Cancer Research UK Business Supporters’ Celebration Awards 2010

Drive Productions has been nominated once more for the sought after ‘Best Supplier’ award at the prestigious Cancer Research UK Business Supporters’ Celebration Awards 2010 taking place on 27th April.

Last year we were thrilled to scoop the ‘Highly Recommended’ title at the prestigious 2009 awards ceremony. Drive is now involved in the production of six events per year for CRUK including star-studded fundraisers such as Ronan Keating’s Emerald & Ivy Ball and Sound & Vision, the annual music heritage auction event at Abbey Road Studios. We are immensely proud to enjoy our longstanding relationship with this important charity and enjoying such positive feedback makes it all the more worthwhile.

Speaking this week about our success at reaching the final shortlist, Drive’s founder Ben Fender says: Working with Cancer Research UK has been a fantastic opportunity to align our company with a highly motivated charity who work tirelessly to fund breakthrough scientific research destined to help millions of sufferers and their families worldwide whose lives have been affected by cancer.

Thank you too Cancer Research UK – as ever it’s a pleasure and an honour!

Drive rocks again for Dallaglio cancer charity

Drive Productions tackled stiff competition from a number of top agencies to score another try with former rugby ace Lawrence Dallaglio to produce the annual 8Rocks spectacular. News of our appointment was announced following our winning pitch to produce the Dallaglio Foundation’s 2010 winter fundraiser for the second year running.

The 8Rocks event – inspired by the No.8 shirt worn by former England Rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio during his reign as the London Wasp’s flanker – is produced in partnership with Cancer Research UK to raise vital funds to support their work to beat cancer.

‘After careful consideration, and with Lawrence’s input, we are delighted to have selected Drive Productions as our 2010 partner’, said Emma Harris, Supporter Partnerships Manager at Cancer Research UK. Jim Hudson, Head Producer at Drive Productions responded to the appointment by saying, ‘It’s always particularly satisfying to win a pitch for the second time and we are looking forward to making 8Rocks 2010 even more of a resounding success than its predecessor. This year we hope to raise the bar again in terms of both the quality of the production and the funds that it generates for Cancer Research UK.’

Last year guests were welcomed by a themed ‘gladiatorial’ reception featuring life-sized golden lions and an imposing set of columns emblazoned with the Dallaglio Foundation’s  ‘Powerful Together’ motto. The evening’s entertainment included sets from Lemar, Becki Biggins and Tom Chaplin of Keane fame as well as a spectacular circus-themed stage show with acrobats and aerial performers sharing the stage with a giant steel wheel and cracking fire whips. An all-original Drive-directed ‘Making Of’ post-event movie ensured the event be on-film to raise awareness for future events. Imogen Hammond, Creative Director for Drive, is still sworn to secrecy about the theme for this year’s event but hinted that ‘there may be a certain air of Britishness about it.’

As we’re are not known for keeping a stiff upper lip, you can bet that 8Rocks 2010 will be yet another all-out spectacle. The 2009 extravaganza raised £610,000 from ticket and live auction proceeds and was royally attended, with HRH Prince Harry partying alongside sporting legends such as Sebastian Coe OBE. Whatever we’ve got up our sleeve it’s guaranteed, that everyone will be VIP that night.

Kelly Brook donates with Drive for Marie Curie

With our rep for Pop-ups on the up and up, Drive was ready and willing to deliver the goods when Nestlé UK, owners of the Skinny Cow brand, sprang a request for us to team up once more with Frank PR to conjure up a celebrity/charity pop-up swap-shop to help launch their new hot chocolate brand.

Hosted on two consecutive days at London’s Soho Hotel and Manchester’s Midland Hotel, our job was to design and produce the event and co-ordinate the necessary press, photography and media elements. Not such an easy task when you’re dealing with some ‘hottest bodies’ in Britain.

An invite to the event was the winning prize for six hundred lucky Skinny Cow Facebook-fan-club competition winners – and some prize it was. Various celebrity style icons, invited by ourselves and led by presenter, actress and model Kelly Brook, were encouraged to donate no-longer-needed personal items of luxury garb, along with those brought by the public, which could then be swapped for something ‘new’.  So we needed to make sure this particular pop-up had exactly the right boutique feel. With no money exchanging hands, it was the perfect opportunity for some stress-free spring wardrobe acquisitions. And for every celebrity item swapped, Nestlé UK made a cash donation to the Marie Curie cancer fund – making the event an all-round winner.

Kelly Brook appeared in person to endorse the fun day out, host the proceedings and also to donate a few items herself – quoted in The Daily Express as ‘a little Trilby, biker boots and a lovely pink coat’. Not sure what sort of biker wears Juicy Couture but maybe they exist somewhere. Dancing on Ice presenter Holly Willoughby, Girls Aloud’ Sarah Harding and TV personality & model Danielle Lloyd also contributed items so this was certainly no jumble sale – with ‘Loubs’ and ‘Choos’ among the rummage pile, you don’t get that kinda fare at your local Church Hall. You can bet the elbows were out just the same, with everyone bundling for the Roberto Cavelli dress and the Mulberry handbag.

Needless to say, no-one went home empty handed and the event raised 15k for this worthy cause.

Fire aside, East Room Pop-Ups fly the flag for the future.

This goes out to all our friends and colleagues at The East Room, London’s exclusive members’ club and bar that has sadly had to close after a major fire devastated the premises, along with its neighbouring sister bar Sosho, back in early March. It came as great shock to us all and we’d like to take this opportunity to formally express our sympathy and pledge our support.

The East Room was rapidly becoming the by-word in London for those seeking out a more discerning place to hang – and not without good reason. The latest addition to an elite collection of international bars – Milk & Honey (London, New York), The Player (Soho) and The Clubhouse (Chamonix, France) – this was a venue that knew the meaning of good taste.

Our involvement goes beyond professional admiration, as we were working closely with the venue at the time: the Drive-built Alpine Lodge helped put The Clubhouse Shoreditch on the map, scoring mountains of publicity for the venue and brand partners Eristoff.

However, as they say, from the ashes will rise the Phoenix: and The East Room is no exception. With its ever ready spirit of inventive originality it is already managing to pop up at various venues across the metropolis. Next up is The East Room Bar at the RSVP show (Business Design Centre, Islington, (28-29/04.10) where you can also get the lowdown on Deep Impact Event Production by joining the Drive Productions Seminar  followed by the grand opening of the re-vamped EC1 Match Bar, an exciting new neighbourhood dining room in London’s Clerkenwell at the beginning of May. Forthcoming collaborations between Drive Productions and The East Room are in the pipeline. So watch this space – The East Room is here to stay.