RUOK? Day is coming up on Thursday the 9th of September. The aim of this day is to normalise conversations around mental health and act as a reminder to check-in on each other, because a conversation could save a life. With everyone connecting online via Zoom/Teams, we thought a small way to help have the ...

A step-by-step guide to engaging attendees both online and in-person at hybrid events. Hybrid events are here to stay and they’re shaking up the event industry.  An Encore Planner Pulse study completed in April shows that ‘effectively engaging both in-person and remote attendees at hybrid events’ is the most important challenge facing meeting professionals. When planning a ...

The importance of rehearsing for Hybrid Events: How, Why & Watch-Outs! The secret to a seamless hybrid event is rehearsing! Encore shares top tips for event planners on how to have an effective rehearsal to get the best results. If there’s something 2020 has taught us it’s that we can never be too prepared. Rehearsals ...

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Ben Erwin, President and CEO of PSAV/Encore, provides his perspective on the current state of the events industry due to COVID-19, the impact to our company, the strategic adjustments we have taken, and his vision for the future as our new CEO. ... Read More

PSAV, a leader in global event production, today announced that Ben Erwin has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, and will maintain his current title as President. In his new role, Erwin will be responsible for driving the strategic direction of the Company and overseeing the execution of its business plan. This leadership transition occurs as PSAV continues to take a leading role in helping its customers adjust to the current environment of the meeting and events industry. Erwin succeeds Mike Mcllwain, who has served as CEO since 2011. “I am honored to assume the role of CEO during this pivotal time,” Erwin said. “We are focused on positioning PSAV for a return to growth and long-term success as we continue to provide creative solutions to our customers and venue partners.” Erwin continued, “On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank Mike for all he has done for PSAV during his tenure and, personally, for his mentorship and guidance to help me prepare for this role. His impact will continue to be felt by our organization long after his formal departure from the business.” “Ben has been an important partner in supporting PSAV’s growth over the last five years, and he has the right combination of leadership skills and financial and operational acumen to guide the Company well into the future,” Mcllwain added. “Along with our full Board, I am confident in his ability to step seamlessly into the CEO role and build on our more than 80-year history of helping to bring unforgettable events to life.” About Ben Erwin Erwin was named PSAV President in October 2018. In that role, he was responsible for global operations, sales and marketing, IT and product management. Erwin was hired in 2015 as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer where he was responsible for global accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax and product management. Before joining PSAV, he served as Chief Financial Officer for TestAmerica Laboratories, where he led all accounting, finance, treasury, information technology and legal functions. Prior to 2011, he served as SVP Corporate Development for Cornell Companies, where he managed corporate strategy, financial planning and analysis, public market capital transactions, and investor relations. Erwin earned bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science from Wake Forest University. He is currently serving on the board of directors for both PCMA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). SCHILLER PARK, Ill. – August 24, 2020 ... Read More

