Design Thinking for Event Producers: Takeaways from the Adobe XD Design Week 2016 Branding
EVENT COLLATERAL, EVENT DESIGN
If anyone was gonna knock their event branding out of the park, it was gonna be the people who invented Photoshop. But the Adobe XD Design Week branding is a special case of above and beyond.
What is XD Design Week?
The Adobe XD Group is a global design organization responsible for the user experience of most of Adobe s products. Once a year or so, we gather all of our designers, researchers, engineers, and other team members together in San Francisco for a week-long event where we share our work, build our relationships, and plan for the next year.
Crafted by rock star designers Anny Chen and Shawn Cheris, the branding for this event isn t just an example of pretty colors well-worked. This is design thinking at its finest: a rock-solid core concept in the case, the event theme supported by visuals that are both appropriate to that theme and lovely to look upon. Yeah, yeah, Adobe s got one up on the rest of us, in the sense that they have access to some of the best visual artists in the world. But it isn t just artistic skill that carried this branding forward: it was the strategic creative process that underpins the art. So how do we get a little closer to achieving similarly beautiful results in our own events? Well, we learn to think like a designer.
Isolate the Core Concept
Bad design says, Ooh, these color are pretty. Good design says, What are we trying to communicate? If your event isn t centered around a core concept, you re hamstrung right out of the gate. The theme for this year s XD Design Week was convergence , and that was the anchoring idea from which the rest of the festival flowed.
Decide on Means of Visual Expression
Time to dig deeper. We ve got a concept. Now, how are we going to choose to express it?
We explored the ways in which the idea of convergence could be expressed visually forms literally converging on the page, shapes being overlaid on top of one another, and juxtaposition of subject matter (e.g. human versus machine). As we delved deeper, we became more interested in the notion of the Venn diagram, and exploring what happens in the areas where two objects intersect and create a new third space.
Exploring the concept of convergence
Build a Visual System
Festival collateral is extremely diverse, and the imagery you settle on will have to extend across multiple mediums. Your system should be cohesive, meaning that all the parts look like they go together. It should be scalable, meaning that a conference badge and a t-shirt and a stage backdrop and a website can be designed under the guidelines of the system without breaking the system. It should be a little flexible, because life throws curveballs sometimes. How d Adobe do it?
We chose the circle as the consistent, anchoring element with which other shapes would converge on the page. The circle can embody multiple metaphors a lens, a different world, or a unifed whole. We also explored typographic treatments that would integrate well with the visual system. We chose Futura PT (Heavy 700) for its clean, geometric lines, and played with slicing the type along the axis of when two shapes intersected. The color palette and use of gradients were a direct nod to the Adobe XD brand.
Oh, right, and it should be on brand, if at all possible.
Apply holistically
Creating a single piece of collateral at a time, printing it, putting it into use, and then creating the next piece leaves the door open for a scattered and incoherent brand. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and logistics, that s usually what happens. Yes, deadlines are looming. Yes, you need the invitations first, and then posters later, and the speaker schedule booklets last of all. But best case scenario, your event design gets done all at once. At the very least, if you can t have everything designed at the same time, it s important to sketch out a design outline of each piece as a general roadmap so you don t go off course.
Wanna see more stuff from Adobe XD Design Week? Check out the project on Behance.
Picspiration for your next Event: Photo Booths with a Twist
EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Pics or it didn t happen. I think we re all familiar with the basic Instagram photo booth deal by now (and if you re not, check out Instaprint, a killer suite of Instagram-enabled tools for events). But how about kicking it up a notch? Here s some ideas:
Light Painting Photo Booths
The Light Experience is an interactive art experience using light as the medium. With The Light Experience everyone at your party or event can get creative! Our team of light painting artist will create custom light packages including light colors and textures consistent with your brand or event. The Light Experience team will even create custom light logos with your company, band, or event branding graphics.
Teledisko
The world s most hipsterrific two-person nightclub in Berlin, naturally doubles as a photo booth. This, from Trendhunter: Once an interested party enters the Teledisko, they are able to select their favorite song on a touchscreen and dance like no one is watching during the time in the booth. Currently, there are three Teledisko s located across the Berlin area. The first two are permanently installed in venues for you and your friends to find on their own, while the third is mobile and available for event bookings.
Shootbooth
Shootbooth hearkens back to a time when everything was just a little more fabulous. As soon as you step in front of our 101 year-old bellows camera, perched atop a turn-of-the-century tripod, you know something special is about to happen. the button is pushed and pop! the the flash goes off. wizardry on the inside of the camera lets us instantly show you all your pictures on a review monitor set into a hardwood frame, and we print your favorites.
