Every event or meeting you attend today will include some sort of digital event technology. Whether it be an event app, online registration, webcasting, live polling, social media integration or even just access to Wi-Fi. As event planners look for new ways to collect invaluable data whilst providing attendees with a more dynamic, personalised experience, this inclusion of event technology is only going to increase. With this increase in event technology adoption comes the added pressure of venues to supply enough bandwidth to facilitate the mass usage. Since bandwidth governs all technology that uses the Internet (including personal devices being used in guest rooms and public areas outside of meetings), it has become increasingly more important for meeting and event planners to learn the basics of it and how to estimate how much you’ll need for your event. Your AV provider should take care of this for you, however it will be beneficial to get a grasp on understanding bandwidth so you can plan in advance to ensure your venue can handle the Wi-Fi demand throughout your event without overspending for more than you need. What is Bandwith and Wi-Fi? Bandwidth: The amount of data that can be transmitted (upload) or received (download) per second measured in Megabits per second. Wi-Fi: The technology that distributes the Bandwidth around a venue to wireless devices like laptops, computers, smartphones and tablets. APEX Bandwidth and Connectivity Workgroup of the Convention Industry Council (CIC) How bandwidth can affect your meetings and events whether large or small Bandwidth allocation determines how many people and devices can access the internet, what types of technology you can use (streaming vs basic surfing), and how frequently. It is based on the minimum amount of megabytes required to ensure all the known users, on an estimated amount of devices, can have an undisrupted internet viewing experience fit for purpose. Below are some event examples of how bandwidth can affect your meeting and events, regardless of size: Bandwidth determines how many devices - smartphones, tablets, laptops, live polling systems, etc. - can be used concurrently inside venues, guestrooms and public areas without interference. It determines whether streaming video presentations will be transmitted over the Internet fast enough to project crisply and clearly on the screen without image or audio distortion or even lag time. It can limit the type, size and quality of presentations your speakers or instructors will be able to upload or download. It can dictate whether a hybrid event with audiences in different locations will be trouble-free or problematic. It will control exhibitor presentations in their booths and the applications they use. Your on-site office and event operations including registration will depend on bandwidth capabilities. And the list goes on ... Very small meetings can still be technologically demanding so it’s important to remember the type of usage plays more emphasis on bandwidth exhaustion than the number of users or devices. There is nothing more frustrating than a website crashing, or seeing the spinning wheel of death as the video buffers. Rather than sit patiently and wait, your viewers or attendees are likely to abandon this and move onto something else. Therefore it’s vital you ensure there will be enough bandwidth on rehearsal and show day to accommodate your event. It can make or break your attendees’ event experience. Naturally, if you don’t intend on using any internet-reliant activities (live polling, event apps, web surfing etc) or your attendees aren’t concerned with accessing the internet during your event, than you needn’t be concerned with bandwidth availability. How to estimate how much bandwith you’ll need for your meeting or event Nowadays, it is an expectation to have internet access at all times and in all places including your event! However, this is not always as easy to arrange as it sounds. Below is a simple three step process to help you estimate how much internet bandwidth you’ll need: 1. Determine how many attendees will be using the internet at your event. 2. Assess what your participants will be using the internet for. Is it just so that delegates can check their e-mails? Or will you be webcasting the event to online audience’s and will need to send through live video and audio? Event tweeting or posting on Instagram uses a small amount of bandwidth. This is usually categorised into Low, Medium or High usage. Low – Emailing, social media, basic web surfing Medium - Skype, Audio streaming, web applications, Event apps and audience response systems. High – Webcasting, Large file transfers 3. Use your programme to determine when the peak usage will be. If your programme requires all people to sign in via digital registration before 9am and you have an event app with the event’s agenda you can assume you will need to allow more bandwidth for the morning. If you have a workshop for 4 hours in the afternoon which your attendees won’t need internet access for you can account for that too. You will need to take into account these peaks of use. Questions to ask your venue about dedicated bandwidth If you want to give all of your event attendees, including staff and presenters, the best internet experience we recommend opting for a dedicated bandwidth. As it sounds, dedicated bandwidth means the venue will reserve your bandwidth allocation so no matter what other users may be doing, your event will have access to unshared bandwidth. Whilst dedicated bandwidth provides a more reliable, faster experience, it is more expensive. We recommend speaking with your AV provider or venue to determine what type of bandwidth you’ll need and whether dedicated bandwidth is necessary. If you do require dedicated bandwidth, below are some key questions should ask your venue: Does the venue have the necessary infrastructure to bring in dedicated bandwidth? Is there on-site AV and technical support to help configure and troubleshoot these services? Does the venue have large enough caballing to meet your total bandwidth needs so even all users at usage peaks will have a good internet experience? Does your venue have the ability to set-up sub-separate networks (VLANs-Virtual Local Area Network) if your event requires it? Venues without an on-site AV technician make answering these questions more time consuming task as you’ll need to speak with an event IT company and possibly even arrange an on-site visit. This can be very costly so keep this in mind when choosing your venue. As an event planner, the last thing you want is your delegates, important VIPs or event presenters to have a negative experience because your internet failed. How do venues charge for bandwidth / internet usage Typically venues will have a schedule of pricing for number of attendees x level of bandwidth required. Ask the venue for their rate card. In some circumstances we are seeing venues include Wi-Fi in their day delegate package, this can often be a deciding factor in choosing a venue. Helpful tips for managing your bandwidth usage 1. Save on bandwidth with a proxy server for popular pages. When the participants at your event are often likely to be looking at the same internet page – for example, the programme of the day on the event website you can save on broadband use by installing a proxy server in your network. This allows you to save the pages that are surfed by the participants for a limited period of time. If another person wants to look at the same page within, say, the next ten minutes, this person does not need to access your network; instead the page in question will be uploaded from the local cache on the proxy server. 2. Allow for bandwidth for your rehearsals. Often large events will have a full rehearsal the day before the event to run from start to end just like it’s show day. If you intend on testing your webcasting, applications, live polling etc we recommend definitely allowing for this additional day of bandwidth. 3. If you plan on webcasting it is all about sufficient upload bandwidth with pre tested IP-addresses. Basically the equipment used must be registered with the internet supplier to create a dedicated internet connection separate to the bandwidth being used by the attendees. Make use of the latest event technologies at your event Find new ways to excite, inspire and connect your attendees to your brand new product. Our range of digital services allows immediate engagement with your audience, providing an inclusive atmosphere for your guests and interactive ways to gather feedback from your conference or meeting. With the latest event technology at our fingertips we have the solutions to take your event where it needs to go. Webcast your event to reach a global audience, Amplify your content via social media for events, Record and stream your event for later use, or to widen your reach, Interact with your attendees via live audience polling, or House all of your event related material on a free event app. By incorporating the latest event technology, your conference, incentive, gala dinner or exhibition attendees will benefit from the latest variety of interactive communications, bringing you and your guests closer. Speak to an Encore Event Technologies representative today to find out how we can make your event more engaging - CALL 1800 209 099 or send an online enquiry! ... Read More

