Category: Uncategorized

Lessons for PR Agencies on taking live events viral

BACKSTAGE, EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, TIPS & TRICKS

We love seeing great art installations, and wanted to take the time to recommend the In America: Remember flags exhibit on the National Mall. Developed by Suzanne Firstenberg, this exhibit honors the 650,000 Americans that have died from COVID-19. 

Some great lessons can be learned from the concept and execution of this exhibit, and wanted to share some great key learnings for our Agency and Corporate clients as they concept and plan their own mobile media tours, exhibits, and touring events.

Start small, and evaluate:

Suzanne Firstenberg started with an installation at RFK stadium and 200,000 flags. The idea took off and the new exhibit on the National Mall is 640,000+ and covers acres. While this is a tragic reason to expand the art installation, it is a great lesson in starting with a smaller proof of concept, and then expanding in the future.

Simplicity and Scale:

This exhibit is not terribly expensive to execute. It is developed with simple white survey flags. More than 600,000 of them over acres on the National Mall. The simplicity and scale of this art installation gives it the gravitas to make it a show stopper. And this scale makes for a great photo. This is evident from images from the ground level of viewers, the aerial shots from the lifts, or the drone shots in the air.

Social Shareability

Most agency clients are looking for their events to be shared socially. This is a Master Class on how to make your message explode on social media. WIth the simplicity and scale mentioned above, this prints very well on camera. It is also a VERY simple message that helps the public visualize the scale of 640,000 deaths. Humans are very bad at estimating the scale of large numbers and this message is crystal clear and demonstrates it perfectly. 

Press Attention:

Agency clients are always looking for the magic bullet for the press to take interest in their PR Stunt, media tour, or live event.  The press has certainly amplified this exhibit. All the reasons mentioned above make for fantastic art. This really helps with the visual medium for outlets. It also makes a tough concept very easy to understand. But most importantly, there is no corporate agenda here. They are not selling anything and it is not commercial. This is the main challenge for corporate mobile media tours, events and exhibits that have an agenda. Where we come in at Decibel is how to craft these events to thread the needle for clients into a meaningful and impactful exhibit without too heavy handed corporate messaging.

All in all, this exhibit is a great opportunity to learn these techniques and apply them to your own Agency events, PR Stunts and marketing tours. And on a personal level, it s worth a visit on its own as well.

Virtual Event Roundup 2020

EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, LIVE EVENTS, VIRTUAL EVENTS

So, here we are with some good news to close out 2020!  There are not one but TWO vaccines primed for widespread distro in 2021 and after some light hijinks it looks like one old white dude will ultimately succeed the other old white dude as POTUS in January.

In less good news, COVID rages and Mississippi has yet to formally attempt to leave our great union. But you know what, we can t have everything (also, there s still time).  Things are looking up my friends.  We re closing out the year on a positive note.

This also means that we can now turn our attention to non-election things for the first time in two years.  We d like to give you a brief run down of some of our favorite virtual conferences that we attended last month. We always recommend consuming as many of these as you can, so you can stay up to date with how the industry is executing these, gathering best practices, and compiling key learnings. 

If you re bummed you missed out on these don t fret!  The great thing about all of these virtual conferences is that all of their sessions are still available for free on demand.  We highly recommend at least a casual browse of their offerings, if only to see what are the hot topics for another industry that is quickly adopting the fully remote approach to workforces as a permanent feature.

So without further ado let s see how the tech and digital design industry are showcasing new virtual events tools:

Miro s Distributed 2020

Do you know Miro?  If you don t you should because it s soon to be integrated into Zoom.  Miro is basically a collaborative browser-based whiteboard.  Groups of any size can write text, make post-its, and embed videos or images in an infinitely-sized free whiteboard in real time.  It s seriously great.  I ve been using this virtual workspace since the summer and even ran a 30+ person workshop using the platform last month.  

Miro s yearly free Distributed conference went off without a hitch for its 30,000 attendees over 3 days.  In addition to the various keynote events, workshops, and seminars freely accessible to the public, Distributed attendees also frequently made use of a roulette feature that allowed any attendees to randomly filter into private 1-on-1 chats.  It was basically, the most wholesome chat roulette experience I ve had in my entire life.  No complaints!

You can check out all of Distributed on demand right here.

UserTesting s HiWorld 2020

UserTesting is a great place for designers and any kind of event organizers looking to get some solid research data on their intended audiences.  Concerned about making your virtual events accessible or respectful to a wide range of audiences?  Want to know you re speaking directly to the key demographics you re hoping to court?  Definitely check out the types of services and custom research modules offered by UserTesting throughout the year.

