Putting on a major event such as a conference or new product launch is a highly demanding undertaking. It's also one that has to be carried out flawlessly. Your organisation's reputation and bottom line depends on it. That's why it makes sense to work with trusted event partners. The complex task of staging a major event such as product launch, demands a rare and specific set of skills. Staging Connections has these skills gained in its 25 years of experience in putting on all types of events all over Australia and beyond. AV Hire from Staging Connections to the Rescue You'll find working with experienced technical event partners offers you a stress-free and effective way to handle the most complex project. Here's what we can do. Determine your needs and work with you to clarify what audio visual equipment you need. Then work out the best way to present that message through the media of av techniques and lighting. We also create the right style of stage set to fit with your company and the theme of your event. Install and setup all the technical equipment needed for the event. This covers the stage, backdrops and screens along with the full range of equipment needed to present your message. We create floor plans, work within the plenary and breakout sessions, setup and speaker preparations systems. It's a complex array of vital tasks that have to be done. To successfully carry out such an enterprise demands a rare blend of sound management systems, rock solid technical knowledge to ensure that all systems are in place and running to perfection, along with the artistic sensibility to create an event that impresses and resonates with all participants and viewers. This kind of management is vital to the success of your next important event. It's the kind of support Staging Connections has been providing to it’s clients the last 25 years. ... Read More

Our Sydney Event Director, Chris Lewis, talks SHOWcraft for events and how you can introduce the extra wow factor through living environments, live screen interaction, impressive presentation content and more. 1. Concentrate on the customer journey Be creative with your event design and ideas – think differently about the experience you want your attendee to have and how your brand elements can not only be integrated into the event but also how you can use this opportunity to create an interactive and memorable experience of your brand. The event brand should be consistent throughout every interaction and the look and feel should start with the initial correspondence through the invitation or conference website. The event brand should be consistent throughout every interaction and the look and feel should start with the initial correspondence through to the invitation or conference website. At the event it should be carried through all touch points - from directional signage, centrepieces, collateral and not forgetting the digital content. 2. Presentation Style With display technology getting better, brighter and clearer, the presentation of screen content is more important than ever before. Gone are the days of PowerPoint slides filled with words, words and more words as presenters are realising the need for rehearsed content, fewer words on screens supported by powerful statement images. It’s essential that the PowerPoint content for your event is not an afterthought and the appropriate time is spent authoring a presentation that is not only impressive (and branded!) but conveys your event message in a memorable way for the audience. 3. The Next Big Thing - Live Screen Interaction We are always on the lookout for new and exciting entertainment solutions and innovative presentation techniques, challenging the status quo of what has been seen before. Think about having a live performance choreographed that interacts with a digital environment; this will create new depth to the audience perspective and overall experience. Presenters are also getting into the act of interacting with live screen environments and we predict that you will see augmented reality in the presentation environment used more frequently in the next two years. 4. Stage Environments The keyword for many business’es this year is ‘accountability ensuring that each investment is effective and delivers a return with great digital content you can change your stage environments quickly without investing in heavy set pieces that need changing throughout the day. Projection mapping is a technology which can be utilised to bring a new dynamic to your event, a few simple stage elements combined with vibrant screen content creates a digital landscape that delivers a sense of depth to the stage environment and an engaging focal point. 5. Room Environments Next time you're planning an event make sure to consider the overall room environment. Your delegates will be sat in a room all day or night and it’s equally important that we enhance all areas of the environment creating an entire event experience in addition planning what is happening on the stage. Creative effects, clever use of house lighting, audio levels from speech to video, site lines from the audience to the stage even the level of air-conditioning right through to which water you choose for the tables. All these elements work together to create the overall SHOWcraft experience for your guests. Written by Chris Lewis, Event Director, Staging Connections. Chris has 20 years experience in the Special Events industry managing events ranging from small domestic meetings to large scale international events in Australia and abroad. His vast knowledge of event technologies and production management for events of all sizes has made Chris one of the most sought after Event Producers in Australia with creative know how and a passion for taking entertainment, technology and event solutions to their creative heights. ... Read More

