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Held at Tobacco Dock in east London and produced by agency Manifest, the event welcomed press, Hailo staff and business clients. Coffee, tea and cakes were on offer before they entered the main space to hear speeches from the company’s founders, chief executive and chief marketing officer among others.

As the brand’s senior staff members revealed news of a new ‘Pay with Hailo’ system, international expansion plans and new business hub application, two artists created a mural summarising key points from the speeches. Also presenting were Red Dwarf actor Robert Llewellyn and editor-in-chief magazine Recombu Rory Reid, who engaged in a light-hearted debate in the future of urban transport.

The evening then continued as a celebration of the company’s birthday in the venue’s downstairs space. A live electro-jazz band played as guests snack on bowl food from Smart Hospitality and ice cream freshly produced by Lick Me I’m Delicious. A Hailo taxi had also been transformed into a photobooth for party-goers to enjoy.

Gary Bramell, Hailo’s chief marketing officer, told Event that he was looking to activate in the B2C experiential space with the next six months. The former senior global brand experience director at Microsoft said: "I think it’s really important to merge the physical and the digital so I can see a lot of value in events and event activation.

"We’ve actually already been doing some live stuff in Singapore with our drivers in terms of offering massages around the city where customers could get out, take a pit stop and enjoy a massage. I’m a big believer in that sort of thing and I think at the right moment, for the right reason, with the right audience it can be as fantastic as any above-the-line, TV or social campaign."

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