UserTesting s push for innovative consumer research methods makes their annual HiWorld conference especially interesting.  What s hot for mobile ethnography?  How is consumer research and product engagement research being conducted virtually and what are the limitations of virtual research methods?  All this and more could be found at Usertesting s 3-day HiWorld (Human Insight World) virtual conference back in October.  

Want to follow up on some of those seminars to plan out consumer research for your next virtual event?  Check out the entire conference on demand right here.

Adobe s Adobe Max

What makes Adobe s event max ?  For me, it was hearing the phrase Adobe Creative Suite so frequently over the course of 4 days that it no longer sounded like words.   You might even say I m maxed out.

Adobe Max was seriously a 24/7 extravangza over the course of 4 days. Conan (does he even use Photoshop?) and other high profile keynotes were there to drive up attendance. If you were tuning in from the United States, your daytime hours were filled with tons of workshops showcasing all of Adobe s products including the brand new augmented reality program called Aero.  Your Adobe nights, by contrast, were filled with the same things but entirely for Japanese.  We loved seeing the way Adobe made their virtual conference an international affair by changing the dominant language based on the time of day.

You can check out the Adobe Max on demand right here!

2021 Emmy Awards Reviewed- Hits and Misses

BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, TIPS & TRICKS, UNCATEGORIZED

Did you catch the 2021 Emmy awards ceremony this Sunday? We have fairly strong opinions here at Decibel about the production, and curious your own thoughts about the broadcast. Tl;dr tight shot was rubbish but we are encouraged to see live events happen safely.

The Emmy s saw attendees back in person (and in a fancy tent) this year.  If you have ever designed and built out a production in a tent, you know what goes into the process. It is not easy, and a LOT goes into how these types of productions are designed. As you can see below, the event was built outside of the Staples Center. We have some great behind the scenes productions shots so you can see *behind* the facade into what it looks like backstage.

So what worked? I loved what I will call the attendee experience. The in-room experience looked great and I believe that the event guests had a great view and experience in the space. The long runs of LED down the length of the tent were solid as were all the graphics that made it to screen. I also loved the second stage backdrop and look. I am also thrilled to see the event pass COVID-19 protocols to get this many people in one place, all vaxxed and tested for the event. This should be a good model for other large scale events.

What fell short? The tight shot was absolute trash. I am actually really surprised this was able to make a national broadcast. It may have worked for those in the room, but any good producer learns early that you produce for your primary audience. This would be the television viewers and what did we get? A large solid color cyc that was wrinkled in the corners and a giant Emmy statue. In the tight shot, we only really got to see the mid section of the statue and the presenter. I would LOVE to know how in the world that made it through approvals.

In addition, there seemed to be a bit more gack in the different shots. In some instances, this was in the form of staff walking through the live shot, or just undressed hardware. I was also surprised about the audio quality for the broadcast. 

All in all, I was glad to see a live event again and looking forward to the opportunity for more clients to take the leap safely and get back to these in-person events.

NBC s Olympics The Technology Behind The Triumphs

EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, PRODUCTION

With 180 commentators covering over 7000 hrs of footage, NBC s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics was the largest of any media organization. While relying somewhat on the Olympic Broadcasting Service, NBC also provided a lot of its own infrastructure and team, including over 3000 employees across the world, and dozens of broadcast booths both in Tokyo and their American base in Stamford, Connecticut. 

Source:Twitter/PlanarSystems

The Raw Numbers

NBC s 2021 effort included:

• 8,000: Number of miles that the Rings Across America marketing activation will drive across the country
• 7,000: Total programming hours across NBCUniversal
• 6,745: Miles between Stamford, Conn., and Tokyo, Japan
• 5,500+: Hours of coverage across NBC Sports Digital platforms (NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app)
• 1964: Year that marked NBC s first-ever coverage of an Olympic Games for the Tokyo Olympics
• 1,800: Approximate number of domestic-based NBC Olympics employees
• 1,600: Approximate number of NBC Olympics employees on-site in Tokyo
• 180: Number of commentators on NBC Olympics talent roster
• 41: Number of sports that will be contested in Tokyo, comprising 339 medal events
• 28: Broadcast booths located at NBC Sports International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn.
• 17: Consecutive nights of primetime coverage on the NBC broadcast network
• 13: Number of hours Tokyo is ahead of the U.S. Eastern time zone
• 4: Production trucks based at NBC Sports International Broadcast Center

Source:Twitter/SVG_Brandon

The Technology Behind The Visuals

It may be surprising to learn, but the technology used to film NBC s Olympics coverage has the same brand logos you d see on our own camera equipment. NBC partnered with a number of camera companies but relied heavily on Sony for its state-of-the-art 4K digital cameras that could stream directly to their base at the press center. Over a hundred Sony cameras were used throughout the weeks, and were complemented by thousands of sony monitors for viewing at events, in the broadcast center, and back in America.

