Earlier this year, Taylor Made Events worked with Toyota Media Europe on an event showcasing its entire professional range to European media – a first for the brand. We got the lowdown on the event…

Background & brief

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) wanted to host a press event to showcase its professional vehicle range to European media. This included a diverse line-up of the Proace vans, their EV and hybrid counterparts, and the rugged Hilux.

Mark Taylor, founder of Taylor Made Events, won a pitch against several agencies to deliver the event (managing all the hospitality and logistics), his fourth programme for the brand since setting up his own agency.

“Toyota typically focuses on individual model launches, but this event was about showing the entire professional range together. They wanted media to see the breadth of the line-up and the innovative ways these vehicles can be adapted for different industries,” says Taylor.  “The key message to the media was diversity – there would be four distinct models to compare within the fleet of 40 vehicles – over half of which were EVs.”

The event had to be completed by a specific date due to the vehicles being needed for another program in Hanover, leading to an accelerated timeline. The initial location search included sunny destinations and off-road options, but the client decided they wanted a more professional location like Frankfurt or Amsterdam.

Solution

In his initial proposals, Taylor had suggested an aircraft hangar in France, so set about finding a similar solution in a different location that fitted the amended brief. Working with Next Level DMC in the Netherlands, Taylor Made Events found Hangaar 2 in Katwijk – a former military base now home to a series of individual hangars near The Hague.

“The hangar had the perfect industrial feel, which tied into the professional theme of the vehicles. It was spacious enough to showcase multiple vehicles, allowed us to include creative displays, and was located close to excellent driving routes for test drives. It checked all the boxes,” says Taylor. It was also somewhere new and different for the European media, who are well travelled and attend press launch events regularly.

Working with the team at Toyota, creative and production agency Heather Robinson Ltd, and car logistics agency E4B, Taylor and his team created a programme to match the fleet and media expectations. Six rotations saw over 200 guests from 26 countries enjoy an immersive experience featuring Toyota’s expanded range. This included an overnight stay at Inntel Hotels Den Haag Marina Beach with welcome reception and offsite dinner and a full day to get hands on with the vehicles.

In addition to the four new models, there were also some special converted vehicles, including one converted for the Olympics which had wheelchair access, and an old Hiace converted into a camper van.

The hangar was transformed into a dynamic showroom, with dedicated zones for vehicle showcases, presentations, networking, and interactive activities. Toyota’s range was presented in real-world contexts, including vehicles outfitted as workstations for florists, plumbers, and tradespeople. “We worked closely with the production team to ensure the layout allowed for seamless movement between spaces. Guests could explore the vehicles, attend presentations, and network in a relaxed but professional environment. The venue’s industrial aesthetic aligned perfectly with the professional vehicle range,” says Taylor.

Journalists experienced the vehicles through tailored test drive routes that mimicked real-world scenarios. These included urban roads, countryside drives, and industrial areas. Vehicles were also pre-loaded with materials like sand to demonstrate performance under load.

Dedicated photographers and videographers were on-site to help journalists capture high-quality content, while Toyota provided hashtags and social media guidance to maximise online engagement.

Results & Feedback

The event generated widespread media coverage and social engagement. Over 98% of journalists published at least one piece of content, with over 80% producing multiple articles or posts.

“By the end of the second week, we had nearly every attendee posting content—whether it was traditional articles, social media posts, or a combination of both. The response from the media was overwhelmingly positive, and Toyota was thrilled with the level of engagement,” says Taylor.

The key stakeholder at Toyota Motor Europe said: “We demonstrated that we know how to host media in the most qualitative and personalised way, deliver what they need and more, and we also do this while having a great time together.”