Audiences are no longer spectators, they expect more – to be a part of the action. Immersive marketing techniques will allow you to engage them in every element of the event. Not every event has the Hollywood movie budget to allow a completely theatrical and immersive experience, however there are three easy tools that can be deployed that will boost the audience’s engagement at events. Today, most brands recognise event marketing as an integral part of their integrated marketing portfolio; deepening relationships that have been built in person, online, on devices and through interactive media. And the proven result is that brand awareness skyrockets! Branding an event is about keeping your key messages clear, and in the mind of your attendees. You want them to remember the call to action and the company or product name long after they’ve left, so you can get the best return on your investment. That’s why it’s vital that any logo or naming is prominent throughout the event experience – prior to arrival, through the event itself, and at any other additional events such as dinner or awards presentations. Your options have increased from the standard vinyl banners and signs, to now an almost unlimited palette of tools, so take advantage of the latest physical, social and digital opportunities to engage your audience. 1. Digital immersion Immersive marketing is about creating an experience that totally captures your attention and digital techniques have all the power here. They’ve become the new black, offering a number of high-powered, large-scale projectors, projection mapping and flat panel displays that can catapult brands front and centre. LED walls, pixel mapping and digital signage are all techniques that can surprise and delight your attendees, and leave a lasting impression. See all the latest digital trends featured at this year's InfoComm conference. 2. Social immersion The best way to define what makes an experience immersive is to see how it differs from non-immersive events – does the branding interrupt the flow of the event? Do the messages feel clunky or forced? An immersive event will seamlessly and imperceptibly integrate the brand into every element of the event so capture your audience’s attention and let them create a buzz for you online. Create snap-worthy physical experiences and attendees will be dying to share the content with their friends and colleagues on social media. If you can convince your audience to post the event’s content to their networks using your company or event’s hashtag, incorporating your graphics and spreading your message, then you will have gained some of the most valuable endorsement possible - word of mouth. This sort of two-way communication can be achieved by integrating social integration platforms such as Event Feed, into your event. It encourages attendees to get involved and become an integral part of the event, thus immersing them in the event from a social perspective. What is Event Feed? Event Feed allows you to capture your guests’ tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts via a dedicated hashtag and displays them instantly on screen for all to see and comment. It’s great for encouraging that festive cheer and if everyone is going to be posting anyhow, why not take advantage of that? Private Events: If your event is private and you don't want the posts going public, Event Feed can also provide a closed platform where your colleagues simply upload their images and messages at a secure online location which Event Tweet then pulls from. For more information please visit the Event Feed product page. 3. Physical immersion There’s still a huge range of applications for tangible, three-dimensional objects to support your message, and depending on your event, budget and brand they can sometimes be more effective than their digital equivalents. People absorb and retain information from a book differently than a screen, and different people respond to various mediums, so cover your bases using physical displays as a solid reinforcement of your brand that can be touched and shared in way that an electronic image can’t be. Event Backdrop by Staging Connections is built by stretching custom-printed nylon across a high-tech aluminium frame and comes in a variety of standard sizes so you can surround and immerse your audience in visual displays from $2,500. What is Event Backdrop? One of the hardest things event planners face is striking the right balance between styling and branding. If you go too far towards styling your brand gets lost, but if you go too heavy towards branding your event becomes too corporate 'dry'. So what if we told you there is a simple and cost effective solution to get the best of both worlds? Introducing our latest branding solution, Event Backdrop. Now your branding can be integrated into a stunning custom designed backdrop, printed in photographic quality onto canvas. It's the perfect way to marry your styling and branding and guarantee your branding features in photos. Event Backdrop can be used for all event sizes and types as it comes in 3 sizes and can be internally lit or projected onto. For more information please visit the Event Backdrop product page. Whilst a product launch featuring 3D projected aliens jumping out of caravan may be an immersive experience, consider whether or not your event requires stunt theming, or whether you can tailor these three marketing strategies listed above to create an experience that too immerses your audience in the brand and key messages of the event. Related Articles The Next Frontier: Immersive Conferences Staging Connections is now part of the Freeman Co family - the world's leaders in brand experiences. If you have an upcoming event you need to plan and need ideas for how to best create an impact whilst delivering against your objectives, contact us today. ... Read More