Of course, while enjoying the best in digital video capturing from Sony, NBC also recognized that the best lenses for their cameras may not come from the same company. Instead, they reached out to Canon, who supplied them with next-generation UHD lenses, the only of their kind to allow for long-zoom fieldwork.

At Decibel Events, we have yet to have the opportunity to implement underwater cameras or dozens of concurrent 4K systems. However, we are strong believers in ensuring the technology we use is right for the task at hand. With a large inventory of equipment and trusted rental partners we can rely on for unique projects, we always bring the best event technology including sound, video, and lighting for your needs.

Now That s A Lot of Data!

NBC s main broadcast center in Stamford is the primary center for editing and production before much of the Olympics coverage went to air, which required dozens of hours of high-definition video to be sent across the globe every day. Imagine downloading all of Netflix every day and you wouldn t get close to the data they moved. For this, NBC relied on Signiant intelligent file transfer software for low latency transfer. 

With more audiences tuning in online than any Olympics before it, NBC partnered with Amagi to make streaming possible through NBCOlympics.com. Amagi also provided help to seamlessly connect this new site with Peacock streaming services and normal broadcast services.

While your events will not *likely* need the sort of data streaming that the Olympics do, it is within your reach to have online viewers partake in the experience as well. Here at Decibel Events, we are experts at combining live and online experiences, and develop bespoke platforms to showcase your speakers both in real-time and on-demand. To learn more about how we do it, check out how we approached the 2020 National Book Festival as it went online-only. 

Source: Twitter/sportsvideo

The Olympics would be impossible to organize, except

There are some incredible technological solutions when it comes to organizing massive events. For NBC, the solution came in the form of Xytech s ScheduALL. Having worked with NBC for the last eight Olympics, they knew the system would work perfectly to manage video router assignments and satellite uplink scheduling, pass information to downstream systems, and facilitate on-air coverage for each feed. 

Without strong management systems and experienced leadership, organizing with hundreds of employees, event staff, and vendors would be impossible. Like NBC, we believe in tailored solutions. Decibel Events has long perfected our own management systems to ensure the smooth running of events large and small.

NBC s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics may end up in the record books. With a global pandemic and greater support from Olympic Broadcasting Services, over three hundred events were watched by more online viewers than any previous sporting event ever. While your event may not be of the same scale in terms of cameras, or viewers, that doesn t mean you can t expect the same level of quality in film, production, or organization. By having the same strong belief in quality technology and event management systems that NBC had for the Olympics, Decibel Events can offer you the same quality of coverage for your events.

Setting the Stage for NBC s Tokyo Olympics

EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, PRODUCTION

While much can be said about the technology and logistics behind NBC s coverage of the delayed 2020 Olympics, more could be said about the incredible work performed by the set designers, those geniuses at HD Studio, Planar, and Blackwalnut. The people behind the sets of Fox Sports, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the last few Olympics came back again to produce a set full of natural beauty.

Source: Twitter/planarsystems

The day the designers of the NBC set finished their work and were about to send it to fabricators was the same day they were told the Olympics were to be delayed. Not just delayed, but changed in such a way that most of their ideas would no longer work. Sets had to accommodate for a pandemic, and strict safety guidelines, while being adaptable enough to handle any major change occurring during the three weeks of live broadcasting.

While other media groups kept their sets at home during the pandemic, NBC found space to create a number of inviting sets to use throughout the three weeks. While the International Broadcast Center (IBC) was home to two studios designed for Peacock and Twitter streaming, the set that had everyone excited was the beautiful outdoor creation for host Mike Tirico.

This deck set was, in fact, the roof of the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba hotel. Aesthetically the set took advantage of the incredible Tokyo skyline, which included its own Olympic rings, and reflected an unrestrained celebration of sport. In a time of claustrophobic lockdowns and empty stadiums, it presented us with life.

