Whether it’s your end of year company update, sales kick off for 2021, or just an opportunity to engage your staff – employee events look a little different right now.
Your business objectives will drive the agenda, but what’s true of any employee event, and even more so today, is to use this opportunity to make your workforce feel more connected, more valued and more inspired.
So, how do you deliver on these crucial objectives when your event is virtual and your people are the other side of the screen?
From registration onwards, aim to co-create content, crowd source ideas, and give everyone a voice. Anything can be built into the right virtual platform, capturing questions, feedback, or even content like self shot videos from speakers or delegates. It’s never been a better time to make the content inclusive and why not step back from the traditional top down communication. After all, everyone has a smart phone…
The more your staff are involved, the more relevant and impactful your content will be. Peer to peer communication is hugely credible. It doesn’t have to be entirely business related either – allow staff to curate their own music playlist, or share photos that summed up their 2020 experiences – and link through your social channels in the build up to the live event to drive engagement and conversation.
We’re all stuck at our desks / kitchen tables / spare room at the moment, so set challenges to get everyone up and moving as part of your opening welcome. Set the tone, reenergise, and get everyone focused before you hit them with in-depth content. We recently had fitness guru Joe Wicks host an exclusive virtual workout session for a client event, to tap into healthy bodies and healthy minds, as its proven to improve productivity, stimulate creativity and reduce stress.
Networking has always been a benefit of face to face events – don’t forget to make time for this virtually. Make it part of the agenda and purposefully bring people together who wouldn’t normally engage with each other. Keep the networking groups small and inspire them with common goals or topics to share. Many virtual platforms provide ‘match making’ features to link likeminded people together and having smaller group discussions allow for better virtual networking.
Provide something tangible that goes beyond the screen. We create and ship out event kits for our client’s virtual events that include things like activities, food and drink, and even a surprise to be opened onscreen. These added touches brings the event to life for your audience.
We help our clients create impactful virtual experiences, so get in touch if you want to kick start your next virtual event.
We’re delighted to be awarded the bronze for ‘Best conference by an event agency’ at the Conference Awards 2020.
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This event was recognised for its creative approach to deliver efficiencies across three business brands by hosting their dealer events back to back in the same venue over three days.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was a real team effort to produce this event and it is a true example of all our teams working together to create a fantastic experience for the guests. Here’s to many more awards under the Strata name.
You can read more about the Conference Awards here.
Event details
Three events, for three brands, over three days, in one venue.
We produced three brand’s dealer events in one venue back-to-back over three days; sharing infrastructure, maximising investment in production and achieving significant cost savings year on year for Groupe PSA.
A combination of innovative production techniques, a large collaborative approach across the brands, and cost savings negotiated by us, delivered a heightened experience for over 1,800 network partners.
Production management of over 20 vehicles, both heritage and concept, brought each brand to life on the 20m catwalk stage, and in the expo & hospitality area. State of the art LED screens and presenting ‘in the round’ created a new dynamic experience to the annual event and gave the attendees a reason to sit up and pay attention.
Creating event identities that resonated with the audiences ensured successful delivery of the business messages across all three brands, resulting in 94% average satisfaction ratings. In addition our direct clients were thrilled with the results and our service.
If you want to see more then view the full case study.
We’ve been delivering virtual events & digital experiences for over 20 years, but nothing prepared us for the changes that we’ve seen during 2020. Virtual events have grown exponentially, and the demand from our clients to deliver online experiences has skyrocketed. Whether it’s a virtual incentive weekend, online training platform, or digital brand experience, we’ve delivered it in 2020.
So, to help you create successful virtual events for your brand, we are sharing some of our top learnings on all things virtual.
The creator of TED, Chris Anderson, said their 18-minute talks are ‘long enough to be serious and short enough to hold people’s attention’. Well, they must be doing something right as their top video has been viewed over 52 million times.
With live events we’re used to filling an agenda to the brim but when it comes to virtual you must flip that process on its head and condense your whole agenda into bitesize pieces of content that are 45 minutes or less. This does not mean the whole event has to be that short, but you might need to split it over a few sessions or days to cover everything off. This allows for content to be digestible and provides a platform for ongoing communication.
As with any communication, start with your objectives and your content hierarchy will fall into place. Supplement topics can be delivered through downloadable content if appropriate, but keep the live element engaging and timely.
