Corporate Events, Incentives, Conference Management | First Event

Celebrating Connection: A 5-Year Anniversary Event

Client

Overview

ProblemShared is an online mind health platform on a mission to make mental health support accessible, inclusive, and expert-led.

From a small start-up to over 300 employees in just five years, ProblemShared has grown rapidly — but their fully remote model meant that many team members had never met in person. This anniversary was more than a milestone. It was a chance to bring everyone together, celebrate success, and strengthen the human connections that fuel their mission.

A lively private luxury event with people socializing around decorated tables, featuring tall floral centerpieces and lit candles. Guests are dressed in semi-formal attire, engaged in conversation and holding drinks. People play mini-golf on colorful courses set up inside a large, bright room decorated with balloons and bunting, perfect for a private luxury event. Groups mingle and watch, creating a lively, festive atmosphere. A group of people stand and chat in front of red and white carnival tents at a private luxury event. A sign reading Tin Can Alley hangs above one tent. The atmosphere appears lively and casual. A large crowd of people dressed in formal attire socializes and dances at a private luxury event in an elegant, spacious ballroom decorated with chandeliers, blue lighting, and checkered flooring.

The Challenge

With a significant proportion of the team are neurodivergent, including those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, so the event needed to be thoughtfully designed to ensure comfort, inclusion, and accessibility for everyone. Every detail mattered.

With colleagues spread across the UK, the team had been collaborating virtually for years. The brief was clear:

  • Host a memorable in-person celebration for 200 delegates at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.

  • Create an environment where people could connect authentically, without awkward small talk or forced networking.

  • Celebrate five years of impact in a way that left everyone feeling valued and part of something bigger.

Our Solution

We started with an ideation session with experts from across our departments to develop a plan that ticked every box.

From there, we worked closely with the Kimpton Clocktower to transform the space into a celebration designed for genuine connection. Our Design and AV teams brought it to life with:

  • Personal touches: bespoke place cards, name badges, and venue décor
  • Sensory consideration: a relaxed layout, quiet zones, and thoughtful lighting
  • Conversation starters: sticker systems to indicate communication preferences, gentle icebreakers and talking points

For entertainment, we made sure there was something for every personality type including a close-up magician, a caricaturist, surprise singing waiters, fairground games, mini golf, a sweet table and DJ.

Everything was designed to make people feel welcome, relaxed, and connected.

A formal dining hall set for a private luxury event, with round tables draped in white cloths, elegant glassware, tall floral centerpieces with candles, and blue accent lighting creating a sophisticated atmosphere. A large, elegant banquet hall with high ceilings, chandeliers, and floral centerpieces is set for a private luxury event. Round tables and a checkerboard floor shine under blue lighting as a few people prepare the sophisticated space. A large, elegant banquet hall hosts a private luxury event, with well-dressed guests seated at round tables adorned with tall, flower-filled candelabras. Blue lighting and ornate windows enhance the formal, festive atmosphere. At a private luxury event, a hand with red nail polish reaches for a pastry from a tray filled with assorted desserts, including cream puffs and small cakes, as another person holds the tray in a dimly lit setting.

Why

It Worked

 

This worked because every decision was intentional; from the entertainment mix to the sticker system. We didn’t just plan a party; we designed a space for connection, with inclusion at the heart of it.

We learned that when you truly understand your audience, their needs, preferences, and challenges, you can create events that feel effortless, even for 200 people meeting in person for the first time. And that human-first approach is one we’ll carry forward into every project.

Explore More

Want to see how we create an unmissable event? Explore our event services or get in touch with our expert event team.