Source: Twitter/sportsvideo

On a more logistical side, the open-air and large sets also provided far fewer restrictions when ensuring safety guidelines were followed to protect all staff during this concerning pandemic. At the time, guidelines still required athletes to remain two meters away from presenters, and presenters a meter apart. With good lighting design and blocking, however, this rarely appeared to be the case for those watching at home.
In this lies the true genius of NBC s set design; an aesthetically pleasing set hiding great practical considerations.

The three sets took inspiration from the country s own presentation at the closing of the previous Olympics, employing light-colored woods and lattice patterning that allude to the world-renowned architecture of Japan. While real wood could not be used, the traditional colors and texture of native trees were chosen those of the Yew and Cyprus specifically.

The lattice also had a secondary effect. According to Newscaststudio, it appealed to the designers at HD Design because if the camera moves, the layers cause movement from a geometric standpoint.

To ensure proper social distancing without an effect of alienation, seating and tables were designed to be open and light, while cameras would play with perspectives to help commentators appear closer.

A fourth set seen for only a few events happened during the one event you should always expect with a live setting a storm. In the cleverly adapted ballroom of the Hilton was laid a dark indigo rug with the logo of the Olympics. Using the same wood-colored paneling, and little else, the design team created a set that was both quick to assemble and appeared to match the originally designed studios elsewhere.

Source: Twitter/planarsystems

The sets for NBC s Olympics coverage may have been minimalist in design, but they were carefully chosen. Background lighting and screens were often found to include hues of aizome, a distinctly Japanese shade of indigo. Internal sets had a curved backdrop to offer a sense of closeness, while the rare set-piece would be a native plant, reminding us of the natural element to the sporting competitions.

A relatively new addition to these sets wasn t ever in the studio, though. Instead, producers took advantage of augmented reality graphics, powered by Ross Video s Voyager. Using Unreal Engine and Stype, they were able to produce live, virtual screens that appeared to float comfortably beside presenters. A far cry from the green screens of old, the simple design of the set was all the backing they required.

An empty stage or black box can sometimes be an effective platform, but often it appears instead to be evidence of a lack a lack of care, a lack of budget, or a lack of creativity. Professionally designed stages that reflect the themes and values of your event do not have to be flashy, or expensive. Nor do they have to be inhibitive to presenters, audiences, or budgets. Decibel Events can help you design stages that are both functional and aesthetic, to be praised by presenter and audience member alike.

Tokyo Olympics By the Numbers (for Event Geeks)

EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS

The Tokyo Olympics may be the largest audio-visual event to ever be broadcast around the world. With many events running without live audiences and even family members of competitors having to stay home because of the pandemic, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) were faced with one of the greatest challenges ever to offer a production as immersive as being there yourself.

And oh, how they have risen to the challenge. With the latest advancements in audio-visual technology and a massive team of talented people, the OBS provided a way to experience the 339 individual events in a way never before seen.

A Quick Glance at Impressive Numbers
The numbers almost speak for themselves; for the biggest broadcast, the Olympics have ever seen, OBS used an infrastructure larger than any other.

• 9,500+ estimated hours of content produced by OBS
• 3,800 4,000 estimated hours of sports and ceremonies
• 118 HD contribution multilateral feeds
• 68 UHD contribution multilateral feeds
• 76 HD distribution feeds
• 44 UHD distribution feeds
• 31 Outside Broadcast (OB) vans
• 22 fly-away systems
• 1,049 camera systems
• 210+ slow-motion cameras
• 250 minicams
• 18 cablecam systems
• 27 tracking camera systems
• 37 jibs and cranes
• 3,600 microphones

[Image: The Tokyo OBS Media Center, Source: Instagram/@@_markpickering]

Looking closer, however, we come to realize how OBS built a system through careful decision-making, great staff, and the best technology available.

The Highest Quality Images Ever

For the 2016 Rio Olympics, we got to see high-definition video playback of all our favorite events. For 2021, we got 4K and even 8K cameras, offering over four times the quality of those pictures from only five years ago. These were captured by over 1,049 camera systems, 27 tracking camera systems, and 37 jibs and cranes. These include cameras connected to cars, flying besides runners, and even underwater. Between them, they covered dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of perspectives for over 4000 hours of content (which will later be edited and produced to double that number).

