Whenever there’s a big, high profile and technically demanding event you can bet on one thing - Staging Connections is behind it. One of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar is the launch of the Spring Racing Carnival, which coincides with the Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards. This year the two-fold event was hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and was attended by the racing industry’s elite. Staging Connections were engaged by Racing Victoria, a valued client for over 10 years, to deliver the event from brief to execution including all audio, vision, lighting, stage set and styling. As the event was to be broadcast the following evening on Channel 78 and streamed via Racing.com, it was imperative the event environment was technically flawless and tailored for this purpose. The Launch of the Spring Racing Carnival is a media event that highlights the start of the Carnival and the upcoming feature races – Caulfield Cup, The Cox Plate, The Melbourne Cup, The Oaks and Stakes Day along with the regional cups. This year the Launch took place on the MCG arena with racing legends being the feature – horses, jockeys and trainers paraded in front of the assembled guests and a huge contingent of media. Renowned Australian sports broadcaster, Hamish McLachlan, MC’d the Launch parade and interviewed the racing legends. After the official launch concluded in the MCG Arena, guests were moved from the Grandstand into the Members Dining Room for the presentations for the 2015 BMW Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards. The Staging Connections styling and design teams collaborated with the AV technicians to create an elegant room look that supported the presentation purpose. The awards stage was centred at the front of the room, and housed an impressive 3 x 6m Event Backdrop (pictured above), flanked with large 16:9 screens that projected the award ceremony to the 200 guests. The Event Backdrop was custom designed by Racing Victoria with a collage of images that reflected the invitation to the event and the marketing campaign for the 2015 Carnival. Across the room we installed 2 projector screens and a high-quality audio system to compliment the many fixed televisions to ensure all guests had perfect line of sight of the presentations and could clearly hear the announcements. Guests were sat round banquet style with sophisticated centrepieces comprised of a large martini glass with mirror balls that were up lit using an internal light box. The end result was a first-class launch event, fitting for the prestigious occasion. What did the client say? Nicole Coughlan, Racing Victoria Marketing Manager An amazing team effort pulling off last night's SRC launch and AROY awards. Thank you so much for your time and effort. Everyone contributed to something that was very special and you should be very proud of what was achieved. Bernard Saundry, Racing Victoria CEO We are very lucky to have a team that has passion, creativity and commitment to deliver an outstanding event for Australian Racing. A big thank you - no better way to launch the spring racing carnival - the greatest show on turf. View more recent work Contact us to discuss your event Back to our Blog ... Read More

Generation Y and Millennials have more decision making power than ever before and it’s not just the generation that’s changing; it’s the way they consume technology that’s prompting the events industry to change. It's time to get up to speed. You might think they’re asking too much, that they have ‘big’ ideas or maybe you just get annoyed that they don’t answer their landlines, but don’t underestimate what they’re capable of. It’s time to get in touch with the next generation of event buyers. Generation Y and Millennials have more decision making power than ever before and it’s not just the generation that’s changing; it’s the way they consume technology that’s prompting the events industry to change. The opportunity is here. Adapt or die. The next generation are demanding, they do have ‘big’ ideas and they don’t like taking your sales calls. Get to know them, their priorities and their love for all things tech, and you’ll be way ahead of the rest. In the first ever Australia Asia Pacific survey conducted by the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), Generation Y and Millennials, those aged 18 to 32, placed more importance on the technology capabilities of a venue than any other generation. Why? Because technology isn’t an add-on for them. It’s not even a ‘part’ of their life, it is them, it is their life. There’s an opportunity here for venues and event suppliers. When the future of meetings and events lies in the successful communication and collaboration of buyer and seller, all parties must understand the needs and wants of the other. For venues, attracting event buyers lies in communicating their unique technical facilities and strength of their team. For event suppliers, attracting buyers lies in the technology they offer and success of past events delivered. We’re in house at 70 venues across Australia and New Zealand, and as the only supplier to hold this accolade, we feel privileged to be able to offer innovative technical solutions; through the people with the know-how and the boundary-pushing products and services that we’ve tailored to each of our venues. Our technology includes the latest