The mission
The Human Success Summit was Zensai's flagship global event — a three-day experience to bring employees together from around the world, launch the Human Success Platform as a company-wide concept, and set the tone for the year ahead. When the project was handed off in October, I identified significant planning gaps and moved immediately.
"Make it epic. Stay within budget. Do it in three months. Make it something no one will forget."
The gaps I inherited
- Coordination complexity — vendors, global travel logistics, venue requirements, and executive programming all unaligned.
- Tight timeline — three months for work that typically requires six to twelve, including a Portugal scouting trip.
- High stakes — the platform launch of the company's north-star concept for the next several years.
- Budget discipline — deliver an 'epic' experience while staying inside a defined envelope.
How I ran it
I convened a small cross-functional team from Marketing, People & Culture, and Operations, ran the vendor negotiations across Portugal, worked directly with the executive team on programming, and served on the on-site execution team during the event itself.
- Opening night: branded stage, stilt walkers, human tables with signature cocktails, pianist.
- Working sessions: 200 participants engaged across Human Success deep dives and functional breakouts.
- The Unicorns: sourced instruments and sound for an employee rock band performance.
- Masquerade Ball: transformed hallways with lighting, mimes, saxophonist, and a 360° video booth.
- Golden Rocket Awards: recognition ceremony that became the emotional peak of the week.
Impact
- 9.2/10 overall experience rating from post-event survey.
- 39% of respondents cited their colleagues as the best part of the week.
- LinkedIn takeover generated +160 followers in under a week.
- Hotel branding, swag, headshots, and video sessions all received standout feedback.
On the ground