[Image: Olympic Broadcasting Services Cameraman. Source: Wikicommons]

An Immersive Experience

The OBS didn t settle for simply the sharpest images available. Nor did it settle with the 5.1.4 surround sound (which captures sound vertically from four extra perspectives). No. In 2021, the OBS also captured images and other data for audiences that we haven t experienced before.

For the first time ever, the Tokyo Olympics included Live and on-demand immersive 180 stereoscopic and 360 panoramic coverage. From AI that produces 3D modeling at the gymnastics to vital sign monitors that show the heart rate of archers, the Olympic Broadcast team offered us an immersion beyond anything we could expect while sitting in the stands.

[Image: A golf tournament can take dozens of cameras to capture. Source: Twitter/@@GarageUganda]

[possible video to use as alternative:https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/E7YrqiRX0AElink.mp4 Source: Twitter/@@AtPeterHayes]

Live Streaming with 5G

When you talk about high-quality images, you end up talking about large amounts of data. The minimum streaming bandwidth for 4K cameras is around 25Mb/s, over the typical bandwidth available on 4G. With up to 64 streams entering the main center at any one time to be processed before being added to the OBS cloud, the infrastructure required has to be massive!

That is why OBS partnered with Alibaba and uses its own next-gen 5G network to process and release thousands of terabytes of data to its partners every hour.

[Image: OBS Contribution Distribution Unilateral Room. Source:alibabagroup.com]

The Best Events Team in The World?

Of course, no event recording succeeds without a strong and competent events management team. While the planning group comprises 166 people from 30 nationalities, the number of employees during the Olympics ballooned to over 8100. These included cameramen, gaffers, sound engineers, editors, producers, and drivers. Believe it or not, 120 employees dedicated their days simply to labeling footage to be used; these people were even so busy that they employ AI to help them!

[Image: The Olympic Broadcasting Services Team is already working on Beijing. Source: Twitter/@@YiannisExarchos]

Can I have Olympics Level Coverage at My Event?

Let s be real. You don t need this level of coverage. Very few live events outside of the Olympics do. However, most corporate live event managers don t realize that a lot of the experiences Olympic audiences view can actually be reached within their budget. Here at Decibel Events, we work to provide this level of production in all of our event productions. From our live event broadcast production with live streaming from multiple cameras and perspectives, to IP cloud integration, and from design through execution.

Want to see more? Check out the 2021 National Book Festival this September to see our work in action including both live and virtual audiences. We have been the Event Agency of Record for over a decade, and also work with other corporations on their large-scale events and meetings to bring them this level of production and to give them the opportunity to have global-level productions at a budget they can afford.

Decibel Event Management Wins 6 Telly Awards

COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVERYTHING ELSE, VIRTUAL EVENTS

Decibel Events is proud to have been awarded six Telly Awards in recognition of our partnership with the Library of Congress producing the 2020 Virtual National Book Festival.

This is a huge honor for Team dB, but not for us alone; this national recognition is shared by everyone that had an impact on this event: tireless leaders, designers, producers, peers, and staff at the Library of Congress, all of whom put in the hours, the effort, and the creativity needed to transform a massive in-person event to a successful virtual festival. 

Out of adversity comes opportunity. When the pandemic hit, and the world shut down, we weren t sure if the event would even take place. But the dedicated Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, was determined to move forward. We accepted her challenge to transition this 20-year strong tradition to a safe-from-home format, without losing the intimacy and excitement of the Festival, or compromising any content and programming.

And we had 80 days to get it done. 

That meant working with the team at the Library and recording all the authors through our cloud studio, editing hundreds of videos-on-demand, and building a comprehensive platform for our guests. The following stats remain staggering to us, still: 

• 150+ Videos-On-Demand, Recorded, Edited and Hosted on Platform
• 120+ Authors
• 95+ Digital Sponsor Exhibit Booths
• 65+ Live Q&A Sessions
• 12 Live Virtual Stages

Far and away, this event was our most challenging and most satisfying of 2020, but not just because of the logistical and creative hurdles involved. The National Book Festival was created to share the power of literature across a myriad of ages and varied backgrounds and viewpoints. It is an event designed to build connections, foster conversations and curiosity, and a way to highlight diversity, culture and overlooked voices. Contributing that that important mission is reward enough; the Telly Awards are just icing.

We are forever grateful to the Library of Congress talented team and colleagues for their immeasurable contributions. And to our amazing production team, including Dave Nicholson with RelaTV Media, Melinda Curley with Cloverlea Entertainment, Josh Cook with EventEQ, for your unbridled passion and commitment to excellence.

