Despite lacking face-to-face interaction, online events can significantly increase your attendance and in CEDA (WA)’s case by a staggering 182%*. Before the COVID19 pandemic, long term client CEDA hosted regular monthly networking events at Pan Pacific Perth for approximately 200 members. March’s Cybercrime event was to be the usual pre-COVID production with all speakers and attendees in room, a stage, sponsor branding, lighting and AV. However, faced with a ban on live events, CEDA turned to Encore for a solution to help keep the event running as close to planned for speakers and attendees. The solution was simple, Encore would set up a studio and use Encore Connect to facilitate an interactive live stream of the seven presenters from the venue at Pan Pacific Perth to the 200 members. With less than 24hrs to go, the event had to go fully online due to increased restrictions. Encore responded swiftly setting up dedicated rehearsals with all speakers to ensure audio and vision was optimised and speakers were confident to use the live streaming platform from the comfort of their own homes. Encore customised the live stream design to ensure branding and sponsor recognition was achieved via a virtual background for the speakers featuring a watermark of the CEDA logo as well as the event’s sponsor, Edith Cowan University’s, logo on the live stream webpage. During the hour-long discussion, attendees were able to ask questions using the Q&A portal which the speakers would access and respond accordingly throughout. Encore recorded 565 viewers attended the online event with an average view rate of 76% (46 minutes). The live streamed event using Encore Connect was such a success, CEDA have launched a series of interactive live stream events to run alongside their face-to-face events once they’re allowed to take place again. “We loved working with Encore to deliver our Cybercrime interactive live stream - It is always such a pleasure working with the Encore team. They are dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. Thank you.” Rosie Fares, Events Coordinator, CEDA Encore’s Event Staging Manager responsible for delivering the event at Pan Pacific Perth said, “As Event Professionals, we are accustomed to things altering last minute and having to revert to plan B and sometimes even plan C, D or E! CEDA’s cyber crime event was a perfect example of this exact scenario. The Encore team pulled together to make certain the clients expectations were met in the tight time frame. Our aim is always to relieve the client of the stress that comes with the dynamic nature of events so that they can focus on what they need to do and allow Encore to ensure a seamless delivery.” FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ENCORE CONNECT *Based on average attendance numbers. ... Read More

Encore has announced the introduction of MeetSAFE, a set of guidelines to help the live event industry safely adapt to the changing landscape for meetings and events. MeetSAFE was developed by PSAV and Encore’s Family of Companies in response to evolving customer needs. As the world begins to reopen from COVID-19 shutdown, Encore will be working with clients and venue partners to implement the guidelines to safely and responsibly host events. Designed to inspire trust and confidence, the set of tools is focused on redesigning events to successfully deliver on the strategic goals of the meeting while defining new guidelines to minimise risk and promote health. Doing so safely, will be the first priority of all planning activities as the ability to conduct in-person meetings will be dependent on making people feel safe in any setting. “Our industry has more to consider when planning live events in the future. While there has been an explosion of virtual events due to today’s environment, we know there will be a time when both hybrid and fully live meetings will return,” said Ben Erwin, President of PSAV. “People feel a strong desire for face-to-face interactions, so we wanted to be proactive and offer guidance on how they can ensure important live meetings and events are productive, but also safe at the same time.” The MeetSAFE guidelines were developed with four key areas of focus in mind: event design, room layout / traffic flow, technology enhancements, and cleaning guidelines. With input from venue partners, event planners and leading industry associations, the new guidelines include a series of meeting formats, technology solutions, and other recommendations that outline paths around how the event industry could re-open during the early phases of recovery. “The Events Industry Council applauds PSAV for its leadership through this effort to provide relevant guidance and tools to industry professionals,” commented Amy Calvert, CEO of the Events Industry Council. “We are encouraged and inspired by the work we are seeing in all segments and regions to address today’s challenge and adapt for the future. The APEX COVID-19 Business Recovery Task Force is focused on curating and sharing accepted practices across the global events ecosystem and will include this tool in that work.” The MeetSAFE guidelines were created in alignment with the hotel industry’s own safety and health guidelines and will be critical in preparing venues to safely host events as the economy reopens. ... Read More

10 tactics you can do now to make money from your online events. As the COVID19 pandemic tightens her grip on the world, event planners are turning to online events to continue delivering their message. Many have made great progress with understanding the opportunities hosting an event online can provide with a significant reduction in costs being the obvious one. Some more experienced online event planners have taken it a step further and are charging for access to their content further increasing the cost margin. As your audience potential grows exponentially now that time and distance are redundant, your event with its millions of eyeballs can become a very attractive sponsorship opportunity to the right brand. Sponsorship can be an efficient revenue stream to further increase the ROI of your event. Sponsorship has other benefits too, such as building positive associations with companies that share your values or purely providing your audience with the entertainment factor as sponsors get creative with their valuable placements. We all watch the Superbowl for the ads right? A key benefit to online sponsorship over traditional sponsorship like physical banners and event announcements is the opportunity to demonstrate the benefit to your sponsor via digital data reporting. Other sponsorship deals also allow you to share the customer data with them such as registration details for their own marketing purposes. Simply put – the ROI for digital sponsorship is easy to track and can provide more lucrative opportunities over traditional sponsorship. What can you offer a sponsor? Start with looking at your assets to see what spaces can be utilised. Remember your audience experience is the most important factor so only if the sponsor fit is natural, don’t try to cram in sponsor placements as it’ll only detract from their effect and make the online experience way too salesy if not spammy. A tiered approach can help here with the most expensive sponsorship options getting the most real estate and then so on, but remember to limit the number to only a handful at most. The number will depend on your event – the audience size, type, and duration. We’ve compiled 10 online sponsorship tactics that you can use to drive revenue today, plus deliver other positive outcomes such as engagement, ROI analysis, relationship building and more. 1. Banner ads on your online event site or event app If you’re streaming your event or offering on-demand it’s a great opportunity to drive revenue by offering banner ads which link to sponsor sites. It’s a great way to offer branding opportunities for sponsors as well as associate your online event with industry associations or businesses associated with the event