As International Women’s Day quickly approaches on Saturday 8th March, it has reminded me to reflect on women’s roles, influences and especially their impact on the events industry. As International Women’s Day quickly approaches on Saturday 8th March, it has reminded me to reflect on women’s roles, influences and especially their impact on the events industry. Intrinsic in the day to day of those who work in the events industry is the theme for this year’s International Women's Day, “INSPIRING CHANGE”. It calls for challenging the status quo whilst inspiring positive change – what an opportunity! Certainly one of the most creative industries in Australia, the process of producing an event, offers the perfect platform to inspire change and ask the questions that will drive that change into effect. Events are held to create a return – for the guest and for the organisation. But the question really is - Why have they decided to hold or attend the event and what does that return look like? When you ask why, you find out that underlying reason that can help you inspire change in the return for all stakeholders. Never has there been an International Women’s day theme more relevant for women of the events industry! It’s our time to challenge the status quo, to get better results than ever before, to use technology not seen before, to find new and exciting spaces, to challenge our own thinking, to inspire our clients in new ways, to ask the hard questions, peel back the layers of the event process and ask why? It’s an opportunity to get to the heart of the meaning of events and many of you get this opportunity every day. So go on, step up, start asking why and then get on with inspiring the change you want to see. Written by Catrina Bennell, Venue Services Manager - Staging Connections I love the hustle and bustle of event and the way they challenge everybody to their best advantage. It’s great to see everyone working together to achieve a fantastic result. ... Read More

Social Media has revolutionised event marketing and as such has found a solid place in most event communication plans. Used as a key promotional tool it is driving awareness ahead of the event and helping improve attendee numbers, but is it helping improve the event experience and boost engagement during the event? Social Media has revolutionised event marketing and as such has found a solid place in most event communication plans. Used as a key promotional tool it is driving awareness ahead of the event and helping improve attendee numbers, but is it helping improve the event experience and boost engagement during the event? Many event professionals are still failing to capitalise on the huge benefit social media interaction can have ‘during’ the event. Whether it is a one day exhibition or a three day convention it’s more than establishing a hash tag. The challenge is integrating social into the overall event design, being responsive and broadening participation beyond the confines of the event space. It can be problematic as the person who manages social media is not always included in discussions around event production, especially the technical side of things like vision, multimedia and webcasting. But social interaction is key to the success and longevity of event as engagement improves loyalty. So how can you make sure you integrate social media into your event design to engage attendees and broaden participation? Let’s talk tech – Engaging Attendees Do a walk-through in your mind and make a list of what the attendee will see, hear, touch or feel from start to finish at the event. At each audience touch-point from the entrance, to the table setting, to the stage, think about how you can engage the audience in social media participation. Twitter is a powerful way to encourage real time interaction and instantly gives you more visibility. Make sure you discuss with your technical team how you can include Twitter into the different areas of your event. Display your key social profiles on strategically placed plasmas and projected onto screens/ walls and prefacing any presentations. If you have speakers encourage them to engage the audience, asking them to tweet questions using the event hash tag. You could use a Twitter scroll on the bottom of your event presentations and/ or on all your holding screens. As another option consider a Twitter Walls, they are a unique visualisation of live updates and will instantly capture attention. With any of these tools you need to understand the technicalities and discuss any concerns with your production team. You want to get the most out of your investment so ensuring these additions are branded and integrated into the same look and feel as the rest of the event is essential. Moderation is so important when talking about live feeds. They can be populated two ways, automatically or operator controlled. With the latter you have more control as to what is seen but whichever you choose it is important your technical team are fully