19
was expedited. First up
was technology.
Understanding and
spending time on
learning about the
platforms available to
the team was critical.
The organisers wanted
something which was
going to stand out, not
simply just the cheapest
option available, which
led to addressing the
issue of cost. Although
event costs were low,
the right partners to
support the production
of the event enabled a
blend of skill sets to
come together and
attempt an industry-first.
On top of that there
was marketing the team
needed to explore how
to market a digital-only
event, and on the matter
of production, they were
focused on producing a
broadcast-quality event,
not merely an online
streaming. Inspiration
was taken from the
world of radio and
television to bring
simplyIC to life, with Lisa
Pantelli, head of content
and community at
simplycommunicate
saying: “Creating a
sense of community
virtually was always
going to be a challenge.
We wanted an
environment which was
so much more than just
a series of webinars.”
SOLUTION
With the objectives
in mind,
simplycommunicate
needed a solution which
would provide an
industry-first event. The
company created a
bespoke solution to
meet its needs. The
event was hosted on
Zapnito.com. The
platform included video
panels, discussion
forums and content
rooms where each
sponsor could showcase
their offerings.
Kinura provided
production support by
using Zoom as the
broadcast channel. Slido
was used as the tool for
live Q&A and polls. By
the day of the event –
with just a four-week
lead-time – the team
had over 700 sign-ups
with a 78% attendance
rate, exceeding all
expectations.
Marketing efforts in
the lead up to the event
were heavily focused on
email marketing and
social campaigns and at
one point, the #simplyIC
was trending. Indeed,
Angus Florence,
customer success and
product marketing
leader at Microsoft
noted: “This was by far
the best digital
conference I’ve worked
with.”
LEARNINGS
While the event has
received, according to
the organisers,
“exceptional” feedback,
there are always
learnings to takeaway.
On reflection, Pantelli
Above: The online event in full swing
“Interaction and networking
are possible in a virtual
environment. The live Q&A
and polls worked really
well, but next time there
will be an increased focus
on supporting people with
networking.”
noted: “On-boarding is
critical. As it was a new
platform for us, the
onboarding process for
attendees could have
been better. Issues with
browsers not working,
incorrect log-in details
or lost log-in details
kept one of the team
busy for the first hour of
the event.
“Attendees were
given access to the site
24 hours in advance to
familiarise themselves,
but not everyone read
the instructions.
“Interaction and
networking are possible
in a virtual
environment. The live
Q&A and polls worked
really well, but next
time there will be an
increased focus on
supporting people with
networking. Connecting
people based on
Case Study
challenges and hosting
smaller break-out
sessions.
“Although most
people were at home,
no one has the energy
or motivation to stare at
a screen for half a day.
The team drew on a
number of principles
from learning theory to
understand what keeps
people engaged and
motivated in a virtual
space and more
importantly, how people
learn in such an
environment. This was
critical to make sure
people stayed
throughout the event.”
Whilesimplycommunicate
has set their
benchmark high, they’re
already looking ahead to
their next event in
November and
developing this concept
even further.
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