Five Ways to Tailor Your Social Media Event Marketing to Millenials
TIPS & TRICKS
You can just see the Baby Boomers and, to a lesser extent, Gen-Xers having a collective panic attack as the headlines roll in: MILLENIALS POISED TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD. While the media initially pegged millenials (defined as the generation born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s), as a bunch of narcissists with Peter Pan syndrome, studies show that with the rebounding economy, this group of 20- and early 30-something are just as industrious as their predecessors, if not quite as well-off. What that means for the world of event promotion is that your marketing needs to be on point, because let s get real: millenials have a lot competing not only for their attention, but their time and money as well. We all know it comes down to social media, but other than creating a hashtag and assigning someone to spam Twitter all day, what does that mean? Here are five tips for successfully marketing your event in the brave new world of Generation Y consumers.
Create Bite-Sized Content
It s sad but true millenials have the attention spans of goldfish. What that means for social media promotion is that it has to be brief and sharp; think of your posts like fighter pilots: they need to get in, hit the target, and get out. This not only means that your audience will take the time to click, but it makes the content easier to view on smartphones and more likely to be shared. So what qualifies as bite-sized? Try anything with images: infographs, exclusive pictures, memes, videos, etc. Remember, not every post has to be specifically about your event. Users above all appreciate good content, and will connect the good sentiment that generates back to you.
Enlist Savvy Social Media Managers
For the love of cupcakes, make sure whoever s implementing your social media campaign is familiar with the ways of that particular platform. Every post should be tailored to that specific network. After all, there s nothing that spells narc like a fuddy-duddy company that won t stop spamming your feed with stuff you couldn t care less about.
Not only will users turn away from your content, they ll take a diminished view of you as a company and of your event.
Strive for Authenticity over Gloss
Perhaps more than any other generation, millenials a group that s grown up on adblock and Tivo are inured to the effects of advertising. Blame technology (or Mad Men) all you want, but the point is that big-budget ad campaigns aren t going to get you very far when pushing your event. Instead, save your budget to engage key influencers who are likely to have both access to and sway over your target audience. Whatever you do, don t try and pull a fast one influencers will instantly lose their cred the moment you force them to ring a false note on your behalf. Let it happen organically, whether that means engaging influencers with a legitimate interest in the event, or allowing them to promote in a winking, ironic way that acknowledges the transactional nature of your sponsorship.
Make Partners of Your Audience
This is another one you ve probably heard a bunch: millenials like to be involved. On the organization side, that could mean anything from brainstorming advertising campaigns to crowdsourcing ideas for products and events. Get your target audience engaged from the get-go by allowing them to be part of the planning process, whether that means getting them to vote on the playlist, launching an instagram contest or incentivizing a branded hashtag campaign. The bottom line is when you integrate user generated content into your social media promotion and even the details of your event, your audience is more likely to 1) have a stake in the event and 2) to share social media posts about it.
Make Use of Peer Pressure
Not like in the bad way that DARE told us to avoid use it in a good way! Millenials are a highly social group who value opportunities to collaborate and network not to mention the good opinions of their peers. Capitalize on this desire to be part of a group by connecting your event with a positive message or value that will be meaningful to your target audience. Not only will this cause your event to be seen in a more positive light, it will give your audience another reason to get involved: their own desire for a better a world (or at the worst, their desire to make their peers think they care about a better world).
The Seven Deadly Sins of Event Planning
TIPS & TRICKS
When they go off without a hitch, mega events can be magic but when you get to the big leagues, there s a lot that can go wrong, from problems with the venue to equipment malfunctions to running over budget. So how do you keep things running like clockwork from beginning to end? Read our seven deadly sins of event planning below for a look at the dos and don ts of pulling off a large-scale events.