In an Australian first, Staging Connections partnered with Mirvac to bring the spirit of Christmas to one of Central Sydney's largest shopping centres, Broadway Shopping Centre. Mirvac approached Staging Connections with the opportunity to create an unforgettable lighting installation in Broadway Shopping Centre. With the true meaning of Christmas at the core of the project, Mirvac aimed to bring joy to each of the +1.3 million pre-Christmas shoppers who enter the centre during the month of December. Event Brief To ensure the installation created a premium Christmas shopping activation, it was important the project delivered: A unique Christmas experience – never before seen in Australia Innovative use of technology A multi-sensory experience Event Solution Inspired by UNESCO’s Year of the Light, Staging Connections produced the concept of Luminous, a revolutionary kinetic light show featuring a matrix of 39 specially constructed LED light spheres that wowed shoppers, with choreographed movements synchronised to a dedicated Christmas sound track. The show involved a series of six different Christmas themed experiences, including Joy, Love, Giving, Sharing, Hope and Peace. The performances were scheduled to commence every half-hour, rotating through each of the six routines which lasted between 3 to 5 minutes each. The free show wowed shoppers with views of love hearts and Christmas trees that formed from the light spheres. To maximise visibility of the installation by shoppers, the sphere lights were suspended above the shopping centre’s central void, at the entrance, by a 6m x 5m grid of truss which supported the 39 individual 350mm LED lights, each attached to 9m winches which allowed isolated control of speed and direction. The elite software required to manipulate the individual lights was not previously available in Australia and had to be sourced internationally. This cutting-edge technology was utilised to produce the complex patterns and shapes that were core to the show. Using the latest AV Equipment The GrandMA was the primary control system along with a 3D Media Server managing the spheres in the 3D space. The spheres were mapped in virtual 3D space within the 3D Media server, which also generated programmable movement patterns which could be recalled via Artnet DMX from the GrandMA. The movement of each sphere was converted from “Movement in Metres” to DMX values and sent back to the GrandMA, where it was then merged with the colours being triggered from the GrandMA. Using the Agenda item on the GrandMA we were able to trigger the 3D Media server to playback the audio track. Each audio track was converted to Mono on the Left channel and striped with Linear Time Code (LTC) on the Right track. When the GrandMA received the time-code it would execute all cues from that point on. The scheduler ran each show every 30 minutes from 1000-2100 for 29 days. The team also had the ability to ‘remote in’ to trigger shows manually, adjust the volume or change the schedule. In addition, there was a sub system that would send an email if there was something wrong with the system, alerting the team to run a system check. Iconic Christmas tunes played from two dedicated PA systems anchored on level 1 and 2 at either side of the void, creating a multi-sensory experience to capture the magic of the Christmas spirit for shoppers. Mirvac encouraged shoppers to share their experiences of Luminous via social media which resulted in numerous videos and images being shared on Instagram, providing the client with positive online exposure and personal recommendations from shoppers sending their friends and family to the centre to witness the production. Related Articles LED Yo-Yo Ceiling Installation for Million Dollar Lunch Awards night uses projection mapping for WOW-factor stage design Transform your event with these creative stage designs ... Read More

There’s literally an app for everything these days. As in every area of human endeavour, smart phone applications are used to enhance, improve and connect our event experience to the rest of our digital lives. Your audience can benefit from up to the minute event updates, location-based awareness, detailed information and special offers, all in the palm of their hand. Event organisers benefit from attendees engaging with and promoting the event beforehand, maximising your exhibitors and sponsor’s satisfaction while on-site and accessing useful data from your audience through active links such as Event Poll. Event apps are now an expectation at major conferences, exhibitions and other similar events. Whenever there are multiple sessions, several active rooms and competing options for a delegate’s attention, an app is a welcomed tool to navigate what’s important. If an attendee uses an app to ensure that they see who they are most interested in, hear talks on the topics most relevant to them and therefore get the most out of their time, they’re more likely to return to the event next year and recommend it to others. The app itself can also be the platform by which their recommendation is broadcast to their network via links to social media channels. Make your event app your digital Programme Some of the efficiencies of using an app as an event programme are self-evident. Apps don’t need to be printed, transported, mailed out or stacked in boxes at the event to be handed out. If there are last-minute changes, they can be updated easily and distributed to all attendees instantly. Using an app will drastically reduce your event’s carbon footprint and environmental impact. The economic advantage of a programme to the organiser, namely selling advertising space, is easily retained. In fact, the capacity to advertise in an event application is greater than print – advertisers can run interactive content, link to their websites and even run video. Event organisers can package advertising at multiple price points with varied levels of sponsorship. An event app promoted properly in the lead-up period is a powerful promotional tool in itself. A concerted campaign to get the app used before the event will help increase visitor numbers by building anticipation. Your audience can start using the app to plan out their visit, book into certain sessions or make appointments to meet with specific people. They can then recommend the session they’re attending to others by linking to their social network, share the link for the event, or get further recommendations on what’s hot at the show through in app bulletins. Event apps let you communicate and provide information to all of your attendees instantly Promote your app heavily and widely with a decent lead-time before your event. Links to the app should be included in all of your electronic communications. This includes regular emails to your customers, dedicated mail-outs to your database, frequent mentions and links on your social media platforms and in all print advertising for the event. Aim to have the app users promote the app itself – provide rewards in the form of giveaways, discounts or special ‘access’ to speakers or sponsors as a motivation to share the app with others. An event app is the best way to link attendees with the colleagues, suppliers or speakers most important to them at the event. A professional social network like LinkedIn provides a fantastic tie-in to a well-engineered event app. In the weeks leading up to the event, app users that have tied their LinkedIn accounts to their app presence can see who among their existing