content. You can provide your sponsor with helpful ROI metrics like number of impressions, time spent on page, unique visitors, click-throughs, audience demographics and more. Your presenters may also like to utilise this option to promote their business. Other options include offering sponsorship opportunities to suppliers in exchange for a discount on their services. There may be multiple opportunities on your event site such as your registration page. This is great real estate as every attendee needs to go to this page. Plus, depending on your sponsorship deal you can negotiate to share the details of your registrants with the sponsor. Remember here you’ll need to clearly state in your Terms and Conditions how you’ll be using their data to ensure you’re abiding by privacy laws. The last thing you want to do is risk a negative experience with your audience for the sake of a sponsor. Event apps are now common place at live events, and they can also be a great tool to engage remote attendees. Apps are convenient solutions for providing instant access to information about events, sessions, presenters etc., plus sponsorship opportunities such as banner ads, pop-ups, sponsored messages or logos on different screens. There may be multiple opportunities for sponsorship and advertising on your event app. As these apps normally have multiple screens/pages, there are multiple opportunities for sponsorship. Speak to your event app provider to explore what sponsorship options you have. As with banner ads, event planners can demonstrate ROI with your sponsors by providing analytics as mentioned above. 2. Sponsored video ads In addition to banner ads, event organisers can offer sponsors the opportunity to show videos. If relevant, you can show these in between presentations, before a breakout session or before a session starts like a YouTube Pre Roll. Again, the ROI can all be demonstrated via analytics. Videos can be embedded in your event website, on an event app or even within your event comms such as at the bottom of an eDM. 3. Branding on presentation slides or the ‘skin’ of your live stream Another option for sponsor branding is to include the company’s logo as part of the border of your event website’s ‘skin’ – also known as the template. An example would be to include their logo or message in the header or footer of the live stream website skin such as “This presentation is in partnership with Company X”. 4. Sponsored Media Walls as Virtual Background With all eyes on your video, the background behind your presenters is a simple and subtle yet highly effective way to integrate sponsorship. Think of it like a virtual media wall and you can give your sponsors the option to design the background based on their message such as a repetitive watermarked logo or something entirely different. If you have multiple speakers you could even offer different speaker backgrounds to different sponsors based on their content. Again you could provide the sponsor with the number of viewers, impressions, time engaged and more as data to measure ROI. 5. Sponsor call outs or segments in your stream ‘This conference is proudly brought to you by….’. It’s one of the most obvious sponsor placements and if included at the beginning of the event video, you can guarantee as least 90% of attendees will hear it based on average video viewership data. You could couple the announcement with a logo that appears on screen and a script provided by the sponsor, similar to a radio read. If your sponsors wanted to get more creative you could let them sponsor the networking element, ice breaker or break out session. For example, Lipton Ice Tea could sponsor the initial ice breaker intro where you get attendees or speakers to introduce themselves and answer some fun questions to warm up the crowd. You could get Wriggly gum to sponsor yoga break session - after you’ve had attendees watching a 2 hour session, they’re sure to get restless and start to wriggle. There’s so many possibilities on fun ways to naturally integrate a sponsor and make it enjoyable for your attendees too. 6. Branded sponsor polls Similar to the creative sponsor integrations, you can offer branded sponsor polls throughout your online event. One of Encore’s most popular digital tools is Event Poll – a live audience polling platform that lets you ask questions and your attendees respond in real-time using their mobile phone or computer. With over 10 question formats you can use it to stimulate discussion, vote, ideation, survey, trivia, Q&A and feedback. Whether you integrate the sponsor into the question, into the question template design or host a sponsored poll the options are endless. For example, a sponsor could host an online trivia with a prize as a nice breakout session. You could offer a branded skin for your event’s Q & A segment so when attendees submit their question, it gets displayed on screen on the sponsored Q & A. 7. Sponsorship in Email Placements If you are sending email invitations, event updates or other communications, you can offer sponsors the opportunity to include their logo or banner creative in the footer of the email. This would also link through to their site or a campaign page. You can provide them with data such as recipient numbers, open rate, click rate and more. Being digital you also have the option to offer sponsors the ability to test their creative or messaging by sending to a small segment f the database with the winning creative (base on clicks) sent to the wider audience. It is more legwork for the event organiser but depending on the sponsor’s spend it could be a nice value add and incentive to help improve their ROI. 8. Promotion via event social media In the lead up to the event, you can offer the opportunity to promote sponsors via your social channels. Be sure that the posts are relevant to your audience, for example: We’re proud to partner with Company X as part of our event. During our presentations you’ll hear from their CEO on [insert subject]. Then include a link to their site. As with social media you can give them the opportunity to post a video, a link to their site or campaign or static images. Be sure to ask sponsors to include posts on the event on their socials too to spread the word. 9. Keynote presentations Sponsorship of your keynote presentations is a great opportunity as all attendees will be focused on this session. For example ‘This presentation is brought to you by Company X’. 10. Offer sponsored Virtual Event Bags Not only is this sustainable, a virtual swag bag is also a great way to surprise and delight attendees whilst giving sponsors great exposure. You can give your sponsors the opportunity to curate what goes into attendees' swag bags, be it coupons or vouchers, a free trial for a software, or an online course. The bag would then be shared directly with your attendees for them to access via email, social media, or the event app, either before, during, or following the event. A virtual swag bag also provides reporting data such as how many people accessed it and how they interacted with the items in the bag, which you can share with sponsors and use to help inform what materials attendees found most valuable. Provide value with your virtual event sponsorship Digital sponsorships are nothing new, they're just usually implemented in conjunction with other, physical branding opportunities such as brochures or giveaways. When planning a fully virtual event, you can focus solely on the digital part and capitalize on the real estate you do have available. Sponsors can also be offered access to your attendees contact details. Permission is of course vital, so you need to enable attendees to opt in to receive communications from the sponsor. Another option is to offer a number of tickets to your event to sponsors for colleagues to attend. Consider every touch point of the online event you’re producing – there will be multiple ways you can add sponsorship opportunities. Anything that your attendees are looking at or interacting with is an opportunity to incorporate sponsor. Speak to the virtual event experts Encore have helped hundreds of clients pivot and turn their onsite event into successful online experiences. Whether you're organising a company announcement, an ongoing training series, a mutli-day association conference or an interactive webinar, you can count on Encore's in-house team of digital experts to provide you with the right technology to get online. Explore our range of online event solutions today and get in touch to start discussing your options for meeting in 2020. EXPLORE VIRTUAL EVENT SOLUTIONS GET IN TOUCH TO DISCUSS MORE ... Read More

