This is the third installment in a three-part series in which Chris Cavanaugh, CMO of Freeman, discusses the event technology that is shaping the future of brand experiences. In his final post, Chris talks about how brands can leverage mass personalisation to maximise the potential of your brand experience. Maximise the brand experience through mass personalisation Written by Chris Cavanaugh, CMO of Freeman, originally posted on the Freeman blog. Catch up on Part Two: Live Streaming Can Change The Way Brands Engage With Audiences here -- We are a society that has become hyper-personalized. Today’s consumers don’t just appreciate customized content — they expect it. Whether we’re shopping for clothes, planning a vacation, or browsing for a TV show to watch, we seem to have very little patience for choices that we don’t relate to. There’s an emotional angle to all of this. Across the globe, consumers have started craving a deeper connection with the brands they use. They want to feel like they’ve made the right choice with their money, and they prefer to invest in brands that understand them and know what they care about. Technology has made this possible. Now more than ever, there are a multitude of channels that learn our behaviors, listen to our feedback, and give us the ability to opt into — or out of — the experiences that fill our lives. The future is being dictated by what individuals want rather than what brands want for them. Nowhere is this truer than in the world of brand experiences. This is a good thing. Brands, at their core, are all about people. Not crowds of people but rather individuals, each with their own unique set of values and emotional connection points. Personalisation based on emotional investment gives us an opportunity to forge deeper connections with our audiences. Fortunately, live events offer a wealth of opportunities for brands not only to provide personalized experiences but also to continue learning how to make emotional connections with their audiences as well. Know your audience(s) It seems obvious, but many brands do not actually know their audience beyond the broad strokes painted by their standard research. Today’s audiences can be much more complex than that. By the year 2020, there will be five different generations working at the same time. That’s more generations than have ever been in the workforce at once, and it presents a new wrinkle in addition to the usual segmentation challenges we face. Each generation will have its own set of priorities, motivators, and preferred methods of communication. Speaking of generations, as our original attendees age out, who will replace them? The up-and-coming generations will have an overabundance of experiences and channels to choose from, so it’s very likely that the same old tactics may not work on them. If we want to attract these new audiences, segmentation will be the first step in understanding how we can connect with them. Use data to make a human connection Now that you’ve defined your audiences, data is the key to personalisation. Once you have the data, there are many ways to customise the experience for your audience. Turning heaping piles of information into insights that are actionable and meaningful is no easy task, but with today’s event technology, anything is possible. It starts with putting the customer at the center of the proposition, using empathy and insights to understand what he or she wants and needs, and then creating a personalized experience that delivers emotion without feeling intrusive. There are challenges, of course. We will have to be vigilant about issues of privacy, data ownership, and usage. I find that, in this case, honesty is the best policy. If audiences are aware that you’re collecting their data in order to enhance their experience and remove the clutter, and you ensure that they are totally and implicitly aware of what is being collected and studied, then you should have no problem. Reach audiences where they are As mass media continues to fragment, so do the ways in which marketers can reach audiences. The days of the big ad running during prime-time television are being supplemented by new devices, new streaming vehicles, and an evolving mass of new marketing channels. If you are going to employ multiple channels to get your message across, there should be continuity between those channels. It’s important to remember that campaigns are ongoing conversations. There are many avenues of communication at our disposal today, and the beauty of many of them is that they’re two-way. They allow us to listen to what our audiences are saying and gather insights into what motivates them and speaks to them on a deeper level. Allow audiences to co-create When creating brand experiences, we can now use data and technology to design environments and make these story worlds more responsive. We’ve developed some platforms that allow consumers to control their own experience and offer real-time feedback that can shape the content of a program as it is happening. Given that most attendees have their phones in their hand at any given time, this provides a great opportunity to get them involved in coauthoring content at your event (and feeling the ownership of it). What better way to get them to feel emotionally invested in what your brand has to