From Manchester’s evolving skyline to the design-led industrial heritage of London’s Coal Drops Yard, we recently brought together industry professionals in both cities for two launch events on behalf of Samsung Climate Solutions. Our brief was introducing its new DVM S2 R32 commercial VRF system to the people helping shape the UK’s commercial buildings.

We were asked to create two engaging industry occasions that would put Samsung’s latest technology in front of consultants, large contractors and industry professionals.

The goal was to support commercially important relationships, encourage meaningful conversation and generate interest beyond the product launch itself.

Bringing the industry into the conversation

Launching new technology into the commercial HVAC market presents an interesting marketing challenge. The audience is technically knowledgeable, time-poor and rightly interested in how new products will perform in real-world applications.

Product specifications matter, of course, but they’re only as good as the system that surrounds them. And system design is only as good as the competence of the engineers designing it. This meant that the product launch was not only a good time to promote the DVM S2 R32, but to put Samsung at the centre of a much bigger conversation.

Working closely with Samsung’s team, we developed a format that combined an introduction to the new system followed by an industry panel discussion exploring the changing landscape of commercial HVAC and the growing importance of cooling in the UK’s built environment.

The conversations looked at the demands of the commercial market in general, how expectations around building comfort are evolving, the impact of warmer summers on cooling requirements and the transition towards lower-GWP refrigerants.

This approach gave Samsung an opportunity not only to showcase the product, but to demonstrate its technical expertise while hearing directly from customers and partners about the challenges shaping current, and future, projects.

Two cities, two distinctive venues, one week

For the Manchester event, we chose HOME, with panoramic views across the city’s new developments around Deansgate and First Street. With the ongoing transformation of Manchester’s built environment visible through the large span of windows, it was an especially relevant setting for a discussion about the future demands being placed on commercial buildings.

In London, the event took place at Samsung KX in King’s Cross, a space that provided a natural home for showcasing the brand’s latest innovation and engaging with its customers.

As well as the Samsung technical and product team, we welcomed a range of external speakers for a rounded conversations on the issues faced by the industry. The formidable Andrew Gaved, editor of elemental, chaired our panel discussion. Andrew kept the panellists on their toes, challenging perspectives and drawing out some interesting insights into the changing commercial HVAC landscape.

We were also joined on the panel by Kevin Morrissey, Director of Technical at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), whose in-depth industry knowledge broadened the discussion beyond the technology itself, exploring the wider issues influencing the sector.

Nicola Phiri, Project Architect at DB3, also joined our panel discussion, bringing an architect’s perspective to the conversation about building performance, occupant comfort and the role of cooling in the buildings being designed across the city and beyond.

The locations were quite different, but the thinking behind the events was consistent. We wanted to create an environment where people genuinely want to attend, feel part of the discussion and have the opportunity to build valuable industry relationships.

Making events work harder for the brand

We’re big believers in the value of face-to-face engagement, particularly in technical B2B sectors where purchasing and specification decisions involve long sales cycles, multiple stakeholders and, fundamentally, risk.

A well-executed event gives a brand direct access to its audience in a way that other marketing channels cannot always replicate. They help to build relationships, make introductions, showcase technical expertise, build trust and create opportunities for conversations that can inform future communications.

Our role with Samsung covered the full project management of both events. Eazier was responsible for the full event journey, liaising with multiple Samsung departments to ensure a smooth process from initial planning and venue sourcing, through to speaker coordination, artwork support, agenda development and managing the experience on the day, right down to the branded name badges and canapes.

We also worked on the communications around both launches, producing copy and branded invitations, identifying relevant industry guests, engaging trade media and developing content that would allow Samsung to continue the conversation afterwards.

Bringing credible external voices into the programme was an important part of this approach. Having practising industry professionals, trade associations and experienced journalists involved gave the discussions a broader perspective and helped make the events relevant to the people Samsung wanted to reach.

For a global brand, the details are important. The quality of an invitation, the relevance of a panel discussion and the way guests are welcomed all contribute to how people perceive the business.

Making everything appear effortless on the day takes a fair amount of work behind the scenes, particularly when delivering two events in different cities in one week.

That’s where our experience in PR, marketing and event delivery comes together. That’s the Eazier, proposition and philosophy.

Beyond the launch

One of our priorities throughout this project was ensuring that the investment in both events continued to deliver value once the venues had emptied.

By building PR and content opportunities into the planning process, we could support Samsung in extending the launch across its wider marketing channels, reaching people who weren’t able to attend and keeping the discussion around DVM S2 R32 moving.

It was also an opportunity to reinforce Samsung’s position as an active voice in the commercial HVAC sector, engaging with the issues that matter to its customers and the wider industry.

That’s what makes industry events such a valuable part of the marketing mix. The immediate experience matters, but it’s the conversations and relationships that follow which determine their longer-term value.

A big thank you to the Samsung Climate Solutions team for trusting us to help bring both events together, to our fantastic panellists and to everyone who contributed to the discussions in Manchester and London.

Are you planning an industry launch or customer event? We combine strategic communications with hands-on senior delivery to create events that support wider business and marketing objectives. Get in touch to discuss how we could help with yours.