Event Planning Photos  »  Rockwell Automation Client Dinner

Few companies can boast that its founders have made such a mark on a city that they are immortalized in a museum, but Rockwell Automation is one of them. That unique fact was one of the inspirations for an evening that the company’s Forestry Products division hosted at its headquarters in downtown Milwaukee for conference attendees. Underwood Events was asked to develop a creative theme for the evening and manage the details.

With such a long heritage in Milwaukee, it made sense to highlight the company’s vibrant Allen-Bradley era. The location chosen was Rockwell’s storied headquarters, with its iconic clock tower that’s been a landmark in the city for more than half a century. UE set up the evening in the building’s vintage gymnasium, which, at one time, was home to daily calisthenics and a lunchtime employee choir! The company’s iconic red and grey corporate branding were the inspiration for the event design.

UE secured lifelike, full-size mannequins of brothers Harry and Lynde Bradley, the company’s founders, to grace the stage, on loan from the Milwaukee Public Museum. When historian John Gurda talked about Allen-Bradley’s history, the shockingly real props made it appear that the men were right there, listening attentively to the presentation.

After arranging for a delicious dinner, complete with custom centerpieces showcasing images of key milestones in the company’s history, UE led guests to the clock tower for cocktails, 360-degree views of the cityscape and an intimate book signing with the evening’s speaker.