connections is also attending, and have other members that are not yet connections suggested to them as valuable business contacts. A user can then build an organised calendar of appointments, catch-ups, seminars, social events and supplier meetings, guaranteeing their attendance and maximising value for time and money. Using the event app on showday Even as the event opens and the audience pours in, keep promoting your app. Make highly visible references to the app and how to download and install it throughout the venue. This can done via lanyards, digital signage, goodie bags, flyers and posters around the room. You can assist people to do this by providing easy instructions on how to connect with the URL and access code prominently displayed. QR codes, posters and mentions in all seminar introductions and speeches will all drive your audience to engage with your app. When your MC or main speaker kicks off the event, ask them to promote the app, explaining what they can access and encourage all attendees to download. While the utility of your app is obvious to you and the early adopters at your event, some of your audience may need another motivation to browse it and then discover its value for themselves. You can increase uptake by offering giveaways, exhibitor prizes or sponsor discounts that are exclusive to app users. Make the announcements prior to exhibitors so they can spread the word. Make it clear how to find the app and how to benefit from the in-app prizes and concessions. Event apps let you upload a variety of useful event information The usefulness of your app to your audience depends completely on the kind of information and content included. Your attendees will expect easily navigable maps of the event, with locations of exhibitors, function rooms and utilities clearly labelled. Real-time location-based services such as Google maps can assist in local area navigation if the attendee leaves the venue. Agendas that can be used to create an event schedule for the user are another must-have. Bios of speakers and abstracts of their presentations should be included as part of the listing. In a tradeshow format, or any other event with multiple suppliers showcasing products, an app offers a broad canvas for information. Exhibitors should be encouraged to include as much engaging detail as is practical, from personnel profiles of who’s on their stand to a video showcasing their products and services. Your mutual aim is to drive as much traffic to their stand as possible. Get them involved with product giveaways and encourage them to promptly respond to emails received by attendees through the app. The more value they feel the organiser provides to their presence, the more likely they are to return to the event. Using an event app gives a streamlined end user experience As an attendee who is using the app, this is your ideal show; you have set up appointments with some of your existing suppliers and some potential new ones on their stands. This saves all of the time-wasting and occasionally embarrassing waiting around at busy exhibits trying to speak with your contacts. Through using the app in the weeks beforehand, you’ve managed to set-up a lunch with some like-minded colleagues from interstate and overseas, which turns out to be the start of a successful project. During your meetings and conferences, you’ve connected digitally with new people you’ve met. This is a stark contrast to the collection of business cards and half-remembered conversations that used to be the aftermath of trade events. During the key-note speaker’s presentation, you participate in live Q&A through Event Poll and see your Selfie on the big screen via Event Feed. Your reaction and follow-ups on social media are read by your customers and followers outside of the event, promoting your brand. Get Appy Deeper engagement from your attendees leads to greater satisfaction, a higher likelihood of participating again in the future, and a greater likelihood of recommending the event to others. Higher foot traffic and deeper customer engagement for your exhibitors means a greater chance of getting their repeat business. Good attendance from interested audiences at sessions promotes your forum as one that leaders want to speak at. Apps help all of this to happen by making it easier to link people with who and what they are interested in, and get them to the right place at the right time. And after the event a platform that can be edited for next year. This article was written by General Manager of Digital at Encore, Tim Chapman. Get your own event app for free! Encore’s event app platform is called Cumulus. We believe every event can benefit from instant communication with attendees so we've made this available for free when you use Encore for your event services. The Digital team have extensive experience to ensure that your message, your audience and your presenters get the most out your app. Talk with the team in the planning stages of your next event to find out the best ways to create your content, distribute your app and use it on-site. Every potential attendee is carrying the perfect platform for you to promote your event and share it with the world – seize the opportunity to help your audience build your event! If you are interested in finding out more about Cumulus, get in touch with an Encore representative by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an online enquiry. ... Read More

Webcasting is a useful, and easily accessible technology for corporate events; especially those wanting to engage a wider audience and spread the key messages of the event, or the content presented by speakers, further than the in-the-room audience. Recently, the Petroleum Explorers and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) held their annual conference, NZ Petroleum 2016 for 400 attendees at SKYCITY Auckland. Their remit was to showcase the best and brightest from the country’s oil and gas industry, and around the world, at their premier three day event. The objective of the conference was to celebrate the success of the industry, showcase solutions, and highlight the future potential of the sector. This was the first event that Encore (known then as Staging Connections) had managed for this association, through the event management organisation Avenues Event Management, so the team carefully created an audio visual solution to support the conference plenaries, breakouts, an exhibition and conference dinner for the 400 attendees. To further maximise the value of the content being presented in the plenary sessions and the breakout sessions, the Encore New Zealand webcasting team captured the video footage and then uploaded