Airstream Photo Booths
Oh, sorry, was the turn-of-the-20th-century bulb flash not vintage enough for you? You want more kitch? Challenge accepted. This Austin-based rental company would like you to meet Bambi Booth a very rare 1963 vintage Airstream Bambi model just 500 of these lovely silver trailers were ever made! We have restored Bambi to her former glory and she is now a really cool, vintage photo booth and decked out inside with the most modern photo booth equipment and printer on the market today! Bambi is a small single-axle Airstream and is 16 feet long and 9 feet high; and yes, she does fit indoors in some of the larger ballrooms and indoor venues!
LED Glow Booth
Created by Philly-based Extreme Photo Booths, the LED Glow Booth is white and glows a solid color of your choice or rotating patterns of light. I mean, look at it. It s like the Aurora Borealis of on-site photography.
Animated GIF Booth
Created by Big Bad Booth, because one frame just isn t good enough anymore: Our Animated GIF Booths take 3-4 photos and combine them together to create digital animated looping awesomeness. These digitals can instantly be shared on social media with your hashtag, sent to guest s phones via text message or email, and displayed in an instant online gallery. We add static overlays to each animated GIF so every digital photo our booth produces is a reflection of your brand.
Thermo Booth
Sex it up, people: The Thermobooth features a new shutter release system in which skin contact between two or more people triggers a set of processes that result in a glorious lo-fi instant thermal-printed picture. Yes, it takes a picture when you touch each other! We are opening a stage for playfulness and the unexpected.
Did we miss any? Drop us a note.
7 Buzz-Worthy Cocktail Presentation Ideas
FOOD & CATERING
Confession: this post was inspired by a Bizbash gallery that highlighted the drink service at electric utility company ComEd s training center opening party. The caterers (The Entertaining Company) served cocktails in cups shaped like light bulbs. Cute.
Look, we re not in the catering business. But we are in the touches that matter business. That extra layer of give-a-shit matters. This kind of minor wow-factor is a good return on investment: not much harder to execute than your basic Gin & Tonic, and people like taking selfies with em. Anyway, none of these ideas are graded on flavor, just on buzz-factor, so you ll need to do your own taste testing before you serve these up.
Fancy Pants Jell-O Shots
You re never too old for oh wait, no, you are. You are too old for Jell-O shots. Maybe if you hide them in a classy gelatin dessert? Get the recipe on Jelly Shot Test Kitchen.
Disappearing Sugar Puffs
Oh, look: there s a martini where my cotton candy used to be.
Gradients
Man, this is some weapons-grade visual eye candy. You can t just pull this out whenever. Only reach for this one when you ve gotta impress the French Ambassador and it turns out his daughter is an art director at Pantone and his wife Chloe keeps the finest nasturtium garden in Paris.
Gradients II: Coconut Lavender Lemonade
Oh, wait, his wife s name is Violet? Got you covered.
Edible Glitter
They call this one the Golden Girl . I call it The Passive Aggression grapefruit juice, prosecco, and a teaspoon of sparkly frustration. Maybe the cleanup crew can just lick this off the floor?
LED Ice Cubes
These decorative LED ice cubes are battery powered and glow in several colors. They re not only functional, but also water submersible. $9 from the Gadget Flow.
Dry Ice
The Cookie Rookie serves up a reminder that too often, dry ice gets filed under kid s Halloween cauldron when it can also pull off 30 shades of satin in the form of this smoking triple berry martini.
NFTs, The Metaverse, & Holograms – Oh My! Bringing Event Management Into the Future
NFTs, The Metaverse, Holograms
Is it just us, or does it feel like things are moving at warped speed this year? With the rise of NFTs, talk about meetings in the metaverse, and even holograms replacing speakers at major events, we are watching the stuff of sci-fi movies move into the mainstream. Innovation is literally unfolding before our eyes. So, the age-old question stands: beat em’ or join em’?
At Decibel, we’re all about innovating and bringing our industry forward, utilizing the latest technologies available to create memorable events. Today we’re sharing our thoughts on understanding and navigating these new technological additions and how they can complement, even elevate, the way events are conceived of and executed.
When it comes to new digital realities and products, NFTs are probably the hottest trending topic. These non-fungible tokens are used to record and identify the owner and information of a particular digital ‘asset’ using the blockchain. As of now, the most popular blockchain for NFTs is Ethereum (ETH). We’ve been hearing a lot about art NFTs, but these can really be any conceivable item that people might be interested in owning – including the signature of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry implanted in strands of rapidly replicating DNA.
