The Theme Police go back to High School!

Ever wanted to go back to high school?  (Or absolutely not?)  Well, we did exactly that with our staff EnVision conference earlier this year.  Because our content was focused on getting back to the basics of our own products and services we decided to take our staff “back to school”.

We worked hard to connect every element to the theme:

• Collected high school photos of our attendees to include in our “year book”
• Held a staff talent show
• Gym class teambuilding event
• Elected class officers, class favorites (best hair, best smile and class clown), as well as prom king and queen utilizing our audience response system
• Coffee break themed as a bake sale fundraiser
• Cafeteria theme lunch complete with trays, jello and lunch ladies in hair nets
• Hall monitors (hotel staff providing directions between 2 properties) who handed out detention slips and dress code violations to attendees
• Homecoming game reception with parade floats, a high school band, cheerleaders, concession stands for bars, homecoming king and queen and even school buses for the transportation
• Announcements from the Principal “Buehler.  Buehler.”  School bell to end general sessions.  The Pledge of Allegiance.
• The closing session was commencement, complete with a speech by our class valedictorian 

And best of all…

• SENIOR PROM!
  • And honestly, who knew people would get into it so much?  Women shopped on eBay for old prom dresses (or raided their closets for old bridesmaids’ dresses).  Men rented 1980’s style tuxedos with ruffled shirts and velvet lapels.  And the hairstyles?  Afro and mullet wigs for the men and enough hairspray for a Broadway musical for the women.  To complete their outfits? Platform shoes, tiaras and even corsages.

Now by the time it was over, we were definitely called the “Theme Police” or worse for being such sticklers about weaving our theme into every possible element of the conference.  But it was worth.  So many comments of “best theme ever!” “What’s next year?  College?”  (My answer was an emphatic, “No!  No toga parties!”)

But seriously, why was it such a hit? One reason may be that all the attendees could relate to the theme.  It brought back memories, made people reflect and thankfully…laugh.  And in the end, maybe that was the key element.  We had FUN!  P.S. – if you want to see MORE of these insanely dressed people having a great time, click here.

Is there a unique theme you have utilized for your event that worked really well… please share it with us!