it to a branded and custom designed webskin for viewers from around the world to watch. The benefits of webcasting your conference or corporate event Having the video of the speakers alongside their presentation content via an on-demand webcast enabled those interested in the conference - who couldn’t attend in person - to still be engaged by the association in the key messages of the conference. How the conference webcast worked: Captured valuable data via webcast login details Maximised the return on investment of high profile speakers in attendance, by securing a larger than normal audience Enabled the event management organisation to use tangible statistics of who had viewed the webcast, how long it was viewed, and provided insight into the most popular topics and speakers Ensured that content was filmed and saved, letting the association utilise pieces of footage in their marketing, on their website and across their social media channels to build hype in the lead up to their next event Continued the branding of the association via the custom designed webcast platform ensuring all the live and online visuals matched The conference’s key objectives: to celebrate the success of the industry, showcase solutions and highlight the future potential, were achieved via live and online audience engagement. The key messages and content shared by global thought leaders reached a wider audience than they would have without the webcasting technology and the event managers utilised the webcasting statistics to further prove the success of the conference and return on investment. Webcasting is a win win for conferences! Find out more about about Encore's event webcasting services. What did the client say? “Following a competitive tender to provide comprehensive AV services to our March 2017 conference at SkyCity in Auckland, we selected Encore. Their proposal was compelling at both a technical excellence and economic level. Our requirements included the webcasting of all plenary and breakout sessions. These needed to be compelling, easily accessible and accurately represent the “feel” of the live presentation. Encore delivered on this requirement, producing a fantastic resource that has viewed many times and received great external feedback. With delivery capability and innovation like this, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Encore for AV services”. Cameron Madgwick, Chief Executive, Petroleum Exploration & Production Association of New Zealand (host of the annual New Zealand Petroleum Conference. Partner with the webcasting experts for your next conference Encore offers Australia's most customisable webcasting platform. Whether you want to simply reach a wider audience, sell access to your event online or host your event during work hours - webcasting may provide the perfect solution. We have partnered with countless local and international brands to deliver webcasting services for all kinds of corporate events. From company announcements, through to educational seminars, conferences and sporting events, our webcasting platform can be tailored to suit your event's needs and objectives. Find out how webcasting can increase your event's return on investment by speaking with a Encore representative today by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an online enquiry. ... Read More

Around 350 of Sydney’s event industry elite turned out to witness the unveiling of Hilton Sydney's latest multimillion-dollar development, a new conference and event space spanning three levels. Whilst experiencing the new state-of-the-art AV and technology installed by Encore Event Technologies (previously Staging Connections), guests were also treated to a host of stylish extras including entertainment by Opera Australia, MC’ing by singer Rob Mills, a four-course banquet menu, as well as delicious cocktails from their popular Marble Bar and Zeta menus. Working closely with Hilton Sydney as the in-house AV and event services provider, Encore were tasked with showcasing three newly refurbished event spaces designed by Joseph Pang. The purpose of the launch function was to reiterate the hotel’s commitment to providing diverse and world-class event venues and service and demonstrate the countless possibilities the new spaces provide event professionals. Encore's in-house team at Hilton Sydney provided the full suite of AV services for the C&E Showcase and collaborated with the event team to create interactive centrepieces. The team installed high-end audio-visual services to complement the architecturally designed spaces, through customised screens and placeholders to demonstrate what possibilities the new refurbished levels could accommodate. An ultra-widescreen projection blend screen that expanded the full 29.5m width of the Grand Ballroom highlighted the impressive expanse of the space. Customised backgrounds and Hilton Sydney logo were superimposed over the screen, ensuring the projections had a clear quality. Stylish and subtle event styling allowed the architectural and design features of the new event spaces to be fully appreciated by guests. Table settings incorporated elements and ingredients from each course, with the centrepieces swapped prior to dessert to include edible sweets and small petit fours hidden inside the centrepiece, adding an interactive aspect to the styling. Special Touches In a special offering Encore provided Hilton Sydney with a powerful social media platform, Event Feed, allowing attendees to interact with each other and the venue throughout the evening. This added application amplified social media engagement by encouraging attendees to post about their experiences, and allowed for prize winners to be selected at the end of the evening. The Outcome Encore produced a seamless and successful event for Hilton Sydney. Guests were immersed in the hotel’s elegance through a tour of each of the three new levels, before entertainment by the Opera Australia’s two principal artists Julia Lea Goodwin and Simon Kim, accompanist, John Haddock and the Opera Australia Brass, was provided and a lavish four-course banquet was served. The client was impressed and thrilled with the state-of-the-art AV and technology provided by Encore allowing guests to fully experience and appreciate the new spaces. ... Read More

The second annual and fiercely competitive, Hilton F&B Masters is a multi-faceted competition that encourages Hilton food and beverage employees to showcase their talents to both management and industry colleagues. With a recent $4 million dollar refurbishment, Hilton Brisbane was the perfect venue to host the prestigious event. As in-house AV and event services provider, the event ...