Learn how CEDA pivoted and boosted attendance by 182%* Despite lacking face-to-face interaction, online events can significantly increase your attendance and in CEDA (WA)’s case by a staggering 182%*. Before the COVID19 pandemic, long term client CEDA hosted regular monthly networking events at Pan Pacific Perth for approximately 200 members. March’s Cybercrime event was to be the usual pre-COVID production with all speakers and attendees in room, a stage, sponsor branding, lighting and AV. However, faced with a ban on live events, CEDA turned to Encore for a solution to help keep the event running as close to planned for speakers and attendees. The solution was simple, Encore would set up a studio and use Encore Connect to facilitate an interactive live stream of the seven presenters from the venue at Pan Pacific Perth to the 200 members. With less than 24hrs to go, the event had to go fully online due to increased restrictions. Encore responded swiftly setting up dedicated rehearsals with all speakers to ensure audio and vision was optimised and speakers were confident to use the live streaming platform from the comfort of their own homes. Encore customised the live stream design to ensure branding and sponsor recognition was achieved via a virtual background for the speakers featuring a watermark of the CEDA logo as well as the event’s sponsor, Edith Cowan University’s, logo on the live stream webpage. During the hour-long discussion, attendees were able to ask questions using the Q&A portal which the speakers would access and respond accordingly throughout. Encore recorded 565 viewers attended the online event with an average view rate of 76% (46 minutes). The live streamed event using Encore Connect was such a success, CEDA have launched a series of interactive live stream events to run alongside their face-to-face events once they’re allowed to take place again. “We loved working with Encore to deliver our Cybercrime interactive live stream - It is always such a pleasure working with the Encore team. They are dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. Thank you.” Rosie Fares, Events Coordinator, CEDA Encore’s Event Staging Manager responsible for delivering the event at Pan Pacific Perth said, “As Event Professionals, we are accustomed to things altering last minute and having to revert to plan B and sometimes even plan C, D or E! CEDA’s cyber crime event was a perfect example of this exact scenario. The Encore team pulled together to make certain the clients expectations were met in the tight time frame. Our aim is always to relieve the client of the stress that comes with the dynamic nature of events so that they can focus on what they need to do and allow Encore to ensure a seamless delivery.” Find out more about Encore Connect *Based on average attendance numbers. UX Australia goes from onsite to online in 24 hours In a matter of weeks, the country’s restrictions on gatherings tightened from 500 to 100 to 10, then down to merely 2. Imagine if your event was scheduled to run during the height of these changes with the landscape changing dramatically every 24 hours? This was the reality for Event Manager, Annabelle Robb, from UX Australia. UX Australia planned to run a multi-day conference highlighting the work of various designers called Design Research at Pan Pacific Melbourne. The initial brief to Encore was very straight forward with approximately 120 attendees in the room and 20 speakers presenting their work onstage as normal with recording of the event for future use. In the week leading up to the event, the brief seemed to change every day as Encore and UX Australia responded to new travel and gathering restrictions. Within 7 days the event went from a typical in-room event, to a hybrid event with some speakers presenting via live stream to an entirely online event with only the MC and the Event Manager attending in person. Just 24 hours before the event, Encore helped UX Australia pivot online using Encore Connect which allowed for multiple presenters, live Q&A with two-way communication between the speaker and attendees as well as live captioning provided by CaptionsLive. “The Encore Team at Pan Pacific Melbourne were incredible at helping to turn our in-person conference to an online event in 24 hrs. The Encore team were incredibly helpful and motivated at getting the job done. All my questions were answered, they filled in the blanks, and were incredibly accommodating. Our 3 AV Techs on the day were also wonderful, incredibly friendly, helpful and resourceful. They fixed problems before they were even problems, and ensured our event ran smoothly, offering additional help & support post-event.” Annabelle Robb, Event Manager, UX Australia. Find out more about our Virtual Solutions How The Playford Adelaide turned 14 days in quarantine into one of the best hotel experiences guests have had With over 300 returning travellers on their way to mandatory isolation, Encore and hotel staff at The Playford Adelaide MGallery by Sofitel quickly devised a creative solution to keep their guests entertained, fit and relaxed. What originally started out as a simple idea to host a 1 hour trivia with guests, turned into a full blown TV station with constant content in a matter of hours. When presented with the trivia, the Encore team took a simple question and went completely lateral with a solution.Within 24 hours, the quiz had evolved into a dedicated TV station that would run daily from 10am until 5pm broadcasting everything from live cooking demonstrations with a Playford chef to yoga, infant sensory sessions and magic shows. The challenge was how to allow for 2-way communication with all of the guests. The solution was a private Facebook group which every guest was invited to attend. It was a fantastic platform that connected these strangers who were all experiencing the same situation. The group also allowed the hotel to quickly respond and address any guest feedback. “The concept snowballed from simply wanting to run a quiz, and with great community support we are now able to facilitate physical, intellectual, emotional and social wellbeing activities,” said Melanie Leyn, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Playford Adelaide. One guest even ran a Zumba class from their room, while hotel staff became presenters, comedians and musicians. “One of the front desk team members became a pseudo travel show presenter filming a tour of Adelaide’s iconic places and landmarks,” said Leyn. “Considering some of the guests haven’t had a chance to even see the city this was the next best thing.” Behind the scenes, the team at Encore Event Technologies were involved in the streaming of live content, recorded within the hotel. Other segments were pre-recorded and edited on site by Encore. Encore’s in-house Event Staging Manager said, “It was a great example of the Aussie spirit thriving at the hotel with everyone pitching in - from hotel staff and friends, to local fitness businesses, musicians and more, everyone contributed to the initiative. “It was through Playford’s support that we were able to open new avenues to improve hotel room quarantine for their guests. After a few interstate hotels called to see what we were doing, we feel we have redefined the quarantine guest standard offering, especially from a health and wellbeing point of view. When developing the Playford TV and the associated Facebook group, our team focused on providing content to help people remain engaged with life while in isolation.” It’s clear this considered approach to content resonated with guests who posted messages of gratitude on the Facebook group. “We’ve been blown away by the messages of appreciation from guests on the Facebook group about their experience at the hotel...It was so gratifying being able to change what was expected to be a negative experience into something positive which they’ve said they’ll cherish forever.” said Leyn. “The team at Playford have turned the most dreadful time into the most fun, peaceful, relaxed quarantine.” “…your kindness and interest in keeping us sane was the most touching and reassuring. You treat us like humans and I am glad to have landed here.” “Thank you for making us feel home, I don’t feel like going to mine now.” The 14-day quarantine stay culminated in a live concert in the hotel, which was streamed via Facebook on 4 May with guests checking out the next morning. Guests gathered on their balconies cheering and dancing to the music, ending their stay on a positive note. With the TV station a resounding success be sure to stay tuned for more Playford TV. ... Read More

