Oracle Leverages the Power of O

Faced with the prospect of attracting top-level decision-makers from some of the biggest companies in the U.S., Oracle needed a concept that would reach even the been-there/done-that set, and give them an experience that would only be possible through their partnership with Oracle.

The company built a two-day executive summit, dubbed “Inside the O,” that offered attendees unique insider views of the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and the business strategy of Oracle. (The latter was particularly important in 2006, following a series of acquisitions by the company.)

The program kicked off with a welcome reception from one of the nation’s ultimate insiders, Karen Hughes, a former adviser to the current President Bush. The next day’s program featured guest speakers such as Colin Powell, and insider sessions with Charles Phillips, Oracle’s president, and key members of Oracle’s development team.

Attendees were given VIP access to an array of Washington landmarks—access usually reserved for politicians and military personnel. Highlights included a two-hour emergency-response training session with ex-military leaders at an urban warfare training facility. Attendees were broken up into teams for instruction in close-quarter gun battle techniques and learned how to plan for an emergency scenario. Afterward, they toured the Pentagon with high-level military brass, attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery and received a briefing on energy policy and foreign affairs at The Brookings Institution (the first time Brookings had ever organized a briefing for a private corporate group). It was all topped off with a gala dinner at the Library of Congress.