Vitality Insurance
Why: Employee rewards and recognition
location: London
industry: Insurance
A celebration of culture, connection and great people.
Vitality is an industry leader in employee engagement and their annual Star Awards is the highlight of their employee experience calendar. A two-day event designed to reward and recognise top talent and bring their people-first culture to life.
We’ve been delivering this event since 2016 and every year, we raise the bar higher. That means it’s essential to find new, inspiring ways to create excitement and anticipation for this event and as an incentive for future Star award winners.
We chose “The Magic Within” as our golden thread and crafted an experience that sparked connection, inspired pride, and culminated in a show-stopping crescendo: exclusive use of the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour for a celebration dinner like no other.
“Each year, we think, ‘How are we going to top this?’
But it just keeps getting better.”
Employees who attend Vitality’s Star Awards, talk about the event for months and years afterwards. They talk about a feeling. Feeling special and truly valued.
We build anticipation long before the guests arrive. The destination for the gala dinner? A closely guarded secret. Hinted at with a trail of clues throughout the day, designed to intrigue and excite.
“Vitality has people-led culture at its heart so our annual Reward and Recognition event, The Star Awards, are a huge part of our calendar.
Lisa’s work with us has meant that everyone comes back talking about them.”
For people to really connect, they need more than a name badge to break the ice. We opened with rhythm. A body percussion masterclass from the founder of Stomp created instant connection: Laughter, energy and shared experience.
That energy carried through the day, from a talk with flow expert, Sarah Greg on accessing your inner magic, to team-building experiences designed to do just that: reiki drumming, breathwork, pottery, sensory art.
The next day, they put that energy to good use at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary, helping the team prep for their Halloween event. Giving back. Hands-on. Real impact.
“It’s important our people come away having explored something new at an event like this, not just had fun without context. We wanted it to resonate with them long after."
A theme is your chance to transport people to a different world. One where hearts and minds are opened to new ideas and experiences.
We do this by choosing one strong idea and thread it through every touchpoint. For Vitality, that idea was The Magic Within.
The entire event was built around unlocking it. From the immersive team experiences during the day, to the grand finale: exclusive use of the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour. Dinner was served in the Great Hall. Speeches from Dumbledore’s lectern. Dessert on Platform 9¾. Every moment designed not just to delight, but to connect, uplift and inspire.
“Messaging ran through every single detail... From branded playing cards used for magic tricks to the spell our CEO recited to open the hall doors for dinner”
For Vitality, this isn’t just a reward event. It’s a strategy in action.
They’re recognised leaders in employee engagement, with award-winning customer service and a Sunday Times 'Best Places to Work' title to their name. That doesn’t happen without investment in people. This event plays a key role in retaining and attracting talent in a fiercely competitive industry.
The Vitality team has returned to The Wentworth Collective for this flagship event year after year. Because they know it delivers, not just memories, but measurable impact.
“Lisa is brilliant at understanding our objectives and using that to underpin the experience design. She and her team make everything seem possible. ‘No’ isn't a concept I've ever heard from her.”
The Star Awards have become a cornerstone of Vitality’s employee experience, a moment everyone looks forward to, talks about, and remembers.
What started as a reward event is now a powerful driver of connection, recognition and engagement across the business.
That sense of anticipation, of magic still to come, is now woven into the culture, with word-of-mouth driving engagement at every level.
The results speak for themselves. National Awards in customer service, in employee experience and a reputation for excellence in their industry.
If you’re looking to create an experience or find out more, please get in touch.
hello@thewentworthcollective.com