Audience data has always been invaluable. And now, by embracing virtual event technology you can improve your event performance.
If having a high event attendance, but low a feedback survey response rate sounds familiar to you, then you will love the possibilities of data capture & analysis that virtual platforms bring.
The right platform provides 100% measurement of user behaviour without them ever having to answer a question. You can measure attendance by the second and ascertain how well individual pieces of content performed. Did your audience watch the whole session? Or did they duck out after the sales figures?
The data you obtain from these systems enable highly accurate performance analysis, so you can learn and make improvements right away. This is why a lot of brands are choosing virtual event platforms, even if the content is pre-recorded. Viewing numbers alone do not prove engagement. But with the right virtual event platform you can prove your event ROI in real-time and have the power to analyse and improve everything you deliver.
Moving away from live broadcasts allows for more freedom and creativity in your content, and the audience get to see more than a static studio. For example, you can shoot on location real-life product features, and have full control over the final edit in advance.
In today’s world, reducing risk factors when delivering events is high on the priority list. Using pre-recorded content adds an additional layer of control and reduces the risk of presenters being unavailable, or unexpected restrictions causing problems on the day of your planned broadcast.
Live broadcasts do obviously have a place in virtual events, and there is no right and wrong approach to this. But you have to balance the value of your content with the right level of live interactivity for your audience.
In recent months virtual platforms have boomed, not least those that create virtual 3D worlds you can experience using a personalised avatar. These online worlds make virtual communication and networking quirky and creative. However, before you sign up for one to host your next virtual event, make sure the user interface is suitable for your audience and straight forward.
As with any event – be it virtual or face to face – the user experience is a vital part of the events success. It does not matter how good your content is, if your audience doesn’t engage with the platform, they will never see it.
So, remember to choose a user interface that facilitates your event objectives, but is appropriate for your audience and one they will buy into.
Izzy Toussaint, Senior Project Manager – Recognised as one of the 2020 CN 30 under Thirty winners
We’re extremely proud one of our hard working team members – Izzy Toussaint – has been recognised in this prestigious list of industry professionals, especially in this turbulent year.
This accolade is great recognition for all the hard work Izzy has put in over the years with us, and most recently whilst working on a new EV automotive client, delivering safe and secure socially distanced live brand experiences.
Izzy has been part of the Strata family for many years and originally came to us as an intern whilst completing her degree in Events Management. Izzy is testament to the belief that hard work and dedication pays off. Congratulations Izzy!!
You can read more about the CN 30 under Thirty here.
For years, the events industry has delivered exceptional standards of production for conferences around the world. For a live conference you would not accept a mic cutting in and out, so why accept it on a virtual one?!
We have all become far too accustomed to seeing pixelated live streams, and presenters in their bedroom with the occasional interruption from the dog barking at the postman. But just because right now its deemed acceptable to get away with slack presentation standards, doesn’t mean you should. Particularly, when your brands reputation is at stake.
100% of responses to our recent poll answered ‘YES’ when asked “Does bad production quality of a virtual event reduce your engagement?” So quality production is essential to a successful virtual event.
Whether you are delivering a formal presentation to your employees, shooting a consumer video, or sharing company updates with your shareholders, the virtual experience should still showcase your brand and align with its standards of quality.
Here are some ways you can make sure your brand is protected when delivering virtual events.
Use a studio set up
For a live event you would put together a fully branded stage production. Why approach a virtual event any differently? TV studio style production is understandably the approach many brands are taking right now, as it allows for the most professional set up.
Using multiple camera angles makes the viewers experience more dynamic as their view regularly changes, giving them something new to look at which helps keep engaging high. Also, having a branded studio with your speakers in one place minimises distractions, and gives you more control over what your audience is seeing.
You obviously need to consider the safety factors if bringing speakers to one location, so this option depends on individual circumstances as to whether it’s suitable.
Presenting at home
You may have a very limited budget, or you have speakers from all around the globe meaning it is not practical for a studio style set up. No matter, there are still multiple things you can do to ensure your presentations are aligned with your brand.
Play director. Just as a film director would, look through the camera of your speaker setting and check what you can see. Adjust the camera angle, and make sure the background is tidy and free from distractions. Ideally speakers should be in a quiet and private environment to minimise the risk of interruptions.