We’re all getting used to working from home, and that includes being a part of virtual events and giving virtual presentations. Connecting and inspiring people has never been more important, and at Encore, we want your presenters’ message to be heard loud and clear. While a professional recording studio environment is ideal, there’s a lot that you can do to improve what you already have at home. So next time you’re ‘live from the living room’ or arranging a virtual meeting, here are some helpful tips to ensure you’re maximizing the impact of your message. If you're planning an event with speakers who'll be presenting remotely, we recommend saving our 'Fail-Safe Tips' recap at the bottom and running them through it. 1. PLATFORM PLANNING BASICS When planning an online event or presentation from home there are a few useful strategies to consider for helping everything run smoothly. Using templated slides for introductory information like contact information and employing a script or ‘run of show’ document are two such options. Deciding in advance how to handle Q&A will help you avoid attendees talking over one another. A text or chat only option works well for large groups, while moderator selected unmuting is an alternative for smaller groups. When the day of your event rolls around nominate someone to help get the audience properly connected by answering chat messages. You could even have some pre-canned answers to common questions ready so they can be cut and pasted into the chat box. It can also help to have someone keeping time and remind presenters to stick to their window. 2. OPTIMISE YOUR HOME INTERNET Give your Wi-Fi router space to breath by putting it in ‘free space’ and not in a TV cabinet or hidden behind the couch. Make sure to check and tighten all cords and connections, then turn off other internet devices around the house including tablets and phones, video game systems, smart TVs and streaming devices. Maximise your internet connection reliability by going wired from your router to your laptop or if you have to use Wi-Fi close out all the other apps on your laptop and try to use 5GHz. Wi-Fi typically works best when you’re placed 1.5 – 3 meters from the router. Measure your internet bandwidth to check latency, upload and download speed and if your internet connection is poor, you can chat with a sales consultant to see what alternative internet solutions are available. 3. LIMIT DISTRACTIONS When choosing the ideal location to present from at home, select a quiet space away from distractions and away from others. Distraction is the number one killer of concentration and engagement, so put a “Quiet Please” sign on the door to the presentation room to avoid unwanted visitors. Small children and pets may want to sit this one out! During your presentation be mindful of distracting noises like rustling piles of paper, drumming fingers, squeaky chairs, mobile phone alerts, dogs barking and typing. 4. PRESENT YOUR BEST VIRTUAL SELF Once you’ve successfully removed potential background distractions, all eyes will now be on you! With that in mind, dress appropriately and professionally, so that your outfit does not become more memorable than your presentation. Avoid clothing with sequins, glitter or tiny stripes as they have the potential to flare light on camera, and obviously it’s not the time to wear loose, gaping shirts or entirely forget your pants. When presenting always look at and speak to the camera, not the screen. Have good posture and try not to slouch when sitting. You could even try standing up during your presentation to mimic presenting on a stage but do minimise unnecessary movement as it can be distracting to the viewer. 5. BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP! There is nothing more frustrating than when the trusty technology we’re relying on has other plans for us! So, it’s important to have a few backup options up your sleeve during your presentation to keep things running smoothly. For example, you can use computer audio for your main connection but dial into the audio from your mobile phone (but keep it on mute) as a backup. Avoid calling via Wi-Fi to prevent dropouts and have a printed version of your slides with someone else ready to share in case your computer fails. Determine a plan for what will happen if you really can’t continue, such as having a backup presenter on the line, a change of topic at the ready or ending the session with the promise of a recording later on. Most viewers won’t even notice minor technical glitches so try not to draw attention to them. 6. FIND THE BEST LIGHTING If you’re presenting from home there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to ensuring adequate lighting. In order to light your whole face from the front avoid sitting with your back to a window or you could be cast in shadow. Natural light does have its advantages, but you want to avoid potential distractions windows can bring, like passers-by or pigeons pacing the windowsill. A good rule of thumb is consistency and uniformity – so no dark spots in the room and no powerful bulbs which leave people seeing spots. If you wear glasses, move the light or camera until the glare is out of your eyes. Turning down the brightness of your monitor will also reduce glare. Try testing your lighting with your virtual backdrop and either adjust the position of your lights or position yourself to maintain a good background. 7. TEST FOR CLEAR AUDIO The quality of your audio really can make or break your entire presentation. The last thing you want is to have listeners straining to hear what you’re saying over crackling or dropouts. Look for good quality headsets and microphones which help reduce noise and disruptive echoes. Always use the best mic setup you have available - a wireless phone headset is often the best performing option, followed by wired earphones or lastly your webcam mic. For multi-party conferences, mute your microphone when you’re not speaking to avoid adding any additional background noise. 8. CHECK THE CAMERA SET UP Whilst we aren’t aiming for a Spielberg quality production when presenting from home there are a few things you can keep in mind to optimise image quality. Always clean the camera lens and position webcams at eye level. If you use your hands a lot when you present, even consider framing the shot to include your hands. Choose a suitable professional background, but while virtual backgrounds are available on some conferencing platforms, be sure to test them first. Appearing as a floating head or having half your face melt into the backdrop might not be the effect you’re after so wear clothes that contrast well with the background colour. If you are using a mobile device for video calls avoid unflattering or distracting angles. We recommend using self-view mode to test the angle of your camera prior to the video conference. Obscure camera angles might work for a movie director, but in a meeting environment they can be very distracting! 9. MIND YOUR MANNERS Just like when a meeting face-to-face, it pays to have good meeting etiquette when hosting and presenting online. Be mindful of attendees in different time zones and schedule your meeting appropriately. If you’re recording the meeting, it’s polite to let everyone know ahead of time you are recording and remind them again when it commences. Most importantly everyone needs to hear and be heard, so ask attendees to introduce themselves at the beginning, and if on audio only, ask them to state their name before they speak so everyone knows who is talking. Keep your meeting professional and on track by asking attendees to hold their comments and questions until the end. This will help avoid distractions from people talking over one another. 10. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT This may seem obvious but like with any technology, testing and rehearsing will give you the best chance for success when presenting remotely or hosting a meeting via video conference from home. If you have multiple presenters, also remember to practice handovers. Fail-safe tips for presenting professionally from home - a summary Know your way around the platform you're using. If you plan on using interactive features such as screen sharing, Q & A make sure you know how to use them confidently. Dedicate your Wi-Fi to your presentation by turning off other devices and be mindful of peak-times when scheduling your meeting such as school holidays when everyone is likely to be online. Remove any possible distractions such as pets, family members, other devices, even switching off email notifications pop ups. Impressions online count so think about your outfit, eye contact and gestures. Have Plan B ready to go if anything fails such as audio, video, if your Wi-Fi drops out or you can't access your presentation online make sure you have it printed. Find the most flattering lighting and avoid any glares from your environment or screen at nighttime. Test the audio and video components for crystal clear sound and vision and optimise the camera angle. Apply the same meeting etiquette virtually as you do in-person - think about introductions, let them know if you're recording, pause for questions etc. Practice makes perfect! Whilst this sounds obvious you can never be too prepared. SPEAK TO THE VIRTUAL EVENT EXPERTS Encore’s reliable virtual and hybrid event solutions can help overcome the challenges of bringing remote presenters and participants together for your event. At home, at work or at a venue, Encore has a solution to suit your needs. Discover our range of Virtual and Hybrid Event Services or get in touch with us to discuss your event requirements today! ... Read More