So you’ve decided to look into having more sustainable events with the admirable aim of a reduced carbon footprint. Congratulations. It’s a responsible and positive move. As an event planner, you have an opportunity to show others the way to lessening the impact on our valuable resources. This is not a passing trend, but rather a mindful practice at the heart of any business strategy and future goal planning. “Between air travel, energy use, and excess food (not to mention booth installations, printouts, and giveaways), the average 1000-person event reputedly produces 530 metric tons of CO2e emissions.” Julius Solaris, Event Manager Blog Thankfully, sustainability is achievable and may be easier than you think. Why it’s Important to Know Your Impact To make constructive changes, event planners need to gauge their current practices. Why? Knowing the impact events may be having on the environment points to specific areas for improvement. This is not a lesson in how bad you might have been, but instead it’s something far more positive. Awareness. Knowing the facts gives you an idea of what to measure and helps focus your energy onto specific areas to change or improve. The end result is being able to see clearly how your practices contribute to improved sustainability. Sustainable Events: Where to start Not sure where to begin? Try looking at these points. Most event planners will recognise many, if not all of these aspects of their daily lives. Right from the start The beginning of any event plan has many contact points. The first phase impact can be reduced by cancelling meet & greet travel plans and replace with video conferencing. The good news here is you’ve also just saved on travel and accommodation costs as well as improving our event’s footprint. The Paper Trail It’s an obvious one, but going paperless can be the easiest way to start minimising waste. Use an event app, build an event website, or stick to emailing. Encore offers a free event app called Cumulus which gives you and your attendees the convenience of easy access to all event information at any time, everywhere you go so reducing paper waste is easy. Use this free event app specifically built to ensure delegates have easy access to all event info and live updates before, during and after the event, without the need for excess paper use. When all else fails, stick to email. Power Consumption Does your AV and event technology provider actively take steps to reduce their energy use? Overuse of power and underutilising of more eco-friendly options is one area constantly under the microscope. Where possible use renewable energy sources and switch all lighting to LED and lower power efficiency systems where possible. Your AV technology provider should be willing to rationalise inventory to minimise redundancy and over-engineered AV solutions. Have the conversation with them to see how you can both achieve a reduced footprint for your event, there’s often cost savings involved to. Venue Locations & Transportation Hosting your event at a venue with accommodation facilities immediately cuts the need for transportation. Your guests will appreciate not having to think about cab-charges and Uber rides to get to their hotel safely. This is a great opportunity to really consider your venue options. Easily walkable venues, and those close to public transport assist significantly. Where combined/local event venue and accommodation are not possible, offering shuttles are a great alternative. One vehicle transporting many attendees reduces the impact of several vehicles in the traffic at once. In addition, clearly conveyed information about public transport sent out to registered attendees will be greatly appreciated. Also, when scheduling your event, take into account peak travel times to avoid the traffic. Faster travel means less impact and happier commuters. Modern Day Conveniences Encourage alternative transport. Have bike racks, bike storage areas or bike concierge at your event. We’ve all seen more and more bicycles in the city. People making their own stand on reducing their personal footprint will likely remember an event where this is on offer. Having change areas, private shower facilities and lockers at your event also makes life even easier for those choosing peddle power. Food & Beverage Catering companies using eco-friendly utensils is a simple way to make an immediate change. Choose providores and caterers that are committed to using sustainable fish, organically grown fruit and vegetables, and locally sourced hormone-free meat. Ditch plastic for biodegradable or reusable cups. Another tip with catering is to not over-cater the event. The guest list should be quite specific in terms of numbers, and dietary requirements, so you can cater for your guests’ needs. If you find yourself with an abundance of leftover food, consider the many companies that accept donations in the area. Waste Disposal Have you confirmed your venue has the facilities, and the mindset to recycle waste? Everyone should be well aware of the need to re-use and recycle in order to reduce landfill and the overall impact on our environment. Ensuring there are adequate recycling bins and general waste bins around the venue will safeguard against any issues with imposed clean-up fees or removal costs. Go Digital Use online registration platforms to be more sustainable. Not only is it cost-effective, but will save delegates time enrolling on the day. Send e-mail notifications and create e-tickets to be scanned from their smartphones to eliminate the need for endless paper printouts. Use digital signage at your event, rather than one-off pull-up banners. Build a website or an event app. This goes a long way to reducing the need for excessive amounts of printed badges, programmes, posters and brochures. Putting your event sustainability plan into action Ok, so you know what is possible, now’s the time to translate it into your reality and transform yourself into more than just someone whose intentions are good. Create a List Put the ideas in order, beginning with those things where you can have an immediate impact, through to those which will require more thought, planning, and discussion with others. For you, maybe using less paper, and having more Skype meetings is completely do-able in the beginning. For every point you’ve made, add the goals. Be Realistic This is not something that can happen overnight, so don’t have the expectation that you can save the world in a week. Plans that are rushed or ill-considered will be doomed to fail, or worse, not even see the light of day. Review and Monitor Over time, add and remove where necessary to make each goal stronger. Long term, consistent and thoughtful objectives are the way to go. Sustainable event inspiration Check out these three events Event Brite shared that have put their suitability goals into action. Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 A little known fact is that these Games were the first to secure the ISO 20121 sustainability standard. This measure of sustainability is voluntary and is a promise to all those watching that this event leaves behind a path of positive footprint reduction. All the venues where the competition was held were completely car-free. In addition, the organisers used a local company to provide efficient and clean energy. They also ensured the headquarters for the Games were on an energy supply recognized as a Green Tariff. Baseball All-Star Games Major League Baseball requires its members to be a member of the Green Sports Alliance. Providing sustainability guidelines, the Alliance ensures the following happens: Teams collect recyclable items throughout each game. Solar panels are installed at events where possible. The aim is to have each game powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. Traditional ‘Red Carpet’ events are now referred to a ‘Green Carpet’ by the use of eco-friendly materials for the carpet. Any food prepared at events that remains untouched is donated to their preferred charity for those in need of a meal. The Show Goes on at the Shambala Festival England's four-day carnival-like Shambala Festival has taken steps to ensure much of its single-use plastics are eliminated entirely. Individual water bottles are encouraged for refilling onsite to reduce bottled water housed in plastic. For those who forget, the sale of stainless steel bottles adds to driving the point home on the reduction of harmful and wasteful synthetic materials. Other Helpful Resources for Sustainable Events Want more? Check out these additional places to go. Sustainability in Events - Event Manager Blog Checklist to a Sustainable Event - Climate Wave How to make an event more sustainable - Event Brite To have an environmental conscience is commendable. Putting these goals into action wherever possible during your event sets you apart. This is not just about you as an event planner feeling better about your impact, but an ongoing commitment your company and its guests will bear witness to. In a world full of rhetoric and promises, actions speak louder than words. Let’s begin your action points today. Our experience can show you the way to more sustainable event planning. Contact us for expert advice on your next event by sending an online enquiry today and we'll get right back. ... Read More

Elevate your stand or event with Encore’s latest eye-catching visual display solution, Pixel Totems. Impactful in their presence, with options regular banners cannot match, Pixel Totems give your message or event imagery a new and exciting platform. If you’re not familiar with the medium, this form of visual digital display is simple and flexible yet highly impactful. For event planners and set designers, your life just got better and brighter. What is A Pixel Totem? Essentially, Pixel Totems are tall LED screens displaying static, or video content. They are a great alternative to small to medium-sized format displays such as pull-up banners, way finding signage or feature screens for stages and are designed for use in both small and large events. Event planners have the option to use them as individual panels showing individual images, video and messages or combine them for an impactful display. The display can be configured to show content on one screen or spread across multiple totems and you can have the creative freedom to display the same content or different content across each totem. Use as a main set design for smaller events, or added digital impact for larger events and conferences. Pixel Totems pack a punch and will grab attention however they’re used. Older style banners are tried and tested staples for any event, and will likely remain, but now there’s a new kid in town. This is the set design solution for the next age. Vivid and impressive, with the ability to cater to your vision for the event. Whether you are setting a corporate mood, selling a dream or telling a story, Pixel Totems offer creativity without bounds. What Events Can Pixel Totems be Used For? The applications for integrating Pixel Totems in your event design are endless but in the spirit of offering inspiration, consider the following possibilities. Way-Finding Perfect for registration desks, or events, Pixel Totems can be used to highlight the path to different areas, show people where to sign up or simply where a communal meeting point is. For larger groups of people, this can be invaluable in getting people to their seats or to clear specific areas at varying times such as where their specific talk or breakout session is. Impactful Branding and Messaging At conferences, charities and galas, event sponsors can use Pixel Totems to display their brand’s message. Use all screens for the one voice or several for different sponsors. Going Once, Going Twice – Charity and Auction Displays Auctions are the perfect place for Pixel Totems to showcase individual items. Their brightness illuminates any piece and offers enticement for potential bidders. Show an item in its true beauty or convey the plight of a charities’ ultimate beneficiaries through the use of one or many totems. Dynamic Speaker and Presenter Bios Ditch the pull-up banners for Pixel Totems for your speaker bios. Take advantage of the static or video capability and display the Speakers’ images, bio and fun facts in an interesting way that get’s the audiences attention and briefs them on the speakers background and qualifications and excited to hear them talk. Budget-Friendly Backdrops When costs are stretched to the limit there's no need to compromise. Pixel Totems offer suitable LED backdrops by simply using a network facility. Link up ten unit’s together for an impressive light show for every budget. The great thing about the Totems is they are so flexible in their display options. Highlight the Sporting Heroes Show our sporting heroes in action with Pixel Totems. Display each player's photo, achievements or personal best times to create an impactful design and enhance the hype. For larger sporting gatherings and new team launches, player profiles, club history and competitor facts and figures all enhance the event look and increase engagement. For corporate Melbourne Cup events you can use Pixel Totems to build excitement with panels depicting jockey, trainer and horse information. All of which can be static or animated. Dress The Stage Pixel Totems are an affordable and high impact solution for injecting interest into a conference set design. The Pixel Totems can be spread across the stage to complement the main screen or clustered to a form a wall. Their design gives you a simple and flexible way to visually enhance with the messaging with static or animated imagery But wait there’s more. The ability to change the display at any point during the event gives freedom and a creativity that other forms of banners simply cannot. Imagination is the only limit! Why Pixel Totems? The stage holds people’s gaze, so why not liven things up. Pixel Totems are a great way to enhance your event and display super bright content to capture attention. Event planners are taking advantage of the way different displays and messaging during an event can be changed from hour to hour or from one topic to another, and clients are loving it. Creative use of digital visual tools for event and stage planning has never been more attainable. From glamorous charity dinners and annual corporate events to sporting registrations and club award nights, Pixel Totems offer it all. Move over pull up banners, it’s time for the new guy to take the spotlight. Let our LED Pixel Totems tell your story. Want to find out more? Register your interest in Pixel Totems and one of our helpful team members will be back in touch with more information. ... Read More