1. Not Having a Backup Plan
When you re planning an event, one of the last things you probably want to think about is everything that could go wrong but this is key to preventing potential hiccups from turning into disasters. Don t wait till the last second to make contingency plans; perform a risk assessment early on in the planning process, imagining all possible complications and ways to prevent or provide a solution to those complications. Start with your worst case scenario: extreme weather or a problem with your venue. Draw up a list of backup venues in the area and make sure to gather all attendees contact information in case of a last-minute location switch. It s also a good idea to check and double-check all of your arrangements to avoid any nasty surprises. If possible, do a dry run ahead of the date to make sure all equipment functions correctly, and line up backup equipment if necessary.
2. Underestimating Costs
We get it you ve drawn up your budget, and it s a thing of beauty. Everything s accounted for, costs have been reduced, and it balances out perfectly. We hate to tell you this, but: you ve forgotten something. or something will pop up last minute, or your number of attendees will balloon unexpectedly, or something will break, or The point is, despite doing your risk assessment, you can never account for all exigencies, which is why you need to leave a cushion in your budget. The bigger the cushion, the more secure you can feel.
3. Keeping Bad Records
We re not just talking about bookkeeping here as you advance through the planning process, it s crucial to keep track of all the changes that occur, no matter how small, to avoid impacting your budget or timeline. A good way to prevent nasty surprises is to set up a procedure for documenting every deviation from the original plan. The person requesting the change should describe it in detail so that the event manager can review how the change will affect the budget, needed manpower or schedule.
4. Not Getting to Know Your Collaborators
As much as type-A planners would love to control everything themselves, it s simply impossible when organizing a big event. While you may have a handle on your own staff, your partners are a whole other kettle of fish. Get to know your collaborators early on contractors, vendors, caterers, and so on so you can get an accurate picture of their resources, skills and workloads. This way you can better stay on schedule and shift tasks around if necessary.
5. Goldilocks-ing Your Social Media
There s a balance that must be struck when promoting your event via social media not enough and people forget that it s happening; too much, and you risk overexposure or, worse, alienating attendees by spamming their feeds. Approach your social media promotion mindfully, and think about what it looks like on the receiving end. Don t just post the same thing over and over; strive to create fresh, interesting content that draws people in, doesn t take too long to consume and intrigues rather than beats them over the head with event promotion.
6. Not Allowing Enough Time for Setup
There s nothing that looks more unprofessional than seeing staff running around setting up when the event should have already opened. Avoid this embarrassing situation by drawing up a detailed production schedule that includes not only a timeline, but specifics regarding who is responsible for what task, where they should be and when. Of course, you know what they say about the best-laid schemes of mice and men even if your schedule looks fool-proof, you never know what can happen. That s why it s essential to build in at least a 30-minute buffer to account for any last-minute contingencies.
7. Mis-Estimating Your Crowd Numbers
Now for the most unpredictable part of the whole equation your attendees. Among the biggest things that can go wrong is mis-estimating the size of your crowd. Too many, and you ll cause a jam-up, with a shortage of resources; too few, and your event space looks like an awkward high school dance. Nip this in the bud by setting up a good registration process that requires RSVPs (even if the event is free) so that you can get a fairly accurate body count. Try not to make it too arduous though, otherwise folks will be less likely register. Also make sure to have a good check-in process for when attendees arrive. It may seem superfluous, but check-in can help avoid long lines, gives people an idea of what s going on, and primes them for the evening.
The Big Chill: Five Ways to Warm Up Your Outdoor Autumn Event
TIPS & TRICKS
Summer usually gets all the glory when it comes to outdoor events, but fall is no slouch either. After all, who doesn t love the changing leaves, crisp air and blazing blue skies of a beautiful autumn day? (Not to mention the hot toddies that follow once you get home.) The worry, of course, is how falling temperatures may affect your guests. Here are five ways to make the most of an outdoor fall event, and keep everyone cozy from head to toe.