It is more important than ever for the events industry to stay connected to not only clients, but also speakers and talent, so as COVID-19 restrictions on live events are reduced, producers are charged with new ways to entertain and engage. We recently collaborated with ODE Management to deliver the Global Speaker Showcase Reboot! for the first time online. The solution utilised Encore's latest hybrid event technology to reach a global audience with presentations produced live from their Sydney and Melbourne streaming studios as well as other global locations. The production team enabled online viewers to watch presentations just as they would in the live environment and seamlessly switched between each of the virtual speakers located around the world. Key to this was supporting the MC with precise instructions and second-perfect production. The green screen was used to show beautiful, unique virtual backdrops and also content for the speakers presentations creating a dynamic virtual stage for the event. The solutions enabled ODE Management to provide a platform for their international speakers to send a message of hope and forward planning to a global audience. The multiple studio solution allowed the MC to introduce speakers from either location seamlessly as if they were all on the same stage. ODE Management created a network of speaker bureaus and national associations, providing the event a truly global audience. Over 2,000 online viewers from more than 50 countries tuned in during the three day program. Viewers watched 12 globally renowned presenters, including James O’Loghlin, Keith Ferrazzi and Yossi Ghinsberg who presented from a yurt in Tel Aviv. Each speaker provided an energetic 15 minute talk delivering a highly engaging 2 hour session over each of the three days. The event’s theme Reboot! conveyed the message that listening to thought leaders, disrupters and futurists is now more important than ever. Their motivating presentations encouraged viewers to strive for greatness and face the challenges posed by COVID-19. The event was a major success in terms of attendee numbers, seamless connection with live presenters around the world and requests from hundreds of viewers for more information. Leanne Christie, founder of ODE was delighted with the result commenting, “Encore was the perfect partner to produce Reboot! They had the expertise, the resources and creativity not only to deliver a live, global broadcast, but also with humour and a level of calm professionalism that kept each speaker confident they could simply focus on what they do best, deliver inspiring content. I am truly proud of this collaboration and know it will be a successful partnership for years to come.” Encore’s National Sales Director, Michael Magafa was equally pleased with the team’s efforts to ensure the event was delivered seamlessly around the world. “The team did a fantastic job of delivering an engaging an entertaining hybrid event online. There were many live elements and they ensured that each segment connected perfectly. The team created an event design with a focus of providing inspiration to the audience, even though they were not able to be in the room.” Click here to watch the presentations. ... Read More

