Event management - getting creative
The events industry has changed dramatically in the wake of the Covid19 outbreak- extending far beyond the popular festivals, long-awaited weddings and garden grilling.Corporate outings, summits, product launches and workshops have all come to a sharp halt.
As part of a busy and growing Events Team, we found ourselves facing empty calendars.
Collectively as a population, job stability and financial security has been a shared concern as we’ve navigated these new and uncertain times – and as Event Managers without any events, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t initially anxious as to what the ‘new normal’ held for us.
We had to learn fast, plan and adapt to our new working environment. What had been future plans to virtualise and stream our events became an immediate necessity. Right away, we dove into researching virtual event communication platforms and equipment, learning how to maximise their potential. Taking to webinars and demos, studying the various ways to engage audiences online became our primary focus.
Identifying the smaller details that make a big difference to virtual events has been of paramount importance to ensure we maximise the value we can bring to our clients. Key areas of focus for our research have been how to -
- Develop content for a virtual audience.
- Optimise the use of engagement features of the communications platforms available.
- Break down and re-position event agendas to suit online delivery.
- Work with our Design Studio to adapt visuals for a virtual setting.
- Offer branding/merchandising for remote panellists and attendees.
- Brainstorming creative ways to increase interaction, engagement and focus of event attendees- keeping it interesting!
After producing new strategies and workflows for different event briefs so far, we’re continuing to work hard to expand upon our skills to adapt to this new way of managing events.
The AP&C Team as a whole have been working hard to assist each other across departments – many of which have seen an increase in demand in this unforeseen climate. Now more than ever we have banded together (whilst apart) to share roles, ideas and skills to adapt the business to this new situation. This experience has been an incredible exercise in teamwork and interdepartmental cohesion!
Although the way we are working may have changed in ways we didn’t expect this year, from this has come a diverse new set of skills, greater adaptability and, ultimately, a stronger team.
Hoping you are all staying well, thanks for reading -
AP&C Events Team