Library of Congress: we love bringing your vision to life, and are truly grateful to have earned your trust. We can t wait to see you safely in person soon!

Holy Fuck, Apple. You Spent HOW MUCH?!

EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVERYTHING ELSE, LIVE EVENTS, LOL, PRODUCTION

10 Major Events That Cost Less Than WWDC

Apple spent a whopping $50 million on its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. $50 MILLION. 

This staggering figure was recently unveiled by Phil Schiller, former head of Apple s worldwide marketing, during his testimony at the ongoing trial of Epic Games vs. Apple, and it shook us to our core.

Yes, we know Apple is a billion-dollar company, and yes, we know they use their week-long conference to announce their shiny new gadgets (of which we re big fans), but it s still just. a. business. meeting. The set-up is super basic: a stage, some cameras, some speakers, and occasionally a musical guest (Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte), but nothing so spectacular or extraordinary or life changing that the event could run up that kind of bill. 

To put this in perspective, we rounded up some other extravagant events that didn t cost nearly as much as Apple s week-long business meeting. 

10.  Naomi Campbell s 36th Birthday Party $1.8 Million

Supermodel Naomi Campbell rented out 18 floors of Burj Al Arab, the world s first seven-star hotel, to host her elaborate three-day birthday bash in Dubai. Each day featured a series of celebratory themed events for the OG Super Model and her high-profile guests, including David and Victoria Beckham, and Linda Evangelista. No assistants or phones were harmed at the big birthday bash.

9.  Trump s 4th of July Event $5.4 Million

In 2019, during Donald Trump s presidency he hosted an over-the-top 4th of July event featuring tanks, fireworks, and a military flyover at the Lincoln Memorial. He called the event remarkable; we call it a misuse of public funds.

8.  Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade $12.3 Million

This 2.5 mile parade with enormous balloons, unbelievable floats, and talented performers, dazzles crowds during the holidays each year. According to The Smart Shopper s 2016 report, the average total cost to host the parade is between $10.4-$12.3 million. Event logistics can cost up to $3.4 million.

7.  Producing Hamilton on Broadway $12.5 Million

Everyone wants to be in the room where it happened. Mounting the show on Broadway took $12.5 million, or one-million-two-hundred-fifty-thousand ten-dollar bills featuring our founding father. There is nothing scrappy about the Tony Award-winning musical, which has grossed more than $1 billion in global revenue to date. 

6.  Jennifer Lopez & Shakira s Super Bowl Halftime Show $13 million

JLo and Shakira killed the Super Bowl halftime show in 2020. The 14-minute show included more than 130 dancers, 600 field team members, 5,350 pieces of pyrotechnics and some spectacular lasers. The televised performance won an Emmy Award, and resulted in millions of viewers feeling bummed out about their physical fitness and skin care regimen. 

5.  Opening of the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai $31 Million

With a goal to make this resort opening one of the biggest events of the year, event designer and producer Colin Cowie and Empire Entertainment turned up the flash to throw a lavish three-day extravaganza. Powerful video projections, pyrotechnics and fireworks told the story of the Atlantis across the outer facade, ending in the largest-ever fireworks display on record more than seven times larger than those used at the Beijing Olympic games. 

4.  2021 Oscars $40 Million

The Academy Awards wanted to go big and go live this year. All attendees were required to take three COVID tests prior to attending, but considering they received a gift bag containing approximately $225,000 worth of goodies, it feels like a fair trade to us. Plus, ya know, human interaction.

3.  Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics $42 Million

This spectacle was called Isles of Wonder. Directed by Academy Award-winning British film director Danny Boyle, the London Olympic opening ceremonies pulled out all the stops. With a television audience of 900 million, it became the most-viewed Olympic opening ceremony. 

2.  Burning Man Music Festival $44 Million

In 2018, Burning Man reported it took $44 million to produce the music festival focused on community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. The event creates a temporary city in a Nevada desert and features a 40-foot-tall burning effigy among hundreds of other elaborate art structures. Fun fact: they spend $1.4 million for sanitation services alone (aka: port-a-potties). 

1.  Prince Harry & Meghan Markle s Royal Wedding $45 Million

We watched, we wept, we drank tea at 5am. A royal wedding is more affordable than a work conference. <<>>

Apple: give us a call. We can produce a fantastic WWDC for you with a lower price tag and so much more than a stage with a screen and some lights.