With the rise of virtual and hybrid events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NFTs have a pretty good chance of being easily integrated into the events industry. Not only are they perfect for displaying during virtual gatherings, but now many places are developing means of exhibiting these digital assets like physical works of art through digital signage and video.
Plus, it might not always be the events industry that needs to accommodate the display of NFTs. These digital assets can also be a source of revenue for charity or community events. Not only are they a trendy and compelling way to engage your audience, but they also have a certain FOMO inducing effect that could be just the thing to attract additional supporters or donors.
When it comes to gatherings, it’s easy to lament the loss of being able to hold large-scale events due to COVID-19. We’re on the fence because losing the special human connection that can only come from a thousand people co-existing in unison is hard to let go of.
However, options like the metaverse provoke some important questions about the future of the events industry. While the metaverse certainly has its potential dark sides (further isolating individuals, creating even more distance between communities, increased inequality for those without access) it also presents the opportunity for different forms of creativity and communication, even if only virtual. The metaverse isn’t entirely new at all. Preludes like Travis Scott’s larger than life concert in the Fortnite universe, show us that creating a special space within the virtual sphere can provoke a similar feeling of excitement as attending an event in person.
The metaverse may also be able to offer virtual events a second chance. One of the main reasons why these virtual reality technologies can have such an impact on event management is the increased audience engagement. You can choose your avatar and engage in shared experiences being co-present in a space. The metaverse also has unprecedented scalability. Organizers can design spaces that are perfectly tailored for the number of attendees, rather than being confined to a physical location. Lastly, we can’t deny that the metaverse is inherently more sustainable. The carbon reduction from hosting events in the metaverse is probably one of the most convincing arguments for (responsibility) migrating many of our large-scale events into the virtual space. Let’s face it, this is no longer a fantasy; we saw it at Microsoft’s Ignite 2020 conference, just to name one example.
Perhaps a middle ground between NFTs (assets) and the metaverse (an entirely virtual space) are – and we can’t believe we’re saying this – holograms. No, we’re not talking about R2D2’s projection of Princess Leia in A New Hope, but a very realistic compilation of light beams that come together to form the projection of three-dimensional figures that can potentially interact with real people in real spaces. Companies like PORTL are changing the way we think about remote interactions. Imagine beaming a keynote speaker into an event from anywhere in the world in full scale detail. The potential for single speakers is clear, but we can also easily imagine it working for panels and groups.
All these technologies are poised to bring the events industry into a new era of technological innovation. The reach and potential for new forms of engagement cannot be denied. We don’t think (hope) anyone is ready to give up in-person events. The significance of the human connection that comes from physical events is something special we’re not ready to let go of yet. However, as virtual reality technologies are on the rise, people will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a very unique experience that features innovation, engagement, and connection all at once, regardless of geographical or venue constraints. If we’re not asking questions about these changes, then we might as well be stuck in the past.
To learn more about how we use technology to create incredible events, connect with the Decibel team at www.decibelmanagement.com.
Streaming and Video-Hosting Services in the Largest Consumer Market in the World
NEWS
Now thus far we ve mostly focused on how you can reach new audiences with livestreamed events as a way to offset losses from a lack of live event marketing. But we can take this one step further. With livestreaming you can fully untether yourself from traditional event constraints like geography when courting new audiences. You could be extending your reach from the west and into other national markets, like China, using livestreams and VODs.
How could you be taking advantage of streaming and video-hosting services in the largest consumer market in the world? Our article this week offers a brief overview of the streaming and video-hosting platforms available to you in China.
But first, a few caveats (there s always a catch!).
- This isn t quite as straightforward as setting up a YouTube account. Language differences are an obvious roadblock preventing Western companies from using Chinese video and streaming platforms.
- There are time differences to consider. Don t forget that while geography now means nothing to you, the unrelenting march of time will always be a factor. For example, if you set up a livestream at 1 PM EDT on a Sunday, it would be 1 AM on Monday in China s single time zone. The likelihood you d make a splash at that time is pretty low.
- There are a handful of laws that limit your participation as a foreigner or a foreign company. We re not just talking about topics and imagery that are off limits, we re also talking about streaming platforms that you are barred from streaming on because you re not a Chinese citizen.
We don t want to dissuade you from bringing China into your event strategy, but rather motivate you to be strategic. Maybe timed-release VODs would be a solid addition to or substitute for livestreams. Maybe working with a Chinese firm, a KOL or KOC could be a workable strategy. Maybe your company already has partners in China that could be drawn into the mix. You have options. It ll just take a bit of work.