Hologram technology is now well within reach for creative even planners looking to make an impact at their next meeting, event, or brand experience. The ways to use holograms are only limited by the imagination. Here are some favourite examples of the holographic mesh screen in action which our technical teams have created. Holographics used for Presentations Add excitement to a presentation with both 3D illusions and interactivity. At the recent Top Secret Dinner at Canberra’s National Convention Centre Canberra (part of the InterContinental Hotels Group), Encore used a holographic mesh screen to create the illusion of a hot air balloon, synonymous with Canberra’s Enlighten Festival, hanging above the stage. Later in the evening, the presenter interviewed himself as a hologram. These illusions perfectly showcased the NCCC as a destination for events and conferences with state-of-the-art technical capabilities. You can use this technique to bring a speaker onto the stage who can’t attend in person and have them present as a hologram, how cool is that?! It also has the added advantage of not paying for transport and accommodation for the speaker, plus they only have to be available for the time it takes for their presentation. Holographics can be used to enhance any presentation; add a hologram of the product being released, project videos by guest speakers, showcase projects, or animate simulations. Even data and graphs could be made engaging with 3D computer animation! Performances enhanced with holographic technology As recent concert tours and AV shows attests, holographic technology is perfect for an amazing performance. One of Encore’s most impressive uses of the technology used a combination of holographic mesh, real-time motion tracking, projection, and dance. At the Australian Hotels Association annual awards, a dancer performed a duo with herself creating an amazing effect. Her movements were captured on camera and motion tracked, with a computer turning her outline into a 3D animated graphic in real-time, which was then projected onto the holographic mesh. Set Design using holographics 3D animations and images can be incorporated into any set design. Deploying at almost any size, anywhere, you’re only restricted by lighting and background. Encore have created custom set designs using holograms for companies such as Moutai China, who were treated to the illusion of a giant bottle of Moutai spirit hovering in mid-air on a 20m x 5m holographic screen. The technique can also be used for events like product launches or trade shows where oversized holograms would be ideal so that it can create a larger-than-life effect of the product being promoted. Speak to the event design experts about a holographic experience Holograms open up a huge range of creative possibilities to amaze your event attendees. You can use it to bring your brand to life, entertain, enhance stage performances and bring remote presenters on stage in an amazing visual way. Advances in technology and manufacturing mean that holographics are not just for big budget events - they’re with the reach of nearly any event producer’s reach. Encore have adopted the most flexible, creative mode of holographic tech available in the event market; send us an online enquiry to find out more or talk to your Encore representative today about how to get your event into the Third Dimension! ... Read More

Face-to-face meetings can be the most effective way to get your point across, but the corporate world has to move with the times. Overcoming growing distance, cost and time issues, businesses now demand solutions for video conferencing. As a result, venues, speakers, event planners and employees must be prepared and confident to host these types of online meetings. More solutions enter the market each year. That’s a good thing. Contrary to opinion, a variety of solutions should not confuse, but rather provide a video conferencing solution that is tailored to the needs of the user and runs seamlessly. From basic free applications such as Skype to professional cloud-based video and audio conference platforms, like Encore Connect, event planners and businesses are spoilt for choice. Whether you're arranging an online meeting or remote presenters for your event, here are some helpful tips from video conferencing experts to ensure you’re maximising the technology. 1. Select a reliable video conferencing platform When it comes to technology, it’s best practice to choose a well known provider that is reliable, has a support team and a robust offering that can meet your needs. This is especially true with video conferencing platforms. When you use a trusted provider, you get the peace of mind and confidence your meeting or event is in the best hands and will run seamlessly. Encore offers a first-of-its-kind rehearsal feature with our video conferencing solution, Encore Connect, where a technician will on-board you and your presenters to ensure they’re comfortable presenting remotely and know how to use the platform. It’s this kind of concierge service you won’t get when using a free platform. 2. Choose a suitable venue room There are a few things to consider here which can all be resolved by doing a site visit or at least seeing images of the room prior to the event. Ensure the room has adequate lighting and seating for all parties to the meeting. Natural light has its advantages but can have its own set of issues. Be aware of areas of shade and any potential distractions that open windows bring, like passers-by or pigeons pacing up and down the windowsill. A general rule of thumb is consistency and uniformity. No dark spots in the room and no powerful bulbs which leave people seeing spots. What about microphones or the acoustics in the room? Can the presenter’s voice project? Is the room noisy? Does it suffer from thin-wall syndrome? All of these points can be addressed by a simple site visit or talk with your on-site events team. Encore proudly offers Encore Connect in all our venue partners – that’s over 100 world-class venue options around Asia Pacific for you to choose from. So you’re spoilt for choice. 3. Clear Audio There’s nothing more frustrating when video conferencing has poor audio quality. The aim is to have people hear you clearly, without crackling and dropouts. Look for good quality headsets and microphones which help reduce noise and disruptive echoes. When in doubt, run your set up by your audio visual provider to test. For multi-party conferences, mute your microphone when you’re not speaking to avoid adding any additional background noise. If you are hosting, make sure everyone is on the same page. Check your participants and lead the way. For a larger event, your audio visual partner will test the audio levels of the room and work with the presenters prior to ensure both the audio input and output are set for optimal quality. Wherever possible have a practice run. The best video and audio conferencing partners will do exactly that. 4. Test your set up to find the perfect angle Obscure camera angles might work for Tarantino, but in a meeting environment they can be very distracting. Webcams should be at eye level and if for some reason you need to move around the room, ensure it is steady as she goes. This is particularly important if you are using a mobile device for your video calls. To avoid unflattering or distracting angles, we recommend using self-view mode to test the angle of your camera prior to the video conference. 5. Time Zone Awareness One of the great benefits of video conferencing is the ability to overcome distance or time zone barriers. With this in mind, it is important to consider your attendees and/or remote presenters time zone when arranging it. But what about the delays you didn’t anticipate, such as plane delays and cancellations, a last minute commitment? Offering remote presenters the option to video conference in means your event will continue to run as planned. 