webcasting and live streaming technology, Event Feed – our real-time social media platform to boost event engagement, Event Poll which allows live voting, contests and question submission at events like conference and of course event apps. Plus we have the latest and greatest multimedia 3D mapping programs which project onto any 3D surface, offering phenomenal impact and uber-widescreen technologies to truly transform events. We’re seeing that generation Y event buyers are more interested in these technologies. Priorities of the decision maker have changed. Baby Boomers and Generation X had top priorities like quality, dedicated service teams and a superior food and beverage offering. Generation Y and Millennials are placing greater importance on location, technology and experiential learning aspects like team building. Each of these priorities open the door for venues and suppliers to be more innovative. Together, we’re set to see more and more creative and high-tech events, what better way to get that immensely satisfying wow-factor for you audience?! We’ve invested in all sorts of engaging solutions, ones that integrate technology into the heart of events. Engagement for us is not just a buzzword, it’s a critical event component that can allow you to transform attendees into a community of brand ambassadors. With society in general placing greater importance on digital communications and technologies, it’s no surprise that it’s a key desire for Generation Y and Millennial event buyers. This generation has grown up with limitless information literally at their fingertips, wherever they are, whenever they need it. Google, Facebook, Snapchat are all instant technologies that give the user exactly what they want. This generation is not waiting for the best sales call, they’re actively searching for thumb-stopping digital content, and they’re integrating it into their events at the speed of light! Recognising the pace at which technology changes, we’ve got a dedicated team whose sole purpose is the discovery of the latest technology from across the globe. It’s these technologies that can transform events and make them stand out from the crowd. We’re onto it. This article was written by Tim Morgan, General Manager of Venues for Staging Connections. Want to know more about event trends? Download our range of free White Papers today. ... Read More

Our General Manager of Digital, Tim Chapman, shares his two cents on why we should be webcasting our events and how it can actually generate you a profitable outcome. Making money from webcasting is not a new concept, the real challenge is producing content that people are willing to pay for. Asking people to pay for a low quality video with little or no interactivity simply does not work. Over the past year Staging Connections has taken a new approach to monetisation in the webcasting market by offering consultative sessions with our clients. We start by addressing the key outcomes required from the webcast which are most commonly an extra source of event revenue, catering to a wider paid audience and a cost efficient way to provide an engaging archival representation of the event. If the event attracts a fee to attend then a natural progression would be to charge for viewers to watch the webcast. The key is replicating the event in broadcast quality vision with a high level of audience interactivity to rival being there in person. The plan starts with the monetisation options and which will work best dependant on the event. Options include a pay wall using PayPal for attendee viewing, webcast sponsor(s) to offset the cost of the webcast equipment in return for static and video advertising, in webcast purchase of products or services and affiliate marketing opportunities. A rising trend is the use of paid webcasts for CPE (Continuing Professional Education) as many professionals must acquire a set number of points per year to maintain their qualification. The Staging Connections webcast platform differs to others on the market and makes the monetisation task much simpler. We start with a blank canvas and expertly design a HTML play page that incorporates all manners of monetisation opportunities. It starts with a branded registration page offering seamless integration to the pay wall feature. You are then transported to the play page where advertising loops in the video and slide windows surrounded by attractive branding with active links to sponsors showcasing their products or services that can be purchased directly. The page has a social media feed running and a chat room to keep everyone entertained during breaks with the chance just for the webcast viewers to win a prize in one of the pop up polls towards the end of the day. As the webcast draws to a close the viewer is redirected to information regarding the clients next event. The viewer leans back in their chair at the end of the day having downloaded the conference notes, met some new people on the web chat who have now become contacts on LinkedIn and generally been impressed with how good the camera quality and slide integration were all making the investment as a viewer very worthwhile. Written by Tim Chapman, General Manager - Digital, Staging Connections. Tim has an extensive background in combining technology into the event space. He is passionate about being at the forefront of digital trends and utilises this knowledge to build product offerings for the Staging Connections Group of Companies. Tim has developed a new webcasting platform recognised as one of Australia’s most advanced in functionality and continues to develop solutions using leading edge technology custom designed for the events industry. Want to know more about webcasting? Download our latest Event Insights white paper on Making Money from Webcasting Related Articles Launching Hobart 39 - webcasting The Benefits of Event Webcasting Take your event from stage to screen ... Read More