As a busy event planner, you know there’s a lot that goes into the planning and execution of each conference and seminar that you’re involved with. At Encore, we want to make it easier for you to stay organised, share information with event attendees and plan a successful and stress-free conference or seminar. That's why we’ve released Cumulus, a free corporate event app that is easy-to-use, easy-to-navigate and an all-inclusive tool that puts all of the information pertinent to your event at your attendees’ fingertips. Our event app will allow you to share your conference agenda ahead of the event, allow your guests to access profiles and bios of the key speakers at your seminar, make it easier for attendees to navigate to and around the venue and so much more. Best of all, Cumulus is no charge to event planners that use us, exclusively, for their AV services. If you want to pull off a fun, engaging and informative conference, seminar or corporate event, our event app is essential. Here are 10 ways our free event app, Cumulus, will enhance your corporate seminar or conference experience: 1. Upload your event agenda Feature: Agenda Upload your event’s agenda or program so that your guests can access it ahead of the big day so that they have information about what meetings will be part of your conference or seminar, as well as the date, time and location for each meeting. Allowing your guests to access the schedule for your event means that they will be able to attend the meetings and seminars they are most interested in. 2. Include important information on your presenters or speakers Feature: Speaker Information Who is speaking at your conference or imparting important information at your seminar? Let your guests know by uploading bios and profiles that introduce each of the key speakers at your event to your guests. 3. Distribute important venue information Feature: Facility Overview Including a map so that your attendees know where to go is an excellent touch. You can also include transport and shuttle information for out-of-town guests. 4. Attendee List Feature: Attendees One of the biggest advantages for guests of conferences and seminars is the networking possibilities that these types of events open up. You can make networking even easier by uploading a list of attendees which offers users the opportunity to e-mail one another. Unlike other event apps, Cumulus allows users to click on an attendee and the app will take the user straight to their device’s e-mail client to send an e-mail. 5. Upload important downloadable documents Feature: Downloads Rather than handing out hard copies of important documents, you can upload essential meeting material, documents, bulletins, floor plans and much more so that your event’s attendees can access this important information from their smart phone or tablet. 6. Showcase your sponsors Feature: Sponsors With our free event app, you are able to highlight your event sponsors in a unique and dynamic way. With a dedicated area for your sponsors’ information, you can create a partnership recognition area that includes flexible rich text content, sponsorship messaging and internet hyperlinks to your sponsors’ content. With many sponsorship levels, you can customise your sponsor area to meet the needs of your event. 7. Include live polling for attendees Feature: Links Including a link to our live polling platform, Event Poll, let's you ask your attendees questions, encourage discussion, promote brainstorming and receive instant feedback. Adding Event Poll to your conference or seminar is a great way to garner audience engagement through participation. With an event poll, you have the opportunity to host a live Q & A session, run polls on hot topics and so much more. 8. Keep your attendees updated Feature: Bulletins With our event app, you can help your attendees stay up-to-date on the conference or seminar they will be attending by including a dedicated news area where you can upload news and important bulletins. 9. Uploading supporting videos Feature: Videos Videos are great, easily digestible content that give a large amount of information without requiring a large time commitment from the viewer. Uploading videos via Cumulus is an excellent way to share rich and dynamic content with your event’s attendees. The videos can be brand, sponsor, product or destination related and so much more. 10. Promote venue deals and offers Feature: Links / Downloads When you host a conference or a seminar at a venue that has promotional offers for your audience, our event planning app allows you to share this information with all of the attendees of your event. Watch Cumulus in action! AHICE used Cumulus at their 2019 conference to distribute key information and connect with attendees. Cumulus App Demo for AHICE from Encore Event Technologies on Vimeo. Our free corporate event app, Cumulus, is just one of the ways that Encore Event Technologies can help you plan and flawlessly execute a stand-out conference or seminar. We also offer you the skills and expertise of more than 30 years of experience and we can provide you with a professional and organised event production team who will assist you in the production of a conference or seminar that will blow your attendees away. To find out how Event Briefcase can enhance your event, speak with one of our Encore representatives today by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an online enquiry. -- ... Read More

More and more conferences are concluding with a styled gala dinner. There are three main reasons driving this trend – an entertaining gala dinner is a great way to reward your attendees after a long information heavy conference; gala dinners encourage networking; the savvy event planner can minimize costs when ‘bundling’ the two events. When planning two back-to-back events, the key to a successful experience is a smooth transition between the two. With so many elements coming together and you’re racing against the clock, this can seem somewhat overwhelming. Our event experts share some insightful tips to help the savvy event planner knock their event out of the park. See below 7 ideas for seamlessly turning your conference into a gala dinner 1. Use a second room within the venue Choosing the right venue is one of the most important decisions in planning your conference. To successfully include a gala dinner as part of your conference, a venue with two rooms is ideal. A smooth transition from conference to gala dinner Booking two rooms in your venue will allow you to usher your guests to a second location for cocktails and networking. While your guests are enjoying cocktails your secondary team can redress the conference room in preparation for the gala dinner. The key to a smooth transition is teamwork. To make sure it goes without a hitch, you’ll need an experienced events team to ensure all the lighting, AV, sound and styling is in place. The room should be unrecognizable when your guests re-enter the room! Consider your attendee's needs When choosing the rooms for your event, consider the fact that your guests have been sitting for most of the day while they attended the conference. With this in mind, it is a good idea to usher your guests from the conference room into a standing room elegantly accessorized with comfortable lounging areas. When booking your venue, choose one that offers a second room that gives your guests a break from the standard conference room setting. Look into booking a venue that offers guests access to a patio or an outdoor space. A garden view and cocktails are great ways to break from the traditional conference setting. 