6. Remove Potential Distractions Distraction is the number one killer of concentration and engagement. Clear lines of sight without interference are essential for attendees and presenters. Similarly so are unwanted sounds – so remember to switch your phone to silent and in multi-party meetings ask attendees to do the same. Cameras pointed in the direction of anything that has the potential to distract will render it a focal point and eventually, if human nature serves me right, be more popular than a viral cat video. 7. Proper meeting etiquette for video conferencing Just like a meeting face-to-face, there is a certain way of hosting and presenting online. It’s called meeting etiquette. If you’re recording the meeting, it’s polite to let everyone know ahead of time you are recording and remind again when it commences. This will also help keep it professional and on-track with personal conversations saved until afterwards. Possibly the most important feature of any conference is the ability for everyone to hear and be heard. Ask everyone 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. A popular tactic for ensuring the meeting stays on track and avoiding everyone from speaking over one another is for the host to hold comments or questions until the end. And again, avoid distractions by kindly reminding attendees or remote presenters to turn mobile phones to silent mode or switch them off. 8. Dress Appropriately Dressing appropriately is particularly important if you’re presenting online. With all eyes on you, you’ll want to avoid wearing an inappropriate or distracting outfit that will become more memorable than your presentation. Avoid clothing that may flare on camera such as tiny stripes, sequins or glittery clothing. Similarly, don’t wear loose tops or shirts that gape and it goes without saying, wear professional pants. We’ve heard all too often of instances where a presenter or meeting attendee stands up to get a drink of water only to reveal they’re still in their pyjamas! Sometimes the simple things are often overlooked. 9. Stay on track with a well structured agenda A well-structured agenda can be your best friend. Not only can it set a tone, but a well-written agenda prepares invitees for what's in store. Ensure you include the item “All other business” as the last point on the agenda, followed by a decent amount of time for Q and A. Keeping everyone on track with an appropriate and well-worded agenda greatly assists with maintaining conference timeframes and actionable points. 10. Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse again This seems like a no-brainer but like any technology, testing and rehearsing will provide your best chance for success when presenting remotely or hosting a meeting via video conference. Take advantage of the exclusive rehearse feature offered by Encore Connect, which unlike free or basic platforms, gives you dedicated time with a technician to test your set up and ask any questions. Knowing your video conference is in expert hands means you can get on with the business of organising the event or meeting itself. Speak to the Video Conferencing Experts An increasing number of organisations and event planners are enjoying the benefits of video conferencing. Encore has developed our own solution to accommodate the rising demand for video conferencing in small meetings and large events for remote presenters. Encore Connect is powered by Zoom, one of the most well-known and trusted platforms in the market and you can find it across our entire venue network. If you are interested in finding out more about our video conferencing solutions get in touch by calling 1800 209 099 or sending an online enquiry and one of our friendly team members will get right back. ... Read More

Designing transformative experiences using Virtual Reality at corporate events Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most hyped technologies of the last decade. Global giants Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook have all invested billions in building the hardware, creating software, and developing applications. Event professionals are jumping on the trend and realising the potential of VR in transforming their events. The short; VR in the event space is here to stay and its the ideal environment to utilise the technology’s potential. We’re seeing VR restaurants pop up, car manufacturers turning mundane road trips into action-packed theme-parks, sensorial VR tours of breweries and some confronting education on road safety thanks to VR experiences. VR totally takes over your guests’ senses. It is about completely commanding your audience’s attention. It offers unparalleled engagement and concentration when compared to a video or spoken presentation. If you’re seeking to entertain, connect and delight, it enables total freedom of imagination. There are several off-the-shelf VR experiences such as real-world simulations of climbing Everest, diving on the Great Barrier Reef and the like. If they fit with the theme of your gala dinner or topic of your conference, they’re a great ice-breaker and novelty to get your guests talking. This is as tangible as you get in a virtual world. Experiencing touch, excitement fear and curiosity. How can events benefit from using Virtual Reality While consumer adoption of VR for gaming and entertainment at home has been much slower than expected, savvy operators in the event space and enterprise have been the quickest to realise its potential. VR applications for Conferences and meetings Virtual reality can be an excellent vehicle for team building exercises and business activities aimed at strengthening goals and creating a strategic focus. A shared VR activity is a perfect icebreaker for attendees that haven’t met. There are many off-the-shelf VR puzzles and games that get people working in teams and are perfect for this. More businesses want to show their audience instead of just addressing them through words or endless PowerPoint slides. During a keynote address, instead of just talking about a subject, why not immerse the audience? The presenter asks the crowd to put on the headsets and continues to address them as they explore a simulation of the content under discussion. The CEO of Intel, Brian Krzanich, kicked off the CES 2017 conference with an incredible VR experience cementing themselves as heavyweights in the area. Intel placed 260 VR units in chairs for all press attending the event where they embarked on an incredible journey starting with a wingsuit flight over Moab, Utah where they then landed on the desert floor. Shortly after, the flyers were shuttled to Vietnam to take in the sights of Ban Goic waterfall. After experiencing more spectacular scenery the VR tour ended with court side seats at an NCAA basketball game. Once they removed their virtual reality helmets, they found themselves sitting back in the audience at the event in Las Vegas. This example shows Krzanich and other industry leaders use virtual reality at events to completely change the way attendees experience exhibitions. VR technology has also enables connectivity for conference attendees spread interstate and internationally. It enables virtual attendance for those who can’t be there to experience the presenters and multimedia live while wearing headsets at home. VR lets people from around the world meet in the same place at the same time simply by putting on a headset. Meetings and breakouts can also be run using VR conferencing tools like Facebook Spaces. VR for Fairs, Exhbitions or Trade Shows Get visitors to your stand or display excited about engaging with your brand via a VR experience. Give them an exciting branded challenge or demonstration that gets their adrenaline pumping; it’s a great way to stand out and be remembered. One insurance provider used VR to promote its products in a rather unusual way. NRMA Insurance designed a car crash simulator to show how car safety features have improved over three decades. “Victims” put on a VR headset, climb behind the wheel of a showroom car, then (virtually) crash into a barrier at the same speed that actual crash tests are conducted. The user then goes through the same simulation, only behind the wheel of an older car with fewer