briefed. Equip them with knowledge of your social profile details, hash tags and key messages and so they can moderate the feeds for you and remove anything that may be off topic or potentially offensive. Beyond the venue – Broaden your participation If you are successfully engaging with attendees at your event, it is the perfect opportunity to broaden participation by being responsive. Assign a dedicated team to manage your social media channels as this is the time you are likely to see more activity than usual. Having a dedicated team at the event means you can not only respond to attendees at the conference but also broadcast sound bites to engage those that may not be there in person. Pay special attention to providing insight into what is happening at the event and highlight why it is beneficial to attend in person. You can go one step further and invite those who could not attend the event to join in via webcast. Webcasting has come a long way from the days of dial up and has evolved as technology infrastructures have improved as well as production capabilities. Webcasting is now a fully interactive social tool as your recording can be live streamed through YouTube or your Google+ Hangout. Twitter feeds can be integrated into the design to allow the speaker to engage in direct questions and gain valuable feedback in real time. Discussing the logistical challenges with your production team will allow you to understand how best to utilise this technology. In conclusion, Social Media offers much more than a promotional platform for your event. Utilised to its full capacity, you can take your event to the next level and broadcast to multiple locations extending your reach and allowing the experience to live on long after the event has finished. The real challenge is integrating it seamlessly into your overall event design. To do this you need to discuss your key social media objectives ahead of the event with your production team. They will be able to suggest the technical solutions available and how best to utilise the technology to ensure social success at your event. Written by Katie McDonald, Digital Brand Manager - Staging Connections Katie McDonald is the resident Brit at Staging Connections. Armed with post-graduate qualifications in Marketing and specialist skills in Digital Strategy, she is passionate about management, execution, and measurement of all digital efforts that enhance and humanize brands online. ... Read More

Have you ever considered what impact the technical elements can have on the success of your event communication? Our National Trainer & Assessor Andrew discusses how event design and production can impact the success of your message delivery. Have you ever considered what impact the technical elements can have on the success of your event communication? This diagram shows how all the production elements work together in an integrated way to deliver the best communication outcome for your event. Audio Audio delivers the emotion for an event. Imagine you are at an auction, where the auctioneer is yelling and speaking very fast. This conveys a sense of positive energy and excitement around the subject matter. On the other hand imagine, you are at a memorial service, where the speech is very slow and considered with long pauses in between words. This conveys a sense of sombre energy and reflection around the subject matter. Vision Vision provides the stimulation for an event. Imagine you are at staring at a still image such as a graph for a length of time. This provides very little audience engagement and your mind goes to sleep. On the other hand, imagine you are watching a moving image such as a video, this will keep you engaged and alert as the imagery changes. Lighting Lighting affects the mood for an event. Imagine you are in a theatre, where the performer is spotlighted using dark colours and lighting angled upwards casting long shadows. This conveys a sense loneliness or isolation around the subject matter. On the other hand imagine the performer is spotlighted with warm bright colours and lighting angled downwards. This will convey a sense of happiness and enjoyment around the subject matter. By carefully utilising all three of the technical elements in unison, you will be able communicate with your audience through multiple levels of emotion, stimulation and mood. Written by Andrew Thorne, ANZPAC Trainer & Assessor. Andrew Thorne is ANZPAC National Trainer & Assessor and drives our technical training programs at Staging Connections, including our Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events program for new trainees. ... Read More