Depending on your content and the brand, it may or may not be appropriate for speakers to subtly showcase some personality in their background, for example through particular books on the shelf, or with their favourite piece of art on the wall. Review this with each of your speakers and agree the background setting for their presentation.
Or for an even more professional production at home, you can of course ship some recording equipment & branded kit to each presenter in advance, so they have their very own mini studio. This protects the quality of the content captured but keeps the personality behind the speakers. This is a popular approach many brands are taking as it ensures the brand is positioned with quality production but keeps the personality behind the speakers.
Brief your speakers
Presenting virtually is a whole different experience compared to standing up in front of a room of people and speaking live to a real audience. Most of the time, with virtual presentations, speakers cannot see their audience, so they have no reactions to bounce off. This sometimes results in monotone presentations that lack energy and come across no different to a pre-recorded message.
This can be tackled by efficient speaker training from both a technical, and delivery perspective. Making sure your speakers know how the software works, when they will be cued up, and tips on how to bring in some flair will all help the presentations to land successfully, and of course the content be the focus.
Bring in support
Just as you would for a live event, your onstage speaker cannot be the only person there to help deliver the experience. The speaker needs to focus on their content and engaging the audience, not making sure the live stream is working, or regulating questions. Tech support, as well as a speaker host are both vital, as the tolerance for time lags in virtual events is so small.
Remember, your virtual event is the face of your brand today, so it’s even more important to deliver a professional production. At Strata we have delivered hundreds of digitally enabled projects with broadcast quality production and world class technical expertise. So, if you need help to deliver your next virtual event to professional standards then get in touch.
Reward high performers with a unique weekend of inclusive experiences from the comfort and safety of their own home.
Have you had to hold off on delivering your planned incentive programmes due to the events of 2020? Or perhaps your staff have gone above and beyond in recent months and you’d like to recognise that. Lucky for you, virtual incentives are now a reality, and as part of the ‘new normal’ we find ourselves in, rewarding staff through an online experience can still deliver the WOW factor.
For over half the year now, sales teams have been missing out on previously promised rewards, with no new date in sight anytime soon. Virtual events and experiences have seen a massive increase in uptake understandably, so why not turn your planned incentive reward experience, into a virtual one, and deliver it now without further delay.
With virtual incentives the sky really is the limit. Budget that usually would be blown on travel and accommodation can be reallocated to A-List celebrity appearances, bespoke virtual seminars and personalised deliveries that all combine to create a unique, at home experience that is safe, timely, and cancellation proof.
We’ve been delivering a lot of virtual experiences recently – read more about our most recent virtual experience here – so we thought we would share our top tips with you for creating your own at home reward experience .
Know your winners
Of course, with a live incentive trip you would always speak to your winners in advance and make sure you were catering to their individual needs and requirements. So, any virtual experience will need to be as bespoke but in a slightly different way. What space do winners need to take part in any activities? If you are cooking for example, do they have a suitable kitchen? If winners have children, pets or other people at home will they be able to take part still? Could you adapt any activities to allow other people in the house to get involved? These are all things to consider when choosing your activities. It is definitely not a one size fits all approach to a virtual incentive itinerary, and it needs to be completely tailored to each group of winners.
Don’t forget the tech
You probably don’t need to allocate a large part of the budget to high spec production of video content if everyone is watching it on a small laptop screen, but you need to make sure the content delivers well, and the user experience is straight forward. Whatever tech you’re using, the key is to have it all hosted from one central place, such as a webapp. This create a user-friendly experience, that facilitates conversation, interaction, and one single location to view the content from.
And as always, test, test, and test again!
Content is king, but so is engagement
You may have the best activity schedule with anything, and everything needed for a jam-packed weekend of fun and frolics. But if your activities don’t help to bring the group together and allow for time to socialise – albeit through a web camera – then you aren’t creating a shared experience. Make sure your hosts & speakers are specialists in delivering virtual content. Presenting online through a webcam is a very different task to getting up and speaking in person to a room of people sat in front of you. Brief your hosts and speakers well and, if necessary, provide training.