2. Offer a different kind of conference setting Following a long day seated in a conference chair, your guests will welcome a change of scenery. Breaking from the monotony of what is expected at a typical conference will really wow event attendees. Re-energize your attendees with a new seating arrangement A simple yet really effective way to go from corporate conference to exiting gala dinner is to change the seating arrangement. Conferences can be rigid affairs, but a break from tradition and a little bit of flair changes all of that. The most common seating transition is theatre to banquet round, but again it depends on what space you have to play with. Economical use of the venue space presents a number of possibilities for any enterprising event planner. Check out our post about choosing the right seating style for your event to give you ideas. A more contemporary seating style is to incorporate a lounge area (pictured above) at your event. The seating here should be less formal than conference room seating and offer your guests a break from the potential dreariness of a typical conference. Likewise, a dessert bar is a crafty way to offer your guests a change of pace as well as a delicious treat. Our event stylists share tips on how to create the perfect lounge zone. 3. Add flair to your event with a hefty dose of style It’s a no brainer. To transition from a conference to gala dinner your, event styling is your trump card. Styling for a conference tends to be minimal with some simple yet sophisticated table centerpieces, draping and some branded props around the room. On the other hand, gala dinners are the holy grail for event stylists where literally you’re only limited by your imagination. Everything can be styled, and the more you marry styling with AV, the more impactful the event. Dress up your gala dinner with elegant table styling Creative centrepieces are the hallmark of an attractive table setting. Your event stylist will design the perfect setting for your event look and type. Key elements to stunning table centerpieces are: || LED candles are perfect for adding soft and attractive lighting. They’re also cleaner and safer to use than their real counterparts. || Crystal and glass ornaments make great statement pieces. They are also subtle enough to be used for the conference styling, and then add some LED candles, mirrors and other styling pieces to really make them pop for the gala dinner. Creative lighting is the key to making these pieces truly dazzle guests. ||Flowers are hugely popular for both conferences and gala dinners. Whilst they can sometimes carry a hefty price tag, your event stylist will have many cost effective alternates up their sleeve. From simple orchards in abstract vases, to ‘almost real’ floral arrangements in crystal chambers and terrariums, there are many ways to achieve the floral look without breaking the budget. Pairing your table dressings with equally vamped up chairs adds a degree of style to your gala dinner. Swathing chairs with attractive chair covers adds a sense of formality and luxury to your decor. Curtains and drapes also provide a degree of elegance for your conference and gala dinner. Drape tracks allow you to transition from conference to gala dinner with a great deal of speed so you don’t have to keep your guests waiting for long. 4. Keep the guests of your event entertained and engaged Adding entertainment and inviting your guests to participate during your conference and gala dinner are great ways for any event planner to ensure that their’s is a memorable event. Engage Your Guests With Social Media Encore Event Technologies has a unique strategy for engaging your guests. Event Feed is an online platform which scans all social media platforms for a predetermined hashtag and then displays these posts on a screen so that guests have the chance to be featured during the conference and gala! Entertain with performances at your Gala dinner After a long, content rich day at the conference, your guests will welcome entertaining performances. A savvy event planner amps up their gala dinner planning game by organizing a variety of acts to keep guests engaged and amused all night long. If you’re stuck for ideas, consider commissioning a singer, a dance troupe, a magician, a quick-change act or even an aerial artist like an acrobat if your venue can accommodate it. 5. Create the right atmosphere and ambiance with AV and lighting effects Audio visual equipment as well as specialized lighting and lighting effects are a great way to set the tone and mood of your conference and gala dinner. Dramatic Lighting The right lighting features add another dimension to your event. Using roving gobos, pin spot lighting and dynamic colour changes are a great way to transition from a conference to a gala dinner. Take a look at the dramatic effect of pin spot lighting. Using AV Equipment During a conference, audio visual equipment is typically used to share slides and capture the audience’s attention. As you transition from a conference to a gala dinner, use the same audio visual equipment to create a dramatic impact. Using the projector and screen that were used for conference slides, project stylized images that match the theme of your gala for added effect. Using digital banners and widescreens When using projectors and impactful images, consider adding digital banners as well. The flexibility in their modular design makes digital banners a great way to re-imagine your content. Arranged in various ways to support your content, digital banners can draw attention to corporate sponsors, add corporate branding, project messages to guests of your event and add animated content. Similarly, widescreens are a perfect solution for conference to gala dinner stage sets. The sheer size of widescreens make them the perfect candidate for conference presentations, whilst can also make the perfect canvas for projecting stunning imagery and stylised content onto for the gala dinner. Create ambiance with music during your gala dinner A moment can be made with the right music. Background music is a powerful tool for changing the ambiance of a room. Carefully select warm, instrumental tunes or high powered musical odysseys for your guests to enjoy as you treat them to an exciting gala dinner. 6. Pre-set like a pro for a smooth transition from conference to gala dinner Transitioning between a conference and a gala dinner doesn’t have to be an ordeal. A great deal of pre-planning and pre-setting can make for a smooth transition from drab conference to exciting gala dinner. Timing plays a key part in transitioning between conference and gala dinner. A well scheduled event will be one that goes off without a hitch. Simple Pre-Setting Strategy For conference and gala dinners, pre-setting stage looks in two distinct layers is a good idea. Employing the use of black drapery means that you will be able to hide a secondary stage for a gala dinner and transitioning from conference to gala dinner is as simple as pulling back a drape. Use Event Backdrop for a quick change Incorporating an Event Backdrop into your stage or room design is a great way to dress up your event. Event Backdrop is made using photographic quality print on fabric, that is brilliantly illuminated to create knock-out impact at an affordable price. Available in a range of sizes to suit all event sizes, they are ideal for delivering a message, promoting a product, reinforcing the message of an event, or building recognition of your brand. Event Backdrop's can also be changed quickly between your chosen conference backdrop to a gala dinner backdrop that aptly matches the theme of your gala. You can also utilise Event Backdrops at the entrance to your venue to welcome guests. A great way to create excitement at your event is to use a backdrop to create a photo wall for your guests to be photographed in front of as they arrive at the event. Plan your event down to the last detail The lighting that you have chosen for your event plays an important role in transitioning between conference and gala dinner. To facilitate a smooth transition, lighting for your gala dinner can be set up prior to your conference and pre-programmed to begin at just the right time. All of the lighting effects and transitions can be programmed ahead of time so this won’t be something you’ll need to worry about as you prepare for the gala dinner. When it comes to planning a successful conference and gala dinner, the key is turnaround time and ensure that you have ample staff on hand to transition from conference to gala dinner in a timely manner. 