Encore recently hosted a groundbreaking event that brought together thought leaders and advocates to discuss the critical topics of Trans Awareness, Gender Diversity, and Emotional Intelligence. The event featured powerful presentations from Katherine Wolfgramme, a renowned Trans Awareness Educator and Gender Diversity Consultant, Linda Boyd, the visionary Founder and CEO of Kleu, Rachel Cosgrove-White, a Navy veteran sharing her experiences as a lesbian in the defence force, and Gavin Loveday, a long-standing team member of Accor who shared his heart-warming experience of acceptance working for our hotel partner.
Encore produced the event in support of these inspiring presenters and as part of our various business resource group endeavours which has seen the development of various groups including Encore Pride, Women of Encore and Encore Wellbeing.
Katherine Wolfgramme: Turning Fear into Understanding
Katherine Wolfgramme, a celebrated trans advocate and award-winning speaker, shared her journey as a transgender woman. She highlighted the significance of creating legal precedents and changing societal language to foster a more inclusive environment. Katherine’s efforts have led to monumental changes, such as allowing transgender people in Fiji to change their legal documents and influencing respectful journalism practices in Australia.
In her presentation, Katherine discussed her experiences with gender dysphoria, and the skills and attributes that transgender people build in order to survive in a combative world. She emphasised that transgender people have an ability to engage with body image and empathy in a way that reflects the difficulties they face in a hostile world. Her personal narrative, detailing the struggles and triumphs of growing up transgender, captivated the audience and underscored the urgent need for acceptance and support for the transgender community.
Katherine also addressed the alarming rates of suicide attempts among transgender people, attributing these to societal, environmental, and financial factors. She urged the audience to advocate for mental health support and anti-discrimination measures to improve the well-being of transgender people.
Linda Boyd: Emotional Fitness and Revolutionary Leadership
Linda Boyd, the inspiring founder of Kleu, brought a wealth of knowledge on emotional intelligence and its role in transforming frontline customer interactions. With a successful track record in engagement consultancy, Linda has now set her sights on democratising access to emotional fitness.
Linda shared skills to combat the flight-flee-fawn cycle, such as building a practice of taking six seconds to reflect before making decisions to allow for rational thought to return after emotional overwhelm. She shared her view that emotional intelligence is a muscle that can be built up over time, and discussed how emotional intelligence can help to combat stressful work situations and overwhelming environments.
Rachel Cosgrove-White: Navigating Identity in the Defence Force
Rachel Cosgrove-White, a Navy veteran, shared her poignant and inspiring experiences as a lesbian in the defence force. Rachel’s story highlighted the unique challenges and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people in military environments. She recounted her journey of navigating her identity while serving, the importance of resilience, and the compassionate approach she discovered as her son came out as transgender.
Rachel emphasised the need for inclusive policies and supportive leadership within organisations to ensure that all employees can approach their work environments authentically and without fear of discrimination. Her presentation was a powerful reminder of the progress that still needs to be made to achieve true equality and acceptance in all sectors of society.
Gavin Loveday: Acceptance and Inclusion at Accor
Gavin Loveday, a long-standing team member of Accor, shared his heart-warming experience of acceptance working for the hotel brand. Gavin’s story of Accor’s encouragement and acceptance of his creativity through drag illustrated the positive impact of inclusive workplace policies and a supportive company culture. He highlighted how Accor’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has allowed him to thrive both personally and professionally.
Gavin’s experience is a testament to the importance of fostering an environment where all employees feel valued and accepted. His story inspired attendees to advocate for similar inclusive practices within their own organisations.
Empowering Discussions and Future Directions
The event facilitated meaningful discussions on the intersection of gender diversity and emotional intelligence, emphasising the role of empathy and understanding in creating inclusive environments. In-person and remote attendees were encouraged to reflect on their own practices and consider how they can contribute to a more accepting and emotionally intelligent society.
Encore is proud to have hosted such a transformative event, bringing together leaders and advocates dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of transgender issues, the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the military, and the importance of emotional fitness. By leveraging these insights, Encore continues to lead the way in creating inclusive, forward-thinking events that drive positive change in the community.