Get social
So much of the joy on an incentive trip is from sharing unique experiences with others that helps to form new friendships with colleagues. Its challenging to translate that online, but you can still facilitate social interaction. As we have all experienced recently through zoom quizzes, it is noisy if you have more than a few people on a group chat! So, running smaller intimate breakout activities, or even setting up virtual dinner tables with up to 6 people at each, will allow for easier conversation to flow between everyone to break the ice.
Add the wow factor
Again, you need to know your audience here to make sure you hit the spot for their interests and tastes. Of course, celebrity experiences with opportunities for online 121s with famous faces and idols is one way to hit the mark.
Also adding a surprise element with something out of the ordinary, like you usually might do on a traditional incentive, will help to deliver the unique experience that is expected with a hard-earned incentive prize. Remember the purpose is to reward hard-work, and motivate for the future.
It can’t all be virtual
You will undoubtedly need some physical element to the experience in order to facilitate activities, and really create a full sensory experience for the winners to enjoy. Incentive trips usually revolve around fabulous food and drink, so a virtual weekend should be no different.
You can also provide additional items & gifts to create an ‘incentive at home’ experience in the form of an upscaled swag bag.
Balance your itinerary
Just as you would with a traditional trip, you need to factor in downtime to the schedule to make sure the experience is relaxed, and not a regimented ‘plan of fun’.
When it comes to virtual experiences it can be easy to forget your winners have at home lives they are in amongst, whilst joining the various sessions. So additional downtime and breaks need to be planned in.
There are many more elements that are needed to create a successful virtual incentive experience, but we are keeping the rest to ourselves for now! So, if you are considering rewarding your staff and need more tips and ideas for activities, then get in touch to see how we can help.
September was officially wellness month for the events industry and #EventWell2020 provided some excellent resources to access. Saturday 10th October is World Mental Health Day which this year has adopted the theme of ‘mental health for all’ as its focus. Special days or months focused on causes or health and lifestyle related subjects are in abundance and they can prove to be an important and successful device for focusing our attention on subjects we perhaps to our detriment shy away from. Recognising that our industry has and is still being tested with the shadow of Covid-19, a focus on our collective industry and personal wellbeing could never be more pertinent.
A recent Guardian article in response to the Chancellor’s announcement on the evolution of the furlough scheme, and the impact on the hospitality and live events industry was, as perhaps anticipated, sombre. Debbie McWilliams, SEC’s live entertainment director was quoted as saying “We fully understand the risk to staging events but there’s also a risk to the impact on jobs, mental health and wellbeing,”
It would be premature and perhaps insensitive to cite that our industry has been hardest hit by the pandemic but we cannot avoid the reality that the crown jewel in our offering – bringing people together – is at present largely restricted, as well as in conflict with what the general public are by and large comfortable with. We already know that there have been casualties, both in terms of established companies folding, and amazing talent having to be let go by their employees. On the flip there has of course been some incredibly swift and successful widening of virtual and hybrid solutions and our creativity and adaptability as an industry is testament to that. Strata has been fortunate to see our clients recognise that there is real and necessary value in investing in professionally produced online solutions for their broad brushstroke ‘event needs’. Solutions that go beyond the capabilities of Microsoft Teams or Zoom that may have initially been enough when we all of course hoped this crisis would soon ‘blow over’. However, despite the positives, if as an industry we fail to recognise the impact of such a radical change to our core offering, be it through job uncertainty, loss or role change, we will have an even bigger crisis longer-term in terms of our industry’s wellbeing and mental health.
Something that is hard not to be struck by about our industry is the genuine passion and love people working within it have. Ask nearly any event professional why they do what they do and they will cite that feeling of pulling off an amazing experience before regaling you with the project they are most proud of. When all of the hard work leads up to those few long days and sleepless nights, culminating in the adrenaline of the live experience and basking in the joy of an audience engaged and positively impacted by what you and your team have produced. And that could be anything from a NYE public fireworks display to a clinical trial showcase for doctors – the professionalism and dedication that our people place on the experience is genuine and impressive. The desire to create a seamless experience that truly connects with the audience drives everything.