7. Leave it to the event production experts Encore Event Technologies has been transforming conferences into lavish gala dinners for over 30 years. It’s safe to say, there’s not a trick in the book we wouldn't know. Our event production team has mastered the transition, attributing it all to preparation, experience and creativity. With the largest range of event services, Encore Event Technologies are your one-stop-shop and have everything you need to transform your event with ease. If you are interesting in exploring options for your next event, speak to a Encore Event Technologies representative today by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an online enquiry. ... Read More

Lighting can make or break your event experience. It is so much more than just putting a spotlight on your performer or a few stage lights here and there. If the lights are too bright your event may seem stark and cold. If your lights are too dark guests may miss important elements of your event and design. Lighting creates ambience, displays video content and can be used to highlight architectural elements or styling pieces to build a visual experience that will leave your guests in awe. You can also use lighting to direct your guests attention to events going on within your event, or to grab their attention. Uplighting At Your Event Uplighting is a great way to create an atmosphere at your event. Rooms can look bland if you do not use perimeter lighting. This is especially important for a simple more basic venue such as an empty ballroom, gallery, or conference centre which can tend to be bland if you do not add in lighting and colour. These venues do not have a lot of character to begin with you will need to build ambience with more lighting and decor. It’s a great way to tie in a colour that goes with your theme and create a wow factor upon guests entering the room. What type of events are great for uplighting? Awards nights and gala dinners TV shows and 'on the couch' type speaker events Charity dinners Sporting events Weddings Cocktail Functions Using Gobo's Gobo’s are a great way to add an element of design and depth to your event. Simply stated a gobo is a beam of light with a metal stencil over it that creates a pattern. As technology progressed, glass gobos were developed that could incorporate colours and detailed imagery. Gobos can project any design or pattern including abstract shapes, patterns, pictures, and company logos. You can project gobos onto ceilings, floors, and walls, they are a great way to add visual interest. While gobos are great for transforming your event by giving it a dynamic atmosphere and feel, they can be used to promote your brand. Seeing your brands logo in bright crisp lighting will create a visual impact that surely will not go unnoticed. Gobos can go almost anywhere and are highly flexible, work perfectly with many types of events from conventions, to galas and even weddings displaying the happy couples' initials. What type of events are great for gobos? The versatility of gobos makes them the perfect lighting technique for all types of shows. Brand logo for sales conferences and product launches. Wall design for gala dinners. Bride and groom initials at weddings. Logos for awards nights and conferences. Create A Light Show A light show is a really fun way to grab your guests attention. Light shows are often combined with the first two lighting techniques. However, unlike the first two lighting options these lights will be constantly moving and flashing because a lighting engineer designs a custom show specifically for your event. Vivid Sydney is one of the world's biggest lighting shows. There you will find every type of lighting technique under the sun. Lighting shows are often used at corporate events before an awards ceremony or speeches to quite the crowd and build excitement for the main event. We also use them to create an amazing dance vibe at galas and high energy concerts. Light shows make a very memorable experience and keep the energy high at events! Highlight Design with Pin Lighting Pin lighting is an excellent way to direct attention to certain parts of your event. Using a spotlight creates a dramatic effect that can transform centerpieces, decor elements and table settings into incredible pieces of art. Not only do pin lights add drama to your event lighting, but they also provide separation that is often needed between dark table linens and centerpieces allowing the centerpieces to pop and stand out. Pin lighting will make your event design a more dynamic visual experience. Discover more Lighting techniques and insights for your event - download our expert white paper Event Insights - Making Your Event Shine. Related Articles LED Yo-Yo Ceiling Installation Wows at The Million Dollar Lunch Techie Tuesday: Vivid Sydney Exposed 7 Lighting Tips for Your Event This article was first published on HelloEndless ... Read More

Welcome to Part One of our four part blog series, giving you a sneak peek into what event themes you can expect on the festive circuit. This year, immersive themed events are hotly tipped to be the way to give your guests an exciting and memorable celebration and importantly end the year with a bang! Some event themes are classic and will always inspire, while others trend alongside popular culture. This year Christmas event styling is focusing on creating immersive events that ‘tell a story’ with festive flair. Immersive events are about going above and beyond your typical styling treasure trove to embracing audio visual solutions that transform your venue. We want to give you a taste of what is hot this year in event styling and our top tips for really bringing your theme to life. Part 2: 12 Days of Christmas || Part 3: Hollywood Awards || Part 4: Northern Lights VINTAGE CIRCUS AND CARNIVAL A vintage circus creates a sense of fun and festivity, perfect for an end of year celebration. This theme is versatile and can be applied as either theatrical and moody or as rustic and vintage carnival. For a theatrical effect use draping with velvet textures and rich, deep colours such as burgundy or purple. Alternate these with white drapes to surround guests in a circus tent feel. Don’t leave the drapes bare, add highlights of gold tassels and fringing and light the drapes from the base to add drama and depth. Create a dynamic audio visual display with a curved screen and themed content. An outdoor carnival look is achieved by incorporating rustic elements and textures like timber crates, barrels and bentwood chairs, or even good old hay bales. Marquee lights are a must and give energy and sparkle, while bold graphic shapes such as stars, hearts and arrows add character. These lights are very fashionable so your event will be both immersive and on-trend. Rustic props emphasis the vintage feel. Incorporate live experiences like the Tarot reading tent. To really provide that unique touch, tailored vignettes tell little stories that provide interest and intrigue. Add clusters of room props and bespoke table centres such as mini menageries of circus animals. Try painting these gold such as giraffes, tigers and elephants, and place in a rustic cage. They’ll cast alluring shadows on the table tops and the gold brings the theme on-trend with metallic highlights. The perfect props: Uplights on wall decals, mini menageries of circus animals and vintage clown faces. Now to pull this all together, we recommend installing large screens either on the walls or on stage to project some great animation or graphics onto, such as circus acts. Create a dynamic ceiling installation by anchoring styled props upside down amongst bunting. Invite performers and interactive experiences to immerse your audience in the Vintage Circus theme. A step-up from this, is projecting animation across the walls, ceiling or even across constructed fixtures. This is where projection mapping comes in, which is the magic behind Sydney’s Vivid festival and what we used to launch the latest Alienware:Area 52 product (a bit off topic, but a fantastic video to watch!). Top tips An illuminated “SHOW” sign over a stage teams perfectly with roving circus performers. Scattered old-world circus props bring touch of old world charm. Lace parasols, hoola hoops and feather plumes allude to aerial artists and show performers. For a personalised touch, use vintage ticket rolls with your company or event name printed in old world font. It’s these details that will stand out. Dramatic deep red velvet curtains with the icons internally lit 'Show' sign. Want to see our other event theme predictions for end of year celebrations? Part 2: Hollywood Awards Night || Part 3: 12 Days of Christmas || Part 4: Northern Lights ... Read More