Set up a tent
Tents are a good idea no matter what the season to protect against weather contingencies, but in the fall, they can also serve as a cozy retreat when the mercury drops. For the coldest days, ditch the canopies you d use in milder weather and arrange for heated tents with sidewalls secured at both the top and the bottom, as well as doors instead of wall openings. (If you still want a view of the foliage, make sure to get sidewalls with cathedral windows.) You can either get patio heaters or, for bigger tents, secure propane-powered console heaters, which can be installed outside the tent. Bonus points if you get some ceiling fans to keep the air circulating, and prevent warmth from pocketing around the top of the tent. (In the market? Check out our post on tent rental ideas.)
Keep the hot drinks flowing
Hot drinks don t just warm up your hands and belly according to studies, they make people feel friendlier and more cheerful. Channel some of that positive energy (and add a little seasonal flair) with big batches of warming drinks, like mulled wine, hot toddies or spiced apple cider. Be careful on truly cold days, though alcoholic drinks, contrary to conventional wisdom, have been found to lower body temperature, so they re not a great idea if guests don t have an indoor space in which to warm back up. For a less boozy option, go for some rich egg nog or hot chocolate.
Rent the right kind of heaters
For evenings that are nippy but don t require full-on shelter, your first line of defense should be outdoor heaters. So which kind should you get? While ceiling- and wall-mounted spot heaters offer concentrated heat and reduced clutter, their scope is limited. Instead, opt for a freestanding patio heater, which emits 360 degrees of heat in a diameter as far as 20 feet. Other perks? They re portable, which means you can move them around as needed, and they provide an instant meeting spot for folks to congregate around.
Wrap up tight
If there s one thing slankets have taught us, it s that blankets are no longer just for the indoors. While most people wouldn t dream of wearing one outside (to their detriment, we say!), slankets or just plain old blankets remain a great way of staying cozy when you most need it out in the elements. Keep your guests snuggly with fleece blankets that they can wrap up in when the weather turns nippy. Best of all, blankets can double as a kind dynamic accent for your decor, so make sure to buy or rent ones in warm colors with festive prints.
Go for a warm color scheme
Placebo effect or not, studies show that warm colors like red, orange and yellow can actually make people feel warmer not to mention more energized and (careful now) more hungry. Make the most of your fall backdrop by incorporating traditional fall colors and accents into your decor, increasing the event s festive atmosphere and subtly raising attendees internal temps.
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON REVEALS OFFICIAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE ?
FOOD & CATERING, TIPS & TRICKS
For those of you concerned you re not putting on enough weight over these past few weeks, we offer some exciting news:
Our team at Decibel Events had the awesome privilege to be one of the experiential event producers on the DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie CAREavan, and Little Things tours a few years back. Last week we posted a Throwback Thursday photo on our Instagram which included the following quote: Hilton, I think the world is gonna need another cookie after this. What do you say?
Well, yesterday, they just made public their official chocolate chip cookie recipe!
We re not saying you need to thank us, but it sure is quite a coincidence, don t you think? You can download the recipe here:
We ll share a little fun fact we picked up while on tour: We fielded a lot of questions about why the choice to include walnuts, especially with the potential allergy issues. Apparently, they actually absorb some butter and fats which makes a difference in the structure of the final product.
Give Your Next Livestream Presentation Some Professional Flair.
TIPS & TRICKS
We ve got a cool article today expanding on last week s topic of pulling off a professional-looking livestream. While last week we gave you a broad overview of all the variables you should account for in your Zoom presentations, this week we re taking a more focused look on the subject of lighting and backdrops and how these can help you show off your best online self at any time day or night.
Lighting is a pretty key part of your presentations. If you re noticing that a lot of your livestreams or those of your colleagues are coming out grainy, even despite having a lamp in the room, that s due to poor lighting. On the other side, the reason your colleague appears to have an office that opens up to a bright tropical sun isn t because they re in Trinidad, it s because of their lighting.
Lighting isn t just turning on a lamp! Like many things we ve discussed in this blog, there s an art to lighting that requires some effort and some money in order to achieve optimal results.
