to increase as we try to achieve our goals, and sometimes estimates take time. However, GP meticulously confirmed the budget, which was very helpful from a project management perspective.

How were the reactions of the participants?

We were concerned about how the “Isuzu Group Leadership Summit”, aimed at leaders, would be received—since it was our first attempt this year. However, there was a lot of positive feedback, including talks from executives, guest-speaker presentations, and workshops.

“Isuzu Innovation Day” typically receives positive feedback, as it’s a rare opportunity for young employees to hear directly from the top executives, and discuss with managers. This time, we also broadcasted the event for those who couldn’t attend, resulting in even more positive responses.

To what extent did you achieve your goals?

We believe we were quite successful in engaging the participants. Particularly, the sessions combining hands-on activities like drawing with discussions were a new approach for us, and received very favorable responses.

How do you want to evolve these events in the future?

Since neither event is a one-time event, the content and programs need to evolve accordingly. We aim to make the “Isuzu Group Leadership Summit” more meaningful for leaders and the “Isuzu Innovation Day” a recurring event that promotes understanding, while incorporating new takeaways, encouraging more young employees to want to participate.