Thinking outside the box comes naturally for Encore Event Technologies (formerly Staging Connections) and Catch Boxis no exception. Introducing new products that can propel our clients’ next event into an extraordinary experience is part of our DNA. Our innovative team are always on the hunt for the latest technology that pushes the boundaries and delivers a more connected, interactive experience at every corporate event. Imagine giving every event attendee their chance to be heard by simply throwing a soft foam cube-shaped microphone around. Even in the most crowded of conference rooms, your attendees can be heard through the throwable microphone with the same quality as a hand held one. No more awkward pauses while people are waiting for the microphone to be passed to them, and no more event runners slowing down the presentation to get to questions, jilting the pace of the event. Catch Box is a new technical innovation that increases Q&A audience participation – encouraging even the shyest of attendees to get involved, whilst creating a lively and fun discussion. It breaks down the barriers between speakers and attendees, encouraging a more cohesive and collaborative environment. Remember, attendees come to your event to learn, share knowledge and find out more about what interests them – but unfortunately most don’t get the opportunity to participate, and their engagement can be lost. With Catch Box you can hand the attention over to an audience member in the time it takes throw a ball! Participants speak straight into the soft, cubed microphone and then can easily throw it over to the next person in the audience, maintaining the pace of a normal, free-flowing conversation. With wireless technology and the opportunity to own your own with your corporate logo, this addition to your presentation is dynamic and memorable. Everyone loves an interesting, accessible way to participate - it lightens the mood, encourages excitement and the sharing of ideas, whilst elevating the excitement of the whole room. Let your audience speak up and they will continue to be inspired long after the event is over. So, when you’re planning your next corporate event, charity auction, sporting awards, gala dinners or Q&A sessions – Catch Box provides the platform to facilitate questions effectively, comment on the content, or even make a bid. Catch Box creates lively, fun discussions that are entertaining, engaging and stimulating – all you need is good aim! If you want to maximise engagement at your next corporate event, simply send us an enquiry and one of our team members will be in touch! -- ... Read More

2017 was certainly a big year for Staging Connections - we launched new products and won 17 new venue partners, bringing our total to over 80. Our teams delivered a whopping 35,000 events for our valued clients, delivering conferences, gala dinners, incentives, sporting events, roadshows and everything in between! We continued our pursuit of the very latest event technologies and made improvements to some of your favourites like our free event app, social media platform, webcasting and more. Our creative teams also continued to shine, delivering on-trend styling, creative set designs and multimedia content that delivered an amazing brand experience for attendees. Whilst we can’t talk about every event delivered in 2017. We are proud to share with you some of the highlight corporate events our teams produced around our offices. Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust Venue: Brisbane City Hall Event Type: Gala Why: Our Southeast Queensland team delivered a truly multi-sensory experience, including their largest projection mapping activation to date. Over 460 attendees gathered at the impressive Brisbane City Hall to raise funds and awareness for the Lord Mayor’s grants programs, providing much-needed assistance to deserving charities across the city. As the onsite event services provider at Brisbane City Hall with EPICURE, Staging Connections created a glittering ‘There’s No Place Like Oz’ themed evening. Using a full suite of audio visual services, our teams immersed guests in a multi-sensory experience from the moment they clicked their heels and followed the yellow brick road into the City Hall. Every space within the venue was transformed to represent a different scene from the iconic movie, re-telling the story as a live event experience. The entrance was brought to live as Kansas complete with Dorothy’s House and the iconic ruby slippers, and dramatic hurricane. Inside the auditorium, the Emerald City story continued transforming it into four separate spaces– the Wicked Forest, Cornfield, Munchkinland, and Poppyfield. Staging Connections Southeast Queensland team executed its largest projection mapping activation to date, to great success: the projection mapping on the walls displayed iconic scenes from The Wizard of Oz movie, mesmerising guests for the entire evening. Further immersive technical theatrics rendered the space unrecognisable, including vivid balcony lighting, segmented silent auction spaces, and an animated projection of ‘The Wizard’ onto the City Hall’s grand organ, creating a virtual ‘MC’ who interacted with the live presenters. Honda Motorcycles India Venue: Sydney Showground Event Type: Incentive Why: Delivering this incredible large-scale incentive with only 2 weeks notice is a great reflection of our teams’ expertise, knowledge, perseverance and creativity. Staging Connections were engaged by Encompass to produce an exciting, dramatic extravaganza for over 1000 Honda India employees and dealers, including a cocktail function, business session and gala evening. Confirmation was received merely two weeks from show day, leaving Staging Connections to go into overdrive to see it delivered seamlessly. The theme of the incentive event needed to incorporate the company's values and theme of RAW 6.0 (Reach, Acquire & Win), with a key component to showcase the new range of motorcycles' ability to easily transition from city to outback. The end look of the event was developed taking a literal approach to the ‘Raw’ theme. The event was centered around a huge 48m x20m ‘V’ shaped stage which split the room into two distinct landscapes – city and outback – two key components of theme. Decorating the stage with bushland and a city skyline provided the perfect setting on which to display the the motorcycles. The stage was framed by a stunning illuminated backdrop spanning 55mx3m, casting a silhouette resembling the Australian outback and city. The end result was a turn-key event solution provided by Staging Connections, from AV and lighting through to entertainment and production with the aim of providing guests with a money can’t buy experience, proving Honda to be a world class company. “Thank you and your wonderful team for all the help and support at our Honda event. The production was great, the set looked amazing and the