By In this series, features and series developer Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.
This week we meet, eureka dmc, the agency behind the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) 70th anniversary celebration.
The Brief:
The brief from the MFPA was to deliver a truly global 70th anniversary celebration that combined conference, exhibition, gala dinner and cultural experiences while remaining fully accessible for delegates with complex mobility requirements.
From the outset, eureka dmc understoof that this was far more than a traditional conference. The event needed to reflect the prestige and emotional importance of the organisation while creating an experience where every delegate felt included, supported and celebrated.
The agency’s interpretation was that accessibility could not simply be an operational consideration, it had to be embedded into every aspect of the delegate experience.
The execution:
The planning process for this conference involved extensive collaboration with the client, venues, transport suppliers, accessibility specialists and airport assistance teasm over many months.
The agency began by mapping the full delegate journey – from airport arrival through to departure – and identifying all operational and accessibility requirements before designing the event experience itself.
Detailed venue assessments and accessibility focused risk assessments were carried out across every location involved in the programme. Traditional venue layouts and operating procedures were adapted to accommodate wheelchair users and delegates with complex mobility requirements.
Alongside the logistics and operational planning, Eureka developed the creative direction for the programme, including entertainment, catering, production, immersive experiences and delegate engagement throughout the week.
During the live programme, the Eureka team managed airport meet-and-greets, transfers, venue operations, accessibility coordination and full event delivery across multiple sites simultaneously.
The inspiration for the event came directly from the artists and the organisation itself. MFPA is a community built on resilience, expressive and emotionally engaging rather than overly corporate or formal.
The immersive elements of the closing event were inspired by London’s creative culture and street-art scene, while the wider programme balanced prestige and warmth through live entertainment, cultural experiences and carefully curated environments.
The goal was always to create an experience that reflected the individuality and spirit of the artists themselves.
A spokesperson for Eureka said: “This event was built around collaboration. We worked extremely closely with the MFPA leadership team throughout the planning process and operated very much as an extension of their organisation.”
The agency also collaborated directly with the head of assisted services at Heathrow Airport, specialist accessible transport providers, venue teams and the ‘Malteasers’ medical support team to ensure delegates were supported through the programme.
The Eureka spokesperson said: “Strong supplier relationships were critical because many elements of the event required venues and operational teams to adapt their usual formats and procedures n order to successfully accommodate accessibility requirements.”
The biggest challenge for this event was balancing the complexity of accessibility requirements with the ambition and scale of the event itself. The agency were managing delegates arriving from around the world with varying mobility needs, multiple venues across London, extensive transportation logistics and live event operations all at the same time.
The solution to this was detailed preparation and constant communication. The spokesperson for Eureka said: “We carried out extensive operational planning, accessibility reviews and contingency planning in advance while ensuring experienced team members were present throughout the live programme to manage issues in real time. Because of that preparation, delegates experienced the event as seamless and welcoming rather than operationally complex.”
The Results:
In terms of results, the programme successfully elevated the profile of MFPA internationally while creating a meaningful and memorable experience for delegates and artists.
The exhibition also generated significant press attention, including coverage by BBC London and wider industry media, helping raise awareness of the organisation and its artists.
Most importantly, the event also strengthened the sense of global community within MFPA and demonstrated how major international events can successfully prioritise accessibility and inclusion without compromising creativity or guest experience.
The most meaningful feedback came from delegates who said they genuinely felt included and supported throughout the programme.
Newly elected president Tom Yendell OBE said: “What a week we have had. We worked with Eureka on our 70th Anniversary event and it’s been mind-blowing. We have artists from all around the world, and Eureka, right from the start, have been so helpful. We are not a usual conference. We had 80 wheelchair users from 35 different countries, speaking 21 different languages, and Eureka helped us with hotel settings and accessibility throughout. Our Guildhall event was amazing — the backdrop of Guildhall was incredible, and the food was fantastic.”
He added: “The exhibition at Lindley Hall has been wonderful, and we topped it off with an amazing event at 26 Leake Street, which was one of the best things we have ever had in our association’s history. All of our artists have been singing the praises of the Eureka team all week.”
The client also highlighted how the Eureka team became a genuine operational partner throughout the programme rather than simply and external supplier.
Trends and Learnings:
This project reinforced how important it is to design events around people first. The spokesperson said: “Accessibility works best when it is fully integrated into the creative and operational planning process from the very beginning rather than added later as a seperate consideration. The event also demonstrated the value of combining emotional storytelling with operational excellence. Guests remember how an event made them feel just as much as the production or entertainment itself.”
In terms of trend, Eureka are seeing a growing demand for experiences that feel more human, immersive and emotionally engaging rather than purely corporate or transactional. There is also a greater focus on inclusivity, wellbeing and designing experiences that work for all attendees.
The Eureka spokesperson said: “This programme reflected those trends strongly. The immersive closing celebration, personalised delegate support, live entertainment and accessibility-first planning all contributed to an experience that felt authentic, inclusive and emotionally memorable rather than formulaic.”
The post Meet the agency behind the event: Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Conference by eureka dmc appeared first on Conference News.