Since the launch of Event Poll - our audience polling software - in March of last year, we have seen it successfully used across a host of events from conferences to gala dinners, charity events right through to team building events. As audience engagement continues to remain a priority for event organisers, live polling is becoming a standard fixture in the events mix. Here are 8 tips that will maximise audience engagement with your event whilst gathering invaluable information about your audience. What is Event Poll For those who didn’t see our previous post on the BYOD movement or are still suffering from post-holiday withdrawals, Event Poll is a web or SMS-based questionnaire platform that allows both in-room and webcast audiences to participate in live polls at your events. In its simplest form, it works via web based responses or text messaging so even those on trusty Nokia 3315s can participate. The great thing about Event Poll is the responses are displayed in real time, with insights and results delivered to you post the event. 1. Grab your audience with a powerful Event Poll visual display Events are an opportune time to get your brand in front of a targeted audience so you need to ensure all touch points are branded appropriately. Fortunately, the design and layout of the polls can be customised to suit your brand guidelines. You can choose a banner or logo to be displayed at the top of each poll. The background, graphs and text colours can also be chosen to match. Graphical display The classic bar graph is the most common event poll used. This is most effective for multiple choice style questions where you are looking for a percentage of opinion across the audience. Open text display Open text is ideal for Q&A sessions instead of having to hand a microphone around the room. Moderation control allows you to choose what goes to screen and captures all the questions from the room even if there is no time to answer them all. Clickable Image (heat map) This design allows you to plot mass points on any image to create a heat map. A nice way to warm up the crowd is by asking your audience to plot on a map where they’re from. Surveys Event Poll even allows you to group of series of questions together via a URL link as a survey. This is particularly useful for event and/or content feedback. Word Clouds Want to find out what the most talked about topics at your event were? Event Poll has the ability to collect and aggregate all responses into a word cloud, demonstrating by increasing font size what the leading topics/questions were at your event. Idea Session Similar to Open Text, attendees can use Event Poll to type in their ideas or comments and other attendees can place a positive or negative rating on these. The most popular response rises to the top of the leaderboard display. 2. Moderate your event content There’s nothing worse for a marketer than exposing your brand to potentially harmful content and the often very public and embarrassing chaos that unfolds. Therefore, for Open Text polls we encourage you to moderate your content and offer two types of moderation control. We can set an automatic profanity filter or manual moderation control which provides complete control over what goes to screen. 3. Ask the right question Photo credit: Derek Bridges Keep it simple. Questions should have one part only. For multiple choice questions each option should be distinct with no ambiguity. Buzzwords, acronyms and any other wording that isn’t universally understood should be avoided totally. Again, if you’re not sure what questions to ask and how to phrase them contact us and we’ll be happy to guide you. 4. Be ready for any answer With multiple-choice questions, you must prepare a response to each possibility. If you are doing a product launch and ask the audience how likely they are to buy this product and the answer comes back ‘not at all’, you have to be ready to do some fast-talking. So as with any interview, it’s always better to be over-prepared, this way you’ll always remain in control of the conversation. 5. Gather data from your audience In this data-driven world, many people are becoming more and more cautious of giving out personal information so event organisers need to be smarter about how to approach this. One of the main uses of Event Poll is obtaining insightful audience demographic information. Asking your audience some basic information at the beginning of your event can be a useful ice-breaker and provide you with essential information to provide context to your event, the attendees and their responses. As mentioned earlier the Heat Map is a good way to see where your audience is from, or you could use the Graphical display to ask what department or industry they represent. 6. Measure your audience engagement with Event Poll Photo credit: James Duncan Davidson For learning-based events such as training days and new product launches, Event Poll can be used to measure content comprehension and retention. By asking your audience questions throughout the event you are encouraging them to actively reflect and thereby increase learning outcomes. For example, this is particularly useful feedback when you want some insight into what concepts you may need to explore further. 7. Entertain your audience Lively events entail a lot of probing, pushing and polling so it is important to let your audience have a bit of fun too. If you are running a gala dinner, awards night or any other less formal event, there’s a great range of playful uses for real-time polling. Do you have a red carpet entrance? Poll the audience for best dressed. Need to revive your audience after a long conference? Then use it for some fun trivia. 8. Use Feedback to improve future events It all boils down to communication - you are inviting your attendees to engage in a conversation with you. The most common use of Event Poll is to gauge an audience’s appreciation of the event itself – content, effort and/or delivery of the presentation. This type of feedback can play a key role in shaping the content and structure for your next event which is why it’s essential you receive the response insights post the event to keep on file and share with your team. Integrate Event Poll into your event today As we strive to find smarter ways to better engage our audience at events, we also need to ensure we’re not only utilising the latest technologies but maximising their potential. The possibilities are endless and our team of event professionals are ready to help you get the most from Event Poll today. If you are interested in using Event Poll in your next event contact us and discover what Event Poll can do for your brand. Want to stay up to date with industry trends? Browse our range of downloadable Event Insights papers ... Read More