say. Keep storytelling at the center of the creative journey There was a time when advertising and marketing relied almost entirely on the power of emotional storytelling. In recent years, storytelling has given way to algorithms, metrics, and optimization. While there’s no doubt that those things are important, storytelling has always been the beating heart of this industry. Storytelling can be a powerful drug. A 2006 study by Spanish researchers looked into the effects of storytelling on the human brain. They found that, while statistics and facts have little to no effect on our emotions, descriptive stories have the potential to stimulate certain sensory regions of our brains, such as touch or smell. They can even generate activity in the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls movement. Now more than ever, brands need stories that help stimulate audience emotions. After all, a customer who feels an emotional connection to a brand is 52 percent more valuable than one who is not emotionally connected. Few marketing channels have the capacity to incite emotion in quite the same way as brand experiences. While many can come close, a personalized brand experience is the best way to envelop an audience in the context of a story and really inspire them to feel something. At the end of the day, personalization is about transforming the idea of marketing from a form of mass communication to a form of conversation. We are asking people to give us their time and attention, and we should be giving them something in return. Personalization lets an attendee know that, not only are we listening to them but we are genuinely interested in their individual interests and needs. We care about making them feel comfortable, entertained, satisfied, and, most importantly, emotionally connected. That sort of attention goes a long way toward converting an attendee from a potential client into an existing one. This is the final installment in a three-part series in which Chris Cavanaugh, CMO of Freeman, discusses the event technology that is shaping the future of brand experiences. Catch up on Event Tech Trends Part 2 - How Live Streaming Can Change The Way Brands Engage With Audiences This concludes my series on event technology. As part of our effort to keep up with the rapid pace of change, Freeman will continue to monitor and curate the latest trends. ... Read More

It’s no surprise that Australia has been ranked ‘most exciting destination for conferences’ in a recent report published by Tourism Australia. With unrivalled vistas, iconic landmarks, some of the world’s most livable cities and strangest creatures, plus the lengthy flight is tax deductable – who wouldn’t jump on a chance to come here for ‘work’? The new study looked into the decision-making process of international delegates for a destination conference with the purpose of helping event marketers understand what the biggest motivators were. The appeal of Australia for its beautiful countryside and beaches are an obvious draw-card, but there is much more to Australia when it comes to a conference destination. When comparing different countries, we’re seen as safer, more reliable and we have a strong portfolio of successful international event experience. It’s therefore easy to understand why Australia is the perfect trifecta. "22% of respondents rated Australian conferences 10 out of 10 versus the 16% global average." New research on Association Conference Delegate Behaviour, Tourism Australia So what are the other draw cards? The study revealed destination appeal, conference content, speaker reputation and networking potential are the main drivers. Delving deeper into the quality of content, Australia is a safe-bet when considering the profile of speakers at our conferences, the high standard of audio vision and production delivery, and of course our world-class conference venues. But this isn’t anything new or previously unassumed. The report also highlighted that for over 60% of respondents, extending the trip into a holiday is a decision influencing factor. This is a useful insight for the way we plan and promote our conferences to international markets. Respondents felt a strong social program that includes networking events and leisure activities which highlight the country’s history, culture, food and wildlife is a key component to what makes a conference appealing. "Conferences which successfully manage to integrate the program of events with the destination are the most appealing." New research on Association Conference Delegate Behaviour, Tourism Australia In its path to gaining a deeper a understanding of the conference delegate, Tourism Australia embarked on a data sharing arrangement with Virgin Australia which sees them tracking and passing on information relating to online activity for any consumer who comes to Australia.com and then moves onto Virgin Australia digital properties. This partnership is to be part of a number of other data partnerships in the next 12 months. Without having inside knowledge into the arrangement and what the set objectives are, it will be interesting to see how the two use the shared data and whether it will provide any great insight into marketing our conferences. It may be an obvious tactic in marketing internationally, but the report stressed