welcome arch was my personal favorite. A big shout to all the guys from your team who worked so hard to put up a fantastic show for us and for keeping up with all our last-minute requests. We look forward to collaborating again.” Randeep Singh, Encompass AFL Grand Final and Best & Fairest Week Venue: Palladium, Crown Melbourne Event Type: Awards Night, Gala Dinner Why: Our onsite teams used their expertise and creativity to develop a flexible AV and lighting package that could be customised for each client booking during the weeks to enable the events to reflect the branding and type of event. AFL Grand Final Week - Staging Connections developed an AV and lighting package specifically for the Palladium, Crown Melbourne, which could be customised for each client booking during the week whether it was a charity luncheon, club breakfast, or gala dinner. A number of the events held throughout the week are for charity, so value was important, as was a strong focus on the main stage with a large visual element crucial to the AV solution provided. The centrepiece was the 15m x 4m LED wall at the back of the stage, with a 16:9 projector screen on either side, creating a visually immersive experience for every guest around the room to enjoy. The industry-leading technology could be tailored to display logos and branding or to engage the audience with dynamic, blank canvas, enabling each client to add their own personal styling and multimedia touches with brand colours and décor. AFL Best & Fairest Week - Celebrations continued long after the siren sounded at the AFL Grand Final, with the annual Best & Fairest Week – where AFL clubs gathered alongside sponsors, associates and fans to recognise their stars of the season. Crown Melbourne required a flexible lighting and AV package that could be easily customised to suit each of the different client’s requirements throughout the eight days of celebrations. Taking pride of place in the centre of the ballroom this year, the Staging Connections team featured an impressive new element – a 7m diameter curved LED screen suspended from the ceiling. A large LED wall set the backdrop for the main stage, in front of which the team set two wide screens with additional display screens relayed around the room. The dazzling effect allowed each client to showcase multimedia, video, presentations and corporate branding from every angle in the room. Adding depth and texture to the visual landscape, Staging Connections featured Harlequin 3D Scenic Panels frame the stage and added 2D Ribbon Scenic Panels to create small ‘wings’ on stage. Adelaide Crows Gala Dinner Venue: Adelaide Entertainment Centre Event: Gala Dinner Why: The annual Crows Gala dinner gives our Adelaide team the opportunity to flex their creativity and theming muscles. Last year’s dinner was truly memorable, leaving a Scrumdiddlyumptious taste in everyone’s mouth. In our 12th year as the Adelaide Crows’ official audio visual partner, we wanted to deliver something special that pushed the envelope on 2016's visually spectacular Right Royal Gala event. We brought to life a Willy Wonka inspired “Scrumdiddlyumptious” themed event, using a complete event production solution including audio, vision, lighting, staging, multimedia creation, styling and production management. The vast space was transformed into a delightful, magical setting using theatrical intelligent lighting, themed styling and an enchanting stage look. All eyes were drawn to the giant custom stage set, created using our new 3D Scenic Panels in the Harlequin pattern flanked with multiple screens framing the Toyota car ad– the grand prize of the evening! Large inflatable red and white candy trees were placed around the room and stage for colour and a quirky touch. The 32 m wide x 9 m high Scenic Panel stage backdrop became the central projection surface for the night, featuring custom Crows themed multimedia content for the Welcoming and Closing presentations and for each individual auction item. All content was created in house by our multimedia design team. As a clever touch to add theatre and excitement, every guest was given a Golden Ticket on arrival with the lucky Golden Ticket winner taking home the brand new Toyota. Canberra Business Chamber Awards Gala 2017 Venue: National Convention Centre Canberra Event: Awards Night Why: Guests were treated to a stunning display of projection mapping and visual effects to enhance the “theatrically-themed” awards night. Guests were treated to a dazzling ‘theatrically-themed’ evening at this year’s Canberra Business Chamber (CBC) annual Gala Dinner. Held at the National Convention Centre, Staging Connections was tasked with delivering the extravaganza for the ninth year running. The guests were immersed in a captivating setting using animated projection mapping, lighting effects and elegant styling amongst other design elements. Adding to the visual delights, guests were also entertained with an exquisite performance by the Woden Youth choir and an acrobatic aerialist, who dazzled on silk elevated above the main stage, surrounded by 18 white lycra columns. Staging Connections designed the audio-visual and styling elements using a mix of screens, projectors, a CBC-branded gobo light, spotlighting, and projection mapping. As the evening progressed, the Staging Connections team continued to inject life and atmosphere into the room by tailoring the animated projections and lighting during the evening’s performances and presentations. Asian Paints Incentive 2017 Venue: Various NSW/QLD Event: Incentive Why: Last year’s Asian Paints Incentive was our largest event delivered in 2017. The scale of the event production, interstate coordination and collaboration within teams and inclusion of innovative technology like gesture-control makes this a stand-out event. 1000 guests in 3 waves across 12 events equals 1 massive incentive road show. Leading Indian event company Encompass Events, approached Staging Connections produce and deliver the Asian Paints Privilege Club Incentive Event Series. The event series was held in various venues in Sydney and the Gold Coast with the aim of strengthening personal ties within the Privilege Club and reward the Asian Paints staff for their hard work and commitment. The theme was ‘Ultimates’ and Staging Connections were tasked with bringing this to life throughout each of the 12 events including the Welcome function, team building and social events, the grand conference and closing Gala dinner. The incentive gave our Sydney and Gold Coast teams the opportunity to collaborate and produce a truly unforgettable experience through a complete event staging solution. It was a masterful celebration of everything we love; from design to delivery, including production and stage management, logistics, audio visual, styling, design and even interactive technologies. Barfoot & Thompson Annual Conference 2017 Venue: Vodafone Event