Candystock
A Company’s Two-day Summer Party, Conference and Team Building Event.
Secret bars, treasure hunts and enchanted woodland characters helped this creative London company to celebrate their summer and escape the demands of urban life. Our brief was to design a two-day event. We incorporated the company’s annual staff awards and conference, a festival party and team-building activities. From our extensive venue database we located the perfect parkland setting. Stowe House, home to Stowe School, with its grand eighteenth century architecture, idyllic landscape and follies, offered a magical backdrop.
Candystock
The magnificent house became our reception area. Our meet and greet team distributed personalised goody bags and wristbands before the 200 guests were ushered into the grand dining hall for lunch, school dinner style! The school’s theatre hosted the afternoon conference, with our technical team on hand to ensure everything ran smoothly. After the conference everyone checked into their chosen accommodation to get ready for the night’s activities (the fancy dress code stipulated favourite childhood characters). Sleeping options included tipis for those who fancied a night under canvas, but with comfy bedding and hot showers. For others, the lure of a bed in a school dormitory or private room proved too tempting.
The Candystock Festival was officially opened at 7 p.m. in an outdoor arena of with giant tipis, a main stage, bar and intimate seating areas, all adorned with colourful silk flags. The guests in their fancy dress were served festival food and cocktails while buskers and street theatre, including eccentric woodland creatures, kept them entertained. Make-up artists completed the guests’ disguises, which could be captured at the psychedelic photo booth. There were den-making workshops and fire pits, and chefs cooked up tasty treats from a converted VW Beetle barbecue, pizzas from wood-fired ovens and puddings for later. The main stage hosted the company’s staff awards before making way for music, including brass covers bands and Rockaoke – the chance to sing on stage with a full rock band. Fireworks punctuated the evening, as the main stage went quiet and night owls were enticed through a hidden doorway to a secret glade. Here, fire dancers and musicians performed around the campfire, and a pathway led on to a vodka bar deep in the woods.
A hearty brunch set everyone up for the next day’s team-building treasure hunt around the National Trust grounds. Packed with puzzles, interactive characters and refreshment stops, this cleverly constructed trail took teams through a course of activities that culminated in the grand finale that signalled the close of the event.
SERVICES USED
- Outdoor Structures
- Décor & Signage
- Food & Bar
- Infrastructure
- Security
- Staffing
- Photo booths
- Staging & AV
- Venue Hire
- Video & photography
- Licensing
- Entertainment
- Accommodation & Glamping
“Thanks very much for putting on Candy Stock for us. It was AMAZING. I especially loved my luxury tipi. "
Michael and the MindCandies, Candystock