the need for a sophisticated and well thought-out conference website that informs, inspires and motivates delegates. Having an aesthetically appealing website coupled with a helpful event app is the best way to attract and keep your conference delegates engaged through-out the entire life-cycle of the conference – pre, during and post. Without this crucial touch point, you’re basically fishing without a hook and hoping for the best. Sydney is our most popular destination for international conferences and the forecast is strong. For association events like international conferences, Sydney offers the chance for global thought leaders to connect and collaborate. There is a real sense that Sydney is undergoing a transformation, with many new infrastructure developments offering great opportunities for future business events. The conference and exhibition market in Sydney, is expected to hit a high in late 2016, when the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) opens in Darling Harbour. So this research is pertinently timed. The ICC Sydney has already secured a number of major international events which will no doubt support Tourism Australia’s 2020 goal is to achieve more than $115 billion in overnight spend by 2020 (up from $70 billion in 2009). The opening of the Centre is also perfectly timed for the recent opening of Four Points by Sheraton Sydney in Darling Harbour. The venue will be Australia’s largest hotel, boasting 892 guest rooms and 3,700sq metres of conference and event space making Darling Harbour a new conference hub for Sydney. The importance of the business events industry to Australia, cannot be underestimated in terms of their economic contribution. Another report by Ernst & Young and the Business Events Council of Australia found that over 37 million people attended more than 412,000 business events in Australia between 2013 and 2014. These business events directly generated $28.0 billion in direct expenditure, $13.5 billion in direct value added and 179,357 direct jobs. Another piece of research released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Australia welcomed 555,800 international visitor arrivals during June 2016, an increase of 13.7 per cent compared to the same month during the previous year. For the year ending June 2016, total international arrivals reached 7.8 million, up 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Australia is home to some of the most skilled event professionals in the world, having played host to numerous large global events including Rotary, the Olympics, Amway, Commonwealth Games, so we have the experience to deliver. Staging Connections recently delivered the Amway Taiwan international incentive event as well as working on LNG18 (the International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas. Both events delivered huge benefits to the economy. With our vast natural beauty, new and expansive event infrastructure, tourism partnerships and a skilled community of event professionals, it’s no doubt that our nation is set to see the number, quality and profile of both association and corporate events rise. Marketers across Australia, including those in house at venues, suppliers, caterers and event management companies have a major opportunity to push the core benefits of Australia out to market, that fortunately, are the ultimate match for the desires of international business travellers. They say records are set to be broken, and with Australia’s inbound tourism and events sector heating up rapidly, get ready for it to boil over! -- This article was written by Adele Symonds, Marketing Manager at Staging Connections. ... Read More

One of the most beautiful, intricate and technically complex stage designs of 2015. Staging Connections delivered a visually captivating event for the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) Awards for Excellence at The Star Sydney. Celebrating the best of the hotel service industry, the event offered guests a visual feast, combining complex stage sets, intricate styling, technically advanced projection mapping and strategically prepared video content. Inspired by the geometric logo elements the Staging Connections event production team built a custom stage design comprised of a 20x5m hard projection set interspersed with coloured acrylic panels to emphasise the geometric elements of the clients’ logo. Video and imagery was projected onto the 3D set using state-of-the-art projection mapping, illuminating the stage in a thousand colours that drew the audience’s attention and ensured a memorable result. Projection Mapping uses everyday video projectors, but instead of projecting on a flat screen (e.g. to display a PowerPoint), light is mapped onto any surface, turning common objects of any 3D shape into interactive displays. More formally, projection mapping is “the display of an image on a non-flat or non-white surface”. Selina Rumble, General Manager of Partnerships & Events at the Australian Hotels Association was delighted with the creative event design that perfectly answered the Association’s brief to deliver a memorable occasion. “The Australian Hotels Association has worked with Staging Connections across Australia for nearly 10 years, and the team know how to push boundaries to produce a stellar result every time. They