As we hit October, a month which officially signifies that Summer has departed and Autumn is knocking, I know I am not alone in taking stock and thinking ‘how on earth did we get here already?’. Reflecting on this incredibly strange year that seemingly ‘paused’ in March yet also keeps on delivering shockers like they were chapters falling out of a dystopian science fiction novel. As Summer progressed we waited for the next interval and hoped it would be a positive note. Yet here we are, with the R number rising and local lockdowns becoming more common place. Can we take comfort in that this time we have a better sense of preparedness and perhaps a wider realisation or acceptance that things really are not going to get back to normal imminently? Acceptance is an essential part of any journey, be it a break-up, a bereavement or even the loss of a precious material possession. And with acceptance you can also then start to move on to hope. Our expectations for 2020 might differ wildly from what we imagined at the start of the year and undoubtedly some people have suffered terribly, yet within us we have demonstrated and tapped into a resilience many of us perhaps weren’t aware we had.
Being supported by our employers to navigate and nurture this inner resilience is critical. Protecting employee’s Mental Health and wellbeing at work cannot simply be a focus for companies when things are buoyant. It needs to be a constant and authentic commitment, and by doing so when the seas gets choppier or real crisis hits the investment pays dividends. Tough decisions may need to be made. Some that could impact the livelihoods of many, so if at this point companies begin to swerve their original intentions not only can it impact on individuals but it reverberates through the company and industry as a whole. We have collectively been asking the Government to wrap an arm around us and their response has been perhaps lukewarm. The industry itself cannot as a result adopt the same temperature gauge to its people.
So how has Strata been navigating this tightrope of balancing the continuation of agency life and delivery of work, alongside the need to hold our team and remain buoyant yet pragmatic in the face of Covid-19?
One thing we are clear on is that our people are intelligent and informed adults. We do not shy away from the reality or gravity of what our industry is experiencing, yet we also understand that they are individuals, each with their own unique personalities and peccadilloes that may inform their responses. They also each have the very real nuances of their home and personal lives. In a time of crisis, especially one that keeps us largely remote, the lines between the different facets of our lives become even more blurred. All of this needs to be appreciated and considered when designing an approach that can best support people’s wellbeing.
Our approach to employee Mental Health and wellbeing is broad but has three primary features that we have really leaned into during this period. Trained Mental Health First Aiders exist at all levels, ensuring there is breadth of knowledge across the company for employees to comfortably access support should they require. At Board and management level there is recognition on the importance of checking-in with people individually, within functions and as a whole-collective. Like any agency we may not always get the balance 100% right, but having an awareness not to retreat into a senior management silo as we adapt, sometimes fight fires and navigate the pandemic, particularly with the majority of our employees remote working has helped. Our leaders can be held-accountable and endeavour to listen to their employees, recognising that different immediate priorities does not mean a lack of understanding or commitment to the bigger picture. Maintaining and working on this level of empathy is perhaps some of the best advice we could look to share with other industry leaders looking at how best to support their staff during this time.
Finally, we run a regular and dedicated programme of workshops that introduce our employees to techniques and practices that will support them and their mental health. Ranging in broad subjects from the use of technology, to how to get better sleep and developing a positive mindset, through to building resilience, the importance of breathwork and how to juggle parenting and relationships with working from home. Sessions are structured and informative as well as being accessible and informal. They work well because alongside framing and imparting valuable information they naturally open up to facilitating wider conversations. Sharing one another’s experiences, challenges and techniques for managing these times helps to forge even stronger bonds (and greater empathy) between employees, something that is paramount to successful remote working and growth of an agency both in times of crisis and beyond.
So, you need to deliver some brand communications now, and you want to reach more than 30 people. How can you do that whilst staying COVID-secure? Enter – the hybrid event.
What is a hybrid event?
A hybrid event is a live in-person experience, combined with a virtual element that is streamed out to a wider audience connecting online. The virtual audience may be the other side of the world in their living room, or they may be at home on their sofa. The benefit of a hybrid event is that you can reach more people through different content streams, in-person or online.
As with events in general, hybrid events can be produced in varying formats. We’ve produced hybrid events for audiences from 15 to 500, and used a variety of platforms including traditional webinar software and more recently live streaming through social media.
There are multiple platforms available for the virtual element – with even more emerging in the current situation. Many brands have taken to live streaming through social media over the last few months and this works well for consumer content, but you are limited on the interaction methods.
For business events anything is possible; from a traditional ‘webinar’, through to a fully virtual ‘The Sims’ style online event city. The key is finding what will work best for your audience and allow you to deliver your message successfully.
