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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
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