Strategic Events: A Hospital System Gala

A Hospital System Merger  

Copyright:  iQoncept

After months of working to merge two hospital systems to create a large regional healthcare network, system executives wanted to host a special event for the medical staff and their spouses. The goal was two-fold: celebrate the newly-created entity and bolster physician retention and recruitment.

A Holiday Gala

Getting the attention of busy doctors is never easy. Appealing to this hard-to-reach audience would take a special event that would provide high-end entertainment value. It also called for an elegant venue that could accommodate 1500+ guests for live entertainment in a theater setting, dinner, dancing and more. Houston’s Wortham Center fit the bill perfectly.  But, there was a hitch.  Due to the Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera schedules, the Center was only available on a Valentine’s Day Sunday evening. A Valentine’s Day Gala theme was born!

“Save the Date” cards were mailed to invitees three months in advance of the event to get the date reserved on calendars as well as to build buzz. Invitations, designed to coordinate with the cards, provided guests with information on the headline entertainer, dance band and other important activities. Decorations featured a Valentine’s motif carried out in the color scheme, table settings, even the menu!  Every element was elegant, refined and designed to appeal to this discriminating audience.

A Spectacular Success

The gala turnout was tremendous. Guests raved about the venue, entertainment and food.  Physicians enjoyed the leisurely networking time and it strengthened their connection to the newly-formed system.  And, the hospital system was able to celebrate and reinforce its newly-minted corporate culture.  Executives were overwhelmed by the thank you and congratulatory messages received following the gala.  Objectives achieved!

Talk to Ward about a strategic special event to drive business results you wish to cause. And, check out our Work Samples section to see how Ward helped other organizations stand out from the crowd with a special event.