We re happy to say that Decibel does have the language resources and knowledge of the Chinese market to work a China strategy into your virtual event plans, so if you re enticed drop us a line.
Anyway, here s a very brief overview of China s livestreaming platforms and user behavior. Chinese citizens have a number of options when it comes to producing or consuming livestreams.
The Chinese digital environment was already heavily geared towards livestreaming even before the COVID-19 crisis began, with the most popular and abundant being more or less, informercials. Services like Douyin (which you know as TikTok), Kuaishou, and Little Red Book all support direct livestream marketing for products on Taobao and JD.com (Amazon equivalent marketplaces). Everyone and their grandmother (literally) are in on this. Spending a couple hours and a wad of cash on product livestreams after work is a 50 billion dollars a year national pastime.
Platforms like Momo (formerly a dating app), and Yizhibao are more geared towards a variety of livestreams. There are plenty of products being hawked (in particular makeup on Momo) but you ll also find streamers who retain large audiences simply by being unusually hot, hosting live cooking demonstrations and wine tasting, singing while being unusually hot, or playing video games.
Unfortunately, these platforms are exclusive to Chinese citizens. As a foreigner you re more than welcome to spend your money and watch, but you re forbidden from hosting your own streams. Story of my life in China.
So, what platforms can you use? Could you just use something like Zoom to reach China? For now, yes. Although if history can tell us anything, it s that China s recent step to ban Chinese citizens from hosting chats on Zoom is pretty much the first step towards an outright ban (once a domestic clone rises to replace it). Using Chinese platforms like Youku, Bililbili, or Kuaishou are your safest bet. These services are owned by major Chinese companies (Alibaba, Tencent, and Bilibili Inc.) who are out to displace Western behemoths like Google, so China won t be undercutting them any time soon.
Alibaba s Youku is a video-hosting and livestreaming platform that s equal parts Netflix and Youtube. It s just as easy to browse your favorite TV shows as it is to watch a live streamed video game or music video from your favorite local artist. VODs and livestreams on Youku can be monetized with ads so you have the option here to draw some revenue as long as you pay for premium access. Livestreaming is possible, but requires a verification process in Chinese and Chinese bank account to support your premium account.
BILIBILI
Bilibili is pretty similar, but most popular with the under-25 crowd which is why it s worth some attention. Bilibili used to be more geared towards fans of Manga and animation but now casts a much wider content net. The self-posted videos on here are less consistent in their quality than Youku but offer an extremely cool feature user comments are time-stamped to particular points in the video, so that those comments can across the video at the appropriate time on each viewing. This feature helps to keep conversations alive and draw comments and attention long after you ve posted your content. Bilibili is currently focused on video-hosting, but as everyone and their mother are getting into the livestreaming industry in China, it won t be long before Bilibili throws their hat into the ring as well.
Kuaishou is Tencent s version of Instagram (you ll find it in your app store fully in English as Kwai). You can take short videos and photos and apply tags just like on Instagram and livestreaming is available to users hawking goods from Taobao stores. Kuaishou is a newcomer, but as its been marketed heavily towards smaller cities in China (all the ones you can t name off the top of your head), it offers great opportunities for foreign brands to market towards a largely ignored youth market.
Right now, we re preparing a podcast that further addresses the challenges of and opportunities in extending your virtual events into the Chinese market. Do you have any questions you d like us to answer? Reach out today!
SXSW Panels Round-Up!
NEWS
Austin s South by Southwest (March 13th -22nd) has become much more of a destination event for fans of music and film in recent years, but its conference remains critical for cutting edge takes on UX design, social technology and marketing. The schedule and abstracts for the conference panels are up and we ve spent the last couple of weeks browsing the amazing offerings. Here s just a handful of the super cool speaker and panel sessions we found that pertain to events.
1: CANNABIS & YOUR EVENT: ELEVATING YOUR EXPERIENCE
Abstract: The integration of legal cannabis into the live events industry is one of the fastest growing partnerships happening today. In a conversation about this fascinating relationship, panelists will discuss the current state and future of cannabis at events, and how to bring cannabis to your event, from music festivals to eSports tournaments and more.
With cannibas now legal in 11 states including the District of Columbia, it certainly stands to reason that there should be new above-the-books ways to professionally incorporate cannabis into your next event. I doubt anyone reading this article has a problem with an open bar is this really this much of a far cry from that? A lot of weight is added to the panel by the inclusion of Axiom Advisors. Axiom are renowned on the West Coast as consultants to major companies on public policy, technology, infrastructure, cannabis, you name it. If anyone is approaching this topic holistically and thoughtfully its them.
