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As part of our rebranding of BridgeStreet we have created new liveries for their fleet in both the US and UK. This week the new look vans hit the streets of London.

I directed this film for the Heritage Lottery Fund and National Trust to support the History Matters campaign and the One Day In History initiative. Presented by Dan Snow on location at Osterley Park with additional location shoots in Chiswick House, the Birmingham Back-to-Backs, the British Library, Ickworth House and Bexleyheath Academy we captured the opinions of the heritage community, the general public and young people about what history means to them.

In what was the starting point of Hunter Gatherer, Art Lewry and Sue Game came together to deliver an internal communications roadshow for fashion retailer New Look. We were responsible for every aspect of this multi-disciplined event including venue research and liaison, logistics, online registration and communication activity, video and screen production, theming, print, translation, staging and technology as well as delegate participation and interactive elements.

Built around a strong music theme, the roadshow visited New Look audiences in London, Glasgow, Manchester, Newport, Southampton, Dundalk and Paris.

A key requirement of the brief was to let delegates get up-close-and-personal with New Look’s leadership team. With what was very much a day of two-way communication, with key messages delivered in fun and participative ways, this was certainly achieved. We followed-up the tour with a cascade campaign that included online content and a 28-page magazine produced in English and French versions.

Supporting us on tour were staging technology company Media Powerhouse and teambuilding specialists Catalyst.

The rebranding of the international serviced apartment company BridgeStreet has, without doubt, been one of the broadest and complex design exercises we have undertaken. Designed to reposition BridgeStreet and transform the sector, the focus was on the wider hospitality market to broaden the brand's appeal to a larger, consumer audience, connecting them to a unique experience and lifestyle they may not have experienced before.

Working closely with Kelly Murphy, BridgeStreet's Director of Brand Marketing, Hunter Gatherer developed a new visual identity to bring to life a new attitude for the brand  and  create stronger connections to its corporate clients and guests. With a strapline of feel connected Hunter Gatherer has been responsible for the design of print collateral, exhibitions (in the UK and US), displays, building signage, electronic communications, vehicles, in-room collateral, stationery and press ads. We also have ongoing involvement with the BridgeStreet website and intranet as well as being deeply involved with the development and design of internal and external presentations, tenders, infographics and internal and external programme branding.

Keen to have a unique 'visual voice' for BridgeStreet we also created an extensive photographic library with location shoots in New York and London. This photography, designed to capture the essence of the BridgeStreet experience and the benefits of apartment living, has proved an invaluable resource in the creation of a strong and consistent brand for BridgeStreet.

Experience the BridgeStreet brand now...

www.bridgestreet.com

Hunter Gatherer was asked to produce and stage Skandia International's 2011 Sales Conference held at the St Martins Hotel, London. A conference with fewer than 50 delegates does open up fantastic opportunities to do things that would be more difficult with great numbers. In a conference that was intimate and reflective we explored the theme of 'invest' and how it applies to wealth creation, relationships, life, love, work, time and the challenges of the current economic environment. With guest speakers from the world of poker, personal development and behavioural finance all sessions were interactive and kept the delegates involved. We stretched them further with Orchestrate!, a unique team building experience that transformed them into a full symphony orchestra, playing real instruments; a live version of Deal or No Deal to explore the dynamics of investor psychology; and ended with an evening poker masterclass with presenter and professional poker player Casper Berry.

BridgeStreet, one of the world's leading providers of serviced apartments, corporate and temporary housing, asked Hunter Gatherer to manage, produce and stage their 2010 international conference in Virginia, USA. Developed in parallel with the new BridgeStreet brand identity the conference acted as a launchpad for not only the new look and feel for the company but also a new attitude and position in the hospitality market.

Hunter Gatherer worked with BridgeStreet very much as one team and developed the theme, structure and messaging of the conference and produced all online, print, display, environmental and on-screen content. We also designed and supervised all staging aspects of the event (including workshops, interactive sessions, a 70s-themed networking party and a closing gala awards dinner). We even had the BridgeStreet's President and CEO perform a drum duo of Something In The Air Tonight to open the conference. Hunter Gatherer took a core staging team from the UK to work with the US-based technical providers.

Significantly, for us, the conference also marked the starting point of a close working relationship with BridgeStreet that continues today.

One of the first questions we ask a client on a new project is not about what they think needs to be said, but rather what is currently going unsaid. We believe that effective and open communication must involve a good dose of truth and transparency and being brave enough to invite the elephant in the room on to the stage and give him a microphone.

So, while we ask a lot of questions of our clients before we even start to think about solutions, we encourage them to ask what their people, stakeholders, clients or market think – good and bad. Letting participants have their say before, during and after an event not only informs the content development but also, inevitably, improves the outcomes. Also, fact that you have given people the opportunity to say what they think speaks volumes and demonstrates that they can help shape the way forward and be truly engaged in your future.