Centre, Manukau Event: Conference Why: A cleverly themed conference, which allowed our Auckland team to design a bespoke experience using our full breadth of AV solutions to enhance the theme and conference message. For the sixth consecutive year Staging Connections powered an inspirational event at Barfoot & Thompson’s Annual Convention with 2,500 commercial, residential and property management attendees from all over Auckland. The theme for this world-class event was “Opportunity Knocks” tied in brilliantly with the calibre of guest speakers on the day who came together to celebrate the companies’ highest sales achievers and Garth Barfoot’s retirement. Staging Connections were engaged to deliver all AV aspects of the event, from stunning lighting to audio and impactful visual content. Central to the proceedings was the main stage, where an impressive 12 m x 4.2 m LED screen was hung via a truss above four ground level 1.2 m x 2.4 m LED panels on either side of the stage, that at times projected doors to cleverly incorporate the event theme. This was the first time Staging Connections has delivered such a large event in New Zealand with LED screens only. The opening sequence started off slowly as the doors opened dramatically to allow each guest to enter, including CEO Wendy Alexander performing Adele’s hit, “Hello, how are you?”, thrilling and delighting the audience. Retiring Director, Garth Barfoot, completed a victory lap of the arena to commemorate his last Annual Convention, which was captured and projected onscreen so that all members of the audience could share in the touching moment. ACTON Real Estate Awards 2017 Venue: Crown Perth Event: Awards Night Why: Straying from the familiar to create a new experience is always a challenge for both the client and event production team. The creativity, expertise and professionalism demonstrated by our Perth team in delivering a new event design for this year’s ACTON Real Estate Awards, makes this event a highlight for the year. Just another example of our teams’ commitment to creating truly extraordinary experiences year after year. The prestigious awards evening for ACTON Real Estate brought together 500 employees, sponsors and partners to celebrate the year’s achievements and recognise ACTON’s brightest stars. Staging Connections delivered an impressive ‘art deco’ styled evening; complete with red carpet, diamond-shaped dance floor and glamorous crystal centrepieces. The Staging Connections team configured a completely new set design for this year’s awards night - opting for a single multi-purpose stage flanked by two large dual-projection, wide screens and Scenic Panels dramatically used to pull the set together and complement the art deco style. Combining the presentation and entertainment stages into the one set added a sense of intimacy to the space, and heightened dramatic impact. Top Secret Lunch Venue: National Convention Centre Canberra Event: Famil Gala Why: The creative use of audio visual techniques to create an immersive experience showcasing the National Convention Centre and Canberra as an ideal destination for business events. As the in-house AV and event services provider to Canberra's iconic National Convention Centre, Staging Connections were tasked with showcasing the venue as part of the Canberra Convention Bureau's business tourism event - aimed at encouraging more business events to the Canberra region. The team used creative AV with a focus on projection mapping to highlight the venue's capabilities and showcase Canberra's selling points as an event destination. Deciding to opt for a more novel approach other than traditional event screens and event productions, and inspired by the hot air balloons that have become synonymous with Canberra’s Enlighten Festival, Staging Connections utilised a 3m inflatable sphere to create a mid-air floating screen. Beautiful imagery and multimedia was projection mapped onto the sphere turning the lifeless object into a stunning 3D artwork. Coloured LED wash lights cast beautiful shades of Autumn’s orange, amber and gold around the lunch room, which perfectly complemented the lunch menu. Further captivating guests and adding a unique touch to the dining experience was the high definition projection mapping and multimedia on the table, curved walls, archways and beams, all themed to highlight the light, colour and movement of the Enlighten Festival held annually in Canberra. Tables came alive with colourful animations which changed with each meal, perfecting and highlighting the theme accompanying the menu. Individual dinner plates were also circled with white projection spots highlighting the food while guests’ names were projected onto their seats, offering a unique personal touch and making networking easy. EB Games Venue: Gold Coast Exhibitions & Convention Centre Event: Conference and Gala Dinner Why: A huge 5-day conference that ended with a spectacular, action-packed Gala Dinner celebration befitting of the company’s 20th Anniversary. After a seven-year partnership, Staging Connections were the principal choice to manage the production of EB Games’ annual Conference in October 2017. EB Games’ staff from across Australia gathered to celebrate 20 Years of EB Games. Held over five days, the conference concluded with the much-anticipated EB Expo over the weekend – a sold-out public event featuring big-name tech brands, product launches, live demos and cosplay. The October Conference was made up of several social and business events, including the annual Gala Dinner and a glamorous 20 Year Rock Party. Start planning your 2018 events with the event experts With 2018 events already well underway, now is perfect time to get in touch with us to start discussing your requirements for your upcoming events. Whether you're looking to plan your company's Annual General Meeting, a fundraising Gala Dinner, celebratory Awards Night or a sell-out Conference, we have the ideas, skills and equipment to make them your best events yet. If you haven't chosen your venue yet, we can also assist with this crucial decision. Encore Event Technologies (formerly Staging Connections) are the chosen in-house AV and event services provider to over 80 of the regions top hotels and venues. This means we have the flexibility to deliver your event in one of our venue partners or at another location of your choice. Planning a successful event takes time, so don't waste another minute. Simply send us your event requirements or speak to us in person and let's get to work! ... Read More