went above and beyond for our Awards for Excellence, delivering not only a visually stunning experience but a seamless event as well for our 500 guests. “Whilst a celebration is memorable in itself, we delight in using technology to create a striking event environment that our guests want to share with their friends. Staging Connections have the technology, the team and most of all, the know-how, to deliver special events that continue to impress our guests,” said Ms Rumble. Stu Buchanan, Event Director at Staging Connections led the team in managing and producing the entire event. “It was a star-studded event and we were keen on impressing both our client and the event’s attendees. Our team worked hard to design the multimedia for the event that took over 125 hours to prepare, and the result was a dynamic and impactful backdrop that guests raved about. “As an integrated event staging provider, every element of the event was carefully thought out, from the set design of tessellated triangles, to the mapped digital backdrop, to the three 16:9 screens and the table styling featuring illuminated glass terrariums filled with copper string lights. The event environment was warm, inviting and had an ultimate wow-factor,” concluded Mr Buchanan. Staging Connections worked in collaboration with The Star Event Centre’s technical and audio visual team to deliver the spectacular result for the Australian Hotels Association Awards for Excellence. Related Articles First of its kind - a Kinetic ceiling installation at The Million Dollar Lunch gala Transform your corporate event with creative stage design How projection mapping can add an extra dimension to your events ... Read More

If you're looking to push the boundaries of your next conference, gala dinner, product launch or other event, you should make sure you consider the audio visual equipment required to meet your event objectives. The use of AV sets the mood of your event and helps present your message, brand and company in an unforgettable way. If you're looking to push the boundaries of your next conference, gala dinner, product launch or other event, you should make sure you consider the audio visual equipment required to meet your event objectives. The use of AV sets the mood of your event and helps present your message, brand and company in an unforgettable way. Many people are confused by AV and worry they may not specify all the elements required for an event. Audio Visual requirements can be complex, but we pride ourselves on providing a simple solution that is understandable. For a convenient way to incorporate audio visual elements into your event, we would be happy to discuss the wide range of AV Packages available through Staging Connections. AV packages offer the ideal way for you to choose from a range of options to get the perfect solution for your needs. That way, you get just what you need for your event and also that fits your budget. When booking your event AV package from Staging Connections, we will have an initial briefing meeting so we can find out your event objectives and then we can configure a package to fit your requirements. We offer a flexible array of AV packages ranging from full service event staging solutions through to dry hire items. This allows you to choose to rent just the equipment you need if you already have the expertise or leave everything in our hands. It's your choice! We hope you've got an understanding of what Staging Connections can do to help you bring your vision to life through AV packages. Simply submit a request for a Quick Quote and we will get back to you as soon as possible with pricing. ... Read More

Amway is a world-leading company in beauty, lifestyle and homecare. Every year, they reward their top distributors with immersive events around the world. This year Amway Taiwan chose Sydney as their destination and flew over 1150 guests for week of learning, networking and of course celebrating. They came to us with a proposal – they wanted a big, extravagant event. Exactly the sort of job that excites us. Whilst these big event briefs are exciting to work on, they’re also laden with logistical challenges to overcome. As an experienced AV company, we wanted to share some tips for delivering large, high profile events of this kind, in the hope it will aid event planners facing similar challenges. Watch the video See below our top tips for delivering an Australiana-themed event for 1000+ VIPs. 1. Choose an iconic Australian location Amway Taiwan chose Sydney for a specific reason – they wanted to surprise and delight their guests with a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience and where better than Sydney. For an event of such size and spectacle, we needed the right venue. It needed to be large enough to accommodate the guests with enough access points for crew and audio visual installations but also offer an exclusive feeling, fitting for such a prestigious event. That’s why the client loved the Cutaway at The Barangaroo Reserve Headland Park. Located on the shores of Sydney’s harbour, the Cutaway is one of Sydney’s most anticipated venues, only opening in August last year. Flanked entirely on one side with a sheer, 18-metre high sandstone wall, this unique layout rendered the venue the perfect candidate for projection mapping. Our multimedia team created content that captivated the audience, branded the space, and supported the live performances. 