Our General Manager - SA/NT, Ashley Gabriel discusses the challenges outdoor events can present and shares his thoughts as to how you can make the most of your next outdoor event. Our General Manager - SA/NT, Ashley Gabriel discusses the challenges outdoor events can present and shares his thoughts as to how you can make the most of your next event. What epitomises an Australian summer more than attending an outdoor event? Apart from the weather, have you ever considered the other numerous challenges that face event producers when delivering high quality event experiences in outdoor locations? Things like: 1. Making sure the public attending feel part of a community or brand experience. 2. Keeping safety as paramount at all times. 3. And most importantly, creating an interactive experience for those attending and those watching at home. Whether executing an audio visual solution for over 750,000 spectators in South Australia or providing staging for a parade which attracts close to 400,000 people we have combined creative and technical elements to deliver a recent slew of outdoor events under challenging outdoor conditions. The Santos Tour Down Under, the southern hemisphere’s largest cycling race, held annually in South Australia is a prestigious road cycling competition drawing cycling greats from around the world. By working together with the team over numerous years, we have been able to determine the optimal location of speakers and screens at multiple sites throughout the week long festival of cycling. Over four hundred 100 volt Line Speakers were spread throughout the streets of Adelaide, its suburbs and country towns with over 30 km of copper cable for the street PA's used. In order to ensure the outmost safety for both the riders and the public, a bespoke audio system was installed into some of the race day cars which travel ahead of the parade. All of this combined allowing for all attendees to be enthralled with the unfolding action whilst ensuring the riders were not distracted from the task at hand. In celebration of the Tour’s 15th birthday acclaimed Australian dance music group, Sneaky Sound System took to the stage on Saturday 19 January 2013 to kick things off. We set the staging, concert lighting and LED screens withIn celebration of the Tour’s 15th birthday acclaimed Australian dance music group, Sneaky Sound System took to the stage on Saturday 19 January 2013 to kick things off. We set the staging, concert lighting and LED screens with live footage for over 30,000 spectators. We installed a comprehensive audio system suited the crowds, eliminating the audio bounce back that can often occur at outdoor events. Toward the beginning of Summer, we also assisted with the Credit Union Christmas Pageant in Now in its 80th year, the parade attracts over 400,000 people each year and many more for the TV audience. Our team of 12 staged the event with over 200 speakers along a 6km route through the city streets and over 60 individual MP3 audio systems in various floats and walking characters. We worked closely with the Pageant, even disguising two crew members as Clowns so they could ride in the pageant and fix any audio issues on the floats without taking away from the magic of the parade from either the live or TV audience. Although outdoor events present numerous challenges compared to Indoor ones, we find that our crew love taking on that challenge and working in the great Australian sun. Being able to contribute to a major outdoor event in a way which enhances the public’s enjoyment (whilst remaining relatively in the background) is part of the thrill the crew enjoy. With temperatures reaching 40+ and usually non-stop sunshine, we have developed logistics and plans to suit to all weather contingencies and ensure that not only our staff & general public remains safe but that the show goes on and all deadlines are met. Written by Ashley Gabriel, General Manager - South Australia/ Northern Territory. Ash shares with us that the best event he ever worked on was a Video conference for the Queen. He commented that whilst there were obvious challenges in ensuring technology worked in two countries, it was all worth it once the team saw the Queen smiling and amusing to see Prince Philip's reaction when he realised we were watching him back here in Australia. ... Read More

Our General Manager on Digital Event Services, Tim Chapman looks at the evolution of the product launch and discusses how technology can be harnessed to reach wider audiences whilst lowering costs for both the host and the attendee. Our General Manager on Digital Event Services, Tim Chapman looks at the evolution of the product launch and discusses how technology can be harnessed to reach wider audiences whilst lowering costs for both the host and the attendee. Last year Apple announced the launch of the iPhone 5 to the world via a webcast which could be viewed on their website. Corvette launched the highly anticipated Corvette 2014 through a live recording of the reveal which was streamed straight to their YouTube page. The list goes on; technology companies through to country music stars are all turning to the internet to get their message out. The explosion of social media, pressures of globalisation, increased competition and the need for all stakeholder relationships to be managed has left brand owners and product managers questioning the value of small in person events. High costs, limited audience reach and inconsistent outcomes have only sought to drive them to look for more innovative ways to deliver their message. At Staging Connections we have been lucky enough to be involved with many leading brands looking to change the paradigm and push the boundaries of event delivery. They want to reach a global audience, amplify their message through social media all while reducing costs. Technology is providing the answer to these challenges, allowing brands to broadcast to multiple locations, expanding audience interaction, creating interest through social media and above all, allowing the experience to live on long after the event has finished. Reaching a wider audience Video streaming is one way to invite national and global audiences to attend a product