Feast your eyes on this stunning enchanted forest event theme we designed for this year's Victoria Racing Club Young Member's Ball. The night was a spectacular evening filled with performances including death-defying aerial-artists. Event Brief Staging Connections has been lucky enough to work closely with Victoria Racing Club over the last consecutive five years. Every year we are asked to create a fresh new creative look for each event theme that wow's and excited their guests. This year we were asked to turn the event venue, Crown Palladium ballroom, into a magical "Secret Kingdom" that continued to surprise and delight guests throughout the evening. On top of creating the overarching event theme, we had to design a themed pre-function area, as well as stunning table centrepieces and of course, the hero of the night, the ceiling installation. The Event Solution Through our clients mood board we conceptualised alternative room looks and styles together to come up with a different and a cost effect design for the ceiling installation. The idea of placing a large tree with a drooping canopy over hanging the central stage and dance floor was a key element our client wished to explore. Playing on the peacock colour pallet, the installation was made up of over 600 pieces of coloured fabric drops, fresh falling foliage and scattered crystal beads to capture the glistering light. We created a majestic 360 degree 15m x 14m border of hanging foliage which traced the outside of the dance floor. To add more depth and dimension to the installation we produced a secondary central installation above the middle stage, where a dense 3m x 3m filled arena of cascading materials hung lower, allowing this overall design to look full and luscious. Hanging garden ceiling installation By placing this installation in the centre of the room, it instantly created the wow factor and exuded an ambient forest and enchanted kingdom atmosphere, particularly when guests where up and dancing underneath. To depict the feel of a forest, the centrepieces and table design was a key factor in assisting this theme to fruition. Alternating heights of alike floras and foliage stood 1.5m tall and 40cm high wooden centrepieces filled the room within. Dark black linen and chair covers acted as the backdrop for the centres, coloured table pin spot lights allowed the florals to pop. Candy buffet by Hey Suga! The room was finished off with a brand new gorgeous navy blue drape line surrounding all four walls and with the use of gobos, were lit beautifully with silhouettes of moving branches upon entering. Large real-life potted trees were placed in-between tables, corners of the room and in the pre function area portraying the mystical forest guests were surrounded by. The over all style of the room would not be complete with out the use of technology. We where able to create this mysterious environment through the use of innovative lighting, and pioneering special lighting effects. Up to date technologies in audio visual, including sound, vision and lighting was the platform for this space to come alive. Performances by Applause Entertainment Placement of lighting within the ballroom was challenging and many plots were drawn up to ensure that highlights and shadows were cast in the right areas so the entertainment were clearly seen for all the audience to enjoy but the shadows cast from the trees and foliage created atmosphere for the theme. The gobos on the draping created a depth as if the forest extended into the night and the movement programmed by the lighting designer opened and closed the forest canopy beyond the ballroom. To start the proceedings a thunder and lightning storm erupted to silence the crowd and the trumpet call introduced the MC for the evening. Performances by Applause Entertainment Throughout the night acts entertained the crowd form a central stage and the sound system was placed in and around the foliage to disperse evenly on the audience. This dispersal was mapped out using software to find hotspots and flatspots and adjust accordingly. At any point through the ballroom the even quality of sound has to be maintained to give the MC and the acts the best possible coverage. Ian Howard, the Technical Director and lighting designer for the event, ensured the crew were on point and cued for each part of the evening. Being a dramatic event with heavy use of audio visual techniques his role was to ensure everything ran seamlessly from changes in room looks, to sound requirements and camera shots as well as managing lighting coordination with stage-hand movement on stage. The key to running a successful audio visual event is communication. To ensure a flawless and safe event all crew use talk-back radios and are clearly briefed prior to the event as well as participate in a full dress rehearsal to iron out any potential issues. ... Read More

