Leonardo Hotels
Why: Leonardo Hotels Annual Exceptional Employee Awards
location: Royal Tower Bridge Hotel, London
industry: Hospitality
The challenge:
Every year, Leonardo Hotels brings 240 of its top performers together with their senior leaders to be recognised.
Their Annual Exceptional Employee Awards night needs to be an exceptional experience.
A seat at this event isn’t just an invite. It’s status. And proof that your contribution matters.
This year, they asked us to go beyond an evening dinner. And create a memorable experience that would transport people somewhere else entirely.
"Our Annual Hotel and Employee Awards is the highlight of our year! Each year we look to create a really memorable, magical and special experience for our wonderful team to enjoy. So naturally we need a fantastic events partner to support us and to deliver the magic."
– Head of HR
We were asked to transport the award winners to a new world. That world was the 1930s. A Great Gatsby themed evening which would push the creative team and create a truly transformative experience for award winners with all of the glitz, glamour and prestige required.
Our Great Gatsby theme was the golden thread for this event. It ran through every touchpoint; from the first invitation to the final dance.
Gold cutlery, black linens and huge feathers adorned the tables with food and drinks served by waiters in braces and flapper caps.
The stage was beautifully set with cinematic lighting - perfect for high quality awards photography, and for when a troop of 1930's dancers took to the stage for our evening entertainment.
"The theme and styling went down really well, we got really good comments on it."
- Group HR Manager
The event took place at Leonardo’s Tower Bridge Hotel, a proud moment for the General Manager, but a space many guests knew well. Our job was to make it feel entirely new.
We turned the lower ground entrance into a smuggler’s den with wooden barrels and warm, amber light, a prohibition style bar and soft jazz floating through the space.
A once unremarkable corridor became the Instagram moment of the night: a pea lit tunnel draped in gold that led guests through cascading curtains into a speakeasy world.
“The tunnel is always the showstopper."
- Group HR Manager
We staged the arrival like a scene from a film, designing moments that felt elegant and transformative - but never gimmicky. This level of entertainment marked a bold step for the Leonardo team, but one that paid off immediately.
Flapper dancers welcoming guests and setting the energy, a perfectly timed opening sequence signalled the start of the awards and a champagne tower poured by Senior Leadership was a simple but powerful ritual of unity and celebration
By starting with a high-impact, spectacular arrival experience, we set the tone for the evening, and grounded the night in emotion and anticipation.
"Amazing events I’d never have dreamt of attending let alone being involved in! "
- Group HR Manager
We’ve been asked to run Leonardo’s annual event for 4 years running since then.
Footage from the events are now used across talent attraction, retention and onboarding
And they have a bigger appetite for creative risk taking each year
But most importantly?
Guests left feeling valued, celebrated and part of something bigger than their job title.
The event delivered what every recognition moment should: pride, belonging and joy.
Are you looking to take employee recognition to new heights in your organisation?
Get in touch to talk about big and small events that leave a lasting impact with your people.
GET IN TOUCH
WATCH THE VIDEO OF LEONARDO'S LATEST AWARDS HERE
I’ve spent 30 years designing transformative events. The events are unique, the science behind them remains the same. I use 7 trusted frameworks to build every event. I've put them into a playbook.