Encore is taking the guess work out of how your event will look as we return to live events with event rendering software. Right now everything is uncertain. It feels like uncertainty has become the new norm, especially for the events industry which has been struck with the full force of COVID-19’s might. As restrictions ease and confidence grows, we’re seeing more businesses returning back to normal, albeit slowly. But one of the biggest question marks is what does that look like for events? With social distancing measures in place, capacity limitations, strict new hygiene measures and all sorts of tracing and detection devices being rolled out there’s a lot of unknowns for how events are supposed to look or run. Well, what if we said there’s a way to see what your event will look like, down to the colour of your napkins? Enter, 3D rendering. At Encore, we’ve found our clients have benefited from seeing a life-like render of how their event will look, giving them confidence and reassurance that still with COVID measures in place, the event will achieve its goals and ROI. >> These sound great, I want to find out more! 3D Render of Small Hybrid Boardroom Meeting with Social Distancing Applied. What is 3D rendering for events? 3D rendering is the process of using graphics software to convert 3D models into 2D images on a computer. 3D renders may include photorealistic effects or non-photorealistic styles. Thanks to advances in technology and hours of practice, 3D renders can be highly detailed including textures, styling elements such as florals, lighting hues and even include a variety of people in action. What events can be pre-visualised using rendering software? Renders are predominantly used to pre-visualise larger and more complex events with special concepts. These of course can be any type of event. From conferences to boardroom meetings, award nights and even large scale tradeshows - Encore’s in-house design team have developed an expertise for creating realistic event renders. In fact, we’ve even taken it further to create 3D rendered videos which we fondly call ‘fly-throughs’. As the name suggests, these videos give viewers the perspective as if they’re 'flying' through the space which we can set the height level. It’s incredible to see the level of detail captured in the renders and allows the event planners to navigate around the room and explore the event design from every angle. Fly-through 3D render of a corporate event with MeetSAFE guidelines applied to cabaret seating. “When we have a large event with lots of elements or a concept that needs visualisation, our 3D renders help explain our vision. During the design process they allow me to really investigate how different elements will fit into the event landscape. I can move elements around, look at it from every angle, try different colour combinations and work through all the possibilities that my imagination can dream up,” Encore’s Lead Designer, Georgia. View renders via a 360 Degree Virtual Tour Similar to how property inspections are allowing virtual tours, we can even stitch together still images of the renders so you can enjoy a 360 tour of the event or venue. We’ve found these 360 Virtual Tours offer a lot of benefits over the video ‘fly-throughs’ as they offer a level of interaction and we can load several options of renders to choose from with seating styles, lighting options, as well as different parts or stages of the event. As they’re accessible via a link, they’re also easily shareable without the need to download huge files to view. On the upper left-hand side of the screen, we can load several options for you to experience in 360 degree. Here's an example of a 360 Degree Virtual Tour of a Conference we mocked up. Click here to experience the 360 Virtual Tour Online Visualising social distancing for events with rendering software and our MeetSAFE guidelines Encore lead the way in the return to live events by producing MeetSAFE, a comprehensive set of guidelines which addressed the restrictions regarding social distancing and healthy work practices to ensure event attendees are safe. These guidelines were provided to our venue partners to give them the confidence that events at their venue will be delivered to the highest safety standards. Depending on the event’s concept or requirements, our teams can produce a rendered image or even a 3D video of how the stage, seating, distancing and directional flow will look while complying to the guidelines. 3D Render of conference with theatre style seating showing application of MeetSAFE's traffic flow and social distancing guidelines. For a large conference for example, we have the ability to create a render showing sufficient social distancing in place when seating is arranged theatre style. Our teams can even render a conference split into multiple breakout rooms with live streamed presentations to ensure all of the intended audience can view via multiple locations. For a gala dinner with several elements or a really unique stage look, our teams can help the event planner visualise the event via an illustration of the floor plan layout with adequate distancing, guests per table and how the directional flow of the room will work. When the concept is complex, we found event planners gained peace of mind from these guidelines and practices, but benefited even more with the knowledge of how their event would look with the safe practices in place. This can be a great selling tool for when event planners need to showcase their event vision to clients or managers who need a little more help visualising the idea. Our venue partners also benefited in that they could be confident in how the practices would work at their venue and that the Encore team could deliver seamless, safe events at any event space in their hotel. Help deciding on the perfect venue Only 16-percent of event planners say they’re “extremely certain” of their venue when they begin the planning process, according to the latest Global Planner Sourcing Report from Cvent. This stat means the vast majority of planners face a time-consuming process of evaluating proposals and visiting venues for fly-throughs. In this new COVID world, this can be time-consuming task. Encore has been busy working towards creating an entire library of content of our venue partner spaces including floor pans, renders and fly-throughs, and even 360 photos. This allows event planners to explore and review numerous venues from the comfort of their office. Whilst pre-visualisation content will never replace actually seeing and experiencing the space in person, they are the next best thing. 3D render fly-through showing social distancing applied to small hybrid boardroom style meeting. Experts in 3D event rendering images and videos As we return to in-person and hybrid events, event planners may find it difficult to visualise how their event will look. The new normal means reduced numbers of attendees, physical distancing, directional instructions for moving around a room and many other measures. Rather than tell you our idea, let us show you. Encore has been perfecting our event rendering techniques over the past few years and have come to master the creation of rendered images as well as ‘fly-throughs’. Visit our event rendering page to register your interest and find out more. ... Read More