Australia’s first Top 100 Restaurant Awards made a huge splash on the awards circuit earlier this year. The star-studded event brought Australia’s foodies, restaurateurs’ and celebrities alike onto Melbourne’s Crown Towers’ pool terrace for the highly anticipated event, proudly co-hosted by Crown Resorts and Fairfax Australia. Event Brief Staging Connections was approached by Crown Resorts and Fairfax Australia to assist and design a concept for the launch of the first Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants Awards. The challenge being - it was to be staged over the Crown Towers pool and house 450 plus guests. If that wasn't a huge logistical challenge in itself, we also had to consider the pool terrace was on a roof top, surrounded by potentially hazardous wet zones and was also open to the public. This challenged Staging Connections to get creative by putting our imaginative and technical minds together. Staging Connections presented a solution which ended up becoming an elegant and bespoke concept which was show cased in the media from celebrities and industry veterans. Audio Visual Solution Upon entry guests were welcomed with an extraordinary edible Tourism Victoria chocolate food display, a custom designed red carpet arrangement and 6m wide media wall, awaiting the media to capture their 'Kodak' moment. Once through the pre-function area, guests were ushered onto the pool itself which was temporarily covered with clear acrylic decking, allowing the 450 plus guests to see straight through to underneath water. Vision was a key factor in designing this concept. As most awards nights tend to utilise vision as their main source of presenting awards, a large screen was required that needed be viewed from all angles of the space. We needed to come up with a winning solution to allowing Fairfax to have their vision content count down from 100 logos down to the number one winner - Sepia. We faced issues of multiple floor-to-ceiling pillars blocking sight-lines and therefore projection was not an option. We designed and presented a record sized 25m wide x 4m high LED Screen in a 4mm pixel – high resolution screen. All floor mounted, this screen was the hero of the night. Staging Connections presented a concept which was a perfect solution to showcase all vision content at a high resolution scale, which allowed us to take up as little real-estate as possible. To bring this event together styling and decor elements where added into the space, over the temporary decking over the pool, existing floor areas and into the pre- function zone. As the event was all about the food, Staging Connections designed seven bespoke food & bar stations. Including a fun and quirky Gelato Station, ice chilled Salmon and Oyster stations, Champagne & Espresso Martini Bars and a 360 degree rustic Cheese station. This allowed all chefs’s to showcase their canapés and food in a variety of ways. Copper, white, green organic elements dressed the furniture and table centrepieces, along with additional potted fresh ferns and planter boxes to compliment the existing environment and surroundings. Melbourne favourites, Mad Hatters, and roving dancers performing in zorb balls over the water created exciting entertainment for the night. This would not at all be possible without current technology, state of the art sound systems and creative lighting effects. All which complete this over all look and feel of the night. ... Read More

For the first time, Tasmania will play host to a fun festival celebrating all things science and the International Year of Light. The very first Festival of Bright Ideas will present a diverse program of hands-on activities, science entertainment, and celebrity speakers. As part of National Science Week, the festival will take place over two days – 14 and 15 August and be held at Hobart’s picturesque Princess Wharf (PW1). Staging Connections are proud to partner with the University of Tasmania and Luminous Events in providing and managing all the audio visual equipment needed to make this event happen. The festival will showcase the full spectrum of the Tasmanian science sector and aims to offer a program that is accessible and collaborative, engaging all ages and interest levels of science. Some hot topics they’ll be shining a light on will be; What does your future look like? Why is everyone talking about robots taking our jobs? When do I get my hoverboard? Are humans going to live forever? What’s this bitcoin thing that people are talking about? Technology is moving so quickly but what does this mean for you? Speaking at the event will be Dr Angus Hervey and Tane Hunter who’ll be sharing their thoughts on what will happen as converging technologies and scientific breakthroughs ‘crunch’ together. To enhance the ‘Bright Ideas’ event theme, Staging Connections will create several hanging light-bulb installations around the venue, using the rustic ‘Edison’ type light-bulb. Over the course of the two-day festival there will be a host of family-friendly activities and presentations to attend. If you are wanting to get involved as an exhibitor and activity provider free of charge, you can still contact sustainability.learning.centre@education.tas.gov.au by 31st July to be considered. We look forward to seeing you there and becoming brighter! Here's a great video from last year's National Science Week - Tasmania ... Read More