Twitter is ever growing in popularity in both corporate and social circles. It is a simple, free tool that enables greater engagement with your audience and extends your event space to the online world. Most people today are familiar with Twitter, but expect some the less tech-savvy amongst your guests and always be on hand as you will have to explain basic tweeting and character limitations and of course the relevant social handles for your event. If everyone uses the platform during your event you will find that they are more engaged; absorbing and analysing your content in real time. Not to mention, it is also a nice and simple way to make your webcast attendees feel involved in the conversation and the event. 1. Advertise your event hashtag The most important part of your event Twitter feed is an event hashtag. Hashtag’s are a tool for aggregating and archiving metadata and when used by every twitter user it will organize your event discussion into a single tag so you can follow the conversation. Therefore it is essential that everyone is using the right hashtag. Make sure to advertise it on the event invite and post it on Twitter several times prior to the event. Hashtags work over Instagram, Facebook and Google+ so spread the word over every possible platform for maximum exposure. During Your Event In addition to advertising the hashtag prior to the event, you must make sure it is clearly displayed throughout your event. If you hand out flyers ensure that it is clearly marked near your brand logo and if you have presentations, make sure it is visible on every slide. You’re initial presenter should encourage your guests with incentives to use it. Your event hashtag not only organises all of your guests comments and questions but invites people keeping up with the event online to join the conversation and engage with your brand. If you have a large event with lots of tweets your hashtag could end up ‘trending’ exposing your brand to a much larger audience. 2. Turn your event into a contest on Twitter Instead of just telling your guests to tweet, turn it into a contest. The respective prize of the competition is up to you. It does not need to be big, but will get your audience more engaged and invite an element of play to your event. Examples of good Twitter hashtag competitions include most creative answer to a question, best event photo (this can be hosted through Twitter and Instagram) or even a simple lottery including everyone who uses the hashtag, which inspires even your timid guests to join in the tweeting. 3. Grow your social media influence Good integration of social media during an event enhances the experience for the attendees in the room and can capture the attention of your entire market. A lively event Twitter feed displayed on screens in the venue encourages audience participation, but it also gives those who didn’t attend a tantalising glimpse of what they’re missing out on. Encore Event Technologies has a great software platform called Event Tweet that allows you to capture your in room and virtual audiences’ tweets and Instagram posts through a dedicated hashtag and send them live to screen on a template of choice. Posts can be scrolling as audiences comment on ideas or presenters can ask questions igniting feedback and conversation. Your event Twitter feed is an opportunity to develop a stronger connection with your guests. It is advisable to have a moderator working on the Twitter feed. A moderator will post tweets during the event; asking questions, answering questions, acknowledging tweets, posting quotes from the speakers and re-tweeting insightful guest tweets. They will also ensure the Twitter feed maintains it’s focus by filtering out offensive and off-topic material and help grow your brand by following all people who use the event hashtag. Follow your guests on Twitter Following your guests increases the likelihood of them following you back so you can continue to engage with them after they have left. 4. Use Twitter to collect your audiences questions during your event Twitter can assist your Q&A segment greatly. A good way of separating questions from statements is to create another hashtag for questions. For example if your event hashtag is #twitterevent then make your question hashtag #qtwitterevent. You can have these scroll through your Twitter feed in real time and then have your moderator collect them and organise them for question time, cutting out some of the inevitable question overlap and giving voice to a larger cross-section of your audience. 5. Organise your Event’s best tweets in Storify After your event you should aggregate the best tweets, photos and videos organized by your hashtag and place them in a Storify to preserve all the great content created by your guests, speakers and moderator. Storify collects content from all social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Youtube and Soundcloud so if it serves your brand you can find it and archive it together. You can then send this Storify in email blasts to all of your guests and users of the hashtag in the following weeks to keep your event working for you. Make Twitter Work For You Twitter is such a powerful tool because it gives everyone an equal voice. Intellectual and emotional engagement into your real time event is very powerful and as with all powerful tools it requires some moderation and guidance. Use Twitter wisely and it will immensely increase the success of your audio visual event. At Encore Event Technologies we have extensive experience using Twitter for events and utilise our own Event Tweet software. Want to know more? Get in touch today. Want to stay up to date with industry trends? Browse our range of downloadable Event Insights papers ... Read More

Lighting your event is so fundamental and yet so often overlooked. Attention to detail makes the difference between an average event and an extraordinary one. Lighting is so much more than just putting a spotlight on your performer, it creates ambience, displays video content and can be used to in conjunction with architectural elements and dynamic fixtures to build a visual experience that will leave your guests in awe. The advanced lighting displays used at Encore Event Technologies have come a long way since the humble tungsten and halogen incandescent filaments. Since the development of the first high-powered blue LED in the 1990’s, the theatrical lighting industry has progressed beyond imagination. Here are 7 ways to make your event shine! 1. Use LEDs for event lighting Longer lasting LEDs are around ten times more efficient than their tungsten equivalent. That means ten times less electricity to produce the same level of brightness. They can last hundreds of hours longer, emit less heat and are cheaper to manufacture and replace. A rainbow of options Using RGBW LED chips (a combination of red, green, blue and white light emitting LEDs) you can electronically control your mix to create any desired colour. Before this technology you would have to put a coloured gel in front of an incandescent fixture and if you wanted several colours throughout a show you needed to set up and rig several fixtures each with an appropriate gel, and then you couldn’t change colour or position! RGBW LED chips allow you to play with the rainbow. Clever head A moving or ‘intelligent’ head, one that employs controllable motors on the lamp and its lens, allows you to move your light around ‘intelligently’. All movement can be pre-programmed in the lighting desk by the operator and recalled across the rig at the press of a button. When rigged on lighting bars and flown above stages, LED fixtures can create spectacular lighting schemes using a fraction of the time and energy that would have been required just two decades ago. 2. Make fantastic effects with pixel mapping LED technology has created new types of equipment that were impossible barely a decade ago. As they can be made very small, when fitted together closely they have the ability to change quality of light they are outputting instantly. This technique is referred to as pixel mapping and it has many exciting applications. Image pixel mapping One of the most effective uses of pixel mapping is when they are sent through image source material. LED fixtures designed for pixel mapping are usually a square or rectangular grid, pad or tablet fitted with anywhere between four to over a thousand individual LEDs. The 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony used pixel mapping on a grand scale. The front of each seat was fitted with a sixteen LED tile projecting one ‘pixel’ of a huge digital image. Video pixel mapping Even more exciting, you can send LEDs through video source material, video which can be set to display across several fixtures at once. This means the image canvas can be as simple as a screen-like grid or as complex as dozens of differently shaped fixtures rigged and set across your performance space, creating a synchronized ‘broken’ image effect. Best of all any content can be mapped, from your company’s logo on loop to a product promotional video. Plus the controllers and software that are used for pixel mapping often come with a generous amount of their own generic content that can be deployed as effects. 