2: THE NEXT FRONTIER IN OMNICHANNEL MARKETING
Abstract: Your events create engagement, excitement, and connection. During this time, they are the most immersive and effective marketing channel your organization has. So why has it proven so difficult to integrate events into your omnichannel marketing strategy? New technologies are making it possible to provide a seamless, personalized brand experience at every customer touchpoint including your event experiences. In this session we will explore how event marketers can deliver more value by extending attendee engagement year-round and bringing events into their omnichannel strategy.
Here s an awesome speaker event hosted by Eventbase. Eventbase have the sickest multi-purpose events app in the industry. Whether you re pulling together a corporate event, tradeshow, or conference, Eventbase lets you assemble a unique app specifically tailored to help you and your audience keep track of everything and stay organized. As an event organizer you can even pull in some great data analytics on event traffic and user experiences as well, which is invaluable information to stay connected with your audience well after your live event wraps up. Omnichannel marketing is Eventbase s wheelhouse. We re looking forward to getting more info about seamlessly integrating digital and real-life event experiences for consumers from this session.
3: HOW TECHNOLOGY WILL ENHANCE LIVE EXPERIENCES
Abstract: Live events are at the eve of their digital disruption from augmented reality to virtual reality, in this session, David Johnson, COO of music tech startup PEEX, will examine how fans are wanting immersive live experiences more than ever, and how technology is driving this. Live events are the closest connection fans will ever experience with artists David will discuss how technology will help make that experience even more connected and personal. Although technology can t and shouldn t replace the emotional journey of the live experience, David will explain how it can and should serve to enhance and augment its reach, quality and impact.
This isn t the last time you ll hear about PEEX on this blog. We actually have a cool article on wearable technology in the works for next month that will go more in depth about their special gadget. Whereas many in the experiential events industry are focused on creating unique visual experiences, PEEX is focused on making the sound of your next conference or stadium rock show as personalized as possible. Their special earbuds not only stream audio directly from the stage to your ears without latency, they allow you to use a personal 5-band EQ to fiddle with the levels and make your own concert experience sound better than the real thing. We re looking forward to this unique audio-focused take on mass personalization.
4: MIND JOURNEYS: DESIGNING FOR COGNITIVE UX
Abstract: Our brains don t experience events objectively. Our brains filter everything we encounter through a lens of biases, needs, goals, feelings and prior experiences, creating an impassable chasm between the event and our conscious experience of it. While behavioral economics has attempted to understand the brain s filtering mechanisms, experience design has largely remained focused on documenting the practical and emotional journeys, ignoring our underlying mind journeys. We ll explore how principles of behavioral economics can be combined to recognize, and even nudge, a user s mind journey through Cognitive UX. We ll wrestle with dark patterns: when does nudging become hacking? We ll show how thoughtful Cognitive UX can help brands create deeper and more meaningful relationships with users.
This likely trippy panel is hosted by Huge Inc., a far-reaching but eccentric and trendy UX Design & Marketing Firm based in Brooklyn (surprised?). Consumer experience is a key focus of any event. We don t want our audiences to simply enjoy their experience, we want to leave a strong impression that can translate into a stronger consumer/brand relationship later on. Huge Inc. is at the forefront of experimenting with fresh ways to engage and retain consumers from opening their own special caf , to maintain their own publication on digital design. We can trust they can name check concepts like behavioral economics and have the chops to back it up.
Was this pretty far out? Keep track of SXSW s panels here for some bleeding-edge concepts to integrate into your next event. If you suddenly feel inspired for your next event, don t fight that feeling, get in touch with us to day and get those ideas rolling!
How to Make a Splash in Your Next Livestream
NEWS
The NFL s fully virtual 2020 draft wrapped up yesterday. For anyone who doesn t do sports, a pro draft is a lot like picking kickball teams in middle school gym class but instead of friendships there are multi-million-dollar contracts on the line. Under normal circumstances this event doesn t typically draw the same level of viewership as actual on-the-field competition. You can count on the die-hards, and football-starved fans who ll check in to get their fix.
But not this year. The 2020 NFL draft smashed all previous viewing records with 55 million viewers across various ESPNs, ABC, and the NFL network. Here is ESPN s stats flex:
Each day of the 2020 NFL draft set records, the league said. An average audience of more than 15.6 million viewers watched Round 1 on Thursday, up 37{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019. More than 8.2 million watched Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, up 40{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019, and Saturday s coverage of Rounds 4-7 averaged more than 4.2 million viewers, up 32{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019.
