If this is Tuesday...
General Reinsurance
75th Anniversary
13 City National Tour
LaughingStock was chosen by Eventure and General Reinsurance to entertain and help celebrate the insurance giant's 75th Anniversary year. General Re is the world's third largest and America's largest reinsurance company.
As part of General Re's year long anniversary celebration, Eventure of Verona, New Jersey (Media that Means Business), proposed a multi-city tour to bring the corporation's celebration to its branches around the country.
This ambitious project included video histories of General Re, speakers from the Office of the Chairman, local branch histories and branch speakers, customized performances by LaughingStock, a photographic yearbook, gifts, live music and a reception with cake and balloons, of course.
LaughingStock's charge was to add fun to the event. After reading the volumes of material provided by Gen Re, LaughingStock conducted almost 30 hours of telephone interviews with Gen Re people around the country. This extensive research was the basis for a light-hearted look at the company and the industry. A representative of each branch was also interviewed just prior to each presentation. Each branch show was tailored as this up-to-the-minute information was incorporated into the improvisational sketches.
LaughingStock provided three scenes spread throughout the two and a half hour program. The first was a traditional improv piece called "styles."
LaughingStock's research discovered the last day of the month is especially busy for these insurance marketer/underwriters. The scene unfolded as two underwriters tried to sign insurance certificates that didn't match proposals and close out business for the month. Overheard rumors, cranky computers, errant elevators, mysterious vapors, unruly regulators and more all found their way into the scene and contributed to the tailored hilarity of the scene.
The second scene featured LaughingStock's panel of experts. The panel rewrote the history books as it fielded questions about Gen Re's 75 years in business. The answers were fun and surprising - even to the panel!
The last scene of the event features a dream anyone in the audience might have the night after the Gen Re 75th Anniversary celebration party. The dream is a "day in the life scene" of a Gen Re person.
Eventure and Gen Re's anniversary celebration steering committee, queried the branches for unique meeting sites. The branches were asked to suggest landmark venues in interesting or historic locations.
These non-traditional meeting sites offered a production and performing challenge with audiences ranging from as few as 15 in the Boston branch to over 800 home office people in Stamford.
The tour started with an international flavor as the Montreal and Toronto, Canada branches met together at the Vaughn Estates in Toronto. The Kansas City branch choose Fidora's Restaurant, Dallas picked the University Club at the Galleria, Atlanta celebrated at the Academy of Medicine. The Boston Fire Museum provided the first New England venue followed by the Blue Cafe in Hartford. Midway through the tour The Palace Theater in Stamford, Connecticut, served as the venue. As the national tour resumed Columbus celebrated in their Museum of Art, Chicago at the Navy Pier, the City Tavern hosted Philadelphia and the New York Prop Gallery wrapped up the east coast. On the left coast,
San Francisco set their gala at the World Trade Club and Los Angeles choose the Checkers Hotel - in true Hollywood fashion, just around the corner from the Grammys.
Congratulations General Re and thank you Eventure.
"...a seamless show of fun and information was delivered at each and every city, a credit to your experience, ability and adaptability." Nancy Sabino VP Creative Services Eventure
Road Kills