David Sonntag Talks New Event Venue Outlook on LMG s The Road Ahead Podcast

COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT RESOURCES, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS, VENUES

I recently had the pleasure of guesting on Les Goldberg s 39th episode of LMG s The Road Ahead podcast, alongside Lauren Chelf from AOAC International, and Diane Kovats from ISCB, to discuss negotiating and navigating event venues through the COVID-lens.

I d love for you to give our chat a listen, or keep scrolling for what you need to know when planning a post-pandemic event. 

1. Pay attention to event size vs. event capacity. Just because a venue can

   accommodate 1,000 attendees, doesn t mean that the city or state will allow that many people to gather just yet.

2. Review requirements and regulations. Safety measures and restrictions vary drastically from state to state, and city to city. The hotel, convention center, or event venue itself is also likely to have an additional set of rules. Ask upfront and get details in writing.
3. Determine venue staffing needs. Hotels and event venues are just as excited to be back in action as we are, and welcome the opportunity to bring back furloughed team members. It s crucial that your event venue has enough experienced staff working now to handle your events needs. (Because we all know there s more to a flawless event than the event day itself.)
4. Consistent, coordinated communication regarding COVID safety. Both the event venue staff and the event producers must be on the same page when it comes to communicating and executing COVID safety measures. These could include mask wearing, temperature checks, COVID tests, cleaning measures, and on. For example, a venue, city or state might not require temp checks, but the event producer and client does for all attendees and staff. Share safety requirements before the event takes place with all involved parties, in order to manage expectations and equal treatment across the board.
5. Internet is essential. We ve encountered venues that are willing to improve Internet service and create hot spots, and others who are not. As Les says in the podcast, he d prefer Internet over air conditioning these days, it s just that important. Amen.
6. Hotel room rates are often negotiable. Holding a large-scale company meeting or conference in a hotel? So far Team dB has found that there s a lot of wiggle room with room rates.
7. Hybrid events are here to stay. Yeah, I said it. Not your jam? Think of it like this: hybrid activations allow for greater attendance. (And elastic waist bands.)

Those are a few helpful highlights from our fun discussion; listen to the full podcast for more, including our thoughts on specifically when I predict think 250+ attendees at an event will be the new (old) normal.

dB Blog #319: Events to Check out This Quarter (Q1 2022)

Welcome to 2022. The year in which New York professor Ferdinand Shuller predicted, 100 years ago in 1922, that restaurants would offer self-serving tables with meals rising from kitchens one floor below. While that specific prediction has not panned out (at least as far as I know if I am in the wrong, and these self-serving, meal-rising kitchens do in fact exist, please let me know where), there are plenty of other cool reasons to celebrate the arrival of 2022. Like these nine events taking place in the coming few months (at the time of writing).

Sundance Film Festival (January 20 30)

Well, that ended quickly. From when we first drafted this article to today, another in-person/Hybrid event has gone back to 100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} virtual. Thanks, Omicron, get bent. 

America s largest independent film festival has been bringing out upwards of 40,000+ attendees to Park City, Utah for the past forty years to celebrate and recognize independent filmmakers. Originally planned as a hybrid affair, it was just recently announced that the 2022 iteration will be fully online due to the Omicron variant. Historically, the Sundance Film Festival has been the premier venue for some super popular movies including The Blair Witch Project, Little Miss Sunshine, Get Out, and Napoleon Dynamite.

Fun fact: The Sundance Film Festival was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 in order to showcase American-made films and attract more filmmakers to Utah and was named after his Sundance Kid character from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Full details: https://www.sundance.org/blogs/countdown-to-the-2022-sundance-film-festival/

New York Fashion Week (February 10 14)

The biggest of the Big Four fashion shows (ahead of London, Milan, and Paris), New York Fashion Week typically attracts over 200,000 fashion-minded attendees to the city every year. The fashion extravaganza will unveil the 2022 designer fall and winter collections. This bi-annual event (with the second iteration scheduled for September 2022) takes place at various venues all across Manhattan and New York.  

Fun fact: Designers will pay in-demand celebrities as much as $100,000 for sitting front row at their fashion shows during New York Fashion Week (ya, we re looking at you Rhianna and Beyonce).

Full details: https://fashionweekonline.com/

Super Bowl 56 (February 13)

While the NFL s biggest event of the year is currently scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, it is possible that the game may be moved to a new location depending on what indoor event restrictions are implemented in the coming weeks. While bookies are currently placing the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the top three, it is still uncertain as to which teams will be duking it out on February 13th.  One thing that is certain, however, is that this year s half-time show line-up is a damn fine one, including Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Doog, and Kendrick Lamar.

