Felix&Friends Delivers Event Design for Royal Flying Doctor Service Gala
Felix&Friends creates brand identity, event design and digital experiences for charitable organisations and luxury brands across fashion, property and lifestyle sectors. Our ongoing collaboration with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Friends in the UK) demonstrates our approach to designing meaningful fundraising events that combine visual sophistication with charitable purpose. The 2016 Gala Dinner raised £110,000 for vital medical services across rural Australia.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides 24-hour emergency cover and clinical health services across 7.3 million square kilometres of Australia's remote regions, treating almost 300,000 patients annually. That represents more than one patient every two minutes.
Operating continuously since 1928, RFDS doctors and nurses now work from 23 bases across Australia, utilising 66 fully instrumented aircraft equipped with the latest medical technology. Last year alone, the RFDS flew the equivalent of 34 trips to the moon and back whilst servicing rural and remote communities.
This not-for-profit organisation relies heavily on fundraising and donations to purchase aircraft and fund essential medical equipment. The Friends in the UK chapter plays a vital role in supporting these operations through annual fundraising events that connect British donors with this extraordinary Australian service.
Event Design Concept: Constellation of Care
Felix&Friends developed the creative concept and complete visual identity for the 2016 Gala Dinner held at The Jumeirah Carlton Tower in Knightsbridge on 20 October. The design concept represents each member of the Royal Flying Doctor Service team as stars in the night sky. These stars form a constellation shaped as an RFDS aircraft, creating the iconic visual for the event and symbolising how individual medical professionals combine to deliver life-saving care across vast distances.
This conceptual approach communicated the charity's mission through elegant visual metaphor rather than direct appeal, ensuring the event maintained sophistication whilst conveying the critical importance of the service. The design extended across all event materials, from invitations and table settings to digital presentations and auction materials.
Comprehensive Event Delivery: Print and Digital Integration
Felix&Friends delivered all aspects of print and digital media required for the gala. This included invitation suites, event programmes, donor recognition materials, auction catalogues and digital presentations for the evening. Each element maintained consistent visual language whilst serving specific functional requirements: invitations needed to attract high-value donors, auction materials required clear presentation of lots, donor recognition demanded appropriate acknowledgement of contribution levels.
The event featured Australian entertainer Rhonda Burchmore, combining British fundraising sophistication with authentic Australian cultural connection. This balance reflected the charity's unique position: a quintessentially Australian service supported by British donors who understand the vital importance of remote medical care.
Established Collaboration: Building on Previous Success
Felix&Friends first collaborated with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Friends in the UK) on the 2014 Gala Dinner held at the Imperial War Museum, which raised over £100,000 for the charity. Following this success, the organisation commissioned Felix&Friends to expand their digital presence into a comprehensive portal enabling fundraising event creation, ticket purchases and direct online donations.
This ongoing partnership demonstrates Felix&Friends' approach to charitable sector work: establishing long-term collaborations that build organisational capacity whilst maintaining the visual sophistication and strategic clarity that successful fundraising requires. The 2016 Gala's £110,000 result, achieved through combined efforts of guests, patrons and donors, confirms the effectiveness of thoughtful event design in supporting vital charitable missions.
Our Journal
View AllFelix&Friends orchestrated the visual identity and event design for the Royal Flying Doctor Service's 2022 London Gala, which raised over £84,000 for the Australian medical aviation charity. The evening represented a notable departure from the agency's characteristic refinement, embracing instead the exuberant spirit required by the occasion with an evening of theatrical entertainment in central London.
Martin Kemp Design is a highly creative design studio, producing some of the world’s finest solutions for interiors, developments, architecture, yachts, private jets, cars, furniture and product. Martin Kemp Design was recently awarded a ‘Great British Brand’ for 2017 by Country and Town House Magazine.