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 1: Vintage Circus and Carnival || Part 2: 12 Days of Christmas || Part 4: Northern Lights HOLLYWOOD AWARDS Turn an old favourite into an on-trend event experience. Bring the Hollywood award party theme to a new era and enhance with a range of stylish and decorative props and decor. Create chill out zones with funky furniture, photo opportunities with photo booth backdrops and props, or even create zones to break up the room. To create intimate and unique areas within the venue space, we recommend using curtains, lush velvet drapes, or crystal curtains. These divide the room and inspire interest. Hollywood Awards theme moodboard and props The overall aim of this interactive end of year party theme is to make all guests feel like a true star. Strut your stuff on a glamorous red carpet entrance and strike a pose in front of a custom designed illuminated Hollywood Event Backdrop. We can even set up a lighting sequence, to imitate the flashes from the paparazzi cameras. Red carpet arrival for guests with Event Backdrop at the end. Whether a professional photographer is taking shots, or guests are doing their own ‘Selfies’, it’s a fabulous way to keep your guests excited and entertained. But don’t let all of your hard theming work go to waste! Staging Connections’ audience engagement platform, Event Tweet, captures your event’s Tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts via a designated hashtag and displays them instantly on-screen. Now everyone can have their 15 mins of fame. Event Tweet used at a recent gala dinner Nothing creates atmosphere better than sound. And with this event theme you are like a kid in a candy shop – with so many well-known soundtracks and movie sound effects to blast throughout the room all night. Use large impactful props like awards to create a Tinseltown sized impact and create a high end feel. Team the event styling with theatrical lighting such as moving spot lights on the red carpet, Hollywood inspired gobo projection and ambient up lights. Bring the styling to life with unique entertainment such as interactive Hollywood actors who perform through the crowd in costume. Or use Staging Connections’ audience polling platform, Event Poll, to vote on Best Dressed. You can also use this for your end of year staff awards. Event Poll was used to vote on Best Dressed at this year's Oscars. Top tips Be bold and create a large ceiling installation which can be a cluster of chandeliers, crystal curtains hung in interesting patterns or a cluster of large exposed globes. Fresh floral centrepieces are very popular at the moment, so create a sophisticated low line centrepiece. Simple, sleek table linen will compliment this theme and the table centrepiece. For a little extra attention to detail, create movie reel menus for each guest or place small movie clapper boards as a gift at each place setting. For something more grandeur, use height in your centrepieces such as oversized candlesticks, and use it over and over. Repetition makes a statement. Foreground: Table setting with mirrors for dramatic effect, Hollywood colours and Oscar statue. Background: Gobo 'Star' projections across the wall. Want to see what other predictions we have... Part 1: Vintage Circus and Carnival || Part 2: 12 Days of Christmas || Part 4: Northern Lights ... Read More

Event was broadcast over webcast with 3000+ people logging on Event received over 720 social posts some of which were displayed live via Event Tweet Australia’s first Air Warfare Destroyer (Hobart Class) launch ceremony On Saturday 23 May, NUSHIP Hobart 39 was launched from Techport Australia, Port Adelaide and Staging Connections were there to help see her off in spectacular style. The Hobart is Australia’s first next generation Air Warfare Destroyer and an important milestone for the Royal Australian Navy as well as for her builder, the AWD Alliance. Staging Connections was responsible for bringing the private event to the world media and public. The event generated a vast amount of media attention with the Commonwealth Defence Minister and a large number of senior naval personnel in attendance, as well as the South Australian Premier and other senior ministers. The Ship’s sponsor, Mrs Nicola Hodgman (wife of Tasmania’s Premier, Will Hodgman) officially named the Hobart and christened the ship with a bottle of local Bird In Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir. Together with local event manager, Big Fish Events, Staging Connections managed all production and AV for the VIPs, guests and those watching via webcast. It was a large and challenging environment as the location was outdoors on an active construction site located within a secure defence facility. Therefore, safety and security was paramount. Staging Connections and Big Fish Events worked closely with multiple teams within the AWD Alliance to ensure that all stakeholders’ requirements were met and that a memorable and fitting occasion was held. The team delivered an audio system distributed for multiple areas across the ship dock and worked with Big Fish Events to deliver the event logistics. Staging Connections installed numerous large LED screens for live camera and video footage strategically positioned around the area. This ensured all attendees had optimum viewing of the ceremony. Due to the location of the event being held within an active shipyard and Defence