Embracing The Magic: Lessons From The Oscars 2023
Just like a well-crafted film, every live event tells a story. It is no surprise, then, that we found ourselves spellbound by the 2023 Oscars, a celebration of narratives, craftsmanship, and the artists who bring stories to life. Here are some observations and lessons that we, as event professionals, can draw from this year’s Academy Awards.
CAPTURING THE ART OF PRODUCTION
The Oscars this year did a phenomenal job of honoring not only the final product but the extensive work that goes on behind the scenes. The opening segment set the stage for recognizing the vast array of artists and staffers involved in creating cinematic magic. A vital takeaway for our industry is the power of transparency – the more we shed light on what goes into making an event successful, the more we can engage and awe our audience.
THE POWER OF DESIGN
The art deco production design was a feast for the eyes, using content across the staging to reinforce the message being delivered. This approach is something all event planners can learn from – design can be an effective tool to highlight your event’s core message, thereby enhancing audience engagement and facilitating content capture.
Screens and scenic content have emerged as game-changers in event planning, often underutilized in corporate events. They offer an upgrade from standard PowerPoint presentations and can elevate productions to a broadcast level. The Oscars showed us how scenic design can also create distinct sections or vignettes for different activities, keeping the event fresh throughout without needing drastic set changes.
MANAGING DISRUPTIONS
Every event organizer knows the unexpected can, and often does, happen. For the Oscars, it was a peculiar headpiece in the audience that could potentially obstruct the view for others. This situation serves as a reminder for event planners to anticipate possible disruptions and have contingency plans in place.
CELEBRATING TALENT
This year’s Oscars showcased numerous powerful female performances, notably Rihanna’s mesmerizing act, and Lady Gaga’s raw energy on stage. Their distinctive performances were a testament to the diverse talents in the industry and a reminder to event organizers to curate a variety of talents that can cater to a diverse audience.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
One image that resonates with us was a camera positioned directly in front of the stage, capturing presenter and audience in one shot. It underscored the ever-present challenge event planners face: balancing the needs of in-person and virtual audiences. While the perspective was perfect for TV viewers, it may not have provided the best view for in-person attendees. This serves as a reminder that event planning often involves trade-offs and finding the right balance to serve all attendees effectively.
LIGHTING THE WAY
The Oscars’ lighting was exceptionally well executed, especially during musical numbers. It showcased how good lighting can set the mood, enhance scenic design, and even highlight audience seating. While budget constraints may prevent corporate events from following suit entirely, there’s no denying that strategic lighting can significantly enhance an event’s atmosphere.
EMBRACING TECH
In a nod to technology’s ubiquity, we noticed QR codes on screen, providing an efficient way to share content with the home audience. This simple tool has been revitalized during the pandemic and has potential applications for live events as well.
THE ART OF EDITING
Reflecting on the Oscars, less can indeed be more. More clips and less banter could have made the show more compelling. This is a lesson for all event organizers – the essence of an impactful event often lies in its simplicity and the ability to deliver a succinct, captivating experience.
In conclusion, the Oscars 2023 gave us much to mull over. They were a testament to the power of the collective effort, the magic of well-executed design, and the importance of maintaining a delicate balance between different elements. For us in the corporate event industry, these are lessons worth emulating as we continue to strive for excellence in crafting unforgettable experiences.
EMERGENCY EVENT ACTION PLANNING: A HIGH WIND ACTION PLAN
Continuing our Safety Series is a quick look into how we approach weather and safety. We produce a number of outdoor events, from street teams and mobile marketing that may have 10×10 EZ-Up tents all the way to 7 city blocks of major engineered structures.
Over the years, we have seen so, so many mistakes. I see this a lot on a personal level with the smaller tents- ZIP TIES are not structural!! I have seen the smaller tents zip tied to 5lb hand weights etc.
Image via Flickr by artistmac
I have also seen major accidents (Sugarland, the recent GP sailing accidents, etc). At an airshow we produced we subcontracted a raising roof grid structure from a local midwest vendor. This just happened to be the Sugarland stage that had the tragic accident less than a month later. What we saw when we rented this was a concern all around.
Why use water ballast? Because we know the weight of water. at 8lbs a gallon, this is an easy and mobile way to weigh down your structure. What else? Stakes at 36-48″ depending on your engineering diagrams as well as concrete blocks that are weighted are all useful methods. We stay away from “found” methods onsite (e.g. attaching to something found onsite).
Also, we have a HWAP policy. When we deploy large structures we have a set plan that is approved in advance. This includes a scale of wind speeds and actions that we employ when those speeds are reached. There is NO discussion onsite, just implementation. This ensures that there is no delay or waffling to “see what happens” or trying to keep a crowd nearby so the event isnt cancelled. This is intended to ensure Life Safety comes first,
HIGH WIND ACTION PLAN (HWAP) Wind Ratings:
20MPH: Safety team is assembled and on alert (within 5 minutes) and remains on alert until wind stays below 25MPH for 30 minutes.
25MPH: Wind wall and backdrop are lowered to stage level and secured. Backdrop to be removed within 10 minutes.
30MPH: Remove all fabric panels to create an open structure. All panels removed within 15 minutes.
40MPH: CEASE ALL SHOW OPERATIONS. Evacuate audience members and crew except HWAP personnel. Do not lower roof, do not climb structure.
67.5MPH: Evacuate all personnel from within the vicinity of the structure and do not return until winds fall below 40MPH.
We also employ a meteorology team out of Oklahoma when we produce large-scale events and build outdoor structures. This gives us access to an extended forecast, real time lightning awareness as well as windspeed and rain activity. We have an on-call meteorology team that we have access to in order to evaluate any issues that come up throughout the event.