safety features. Users have firsthand experience of being in a major car accident and walk away unscathed at the end, but left with a lasting impact. A large U.S. home improvement company, Lowe’s, helped customers bring to life their design vision with Holoroom. Customers can design their kitchen or bathroom and view it in VR using Oculus Rift in-stores, and take-home a free Google Cardboard viewer to enjoy their room design whenever and wherever they choose. This application of VR could be applied for various products and services to help generate sale and new leads at exhibitions and trade fairs. They say doing is far better for learning than just seeing or hearing. And when you can’t physically demonstrate the new product, service or solution VR is the next best thing. VR is an excellent training platform because it’s cost effective and the closest you’ll get to doing it in real life. Any simulations feel real to the user. Users can make a decision that feels impactful, but it can still be changed or reset entirely. This is particularly useful for the medical industry where a wrong action can result in death. VR provides an effective vehicle for learning new applications, technologies or sales training on new products such as a latest car model. The possibilities are endless. Since 2018, German logistics company Deutsche Bahn uses VR for immersivetraining experiences using an application called Engaging Virtual Reality. Recruiting Talent at a careers fair Like with any media, using the right technology to appeal to your target market will make your campaign more effective. It’s no secret that VR is more popular among younger users. 50% of users between the age groups of 20-29 and 30-39 are veryinterested in virtual reality, with only 6% expressing no interest at all. So when German railway company Deutsche Bahn wanted to recruit young talent they turned to VR experiences at a careers fair. Candidates could experience first-hand the lives of train conductors, electricians, and construction workers. The recruiting team found that exposing candidates to this experience resulted in higher-quality applications and candidates who were interested in the positions. “The idea is to give people a really good insight of the jobs at Deutsche Bahn. We want applicants to get a close look over the shoulder of an electrician or a train driver. That is something that makes the application process very tangible and very satisfying. We can show how fascinating jobs are in the real world,” says Kerstin Wagner, head of talentacquisition at Deutsche Bahn Mobility Logistics. VR for Charity Events Show your donors the actual impact of their contribution in a way they can almost touch and feel. Guide them through a ‘before and after’ experience that illustrates exactly what you can achieve together. A VR campaign does something many cause-driven organizations all over the world struggle to achieve. Virtual Reality can show donors exactly where their money is going and the outcome it achieves. Toms: Virtual Giving Trip. Toms, a popular shoe company, is well known for donating one pair of shoes to a child in need every time a customer buys their own pair. The charity found a new way to inspire its customers to give by taking them on a journey while wearing a VR headset. The Toms Virtual Giving Trip is narrated by Blake Mycoskie, the founder and Chief Shoe Giver of Toms, and one of his colleagues. As they describe the story of Toms’ founding, their VR experience takes viewers on a trip through Peru, where Blake and the shoe-giving team visit a school of children who are about to receive the shoes they need for the first time. VR for Sales Events and Launches From a virtual factory tour to product experience, VR can amp up a sales force and help them truly understand the product and your objectives. Beyond the event, a portable VR version of the content can be used to inspire their customers! Some companies aren’t limiting themselves to brining just products to their tradeshow, instead they’re using VR technology to bring the entire building with them. What better way to immerse customers into your brand. In 2016, Anheuser-Busch gave SXSW attendees a VR tour of their Budweiser St. Louisbrewery that involved seeing, hearing, and even smelling different parts of the facility. Users wore VR headsets and were led on a tour of different rooms to learn about the brew. When they toured near the hops that went into the beer, brewery employees held actual hops under the attendees’ noses. And of course, attendees got to taste the beer afterwards. Have you considered VR for your event Create an immersive experience that’s more engaging, interactive and persuasive than mere video. It’s more interesting and better at holding attention than simply presenting in the traditional form. VR is a perfect platform to take your audience deep into where you want their minds to be. The most important factors to consider in using VR at your event is what purpose does it serve, what story does it tell, and how are you going to obtain, customise, or create it? Avoid using VR purely as a gimmick. Instead, provide real value to attendees and stakeholders. The most important part of adopting any technology is the impact it will have on your strategic goals. Ask yourself what the goals of your event are first and then see how you can leverage VR to help get you there. Here’s some questions to think about when considering VR: Will utilising VR equipment help you attract and meet more contacts at your trade show booth? Do you want something to set you apart from other exhibitors? Would VR take your attendees to a location you are talking about, transport them into a building that is being proposed? Do you need to provide your audience with a more immersive way to experience your videos, photos, or games? Would your employees gain a deeper understanding of their training? Will VR show your donors how their investment can transform someone’s life. The goal is to make the experience more useful, impactful or memorable than what has been done previously, no matter what your event. The gear and the content VR can be experienced with something as simple as a cardboard holder for a smartphone paired with VR apps, or a high-tech immersive helmet and hand sensors wired up to a supercharged PC. The biggest emerging category of hardware in VR is stand-alone glasses, where the computer, vision, and sound are all contained in one battery powered lightweight device with wireless capability. A leading example of this is the Oculus Go, which is the model that Encore Event Technologies deploy on our events. Keep in mind the realities of the space required if you’re using VR for a competitive team challenge. If attendees are expected to swing, duck and dodge you’ll need to allocate enough room to avoid any ‘real-world’ injuries! Find out more about using VR in your events Many industries are now awash with great examples of VR and although it’s a little too soon to call it mainstream, it appears that we are reaching the tipping point. The technology is becoming cheaper and the number of companies producing these experiences is growing, which can only mean we will see it more not only at events but for a widening number of applications. Business investment will likely be a strong driver with demand to create virtual meetings in a time-poor world. There are already products coming to market that enable meeting attendees to dial into a boardroom and see, hear and interact with each other as if they were present. The question now is not if, but when and how you will be using VR in your events. At Encore we love finding ground-breaking event applications for new tools like VR. We’ve already produced experiences for many event types and purposes and are thrilled at the possibilities it presents. This is event planning on a new level. The ability to put your event ahead of the game offers memorable occasions not soon forgotten. Contact us to explore how we can take your next event to virtual new heights. ... Read More