facility, Staging Connections provided a webcast that combined the audio and vision of the proceedings which were then distributed live to the general public. The webcast enabled several key stakeholders located overseas and interstate to be involved with the launch. To capture all of the social posts surrounding the event, Staging Connections also arranged for Event Tweet to be displayed live on screen - allowing well wishers to post their messages and engage with the event proceedings. On the day, the webcast received over 3000 views from around the world and is still available for viewing from this link. Event Tweet received over 370 users and 720 posts which were displayed live on screen at the event. Staging Connections were thrilled to be involved in such a momentous event in Australia’s naval history and wish her crew safe voyages and missions in the future. “Staging Connections was an integral part of making our Hobart Launch Ceremony a successful event. Not only did they provide the infrastructure and production capability that we required, but they also brought innovative solutions to our event – such as the Event Tweet tool and the live webcast feed. Having the Event Tweet tool as part of our event helped to increase our Twitter following and ensure that we were in the top 5 trending hashtags on the day of our event in Adelaide. Our live webcast received around 3,000 hits from around the world for a 90-minute event, with hundreds of people watching it in the subsequent days following the event. This global reach would not have been possible without our live webcast.” Danielle DeSantis | Communications Manager | Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance ... Read More

Holding an event? Here’s how to get people going hashtag-crazy … When it’s your responsibility to manage an event for your company, one thing you want to achieve is people talking about it. You want everyone at the event to share what they loved most, those joining virtually to feel part of the conversation – and for the event to trend globally on social media. That’s not much to ask for, right? Through virtual word-of-mouth your event can have a lasting impact on your brand, company, industry or culture that resonates far beyond the attendees. If you could capture the energy in the room, bottle it, cultivate it, multiply it, and send it out into the world like a social media snowball, you would! That’s where audience-engagement tool Event Tweet comes in. As the event buzz builds in the room and on social media, the purpose-built software captures the social posts that utilise the event hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and displays the posts on a screen at the event – after live moderation of course. Even those who are tech-adverse can join via SMS, so audience members find it almost impossible not to participate. Social conversations lift the impact and influence of the event outside the walls of the venue – with guests capturing and sharing their favourite moments, keynote insights or sporting goal via their social channels. This starts a conversation with like-minded people across state or national boarders who want to talk about your event, key messages and brand. The broad appeal of social media makes Event Tweet perfect for any event, from conferences and corporate events to concerts, social or sporting events – right for any occasion where you want people talking. Imagine your event's entire social conversation captured in one single thread, attracting others from inside and outside the event to the conversation. Event Tweet is Staging Connections’ new digital solution to keep your audience talking. It allows actual and virtual event audiences to join the art of conversation. It is a great and simple way for people who are not physically present to get involved; even webcast attendees or fans watching from home can be part of the conversation. Online, every topic has an audience. Make them yours. #makethemyours #everyonestalkingabout #eventtweet #stagingconnections #howeasyisthat? #talkability CASE STUDY: AUSTRALIAN TELCO TRENDING ON TWITTER In late 2014, a digital summit held by a major Australian telecommunication company explored the idea that the world is rapidly moving toward a complete digital takeover. They wanted technology that would give the audience in the room and around the world a voice to participate. With Event Tweet the event hashtag to trended No.1 nationally and No.2 globally on Twitter. At the event, Event Tweet kept the conversation going in real time, displaying live tweets, which included the dedicated event hashtag. Proving that content is king, attendees were highly engaged in the event, tweeting key insights from presenters, quotes from the speakers, opinions about the discussion and reviews of the event. Posts were monitored live and sent to key touch point screens across the venue, it was also pushed through to the YouTube stream of the event during speaker breaks. The client was seriously impressed with how Event Tweet was able to encourage and capture real event participation, allowing the bar for delegate engagement and delivery of their key messages to be raised to a new high. The event trended in Australia and globally with over 3,000 tweets shared accruing a reach of over 1.1 million! Love learning the latest in event technology? Download our range of free White Papers today. ... Read More