2. Entertain the crowd with a host of recognisable Australian acts and performances. From the moment guests arrived, they were met with performers – stilt walkers dressed as iconic Australian buildings, bouncing kangaroos and caricatures of Aussie lifesavers, plus Australian animal petting areas. Guests were then surprised by five flag-bearing water skis passing the cove, and watched a spectacular aerial acrobatics show by Strange Fruit. Soul Mystique also mesmerised crowds with their innovative dance and magical costume transformation routine. As the entertainment continued through the night, guests were witness to a 40-strong cast from Decendance and the NSW Aboriginal Dance Company, a custom choreographed aerial show and an incredible performance by New Zealand (which is close to Australia!) opera singer Hayley Westenra. 3. Use projection mapping to turn a large venue into a themed experience Projection mapping is a clever way to turn an inanimate backdrop into a dynamic visual journey. The magnificent sandstone wall lining the Cutaway made the perfect, albeit rugged, canvas for us to project onto. Our in-house design team produced a stunning multimedia sequence showcasing iconic Australian buildings, animals and landscapes. We projection mapped this onto the rock wall, turning it into a talking point of the night. It is a clever way to keep guests entertained, theme a relatively bare venue and provide a beautiful backdrop for the on-stage performances and presentations. 4. Use simple, yet clever table styling that captures the Aussie spirit While the dazzling performances were crucial, we couldn’t forget that our guests would be sitting down to gala dinner. Our event stylists were tasked with the challenge of creating stunning centrepieces and tablescapes, and then replicating it for the 100+ tables. No mere feat. Each table featured incredible native Australian floral table arrangements with tiny LED lights that made them glow, casting a warm light around the venue. In true extravagant style, we even had custom-made embroidered Amway napkins and rings designed for this special occasion. 5. Surprise and delight with big, extravagant acts When you need to keep over 1000 guests entertained over a long period of time, you’ll want to consider using big, flashy acts interspersed throughout the event. They’re fantastic for getting the crowd excited, which is great for a fresh injection of energy. They’re also handy at creating a diversion, for when you need to draw your guests’ attention away so your events team can bump-in or out any changes to the event. For our Australiana themed event, our Event Directors covered all bases – flashy cars, water acts and a mesmerising fireworks display. Amway Taiwan asked for a grand entrance for their awards winners. We used seven vintage 1969 Mustang convertibles to give the Amway winners’ procession a red carpet arrival, driving them right onto the stage. During the day, we hosted all the guests on the water’s edge, entertaining them with a water-skiing stunt show. After such an action-packed day, we needed to end the night with a bang. We organised a magnificent fireworks display over Sydney’s harbour, with the entire show running 5 minutes longer than Sydney’s coveted New Year’s Eve fireworks! Staged from two barges on the water, and six positions around Nawi Cove, the shards of coloured lights lit up the harbour, casting a beautiful glow over the venue and a dazzling end to the event. 6. Partner with an experienced Audio Visual company With big, extravagant events come higher stakes. As all of your most important stakeholders are in the room and with so many individual elements, you’ll need an experienced AV and event company you can rely on. Staging Connections has been the name behind some of the largest and most technically demanding live events to hit Australian soil. Having been in the events business for over 30 years, our experienced team of technicians and event directors understand what it takes to deliver to this scale and profile. We only use brands we trust; we take a tailored approach to every brief using everything from the latest in AV, lighting and staging through to event styling and engaging digital media; and we work with you every step of the way so there’s no surprises. If you’re interesting in finding out what Staging Connections can do for your event, get in touch with us today by calling 1800 209 099 or by completing our event quote form. See all the action of Amway Taiwan 2016 Amway Taiwan Incentive Event 2016 from Staging Connections on Vimeo. Business Events Sydney on the Chinese Incentive Market from Staging Connections on Vimeo. ... Read More

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

As Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute commented, “colours this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.” We recently discussed how colours are an immensely powerful tool that can influence our event attendees’ moods. Taking the lead by the colour experts, we show you just how easy it is to style your next event so it's on trend this Spring! The 2016 Pantone Fashion Colour Report outlines that the colours this season are influenced by the world of art, new global doors opening and the desire to disconnect from technology and unwind. The designers who selected the colours were drawn towards a palette that is first and foremost calming. Designers were also inspired by the contrast of urban design and lush vegetation, leading to unexpected colour combinations and collections reminiscent of architecture, travel and nostalgia. By creating looks that truly represent the world we live in, both constructed and organic, designers sought to awaken a sense of reflection, followed by playful escapism. Taking this influence to the world of events, our Styling team from South East Queensland, have put together a range of exuberant centrepiece ideas and styling ideas to enhance your next event! 1. Event styling with Pantone 'Peach Echo' and Pantone 'Buttercup' Our fun, groovy Combi Van centrepieces conjure up memories of love ins, surfing holidays and road trips past. The vans come in pale blue, red and yellow. They’re ideal as a table centrepiece, combined with scattered shells and votive candles to brighten up a beach theme. Go all out and use personalised thongs as place cards, or make an entry feature out of freestanding Malibu surfboards! 2. Event styling with PANTONE Green Flash and PANTONE Iced Coffee You just can’t beat the calming, reviving influence that plants have on your mood. Combine an assortment of small plants and shrubs on your table in a geometric terrarium. Address issues of global or local importance and make a statement by using greenery at your next event - plants used as centrepieces can be donated to organisations like Landcare after the event and used for rainforest revegetation projects. 3. Event styling with PANTONE Fiesta and PANTONE Lilac Grey Custom printing a wrap allows you to achieve any colour combo, or unique brand colour you like! Bring in elements of a James Bond or Casino Royale theme using these red, grey and black centrepieces. Graphics can be used to create the right look, you can even include corporate imagery logos, marketing material or just beautiful pictures and text. Coordinating your centrepiece graphics with printed menus or screen content will create a cohesive story throughout the room. 4. Styling with PANTONE Limpet Shell and PANTONE Serenity Use lighting in a range of blue hues to bring an electric atmosphere to any event. Add classic and contemporary crystal centrepieces, to emulate diamonds in a luxurious environment. Classic hurricane candleholders are elegant and understated, or embellish with crystal votives for extra sparkle or heighten the luxury with our dramatic spiralling floral stand with its long facetted crystal drops. Colours this season transcend cultural and gender norms, so are perfect to liven up event environments. Vivid brights evoke a sense of excitement and optimism, although subtle stability prevails in this season’s palette. Integrate some of Pantone’s renowned wisdom on colours into your next event. Ask our team of experienced stylists to create an atmosphere that achieves all your event objectives, whilst looking stunning and leaving a positive impression on your guests. Staging Connections Brisbane, Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast Events Team Our South East Queensland events team is proudly led by Karsten Richert as the General Manager and Sales Manager, Susan Hamilton. The SEQ team is based between Brisbane and Gold Coast and comprises some of the most talented design and styling professionals in the industry, offering event excellence across 7 key venues. If you're looking to host your next corporate event in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast or event at the Sunshine Coast, than we're the experienced events team you can rely on. We proudly offer Australia's largest range of event services across audio, lighting, staging, vision and extending to styling, multimedia and digital event solutions like webcasting, live polling and event social media. Get in touch with us today or call 1800 209 099 to speak with one of our event experts. Event Styling by Staging Connections - South East Queensland ... Read More

Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. In this weeks #TechieTuesday we explain what on earth they mean by 'PIP'- the feature that allows you to display multiple video feeds into the one screen! Welcome to another edition of Techie Tuesday! Each week we aim to demystify the world of audio visual equipment and event services lingo. In this week’s Techie Tuesday we take a look at the Picture in Picture (PIP) feature. You have most likely seen a PIP used on the nightly news where a video is playing with the image of the reporter overlayed in the corner of the screen. Not a news fan? You would have definitely spotted the picture-in-picture feature during live sport coverage. Image Source: Adobe Blogs | ESPN AV Discipline: Vision AV Category: AV Effect AV Jargon: PIP, Pip The PIP feature is also used in the world of corporate events. A PIP describes multiple images displayed on screen at any one time, giving the audience extra visual stimulation. It is typically used on large screen backdrops or projection screens where there is ample room to clearly see multiple images. A PIP feature is commonly used to add one or more live camera feeds (imag) of the presenter(s) to the screen while also displaying the slide presentation or a background graphic. Event types such as Conferences, Product Launches and Annual General Meetings typically use the PIP feature to present the visual content in an interesting and engaging manner. Technologies such as video conferencing and webcasting have used the PIP feature for many years, however live events are now using the PIP feature more often, especially where multi-projector blends are being used to create a single striking visual backdrop to the stage area. If you have any words, terms or lingo you would like our AV experts to demystify for you please send your suggestions through to info@stagingconnections.com Love learning lighting and AV techniques? Download our range of free White Papers today. ... Read More

