HOW AN EVENT USED THE MAGIC OF THE ICONIC WIZARD OF OZ TO HELP BUILD COMPANY CULTURE WICK ED GOOD by Laura Bickle EVENT PORTFOLIO When Beem Credit Union booked the Show Theatre at the Great Canadian Casino Vancouver in Coquitlam, BC, for their employee celebration for 750, they asked the venue for a recommenda- tion for an event company that could execute elaborate visions. The venue referred them to Reveal Events Group. “That’s why the company’s called reveal, right? We do the crazy stuff,” says president and creative director Alex Bickers. There was a solid business motivation behind Beem’s desire to create a spectacular event. It marked the union of three BC credit unions into the newly formed Beem Credit Union. “The goal was to bring together employees from across the province to create connections, pay homage to the organizations that founded us and to celebrate who we are as Beem moving for- ward. We wanted this to be a night our staff would never forget,” says Jamie Williams, communications and community impact specialist at Beem. Concept and Theme The theme, Defying Gravity, drew inspiration from the 85th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and the cinematic release of Wicked—and provided literal design direction. The event narrative mirrored Beem Credit Union’s journey of transitioning from the simplicity of its legacy credit unions into the vibrant, unified world of Beem—represented by Oz. “When guests came into the lobby for registration, everything was in sepia tones, referencing the start of the original movie in Kansas,” says Bickers. A harpist played as guests entered the event space and were offered passed hors d’oeuvres. “We created an environment where they felt that was their event, very elegant, very mellow.” But not so fast. As the harpist played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” the volume was cranked up and Brian Harris, Beem president and CEO, took the stage to make welcoming remarks. But he was interrupted by Dorothy, who was looking for her dog and warning that there was a twister coming. Wind and smoke machines and lighting and sound effects simulating a tornado ensued and Harris and Dorothy were sucked up into the rafters. Drape around the theatre’s perimeter dropped to reveal the Emerald City—the new world—on a massive video wall. There was a DJ booth, which was the witch’s castle, and Oz characters, including the Wicked Witch, Glinda, flying monkeys, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Dorothy and Lion, mingled with the crowd. “People were absolutely like, what just happened?” says Bickers. “The energy level, of course, just went through the roof at that point.” 40 | Ignitemag.ca | Spring 2025
