City of Lansing

Overview

The city of Lansing, in partnership with Johnson Controls, hosts an annual Employee Appreciation Event to recognize city workers and their families. The event is a celebration of employees and an opportunity to strengthen community spirit and showcase local pride.

Challenge

In 2021, the city faced two major hurdles:

• A compressed planning window of three weeks due to scheduling constraints.
• The need to create an event that felt meaningful, inclusive and well-branded, while honoring long-serving employees and engaging their families.
• Beyond logistics, the goal was to deepen connections — between employees and the city, between families and the workplace, and between sponsors and the community.

Solution

Creative Theme and Storytelling

• Introduced the “Lansing Legends” theme to honor employees with 20-plus years of service.
• Produced personalized baseball cards and large-format displays, turning honorees into “local legends” and giving families tangible mementos to celebrate.

Inclusive Communications

• Built an RSVP landing page and managed email automation with a dozen personalized reminders and updates.
• Distributed printed invitations and posters with QR codes to ensure accessibility for employees without frequent email access.
• Ensured every employee, regardless of role, had a clear path to participate.

Community-First Event Experience

• Coordinated with local leaders, featuring video addresses from Mayor Andy Schor and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
• Designed the experience to include families, food, inflatables, giveaways and swag bags for the first 500 attendees.
• Integrated strong sponsor visibility, reinforcing public-private collaboration in community events.

Results

• More than 1K RSVPs in under 10 business days, surpassing attendance expectations and prior benchmarks.
• Elevated sense of community: Employees and their families felt celebrated and valued, while the city strengthened its reputation for honoring public service.
• Sponsor alignment: Johnson Controls and supporting businesses received strong recognition, reinforcing their community commitment.
• Positive sentiment: The event exceeded expectations and created a model for how municipalities can use celebration and storytelling to drive engagement.