Event Trends for 2022
COVID-19 has been hella disruptive for a number of industries, including the event management sector. Concerts, conferences, expos, weddings, sports tournaments, award galas, bar mitzvahs all were put on hold while the world socially distanced itself in an attempt to curb the spread. And while the COVID battle is not yet over, with a good percentage of the population now vaccinated we are starting to see a slow return to the concerts and the conferences and the bar mitzvahs. Here we take a look at some of the key trends that event industry experts are forecasting for 2022 and beyond.
Virtual Will Continue to Have a Place in the Events Realm
Event goers have had a big ol taste of webinars, online trade shows, and virtual conferences this past 20 months. And while many are chomping at the bit to get back to the face-to-face gathering of yore, there are just as many who have become accustomed to the online experience, the flexibility it offers, the vehicle-less commute to their home office, the dress shirt on top, pajamas on bottom work-from-home wardrobe coziness. And for these folks, hybrid events will reign supreme.
Pajamas on bottom coziness aside, there are several compelling reasons to consider incorporating hybrid events into your programming calendar:
- Distance and travel are no longer barriers to attendance attendees can join from anywhere in the world which gives opportunities for tremendous reach.
- Unique opportunities for wannabe sponsors 80{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of corporate sponsors have expressed interest in virtual and hybrid event sponsorship.
- All the data who doesn t love data? Virtual and hybrid events give insights galore into your attendee preferences and engagement, insights that can then be used to inform future decision-making.
- Increased return on investment some serious money can be saved through virtual vs live events and with increased reach and scalability, this can translate into attractive margins.
There May be More Variants to Come
First there was COVID-19. Then there was the Alpha variant, which made its first appearance in Great Britain in November 2020. And then Delta became the predominant variant. And then a year later, Omicron swept the globe. Will Omicron be the final mutation, the one that brings the global community from pandemic to endemic? Please, oh for the love of Pete, let the answer by a resounding yes . However, it s just too early to say. For the time being, event planners need to assume that the virus will continue to be with us as the ultimate unwanted houseguest for some time, and plan accordingly. This means contingency planning in the case of a surge. This means considering how to accept proof of vaccination, and whether subsequent boosters will factor into your attendee requirements. This means finding ways to prioritize health and safety for your event attendees while still providing a fun and compelling experience.
Sustainability Will be the Norm
Eventbrite had identified sustainability as the number one event trend in 2020, and this is still a leading trend two years later. After years fraught with rising sea levels, wildfires, and deadly weather events, climate change action is on the minds of many global citizens, and all organizations have a role to play in adopting greener policies and processes. Reducing paper waste, sourcing eco-friendly swag, encouraging recycling at events, and using biodegradable items are just a handful of the ways in which event planners can be environmentally conscious.
Technology Solutions Will Continue to Evolve
The pandemic fast-tracked a whole new world of event technology solutions as event managers scrambled to transition to fully virtual events. And the tech world did not disappoint in their mad rush to accommodate this sudden and universal need. Whether your event is in-person, virtual, or hybrid, there are several new technological developments designed to improve the event experience all around.
Artificial Intelligence: While we re not quite in Blade Runner territory, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming used more and more in the event management space. Chatbots are increasingly employed to inform and connect with event attendees. AI is used to remove language barriers at international events by instantly translating attendee communications. AI can even be used to provide an enhanced networking experience to attendees by strategically matching those with similar event goals.
Facial Recognition: Facial recognition is a neat-o technology that allows one s face to serve as their form of identification. While there are obvious security benefits to this technology, the potential convenience applications are also rather tremendous. Imagine if you will, a long line-up full of travel-wearied and tired event attendees who neglected to print out their event confirmation specifics. That is a recipe for disaster. Now imagine this same group simply looking into a camera before having their identity and registration confirmed allowing them to seamlessly move through to the event floor. That is a recipe for happy attendee stew.
Mat Technology: Yep, this is a thing. Mat technology involves clever flooring that comes equipped with data tracking capabilities to measure and report on event analytics like what booths get the most foot traffic, what times of day were busiest, where were the low traffic spots. For those who love data as much as we do, it doesn t get much better than this!
Diverse Representation Among Your Event Stakeholders
It s 2022. Still think that diversity and inclusion don t matter? Just ask the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), that group of international journalists who are responsible for the Golden Globes. Once considered to be a primary staple of the Hollywood awards season, a February 2021 Los Angeles Times piece exposed some controversial realities about this group, including the following tidbits:
- Former HFPA President Meher Tatna shared that there hadn t been a Black member in the 90 person group for over twenty years.
- 30 HFPA members were flown to the Emily in Paris set in France in 2019, a show that subsequently received two nominations despite being much less critically acclaimed than other shows featuring actors of color such as I May Destroy You and Insecure.
- HFPA members would allegedly sell their tickets to the Golden Globes for upwards of $40,000.
Given these revelations and the ensuing outcry from the broader entertainment community, NBC opted to pull the plug on the 2022 Golden Globes, stating we continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right.
Diversity and inclusion matter and should be kept top of mind when hiring speakers, sourcing panelists, securing committee volunteers, and in determining programming content. Your attendees should see themselves reflected in the planning and delivery of your event.
Putting These Trends to Work for Your Next Event
What corporate events is your organization looking to pull off in 2022? Whatever it is, Decibel Events can help you to pull it off flawlessly. As a leading event production and management firm with experience in organizing everything from presidential events to massive trade shows to high-end corporate events, Decibel Event is right on top of all event management trends and knows how to best incorporate them into your next event. Let us help you to bring your event to life.