This year the NFL fully embraced their lock-down circumstances and opted for an entirely virtual, completely unconventional media spectacle in the form of hundreds of live feeds from the homes of players, coaches, commentators, and fans across the United States.
This concept was so cool that the core of the event (the draft itself) were eclipsed by all the color of seeing everyone s quirky home war rooms. And there were hijinks! Bears GM Ryan Pace set up 7 monitors in his dining room and briefly lost his feeds when his wife vacuumed and pulled out all the cords. Seahawks GM John Schneider had walls in his house taken down to mount 25 monitors so he could view feeds and surveil Gotham s cell phone signals to locate The Joker at the same time. Patriot s head coach Bill Belichick said screw it and let his dog handle things because he has literally nothing left to prove:
Bill Belichick s House
Now that attempt at trading Tom Brady to the 49ers makes a lot more sense.
These types of hiccups were expected, and we suspect, actually counted on to make the draft memorable. Rather than detract from the event s goals they actually add a certain realness, variety and a human element that attracts people like me who watched despite having zero investment in the draft itself. It was all the more remarkable to watch live feeds from the homes of players and their families who crowded around webcams to celebrate picks.
So how in the hell did they pull this off? Which masterminds should receive all of our jealousy and admiration?
The NFL had been flirting with virtual in the lead up to the draft already. Even initial prospect player meetings, which normally take place in person, happened over Zoom for the past month. This presented new challenges for GM s who are trying to determine whether a potential player will be a huge pain.
The virtual draft required a big effort on the part of the NFL and event organizers, who had to outfit hundreds of homes with additional routers, generators, and other IT gadgetry to manage hundreds of simultaneous live feeds:
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced picks from a studio in his basement, with more than 600 camera feeds in the homes of 85 draft prospects, 32 head coaches and general managers, as well as fans and college football coaches.
The NFL shipped two iPhones one Interview camera running native apps like FaceTime for TV interviews and the congratulatory virtual hug with the commissioner and one Always On camera running the Larix Broadcaster app and coordinated by Amazon Web Services that will showed players and families waiting to be drafted and their reaction once their name was called. One big potential bottleneck was simply the bandwidth at the players homes. If they were in an area without reliable, high-speed Internet access, quality would suffer. Because of that, prospects were asked to get in touch with their internet provider to try to increase their bandwidth.
Among other fascinating details found in this behind the scenes video, we learned the NFL actually sent special mobile phone production kits to potential draft picks, coaches and GMs to set up at home. They look pretty similar to our own recommendations for home livestream setups that we shared earlier in the month:
The NFL even had 3 call centers set up to manage feeds from these mobile setups. Here s the chart they used to keep track of them all:
Video feeds
Clear as day, right?
In addition the NFL feeds, The Famous Group curated somewhere north of 1000 fan feeds which were displayed on background monitors to approximate the experience of a live in-person crowd. The Famous Group have been working with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl since Super Bowl 40 and have staged the in-person drafts for the past few years. These were the guys behind that totally wild augmented reality raven when the Ravens clinched the AFC North in December. It s no surprise to us they were involved here too.
So, are you organizing a draft? Get in touch with us today and we ll help you realize your dream of viewing live video feeds of all of your current and future employees in their homes!
We Accept Defeat: How to Gear Your Next Event Around Your Audience s Vertical Videos
NEWS
According to FBI estimates and the Netflix series Mindhunter, there are at any given time, around 50 active serial killers operating in the United States. According to my estimates, there are at any given time, thousands upon thousands of monsters uploading vertically oriented phone videos to social media platforms. Now, I m not trying to conflate these two demographics simply by invoking them back-to-back (that s not true, that s exactly what I m doing). I m trying to make an edgy opening hook here to remind you that are plenty of confounding realities we all have to come to terms with as members of a society and unfortunately vertical videos, among other things, are part of our modern social fabric.
Admittedly, that started off pretty dark so let s bring it back around. Look, it doesn t have to be all bad. What if you could account for this at your next corporate event and then maybe it ll be better? I guess? Here s what we think.
First of all, we found this amazing series of studies by Buffer on how social media users engage different video formats. If you hail from one of our agency clients, PR firms, or ad shops, you should NOT miss the insights here- you can view the whole thing here. In their case they studied the differences in views and shares between standard landscape videos and square videos (vertical videos with bars on the top and bottom).