Encore delivers The University of Sydney ’ s largest wave of graduation ceremonies in 2024
19 days. 56 ceremonies. 9,500 graduands. 18,000+ live stream attendees. 1 mammoth month for Encore.
The Brief
It is one of the most significant days in their lives. This is why The University of Sydney turned to trusted event production specialists, Encore, to deliver a memorable graduation ceremony for more than 9,500 graduands. This was to take place three times a day, over 19 days with full audio visual and production support and a live stream to thousands of attendees worldwide. With the right mix of equipment, skills, experience and people power, Encore was the perfect team for the challenge.
The Solution
The production solution was months in the making. Key elements in Encore’s solution were AV integration, redundancy contingencies, production quality and prioritising crew wellbeing.
Being able to integrate with and control the venue’s in-house AV system was critical to the event’s success. This enabled Encore’s crew to not only manage the in-room audio and vision, but to also successfully capture and feed into the live stream which was hosted on the University’s main website.
With experience comes the knowledge to back up and back up again. This is why Encore’s team allowed for several contingencies to ensure each event over the 30 days would go on no matter what happened. This included facilitating internet connection with a dedicated PEP-Link in place to avoid any disruption to the live stream. With attendees live streaming each ceremony this was a critical piece in the solution.
One of the defining features in Encore’s production solution was the camera craftsmanship. Encore’s goal was to deliver a solution that went beyond simply capturing the day’s events, to anticipating moments that tell the story.
Encore’s Key Account Manager for the event, Dan Armstrong, described how experience can transform the production quality.
“Having a deeper understanding of the script notes and the flow of the graduation lets you know where there will be opportunities to bring a different perspective visually to the in- room attendee. This goes without saying, this becomes even more important for those watching online.
“It’s the layering of camera angles, capturing the right reactions at the right time for the right amount of time, without losing sense of what is still happening live in the room,” said Mr Armstrong.
A final and hugely important part of Encore’s solution was maintaining crew wellbeing. For an event of this magnitude, with back-to-back ceremonies over 30 days, fatigue management plans were critical to the solution. Overlooking this element can have devastating effects and which is why Encore places wellbeing as one of their highest production priorities.
The Result
Each ceremony over the 30 days was delivered seamlessly, both in-room and online. More than 9,500 people tuned in to watch the live stream from more than 10 countries around the world. With talks already underway for the next wave of ceremonies, it’s clear Encore’s production solution was a success.
“Encore has supported The University of Sydney graduation ceremony events since 2021, supporting ~100 ceremonies for ~12,000 graduates annually. Encore currently provides infrastructure, lighting, filming, audio, and a live stream platform for graduation ceremony events. Onsite broadcasting services were also utilised during covid19 restrictions. Since 2021, the Graduations Team have worked with Encore to research and implement options to improve the event delivery and graduate experience.”
– Jerry Wu, Senior Administration Officer, The University of Sydney
Encore treated guests at this year’s 2024 Air and Space Power Conference to an LED odyssey.
The Brief
The sky was the limit for this year’s brief to event production specialists, Encore, who were appointed the task of designing and delivering the 2024 Air and Space Power Conference. Having delivered the prestigious biennial event twice before, Encore was familiar with the production standard the event and its guests had come to expect. Presented only with a static graphic of the event’s proposed branding, whilst also relying on Encore’s past experience delivering the event, it was an open brief for their in-house team at the National Convention Centre Canberra.
The Solution
With all eyes on the stage, it was the focus for Encore’s design solution. This year the team opted for an all LED set design rather than projection. The aim was creating a look that was uniform and capable of delivering an incredibly bright experience that not only immersed guests in a space-travel-inspired experience, it also brought to life the colours and vibrancy in the event’s branded content more so than what projection could. This LED story continued right across the stage, including the digital lecterns and digital fascia on the presenter panel creating a seamless content display. Another key design element was creating depth and dimension using multiple levels and curved staging. It wouldn’t be a space themed event without the all-important star-cloth which the team added either side of the stage to frame the set. The event’s branded graphic also influenced the lighting design which used the same colours along with moving GOBOs of aeroplanes flying over the stage flooring. Haze was also strategically used throughout the event to add another layer that mimicked a cloudlike effect.