3. Get creative with Happy Tubes Flexible fun The flexibility of LEDs have been utilized to create a new type of fixture called the LED tube or the Happy Tube. These tubular fixtures are available in different lengths with varying amounts of LEDs but the most common specification is around one metre long with 96 to 144 LEDs. These tubes are incredibly adaptable. They can be joined, hung, flown, stacked to forma screen and used to emit light or images. You can use them on the outside of buildings to highlight architectural features or hang them from the ceiling like a chandelier. You have probably seen them used in all kinds of live events from rock concerts to conferences. Really really flexible These happy tubes can be mounted on just about any physical structure, making them a must for any event. They work on the edges of stages, screens, lecterns… you name it they fit! Once they are set-up and addressed from the lighting desk they can glow softly as an outline or pulse and ripple with waves of light. Like the pad, grid and tablet LED fixtures, image and video can also be mapped across tubes, but have the added ability to be arranged in a circle to form a 360° element, perfect for a feature at a gala dinner. Using a clever assortment of tubes you can create any effect you desire – both coherent and abstract. 4. Move your audience with Moving Heads Moving heads pre-date the LED revolution but were large, unwieldy and very expensive reserved only for elite theatres and concerts. Nowadays, moving head fixtures use digitally controlled motors, which enable all sorts of light movement and have become common even at the low end of lighting budgets. A must for any professional event. The Gobo In combination with LEDs, rotating lenses and other new technologies, moving lights have invigorated the oldest of lighting techniques: the humble Gobo. A gobo was originally a piece of metal with a pattern of holes cut into it that you placed in front of a light. They could be used for simple diffusion or to create a recognisable pattern, such as geometric shapes or leaves. As technology progressed, glass gobos were developed that could incorporate colours and detailed imagery. With modern LED fixtures a moving head fixture can use plastic gobos, less delicate and easier to manufacture than their traditional counterparts. Moving heads can even hold multiple gobos, sometimes more than one at a time creating interesting detailed textural effects. 5. Use dynamic video for effect Animated spaces New types of moving head LED fixtures can even be used as video projectors – not just your average projector, these moving head fixtures can vary the focus, angle, width, brightness and colour of the video dynamically in real-time. Projecting video from a moving head projector is almost like having an animated gobo, which can be used for some pretty incredible effects. When projected on a loop with a strong texture and colour you can simulate immersive spaces such as a forest or a city skyline. This can be used as a subtle but dynamic wash on a stage or across a wall. Learn more about 2D and 3D mapping in our other blog post. Real-time editing Lighting operator desks have evolved along with the fixtures and are designed to integrate with servers that host video files, fixtures that have video inputs and software that controls and edits video in real-time. All this added complexity means there will most likely be two sets of video infrastructure and operators to manage. 6. Ask yourself the right questions about your event With so many new lighting technologies at your disposal you have to consider a few things: What mood and colour palette do you want to create (this can also be aided by styling)? What lighting equipment should you use? How should you use it? What existing video content can you use to enhance your event? Should you create original content for a one-of-a-kind look? What content needs to shine the brightest? At Encore Event Technologies we employ dedicated content creators and video experts that can guide you through the process of achieving your creative vision. We pride ourselves on keeping up-to-date with emerging technology and we will make sure existing and new content fits the physical and aesthetic requirements of your event space. The most important thing for us is to maintain sensitive to your brief and provide you with innovative effects and techniques that will perfectly suit your content. 7. Keep your event real No school like old school ‘Old School’ event lighting (analogue tungsten and halogen lighting with gels) still have their place. Many designers prefer white light of a traditional source to an LED and in many venues (particularly theatres) the installed lighting rig will still contain many traditional fixtures. A combination of both old and new technology often combine for the best results. Incorporating traditional fixtures to your lighting scheme expands your palette and makes your budget go further. At Encore Event Technologies we are all about making your content king! When technology becomes the main attraction of an event, then you’ve lost your purpose. As they say in theatre “If the audience is looking at the set, there a problem with your show”. While we have the ability to create an artwork of pixel mapped video and columns of revolving happy tubes, using the right tool for the right job will always be more effective. Love learning the latest lighting and AV techniques? Download our range of free Event Insights downloadable papers today. ... Read More

When you’re preparing an audio visual budget for your event, there’s a lot more to think about than simply how much money to allocate for theming, lights, sound and vision. To ensure you’re getting the most value for money from your event’s AV design, a solid knowledge of the capabilities of both technology and your audio visual company are essential. Here we give you our top 8 audio visual tips for creating a successful event. 1. Look for creativity in your audio visual supplier When shopping for an audio visual provider, you traditionally seek service, price and reliability. All are good measures of a quality audio visual company, but to truly do justice to your event, creativity needs to be a central part of their product offering. Advances in projection and event lighting technology mean that the old business model of simply hiring out and operating gear for a client is no longer an adequate level of service. The main driver of this conceptual shift in the market has been technologies such as projection mapping. Projection mapping is the art of creating multimedia content for projection onto flat surfaces (2D projection mapping) or objects (3D projection mapping) and then using advanced computer and projector technology to bring that imagery to life. It has transformed major events, conferences and theatrical presentations the world over. While the technology is now common place, the creative talent to successfully use it is not. To really ensure peace of mind when selecting an audio visual provider, ask about their history in presenting similar events and their history at the chosen venue. Look at some examples of their work closest in scope to your event. If they have documentation of their work at your chosen venue, even better! 2. Set your event vision and share it Having a clear vision of the aesthetic feel and tone of the event is crucial at this stage of pre-production. Storyboard your event like a movie director, discuss themes and images with your key staff and audio visual team. Don’t get fixated on what you have seen done before or know to be possible; a good audio visual company should be able to take on board any creative idea you have and translate it into a practical suggestion. 