Moore Stephens North America is comprised of 40 member firms that provide key services across a wide variety of industries and niches. This month’s “Moore Together” features insights from Demers Beaulne.
Demers Beaulne is known as a firm that is constantly reinventing itself, challenging the status quo, and thinking outside the box when it comes to HR and marketing techniques. At Demers Beaulne, we are not interested in just going through the motions with the same initiatives year after year! With the exception of one initiative, that is. One that still generates enthusiasm and excitement, even after all these years –
our annual gathering.
Over the past 12 years, our annual gathering has become THE event of the year, highly anticipated by both employees and partners. And we have the attendance rate to prove it: over 90% for three years running.
This initiative, which kicks off in the late afternoon and runs into the evening, is held at an off-site location one night in the beginning of the year. The purpose of the event is to
inform, honor and mobilize the entire firm.
The Event Concept
We put together a warm, welcoming event in a festive venue for our employees and partners. Seated comfortably with a drink and some hors d’oeuvres, they are ready for Act 1!
Act 1: Information
This part of the evening is all about presenting our firm’s strategic vision, challenges and priorities for the coming year. While the focus is forward-looking, we always take advantage of having the whole team together to watch some short videos showcasing our staff’s highlights and major professional and/or personal accomplishments from the past 12 months. Since the audience is filled with statistics nerds, we also show a video presentation, complete with a catchy soundtrack, on corporate statistics and our firm’s financial performance during this first part of the evening.
Our managing partner, Robert St-Aubin, and a few colleagues then take the mic to discuss their vision for the coming year. In past years we drew inspiration from some popular Quebec talk shows in presenting the information. Theatrical decor and sets are a must! The staging and original concept make this segment engaging, eye-catching and interactive, despite the more serious content. At last year’s gathering, for instance, a choir of youngsters joined our leaders on stage. Not to mention, those same leaders had to stop off in a confessional to confess one of their “mistakes”! It takes humility to be a truly great leader, after all!
15-minute Intermission
Act 2: Honoring Colleagues at Our Gala
This segment works just like the Oscars gala: some twenty employees are nominated by popular vote or by the leadership committee for awards in four categories: “Rookie of the Year,” “Talent of the Year,” “Living Our Values” and another category that changes from year to year. Each nominee is introduced by a pair of hosts with photos and videos in the background. The winner is invited onstage to receive their honors, where they are presented with their award and gift and the moment is immortalized with a photograph.
During the gala portion of the evening, we celebrate our colleagues’ work anniversaries (5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc.) from the last year. Their managers offer a touching tribute, not to mention a personalized gift for each of the honorees! At Demers Beaulne we believe in walking the walk, so we don’t skimp on any detail during our gala segment.
Act 3: PARTY!
We always end the evening with a fun cocktail reception and music! This is a great opportunity to bond with colleagues, congratulate the Inukshuk Award winners, and talk about the priorities for the coming year that were just announced. Everyone can cut loose and have some fun!
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The event is all about creativity, fun, transparency and recognition, and it’s a great way to start off the new year with a bang. Our colleagues have repeatedly told us that they feel better informed, more motivated and more valued when they leave this event. And that’s exactly what the organizing committee and the leaders who work together to coordinate this initiative set out to achieve.