Fact: When it comes to marketing budgets, the budget for events tends to be the first to get shuffled around. Don’t be disheartened, it’s the perfect time to get a bit more creative, think differently and prove the value of an engaging, interactive and successful event, no matter what budget is allocated. Fact: When it comes to marketing budgets, the budget for events tends to be the first to get shuffled around. Don’t be disheartened, it’s the perfect time to get a bit more creative, think differently and prove the value of an engaging, interactive and successful event, no matter what budget is allocated. 1. Capture the attention of your event attendees Nothing puts a smile on the face of your boss more than his/her event attendees looking in awe and excitement at the scene in front of them. Yet when you think of creating that sensational event experience, you automatically hear the ring of a cash register. If you have a limited budget, your choice of AV can make all the difference. Well positioned lighting can set the scene and add drama to any event through programmed lighting stings. Combine lighting with vision or multimedia content and you can make a real impact, without stretching the budget. Transform a stale event environment into something special with the clever use of projection, strategically placed screens, plasmas and LED displays plus the latest in playback and edge blending technology. How about using multimedia content projected onto the stage instead of building a stage set from scratch. The opportunities are endless. Multimedia content truly brings an idea to life, whether it is aliens circling your audience, cars racing by on the walls of the venue, or snow falling from the sky. Consider the impact that technology could have on your event next time you’re handed the event budget. 2. Returning the investment for everyone Events now need to achieve more than yours or your client’s bottom line – an event has to create a return on investment for those who have dedicated the time to attend and be more than a stand-alone entity but an integrated branded experience for the attendee. At the earliest stage of idea generation, think about what does the person attending the event want to get out of the event experience? What’s in it for them? Placing the attendee’s desire at the top and getting their buy-in at the event will inevitably meet the event’s objectives for sales, customer retention, or employee engagement making the end goal more easily achievable. Be audience focused from the very beginning. 3. Think differently and think bigger – an integrated brand experience Be creative with your event design and ideas – think differently about the experience you want your attendee to have and how the brand message can not only be integrated into the event but also how you can use this opportunity to create an interactive and memorable experience that translates into a stronger more beneficial relationship with attendees. Do a walk-through in your mind and make a list of what the attendee will see, hear, touch or feel from start to finish at the event. At each audience touch-point from the entrance, to the table setting, entire event space or the stage, think differently about how to make the experience personal and interactive. Try creating an illuminated centrepiece using your logo or hero image; utilise intelligent lighting and projection carrying the theme, product or brand imagery throughout the event space and use motion graphics and projection mapping to design a stage set that gives the audience the sense of being in a completely different location. Imagery projection can transform a room into a living space – think more than the traditional lighting – you can take your attendee on a visual journey using moving imagery, video or photography projected 360 degrees around a room creating the illusion that they are within an experience and not just an event. Motion graphics and multimedia technology is developing all the time and can be combined with projection for vision or lighting that reacts to touch – letting the attendee drive and direct their experience. Written By Stuart Buchanan, Sydney Sales Manager With event production experience spanning 17 years, Stuart’s local and international knowledge and know-how has set him up to be a true industry professional. From the early 1990’s Stuart worked as a music and fashion event promoter before moving into the corporate events field and has been with Staging Connections for over 12 years. ... Read More