Reaching the Last Mile
Established by the president of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) is a philanthropic initiative, pioneering the fight against infectious diseases that threaten the world’s most vulnerable.
In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, RLM worked with Identity to deliver the RLM forum during COP28’s ‘Health Day’, at Expo City.
The forum sought to raise support for the initiative while simultaneously drawing attention to the ‘final push’ required to end the spread of infectious diseases in developing countries.
The challenge
The RLM forum saw attendance from high-profile guests and representatives, at Expo City which was divided into two distinct zones, the highly secure and restricted Blue zone (BZ), and the regulated Green zone (GZ) that was open to the public. The RLM forum spanned both zones, which presented challenge when balancing security measures with the seamless flow of the event for the 400-500 people attending throughout the day so focus on accreditation/passes/people movement was a factor that had to be planned and flawlessly executed on the day.
Creating content for the different spaces used during the event required us to create different styles of narrative to nurture a focus on high impact moments for the afternoon, using large scale 180-degree projection and performances, whilst the mornings sessions were presented using more traditional conference content and panel discussions.
The solution
Our background in delivering events for heads of state, influential representatives, and a-list celebrities, informed our approach to managing this logistically complex forum. Navigating a tight six-week deadline, multiple stakeholders, and rigorous security measures, Identity ensured the success of the event through our tried and tested processes.
The forum comprised four stages:
Plenary Session: Held in the C3 conference centre in the Green zone, 400 people were invited to hear from various thought leaders and industry experts on the subject of climate change and human health.
VIP Lunch: Held in the Blue zone, this networking opportunity saw likeminded individuals and industry luminaries connect over the shared interest of preventing the spread of infectious diseases in developing countries.
High-level Moment & Awards: 900 VVIP gathered in the Al Waha Theatre, situated in the Blue Zone, to reflect on the successful delivery of the event and honour those central to the initiative.
Evening Reception (VVIP): RLM, UN, and WHO convened at the Surreal Water Feature in the Green zone to discuss their common cause and outline their initiatives. The reception heard from speakers including Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus Dir. General of the WHO and Jason Carter, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Carter Centre, and grandson of the 39th US president, Jimmy Carter.
The human experience was paramount to the successful delivery of the RLM forum. Without centralising the very human element of the initiative, the significance of the event would be lost, along with audience engagement.
Audience engagement is crucial to any experience, but it is particularly important for fundraising. We conceptualised and created a full set of content for the event to bring the messaging to life and seamlessly sync with the different stages of the programme. This included poetry readings, an entirely unique music score, and several animations, to offer attendees a much-needed pause for thought. These moments of reflection provided space for the information to resonate with the audience, amplifying the overall impact of the event.
The Results
We were humbled by the RLM’s decision to partner with us to support the successful delivery of their forum, which saw $777 million raised for the initiative.
It was incredible to be part of the journey for such a vital initiative and we were pleased to receive positive feedback regarding our role in the event. We believe the below testimony from Holly Wheeler, Principal at the Office of Developmental Affairs, summarises our experience in delivering this exceptional human experience, for an exceptional client:
“On behalf of the RLM team, please accept our sincere gratitude and congratulations for pulling off such an incredible event this past weekend. We have heard nothing but glowing feedback from our partners and leadership. Throughout this engagement, time and logistics have not always been on our side, but your team made it work beautifully. We are so appreciative of the team’s willingness to create with us, iterate (and iterate again…) and come up with creative solutions in a pinch to ensure that everything ran smoothly throughout the event.”