launch. Integrating video streaming allows organisers to commence a direct conversation with the end consumer not limiting engagement to just the media or industry. At the local launch of Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food campaign, in conjunction with corporate sponsors The Good Guys, we were charged with delivering a live cooking demonstration plus broadcast the launch online to reach a larger audience. What made this challenging was the remote location that was void of access to a phone line, ISDN or the Internet to assist in achieving the broadcast goal. The team used a unique piece of technology, allowing a wireless video link to be streamed to the Good Guys website. This directed thousands of people to The Good Guys site to watch the event live, and even more have gone on to view the event long after the launch day. Social Versatility Taking a product launch online increases the ability to engage in a different conversation with existing and new consumer networks empowering them to share your message via social media and amplifying the message. Recently we filmed and streamed a live feed of the launch of the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar via Nissan's YouTube channel gaining access to a wider audience geographically and demographically of more than 3,000 people. By combining a visual element; video streaming into channels like YouTube and adding a discussion platform with a Twitter feed, the audience has a three dimensional experience; an online event with the ability to share. This combination allows a significantly wider audience, offering the potential to send your messages around the world, creating a viral sensation. Working in Unity Going back to basics, your physical product launch requires an innovative and inspiring display that will entertain and translate for both your attending audience and online viewers. This can be tricky as the needs of both sets of people are very different. At the launch of Alienware's computers and laptops we executed an out of this world 3D light show using 3D projection and 3D mapping combined with stunt actors, pyrotechnics, sound and bursts of CO2 gas which was electrifying for the audience attending. We took a lot of time before hand setting up the cameras and testing the angles to make sure we had the correct vantage point to capture the action for the online audience. The future of product launches The challenge has been laid down more now than ever to change the approach of product launches. Staging Connections combine innovative techniques with a highly experienced team to deliver expertly produced creative launches that engage and motivate both the live and online audiences. Written by Tim Chapman, General Manager of Digital Event Services. Tim is continuously supporting and developing Staging Connections digital event components, looking for new and innovative ways to utilise technology to take any event from stage to screen. Tim comes from a background in corporate events where he pioneered large scale video conferencing projects and global webcasting of major events. ... Read More

Guest blogger Annmarie Mansour, Account Director at Zadro Communications, shares her top tips on making the most of your next tradeshow. Guest blogger Annmarie Mansour, Account Director at Zadro Communications, shares her top tips on making the most of your next tradeshow. As with any event, it’s the thought and work that happens before that makes the most impact. A tradeshow is one of those events that requires time to allow it to be a great success. There are a few simple steps that can be addressed in a targeted three step approach; Pre Show Preparation and Promotion, At the Show and After the Show. 1. Pre-Show Preparation A tradeshow is not all about shell schemes and stand size. Once you have booked your space, take the time to ask key questions and undertake some important steps: What is the purpose of your presence at the show? As with any element of your marketing campaign there needs to be a purpose to any tradeshow presence. Are you attending the show to launch a new product; introduce a new brand; create brand awareness or to generate sales? Nut down the goals of your presence to help you gain the greatest return on investment. Establishing clear goals and objectives gives you and the team clear direction. Dedicate some time to read your exhibitor pack. Exhibitor packs include policies and procedures, and ideas and steps to help make your time at the show a hassle free experience. Stand Design - you’re booked in, you know what you want to achieve and you’ve read your exhibitor pack. Now is the time to think about how to create the greatest impact and stand your company apart from your competitors. Conduct a pre-show briefing to train the staff who will be hosting your stand. The briefing should cover the show including layout and amenities; the stand and what it will look like; behaviour expectations, any special promotions you will have at the show and last but not least why you’re involved and what you want to achieve. Promotion You've booked your space, now it’s time to let everyone know you’ll be there. Invite your clients. Tradeshows are a perfect opportunity to invite your clients (current and prospective) to take another look at your company and your brand as well as starting a new conversation with them around new products; new team members and new ideas