There is a lot to digest from that link but here are the main takeaways:
92{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of all Facebook users in this study accessed content primarily via a mobile device, so when you re planning an event with the expectation people will capture and share content, plan for that content to be viewed on a phone or tablet.
Mobile users resoundingly preferred square videos so much so that on average square videos received 30-35{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} more views and an 80-100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} increase in engagement against landscape videos that featured the exact same content.
It s tough to argue with that.
In some ways this makes sense though. When you look at a vertical video as opposed to a landscape video on your phone you re actually utilizing 78{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} more space on your screen. Now that is A LOT of extra room for content to be displayed and shared.
@subsign at medium.com
With that in mind, there are actually some new technologies that accommodate both landscape and vertical video displays, check this out:
More and more of our shared content is vertical (not necessarily a good thing), which makes our horizontal main screens ill-suited for viewing it. Samsung aims to fix this with the Sero. This 43-inch QLED display sits on a floor stand that allows it to rotate from horizontal to vertical as needed.
See, Samsung gets it. A few of these babies rotating around to display information or stream uploaded vertical content gives you the best of both worlds. Your audience can capture the most relevant information possible in frame as needed. Keep these in mind when you re planning your next event.
I m going to leave you with a final thought. I ve heard this urban legend attributed to both Disneyland and several University of California campuses but the underlying premise is relevant. According to legend, either a very clever architect or a Disney Imagineer neglected to construct sidewalks before opening a space to the public. Why? They instead watched how people moved from place to place and THEN built walkways to accommodate the natural flow of their audience. Simple, effective, brilliant.
Our consumers want flow, not obstacles. They d like to take the most efficient path to sharing or consuming content. Personal aesthetic aside, we need to accept the way our consumers want to engage content and change everything from poster orientation and event staging to marketing for the best results.
It should be said that any ambitious and enterprising event planners (oh, Decibel Management, for example) will understand how consumers want to engage and share content and are ready address these circumstances of engagement at your next corporate event. Reach out and get your vertically oriented event goals moving today!
Links:
YouTube now properly displays vertical videos on iOS
Square vs. Landscape Video $1.5K Worth of Experiments: Here s How They Compare
The NFL Went Big *and* Stayed Home
NEWS
The NFL s fully virtual 2020 draft wrapped up yesterday. For anyone who doesn t do sports, a pro draft is a lot like picking kickball teams in middle school gym class but instead of friendships there are multi-million-dollar contracts on the line. Under normal circumstances this event doesn t typically draw the same level of viewership as actual on-the-field competition. You can count on the die-hards, and football-starved fans who ll check in to get their fix.
But not this year. The 2020 NFL draft smashed all previous viewing records with 55 million viewers across various ESPNs, ABC, and the NFL network. Here is ESPN s stats flex:
Each day of the 2020 NFL draft set records, the league said. An average audience of more than 15.6 million viewers watched Round 1 on Thursday, up 37{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019. More than 8.2 million watched Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, up 40{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019, and Saturday s coverage of Rounds 4-7 averaged more than 4.2 million viewers, up 32{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} over 2019.
This year the NFL fully embraced their lock-down circumstances and opted for an entirely virtual, completely unconventional media spectacle in the form of hundreds of live feeds from the homes of players, coaches, commentators, and fans across the United States.
This concept was so cool that the core of the event (the draft itself) were eclipsed by all the color of seeing everyone s quirky home war rooms. And there were hijinks! Bears GM Ryan Pace set up 7 monitors in his dining room and briefly lost his feeds when his wife vacuumed and pulled out all the cords. Seahawks GM John Schneider had walls in his house taken down to mount 25 monitors so he could view feeds and surveil Gotham s cell phone signals to locate The Joker at the same time. Patriot s head coach Bill Belichick said screw it and let his dog handle things because he has literally nothing left to prove:
Bill Belichick s House
Now that attempt at trading Tom Brady to the 49ers makes a lot more sense.
These types of hiccups were expected, and we suspect, actually counted on to make the draft memorable. Rather than detract from the event s goals they actually add a certain realness, variety and a human element that attracts people like me who watched despite having zero investment in the draft itself. It was all the more remarkable to watch live feeds from the homes of players and their families who crowded around webcams to celebrate picks.
So how in the hell did they pull this off? Which masterminds should receive all of our jealousy and admiration?
The NFL had been flirting with virtual in the lead up to the draft already. Even initial prospect player meetings, which normally take place in person, happened over Zoom for the past month. This presented new challenges for GM s who are trying to determine whether a potential player will be a huge pain.
