Opinion 31
Make it easy on yourself
Showcase managing director Ben Collings advocates taking a more straightforward approach to getting the best out of virtual or hybrid events
Live events ’ return might be on the horizon , ( fingers crossed for 17 May ), but most people I speak to within the industry agree that hybrid and virtual events are here to stay .
Over the past year , we ’ ve learnt that what makes these events really work is to make life easy and simple for yourself . Not out of laziness , but because by doing so ensures a smoothly run , engaging event .
One of the main ways you can do this is to try and find a provider and venue that can facilitate everything you want and need - all under one roof . This not only saves you time , but simplifies logistics and reduces the chances of the brief ‘ being lost in translation ’.
Hotels make great hosts , not just for guests , but for events too . Seek out one that can either accommodate a live stream studio , or has one that you can use .
This means you are not lugging round all your expensive equipment from one location to another , so reducing the risk of damage as well as not having to start from scratch creating a studio every time you start work on a new virtual or hybrid event .
What would be really good is to find a venue that has enough space to not only hold a live stream studio but a green screen studio too . This makes your life so much easier , as you are not wasting time darting between the two and it makes communication between the two disciplines easier . Being in the same location enables improved communication , giving you a better result both creatively and technically .
At the moment , it is obviously important to use somewhere that complies to all the latest Covid-related guidances , I know that these will reduce as we come out of lockdown , but my guess is that they are not going to disappear overnight .
Find a hotel or similar venue that can offer you Covid-compliant rooms that your clients or clients ’ clients can use if they want or need to be involved with filming and streaming . Such rooms should feel a lot safer and more inspiring than some of the makeshift studios I ’ ve seen . Talking of space leads me to hybrid . Obviously not happening at the moment , but when restrictions ease , hybrid events , in my opinion are going to come back with a bang . So you need to find a venue that will look after your VIPs and invited guests , an added benefit if they are in the same location as your studios .
It ’ s not just the venue that can make your life easier , another important element is the online platform you choose .
My advice is to choose one that replicates a live event experience as close as possible . It will help lift your virtual or hybrid event to the next level , with little input from yourselves .
There are platforms out there that can offer pre-launch marketing , registration , exhibition , live stage , exhibitors and visitor tracking analytics , polling , live Q & A , chats and sponsorship .
Also , try and source one that can be aligned with your company ’ s branding - the bespoke approach is hard to beat .
Ideally you also want a platform that tracks where the delegate has been and presents this information in easy-to-read charts - this saves you time and energy and your clients in turn can use this digestible data in their presentations to stakeholders and sponsors .
Easy for you , as it ’ s all done for you and also makes you look good . Never a bad thing .