3. Remember the importance of sound for your event The event sound system employed to deliver it should match the content. Important things to look for are adequate coverage of the room to ensure all attendees get crystal-clear speech as well as the full impact of any musical material. If you are employing high-energy music or cinematic sound effects ensure the system can replicate the full range of sound. A minimum of two subwoofers need to be in place to maximise the impact of any low-end effects or bass lines. Have a look at our blog post on how to get the best sound at your event for more in-depth understanding of the importance of sound. 4. Think digital Discuss with your Audio visual company about methods to digitally enhance your event. Can they digitally brand your conference with projections and then successfully transform the same space for a gala dinner? Entire ballrooms can be changed into another world, and the walls of an auditorium can ripple at the arrival of a new product. A custom built set design can be transformed into a living, breathing animal. Pretty much anything is possible, and an in-depth conversation with a design professional is invaluable to help direct your thinking in the planning stages. Understand what design and creative support the audio visual company offer and whether the in-house designers have the skills to shepherd you through the concept creation, implementation and delivery of just about anything your imagination can conjure. Creating a multimedia driven event from the ground-up can seem to be a longer process than the traditional method of simply stating a theme and letting the staging company deliver, but the results represent a much better return on investment. Elements of digital branding or presentation content can not only be used at one specific event, but also transported to similar events or venues at no further cost. The same media can also be repackaged as web content where appropriate 5. Get Mobile Almost everyone now carries a video displaying, networked computer a.k.a. ‘Smartphone’ in their pocket. This makes them capable of not only absorbing your content but also interacting with it. An audio visual company should have a lot of fresh ideas on how to make this work for your event, extending your theme and offering greater engagement with your audience. A key technology for presenters are apps to enable snap event polling of audience members and instantly display aggregated results on a main screen. For attendees, important information such as timetables, maps and key messages should be easily accessible from an app or network. 6. Ask your audio visual team the right questions Questions about the technical details are excellent for getting a sense of competence and good organisation. Is the PA suitable for speech reinforcement only or can it deliver loud, exciting music if you need it? What combination and numbers of lighting fixtures do they usually use – LED, moving lights, wash lights? Again, it’s not necessarily the specific information that you need, but the assurance of their confidence in answering. If you’re satisfied with that, then ask them what they recommend, or better yet, what they have always wanted to do given the opportunity. You’ll soon establish whether you’re in good hands. 7. Achieving cut through At Encore Event Technologies we realise that you have a unique opportunity to create an event specific to your audience. It’s worth your time to work together with a creative audio visual company to bring an original vision to life that makes a strong statement about your organisation. Your customers are already enjoying new types of audience engagement in both their professional and personal lives, either driven by large corporate organisations or the entertainment industry. The increase in quality of experience means all content providers have to compete to cut through. Watch this two minute video of an audio visual set up by the Encore Event Technologies team featuring Australia's first 360 degree projection screen, custom designed for the event and venue space to create something guests had never experienced before. 8. More than numbers Your audio visual budget now has the potential to deliver results way beyond the date of the event itself. All of your customers, employees and/or delegates are broadcasters, sharing their impressions, images and videos across their networks. Devoting time and creativity at the outset of your event planning can now pay off almost in perpetuity. Get to the heart of your message, envision the best possible shape it could take, and invest in bringing it to life in the most effective way. Written by Robert Meek, Event Project Manager With over 20 years’ experience in the meetings and events industry Rob has a wealth of corporate audio visual event experience that he brings to the delivery of the diverse range of corporate and association events he has managed. Related Blogs 5 top event tips for 2014 What benefit does vision fold back provide in your audio visual solution? Optimise your event communication with event design and technical production ... Read More

In our latest blog Senior Event Stylist, Georgia Strachan, shares her secrets to creating a 'Mad Hatters Tea Party' themed event and discusses how she brought the event alive with digital styling. In our latest blog Senior Event Stylist, Georgia Strachan, shares her secrets to creating a 'Mad Hatters Tea Party' themed event and discusses how she brought the event alive with digital styling. Georgia brings to her role 20 years of experience in design for film, television and creative theme park attractions. Her varied professional background provides a fresh take on conceiving unique event experiences for clients. Georgia injects a fresh and innovative flair for event concepts both locally, nationally and globally. In order to set the scene for my clients Mad Hatter themed dinner party I collaborated with our technical services team to bring together creative styling with audio, vision and lighting technology. Through digital styling we created exciting integrated visual content that transported guests “down the rabbit hole” from the minute they stepped inside the room through a rear projected entry portal. From there the guests enjoyed pre-dinner ‘teapot cocktails’ at the custom made Astroturf hedge bar and played highly contested games of croquet on a purpose built mini Astroturf croquet course. We also covered plinths and cubes with Astroturf to make quirky cocktail furniture and decorated this area with topiary trees and hundreds of red and white artificial roses in Victorian urns. The lighting was very bold and directional to add to the surreal, artificial nature of this concept. For the main dining experience we built a ‘room within a room’ using floor to ceiling rear projection screens to give our guests the impression that they were really in another world. With full control over the environment we had the ability to transform the entire space throughout the evening as each course arrived at the table. We also wanted to change the proportion and perspective of the room at various times making the guests feel small one minute and giant the next and we achieved this by altering the content. It was a very dramatic effect and kept the guests guessing all night. All of our 35 guests were seated at one huge table and I wanted each place setting to have its own sense of style and character so we used a selection of beautiful antique timber chairs, leather wing backed armchairs and upholstered love seats sourced from all over the venue. For the table decor I used piles of old books and stacked them with collections of clocks, feathers and flowers and table cloths were layered with colours and textures to suggest the Mad Hatters workshop. Chef created spectacular cupcakes which we placed on lovely tiered cake stands to become edible centre pieces and we used dozens of vintage porcelain teacups as votive holders to bathe the table with flickering light. Check out the pictures below and let me know what you're ideas are for the ultimate Mad Hatter's Tea Party! Author: Georgia Strachan, Senior Event Stylist, Staging Connections. Image Credits: Unless stated otherwise, all images are owned by us ... Read More