Fun fact: Each team competing in the Super Bowl gets 108 footballs. 54 are used for practice, and 54 are used for the game itself.

Full details: https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl/

Magic Las Vegas (February 13 16)

The first of the three fashion industry events (with subsequent conferences in New York and Nashville), Magic Las Vegas boasts a global audience of retail buyers, influencers, media, and industry stakeholders representing 860 brands coming together to learn, network, and spend, spend, spend. Fabulously.

Fun fact: 60+ countries and all 50 states were represented at the last Magic Las Vegas and Magic New York.

Full details: https://www.magicfashionevents.com/en/home.html

Screen Actors Guild Awards (February 27)

While the Golden Globes, currently experiencing a Hollywood boycott of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, were a significantly scaled down private affair on January 9th, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards are powering ahead (as of time of writing). This year s soiree will be co-hosted by Vanessa Hudgens and Rosario Dawson, Helen Mirren will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year s ceremony, and the celebrity fashion choices are sure to not disappoint.

Fun fact: The Screen Actors Guild award itself, referred to as The Actor , is a 16 inch tall statuette of a male figure holding a mask of comedy in one hand and a mask of tragedy in the other. The Actor is cast in solid bronze and weighs a hefty 12 pounds.

Full details: https://www.sagawards.org/

Rio Carnival (February 25 March 5)

Rio Carnival celebrates 300 years next year with the first one having taken place in Rio de Janeiro in 1723, to mark the start of Lent, which is a 40-day period that Catholics participate in that includes fasting and abstinence. So, they get it out of their systems while they can with this two-week celebration of food, alcohol, and fun. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest festival in the world, this year s version will be scaled down for pandemic-related reasons, but some of the major events are still expected to proceed at this time.

Fun fact: There are some mighty big numbers associated with Rio Carnival 2 million attendees each day, half a million foreigners travel in each year for the events, and 10 million liters of beer are consumed annually at Rio Carnival.

Full details: https://www.riocarnaval.org/

Mardi Gras (March 1)

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is determined that Mardi Gras 2022 will be a go this year, recently stating, without a doubt we will have Mardi Gras 2022, we will!

And what can partiers expect at this year s Mardi Gras? The festivities officially kicked off in the French Quarter on January 6, and are currently expected to go strong through March with krewes galore scheduled (which are the New Orleans clubs responsible for various parades throughout the nearly two-month-long celebration).

Fun fact: Everyone riding on a Mardi Gras float must be wearing a mask. This has nothing to do with COVID and is actually required by law. This mask-wearing tradition dates back generations and was instituted in order to remove the class constraints barriers that exist in society. As the official Mardi Gras website describes, when wearing a mask, carnival-goers were free to be whomever they wanted to be and mingle with whatever class they desired to mingle with. Cool beans.

Full details: https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

South by Southwest (March 11 20)

South by Southwest (SXSW) is described as an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, music festivals, and conferences. This ten-day event has been held in Austin since 1987 and has grown exponentially during that time, welcoming over 417,000 attendees in 2019, before moving to online events for 2020 and 2021. SXSW 2022 includes a film festival, exhibitions, a comedy festival, conference sessions, a music festival, and more.

Fun fact: The original festival email address was 72662.465@compuserve.com and at one point they ran a panel titled So You Want to Make a CD-Rom? . And that is what they call old school .

Full details: https://www.sxsw.com/

Ultra Music Festival (March 25 27)

This Miami-based outdoor electronic music festival has been running annually since 1999. Headliners for this year s festival include David Guetta, Kygo, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Illenium, and so many more.

Fun fact: The Ultra Music Festival was named after the 1997 Depeche Mode album titled Ultra.

Full details: https://ultramusicfestival.com/ 

And the ones that didn t make it

These events, originally scheduled for Q1 2022, have been postponed or outright canceled:

• The 2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival slated for January 7 17 has been canceled;
• The Critics Choice Awards that were originally scheduled for January 9th will be postponed;
• The Grammy Awards, originally scheduled for January 31st, will be rescheduled to a later date this year; and
• Giorgio Armani has canceled his fashion shows for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully you get the opportunity to take in one of these, or any other, large-scale event this quarter. If you do, and you get inspiration for a corporate event of your own, Decibel Events is the event production team to make your inspiration a reality.