The grass is greener with Aviva at PLSA Annual 2023

Aviva combined technology with its sustainability ambitions to promote retirement savings solutions at this year’s Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s Annual Conference in Manchester.

One of the UK’s largest pension providers used live turf to cover the walls and floors of its stand, which also hosted a virtual reality set up through which conference attendees could navigate “the maze” of retirement savings.

Using the virtual reality headset to cross the maze, conference attendees faced high hedges with challenges or questions to answer either by themselves or asking Aviva for guidance.

“It’s all linked into our overarching brand, which is all about helping to solve their financial puzzles,” said Victoria Tait, workplace pensions customer & marketing manager at Aviva.

“We know that people can find financial products puzzling. This is about how Aviva can help the pieces of the puzzle click into place,” said Tait. “The Aviva brand strategy is helping the nation to feel positive about taking financial action.”

The stand and virtual tour tied in with Aviva’s latest TV ad campaign in which streets and everyday items confuse people by moving around. After Aviva’s help, the ads show everything unwinding and clicking into place.

“This underpins everything we do, and here, at the conference specifically, we are showing how we can help people find their way through the pensions maze,” said Tait. “That’s what we’re aiming to replicate.”

Using real grass to recreate the maze was also important to Aviva’s commitment to sustainability, which includes a net-zero ambition by 2040.

“It’s not just about sustainability in our investments, it goes through absolutely everything we do. Our entire operation considers sustainability,” said Tait. “After this event, the grass will be taken back to the company that supplies it to replant – it may even be reused at a future conference.”

Continuing the sustainability theme, Aviva opted to serve refreshments rather than fill its stand with giveaways and freebies.

“We wanted the grass to be the draw,” said Tait. “So many people have come to have a feel of it so we haven’t needed giveaways. And while the stand may be temporary, where we can, we consider sustainability.”

Aviva also took the opportunity of the PLSA Annual Conference to premier its video, produced in association with ITV, examining the state of the nation’s saving and retirement outlook.

PLSA is a conference dedicated to pensions and lifetime savings. It was held in Manchester on 17–19 October.