CASE STUDIES
European Development Days
CLIENTS
European Commission
Agencies Involved
PROI Portugal: Grupo Inforpress
PROI Belgium: Mostra
Job
The Challenge:
Under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Portugal hosted the “European Development Days” Conference from 7th to 9th of November 2007, an European Commission initiative.
European Development Days is a symbol of determination in sensitizing the public to cooperate for a more efficient European Union. It was essential to motivate European citizens to pledge themselves to a stronger partnership with developing countries.
In the Lisbon event, the goal was to intensify the convergence of points of view and strengthen the partnerships, and join world-wide efforts, to fight against climate change. Our Brussels based PROI partner agency Mostra approached Inforpress to prepare a PR activity for the European Commission.
Objectives
The goal:
To increase awareness of the climate change issue by creating an EC stand that conveyed a strong environmental component, and provided visitors a nature spot. We created a stand that transmitted a sensation of being in a place that "is not part of the conference”.
Activities
Our PROI partner Mostra provided Inforpress guidelines for the EC stand concept. Inforpress was responsible for developing conceptual images, stand strategy, coordination, managing providers, mounting, dismounting and daily stand checking.
We set up:
a garden (relaxing place) with exotic trees and green grass.
5 tables and 10 colorful relaxing poufs in each, with a bar built with recycled materials and wood. Each of the 5 tables was dedicated to a "specific element“: water, fire, earth, air and humanity, in order to illustrate specific European Commission political initiatives (EU Water Facility, EU Energy Facility, EU Infrastructure Facility & Flegt, CO2 emissions' reductions, Echo & EU Peace Facility). Around each table there were few sand's "islands“. Each table had one transparent box with the respective element inside: water, the cover was an aquarium; fire, the cover was an image with candles on top; air the cover was a feather/plume constantly flying inside of a box; earth, the cover were seeds to grow inside and in the Humanity table, there were human tools/references witch contribute for the environment improvement.
The stand had 3.5m high trees to make it appear higher than the other stands.
We had two hostesses fluent in french, english and portuguese who distributed free Oxfam Bio orange juices.
Two plasma screens showed various "count-downs" connected to problems linked to climate change. Smaller plasmas near the tables reinforced the concept of the elements.
Printed material (brochures, folders, leaflets) was also available in the stand.
Results
The stand was an attractive place for the visitors to rest, work and socialize, something that didn't happen on any other stand.
Participants felt motivated to pledge themselves to a stronger partnership with the developing countries. Visit and kudos were received from the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, and Kofi Annan.