The virtual draft required a big effort on the part of the NFL and event organizers, who had to outfit hundreds of homes with additional routers, generators, and other IT gadgetry to manage hundreds of simultaneous live feeds:
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced picks from a studio in his basement, with more than 600 camera feeds in the homes of 85 draft prospects, 32 head coaches and general managers, as well as fans and college football coaches.
The NFL shipped two iPhones one Interview camera running native apps like FaceTime for TV interviews and the congratulatory virtual hug with the commissioner and one Always On camera running the Larix Broadcaster app and coordinated by Amazon Web Services that will showed players and families waiting to be drafted and their reaction once their name was called. One big potential bottleneck was simply the bandwidth at the players homes. If they were in an area without reliable, high-speed Internet access, quality would suffer. Because of that, prospects were asked to get in touch with their internet provider to try to increase their bandwidth.
Among other fascinating details found in this behind the scenes video, we learned the NFL actually sent special mobile phone production kits to potential draft picks, coaches and GMs to set up at home. They look pretty similar to our own recommendations for home livestream setups that we shared earlier in the month:
The NFL even had 3 call centers set up to manage feeds from these mobile setups. Here s the chart they used to keep track of them all:
Video feeds
Clear as day, right?
In addition the NFL feeds, The Famous Group curated somewhere north of 1000 fan feeds which were displayed on background monitors to approximate the experience of a live in-person crowd. The Famous Group have been working with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl since Super Bowl 40 and have staged the in-person drafts for the past few years. These were the guys behind that totally wild augmented reality raven when the Ravens clinched the AFC North in December. It s no surprise to us they were involved here too.
So, are you organizing a draft? Get in touch with us today and we ll help you realize your dream of viewing live video feeds of all of your current and future employees in their homes!
Take A Look Behind The Most Exclusive Award Show Afterparties
NEWS
When you sit down to watch the Academy Awards or the Grammys what do you look out for?
See, we re the types of weirdos that have a group text during the Oscars with comments like, Did you catch that hot mic , or Who do you think they re using for those video back drops? or Why isn t there any love for Best Production Design?
Last week s Golden Globes kicked off the season of watching obscenely rich and attractive people congratulate each other for hours at a time on stage (see, Ricky Gervais s Golden Globes performance got to me). Mark your calendar- the Grammys are just around the corner on January 27th and the Academy Awards follow soon after on February 10th. There s not much time to rest here.
As you might imagine, the event planning scene in L.A. is in overdrive at the moment getting everything prepped for these two really high-profile events and their glitzy afterparties. Let s take a brief look at some of the event planners and event management companies, venues, and considerations involved in throwing afterparties at this caliber.
The Governor s Ball by Sequoia Productions
We know for a fact that The Governor s Ball is going to be thrown by Sequoia Productions who have been tricking out this exclusive event for the night s winners and nominees for nearly 30 years.
The ball is typically held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom, adjacent to the theatre where the main event is held. There are a handful of companies involved in making this event completely off-the-wall (see the above link) but in past years, the pastries and catering have been covered by such no-names as Wolfgang Puck and Gordon Ramsey. We re still looking out for how this year s ball is shaping up but, I mean, if there aren t 800 lobsters this year it just doesn t seem worth it. I may just turn down my invite and spend that night washing my hair.
The Vanity Fair Oscar Party by Cornucopia Events
According to Vanity Fair, Vanity Fair s Oscar Party is one of the longest standing and most exclusive afterparties for the evening. I m being snarky, but truthfully Vanity Fair always throws an opulent super-exclusive afterparty full of A-listers and other people of significant influence in Hollywood. This year s afterparty is organized by Cornucopia Events from the UK.
For a measly sum of $52,000 you too can attend the Vanity Fair after party. You just have to be willing to put on a tie (there s always a catch!).
The Grammys Official Afterparty by The Recording Academy
As far as the Grammys go the official party is an in-house production handled by the Recording Academy themselves. According to Branden Chapman, the overseer of all the major Recording Academy events prior to and immediately after the awards ceremony, the event will be hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center for nominees, awards winners and other who s whos of the pop music world. The theme of this year s afterparty has yet to be officially announced, but last year s theme was French Masquerade. Admittedly it s tough to get a good look at the party because all these random celebrities get in the way.
We highly suggest you check out that interview of Branden Chapman to read about the planning procedures for the event. It s an interesting and deeply stressful read.
Are you planning a luxurious, exclusive event filled with wealthy people of influence and celebrities? Are you Joaquin Phoenix? Reach out and get in touch with our team we d absolutely LOVE to be your new best friends and get that event started for you!