Live streaming is a powerful way to connect with thought leaders and present your brand which must not be overlooked. More and more event planners are turning to live streaming their events as they want to amplify the reach of their event to maximize ROI. However, beyond this obvious reach benefit it provides, the vast majority of event planners are missing out on the many other benefits that come from live streaming events. And we don’t want you to miss these valuable opportunities any longer! To start things off, a lot of event planners miss a big opportunity by not streaming the event via their social media channels. This is a great way to engage your followers, attract new ones and importantly, a tactic for marketing and driving ticket sales for your next event. Branding your live stream by incorporating your logo and company services into the footage will make a brand more recognisable. You’ll also be able to better understand the audience through live streams using analytics to capture data that will let you know the exact number of your virtual viewers and their location. Here are 6 things you should know about live streaming so you aren't missing out on valuable event ROI. Live streaming has a high return on investment Did you know that Facebook Live videos are more watched three times longer than pre-recorded content? This is most likely because today’s online audience craves authenticity and human connection, further explaining why video enhances brand recognition by 139% is so important to your event marketing and brand. Professional conference organisers look to live streaming to broadcast events held in intimate settings. The live stream can integrate a larger audience without additional seating, making it easier for your best leads (often found in your social media following) to be converted into customers and loyal brand advocates just by watching your broadcast. Your approach to live streaming doesn’t have to be complex because content that is offered from a live stream doesn’t need to be scripted. It can be streamed across the a live streaming channel, its own webpage, or across your social channels. It just needs to be real to show the audience that your brand is genuine. With the technological capabilities of mobile phones and affordable cameras, we know that using live streaming for events doesn’t always require a major budget. Regardless of budget, small and large scale businesses see major returns on their investment when live streaming for events, with up to 35% of a live stream audience physically attending the same event the following year. You can get creative with live streaming Build brand awareness and give exposure to fellow event participants through your live stream. This fosters a sense of community while showing off your dashing personality. Remember that the more people like you, the more they will respect your business. Some of the best ideas for live streaming are as follows: Invite an influencer to speak at your event. Share their actionable knowledge on your live feed. Conduct an interview with an expert. Research the concerns of your followers to compose interview questions. Follow this with a live stream that provides answers in an engaging way from a trusted source. Offer a personal perspective. Live stream from a collaborative event where your company is in attendance. Engage other attendees as you stream to create a more personal feel. Corporate event live streaming requires specialised knowledge It takes a great deal of pre-planning and professional assistance to broadcast a corporate event without any hiccups. High quality and functional sound and visuals will position your team for a successful event and keep your viewers focused. Live streaming during a corporate event can make or break your brand’s image, especially if you are working with sponsors (who always expect top-notch quality). You want to avoid poor quality filming resolution or shaking, poor audio or picking up coughs, comments or other sounds made by your attendees not intended to be part of the presentation. Nor do you want the speakers and attendees to deal with malfunctioning equipment during a presentation. To avoid the embarrassment and stress that comes with amateur mistakes, use professional audio visual services that will test your equipment before live streaming, and have a backup plan to quickly put into action if any issues arise. “Live streaming is not a fad.” – Event Manager Blog Live streaming boosts social interaction It’s your responsibility to make sure your virtual audiences feel connected and acknowledged during your live stream. Our Event Feed platform offers a comprehensive solution to help event planners monitor and moderate social media activity while engaging their viewers. Enable a chat option to address questions from viewers during Q and A sessions, or use Event Poll. Event Poll is Staging Connections' live audience polling platform that lets you connect in real time to form a better understanding of online viewers through your questions and their responses. Live streaming is more profitable with ads and sponsorship opportunities Your viewers want to trust your brand. Monetising your content through ads can further build your credibility if you show advertisements that will be valuable to your market. Promote short, engaging ads on behalf of products and services you believe can truly benefit others. With options for pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll advertisements, flexible choices are available to suit your preferences. Here at Staging Connections, we’ve done our research, and here’s some information we want you to know: Pre-roll and post-roll ads are known to be most effective. Viewers complete pre-roll adverts 78% of the time, but mid-roll advertisements have a completion rate of 90%. By avoiding live streaming, you're losing out on brand amplification When you don’t use live streaming, you lose the ability to extract genuine pieces of footage and repurpose it for social media marketing. Your live broadcast also serves as an outlet for strategic networking to align your brands with influencers by promoting their involvement with your event. Here is a quick tip: Always add social media tags. Beforehand, do keyword research to discover the terms your target audience searches and uses most frequently. The more you know about your viewer’s interests, the more relevant your content will be over time. Content that offers solutions lives on. Wrapping your event doesn’t mean your live stream is no longer valuable. Research has shown that 78% of people online are watching videos, and 75% of executives are watching videos related to their business every week. We're here to help you go live - live streaming experts you can trust At Encore (formerly Staging Connections), we know that live streaming video can change the way brands engage with audiences. Whether you’re looking to show behind the scenes footage or host competitions, we offer event streaming and recording services to bring all of your live streaming ideas to life with quality and professionalism. Get in touch today to find out more about our event streaming services and plan your event with a live stream that will impress audiences and maximise social engagement. -- Photo Credit: Valoso ... Read More