McDonald's World store managers go Down UnderThe first ever McDonald's global conference for store managers took place in Sydney in 2004. The company recognised the need to re-stimulate its business and a gathering of store managers from 37 countries was a creative and high energy event.
Company: McDonald's Restaurants Corporately, McDonald's has always regarded communication with its stakeholders a key to the phenomenal success of the brand around the world. "There are not many countries with the expertise to deliver so large an event so smoothly. We are just so proud of what Sydney managed to achieve for our organisation." McDonald's has a strong program of meetings and events in each of the countries it operates, but a world meeting of store managers had never been mounted before. Some of Australia's most talented performers entertained delegates for the opening ceremony which was followed by a late-night party. With most of the managers in their twenties and early thirties, the atmosphere was charged with energy and high spirits. On arrival, the participants received a backpack in the shape of an Aussie ice cooler. It contained sunglasses, a beach towel, a shirt, a pair of thongs (footwear) and a pedometer, all branded with McDonald's images to prepare them for Australia's great outdoors. A number of the countries held special dinners for their managers and key suppliers on the night of the opening while the following evening was given over to a dine-around in 13 restaurants at Cockle Bay, directly across from the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Cockle Bay and the nearby King Street Wharf are perfectly designed for dine-arounds, with the restaurants concentrated in one large precinct and all enjoying the casual waterfront ambience. The evening was rounded off with a massive fireworks display over the bay. Paul Kenny, managing director of Jack Morton Worldwide, the event producers said: "This conference was remarkable for its irreverence, humour and richness of detail. We had several senior McDonald's executives from the United States say it was the most professional communication event they had ever attended." Delegates had a chance to let their hair down at a beach barbecue at Bondi Beach ahead of a closing party where the headline act was the internationally known Australian group INXS. "We put in a unique circular screen and beamed a light show at it, creating a really dynamic feel to wrap up the conference. We saw the entertainment as integral to the overall message McDonald's was sending to its next generation of leaders," Mr Kenny said. A senior Australian McDonald's executive, Frank McManus, said few cities could deliver such a large event so successfully and that Sydney had done the global organisation proud. "There are not many countries with the expertise to deliver so large an event so smoothly. We are just so proud of what Sydney managed to achieve for our organisation." Training manager for McDonald's Singapore, Willy Kwek, summed up the experience for his colleagues. "Everyone enjoyed themselves very much. The main highlight was the first-time experience of a convention of such scale. They also liked the interaction with fellow managers from other countries, the activity day and the conference exhibition booths." Mr Kwek said. "The hotel and transportation arrangements were great. My group - actually most Singaporeans - like to shop and eat. They were happy with their daytime activities in Sydney and in the evening, most spent their time in Chinatown, while others were at the casino." |
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