Take it online. Whilst your presence at a tradeshow is very much physical, use all the online resources you have to promote your participation in the show: Website - Add a blurb to your website about the show and share your stand number Social Media - Create a series of social media posts in the lead up focussed on what your key messages will be E-news. Use your own internal and external newsletter to start sharing information about your time at the show 2. At the show When you’re at the show there are so many more opportunities to making the most out of the show then just your stand Be Interactive. Encourage visitors to your stand with vibrant displays, videos, giveaways, tastings and most importantly, a refreshed, fed and energised team. Be Approachable. Tradeshows are not a case of if you build it they will come – you need to design your approach to start the conversation with attendees. Make sure all your team are aware of the conversation starters and confident in their own individual approach. Lead Generation. Make your team’s life easy – provide them with an easy to use lead sheet. Lead sheets that are simple to use help your team start the conversation with prospective clients at the stand and also capture the information you need to continue the conversation long after the tradeshow. Come Prepared. Ensure the collateral you have on your stand tells your story simply so that when visitors walk away they understand what you do but are not victims of information overload. 3. After the Show Follow Up. The success of your time at a tradeshow hinges largely on your ability to continue the conversation with those you met after the event. Assign the responsibility of follow up before the first day of the tradeshow and ensure it happens within 48 hours after the completion of the tradeshow. De-brief with your team. A tradeshow is a learning experience for everyone. Sit down with the entire team involved and discuss what you did well and what could be improved for next time. It’s amazing what ideas a fresh perspective can inject into your planning process for next year. All that said tradeshows are the perfect opportunity to show off your company’s personality through the team, the ideas and the inspiration that represents your brand! Written By: Annmarie Mansour, Account Director, Zadro Communications. ... Read More

LED lighting products have gained a certain recognition and acceptance within the corporate events space in recent years. Given this development I thought it might be interesting to have a look at what is available for companies like Staging Connections and what difference they can make to corporate events. Rocco has been part of the Staging Connections team for almost 15 years. With a wealth of knowledge from his work in major concert lighting, Rocco has a flair for transforming any event space into a unique experience. Rocco is involved in purchasing equipment for the Sydney business, and is always looking for new technology to give our clients an edge to their presentations. In this week blog Rocco discusses the benefit of LED. LED lighting products have gained a certain recognition and acceptance within the corporate events space in recent years. Given this development I thought it might be interesting to have a look at what is available for companies like Staging Connections and what difference they can make to corporate events. When LED lighting first came on the scene we were all quite excited and then like the rest of the industry, quickly disappointed. The products had no real punch or control that we saw would have any use to us, they were also extremely expensive in comparison to their traditional counterparts. Due to these restrictions we stayed with our existing product line using fixtures with lamps whilst keeping a close eye on developments from within the LED industry. Then all of a sudden some really cool products came our way! We looked at Cyc and wall lighting and found LED products that were 10 fold better than what we were using at the time. One of the biggest benefits is that with LED cyc lighting the lamps never get hot, making them much safer and helping us reduce risks at our events. Secondly the colour output is fantastic. These units are always in high demand and are always being turned around quickly to be delivered onto the next event. We then ventured out into the world of moving lights and found some great LED products there as well. The great part about these lights and LED in general is that they consume a fraction of the energy in comparison to incandescent bulbs, saving LED lamp life and power requirements. The reduction to our carbon footprint is huge. Whilst I have found some great LED innovations there are some areas that still need to catch up and a good example is with standard profile and wash lighting, which we use on nearly every show. These lights are our work horses in the industry and LED equivalent lighting has been produced to cover these items but the expenditure to buy these lamps far exceeds the purchase price of the similar lamp in a non LED brand. I am sure that these items will come down in price and we are always keeping a keen eye on current releases in the industry to find better, brighter and more efficient ways to light our shows! Written By: Rocco Anzellotti, Technical Director, Staging Connections. Image Credits: Unless stated otherwise, all sourced images are owned by us ... Read More