Why should I consider a hybrid event instead of going fully virtual?
If live events did not provide value, virtual events would have taken over a long time ago. They have had a foot in the market for some time now, indeed at Strata we have been delivering hybrid & virtual experiences for the last 20 years. But, there is a reason we all still make the effort to travel and attend events in person.
There are obvious drives to attend iconic events such as Glastonbury Festival and The Olympics. They are immersive experiences that simply don’t have the same impact for the viewer at home compared to those in the crowd. But smaller scale experiences and business events still entice guests to attend in person. The immersive 360 experience of a live event cannot be replicated through a computer screen. It is that simple.
Obviously right now virtual experiences might be simpler to plan, and it avoids the obvious restrictions and hurdles to overcome. But going hybrid gives your audience flexibility and the power of choice in an ever-changing environment.
It’s clear some of us are more relaxed than others when it comes to being out in public at the moment, so allowing your audience the choice of attending in person, or virtually, is a great way to engage both of those groups successfully.
Are hybrid events successful?
One of the biggest challenges to delivering a successful hybrid event is to engage both audiences to the same level throughout the experience.
When you’re physically at an event, all of your senses are engaged and active. Everywhere you look there is something new that intrigues, and you have minimal distractions taking your thought process elsewhere.
If you’re engaging with something virtually however, a large amount of the sensory touch points are removed. Meaning your experience is ultimately less, compared to those in the room. Added to that, you have real life distractions to contend with, like that parcel delivery or the neighbour’s dog barking. Therefore, you have to work hard to keep your virtual audience engaged throughout, maybe even harder compared to your audience in the room.
How do you keep both audiences engaged?
This is the million-dollar question, and something that completely depends on your objectives, audience, and platform.
Firstly, you need to successfully engage with your audience, which is a task itself for any event. Then, you need to factor in the different audience platforms – live and virtual.
You could split your audiences into two groups and communicate with them almost separately. However, that requires two streams of content and in some ways double the work. This can be an effective approach, but if your objective is to bring your whole audience together, then this will not help to achieve that. Usually the best approach is one cohesive communications plan with supporting comms to each group, appropriate to their experience.
Is the ‘live’ element important for those connecting virtually?
“Why can’t you just record it and post it online for someone to watch later?” This is a question we have received from our clients multiple times. Sure, this is an option, but to ensure a high level of engagement, you need to give your audience a reason to join now. Otherwise it will be added to the list of things to do later and swiftly forgotten about.
Ask yourself this. If you’re doing exercise, are you more motivated when you’re working out in front of other people at a gym class? Or, if you got involved in PE with Joe Wicks during lockdown, did you ever say to yourself, “I’ll watch it later”, rather than join the live stream? If so, how many times did you actually do that days PE lesson later?
We are motivated by others and get a sense of belonging when we do something together. This same ethos applies to events, whether that is an in person experience, or a virtual one. Nothing beats the power of a live experience.
What about the in-person part? How do I deliver that in the current situation?
If you are unsure how to deliver the in-person element, then we have written a practical guide to socially distanced events, and you can find out more in our previous article here.
We have also put together a guide to protecting your brand and reputation when hosting live events in the current situation which can be found here.
So, if you have plans to host a virtual, live, or hybrid event in the coming months but are unsure how to approach planning it, then get in touch and see if we can help.
There is no doubt that events will look different for the foreseeable future. We have produced a number of smaller events in recent months, and I’m sure it will be surprising to some that we’ve found, once you understand the guidance and what you need to consider; such as structured registration to allow for track and trace, face masks, and of source social distancing; the crux of the event still remains the same.
But what is possible at your event whilst keeping everyone safe, and how do you go about planning activity that is COVID-secure?
I’m sure you are asking yourself all of the above questions and more. Luckily, our whitepaper A practical guide to designing events under social distancing guidance should answer these questions and more; meaning we can get back to doing what we do best – creating amazing live experiences.
Simply complete the form below to access our whitepaper and start planning your next LIVE event.
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Please note, our whitepaper is based on recommendations from the UK government at time of publication.
Every brand touchpoint is a moment that matters. A chance to strengthen your message with clarity and relevance. To make your audience feel like they're part of something extraordinary, get in touch.