The Result
Encore’s render-to-reality service played a pivotal role in communicating the end design concept. Better still, what was delivered on show day was exactly what was rendered. It’s this peace of mind which is why Encore is trusted with delivering events of this calibre year on year.
The team is still receiving glowing feedback from delegates and speakers about how successful and enjoyable the event was.
The event planners at Air Force Events are already looking forward to seeing what Encore delivers for their next event.
“I don’t know how you’ll be able to top this off in two years’ time. The LED screen made a huge impact. Everyone was talking about it!
“What I also really valued was the 3D renders. They allowed us to visualize every detail, from the layout and design to lighting and décor, giving us a clear picture of the final result and peace of mind our idea will be what’s delivered.”
Encore welcomes the challenge.
The 2024 Helloworld Travel OMC Conference wrapped up in true Aussie style in Sydney, with over 550 attendees soaking in the vibrant atmosphere. Hosted at the Hyatt Regency during the days and the Overseas Passenger Terminal for a dazzling gala dinner, this event was a testament to the thriving travel industry Down Under.
Encore was engaged to transform the venues into an engaging experience for attendees through tailored creative design, audio-visual and lighting solutions.
Held by day at the Hyatt Regency, the conference was not short on exciting nighttime activity with a Welcome event on the harbour aboard Starship Sydney that kicked off the conference with style as delegates enjoyed not only breathtaking harbour views but an amazing fireworks display!
The theme, “A World of Opportunity,” echoed throughout the event, with speakers like Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson, swimming legend Grant Hackett, and motivational guru Ben Crowe inspiring optimism for the future.
Throughout the conference, owner-managers shared insights on the importance of passion, customer care, and industry relationships, proving that despite evolving trends and technology, the heart of travel remains unchanged.
Networking lounges buzzed with excitement as suppliers showcased their offerings, with Viva Holidays celebrating their 50th anniversary in style. Glittering attire was a must for their spirited “Sale of the (Half) Century” game, adding a touch of glamour to the affair.
The grand finale came with the Gala Dinner, sponsored by Qantas, where the Overseas Passenger Terminal was transformed by Encore into an exclusive haven.
As guests arrived at the Overseas Passenger Terminal they were greeted with a red carpet experience and a striking neon archway leading into the exclusive networking area. Uplighting on the luxe curtain draped partition created a warm mood-lit ambience while custom GOBOs projected Qantas and Helloworld Travel branding.
The Qantas Australian Girls Choir kicked off the evening, with a stirring rendition of ‘I Still Call Australia Home’, setting the stage for a night of celebration and surprises.
On the stage itself, sat a large LED wall visually separated into three panels by two columns of shimmering sequin tiles creating a stunning artistic effect. The room and stage lighting was further enhanced by LED tubes being suspended from the ceiling – a stunning effect and perfect complement to the Gala’s ‘light up the night’ theme.
As the night unfolded, attendees learned that Vancouver would host OMC 2025, igniting anticipation for another year of networking and exploration.
After the meal the dance floor beckoned as delegates enjoyed live music from Big City Beat and danced the night away.
As the conference drew to a close, attendees departed with a renewed sense of inspiration and camaraderie, ready to seize the countless opportunities that lie ahead in the ever-evolving world of travel.
Sarah Gerrand, GM Partnerships and Events, at Helloworld Travel was delighted with the event commenting,
“Encore exceeded all expectations with the execution of the 2024 Helloworld OMC Conference in Sydney. From the seamless delivery of our conference at the Hyatt Regency Sydney to the stunning Gala Dinner at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, every detail was meticulously crafted. Their creative design, audio-visual expertise, and lighting solutions were amazing, perfectly reflecting the conference theme, ‘A World of Opportunity.’ Encore’s dedication ensured a memorable experience, leaving attendees inspired and charged for the future.”