Allow us to illuminate you on the subject. Yeah, I said it.
Here s 4 big things you need to think about with lighting: Diffusion, Color Temperature, Position, Room.
Diffusion
Diffusion refers to the spread coming from your light source. If you re using a traditional desk lamp, you ll likely have too focused of a light source leading to a glare and shadows. Choose a light source with high diffusion and more even spread like a paper lantern. Most entry level lighting rigs for live streaming allow you to dial in the intensity of focus, or come with clip on filters that allow light to spread more cleanly and evenly across the room resulting in a more professional look.
Color Temperature
Anyone with a blue light filter function on their personal devices knows the literal night-and-day difference between various color temperatures. Higher blue-shifted color temperatures, like those produced by your computer will give your livestream an eerie shadowy glow at night. Lower red-shifted temperatures will give viewers the impression you re livestreaming by candlelight, just like the pioneers. Any entry level lighting rig you buy will have color temperature controls. You ll want to stay roughly in the 5500k temperature range for optimal results.
Position
A poorly positioned expensive light will always look worse than a well-positioned cheap light. In an ideal world where you have endless cash and livestreaming is your passion, you d be implementing a 3-point light system to flatten the scene and reduce shadow. However, that s not absolutely necessary. This is where ring LEDs come in to the picture. The nice thing about ring lights is that they provide light from multiple angles by design. If you place these lights relatively close to your face and just above or behind your webcam then your lighting should look perfectly adequate.
Room
But Decibel , you say, Why can t I just set up my webcam next to my window? Isn t natural light the best light? No. This is one of those few times where humankind s hubris has improved significantly upon the natural world with no consequences. The LAST thing you want in any livestream is natural light coming from windows. Windows are the bane of livestreams. They re an uneven light source that will ultimately make the rest of your room appear darker and cause glare. If you re livestreaming during the day control your lighting. Closie your shades and avoid windows in your shot.
Do you need to buy the most expensive rig? Photographic equipment, much like audiophile gear is a market flooded with obscenely expensive snake oil and nonsense line graphs that late middle-aged dudes who retired early will gush about in online forums. For your sake, ignore all that noise and just expect to spend between $40-100 on set of equipment that contains an LED light with adjustable temperature and intensity, a desktop stand or mount, and a couple clip on filters if you re feeling extra fancy. That s it.
Here s just a couple kits we like that contain everything you could possibly need. As we stated above, Ring LEDs are the best for livestreaming and we think they offer great results without straining your eyes to boot:
Now, let s touch on backdrops. Yeah if you really wanted you could throw up a green screen and make all your employees think you re livestreaming from SeaLab or a lava planet. I suspect there are some managerial scenarios where that could come in handy, but for the rest of you this is why we think you ll want a more conventional backdrop.
We re not talking about setting a mood here we re talking about sending a message. If you re talking to investors, wouldn t you rather have your company logo in the background instead of your venetian blinds? This way you don t have to think about your set. You re really just bouncing warm light off of a nice non-distracting solid-colored backdrop. You ll look sharp.
For recommendations on lighting and getting your wildest custom backdrop dreams realized, drop us a line right here! We can sort that out for you today.
dB Talent Spotlight
EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT RESOURCES, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS, VIRTUAL EVENTS
Welcome to Decibel Events Talent Spotlight series where we highlight great keynote speakers, presenters, performers and other talent to enhance your in-person or virtual event.
Bookmark this page and be sure to check back each month as we grow this list. It will be a great resource to you the next time you re planning an event.
Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts
Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts is highly regarded as a leader in a new generation of yogis who are passionate about expanding the visibility of who is commonly seen as Teacher. She is an internationally celebrated scholar and Peloton yoga teacher.
She has graced the cover of Yoga Journal twice, toured the world as a global yoga ambassador for lululemon, and advocated for local communities as founder of Red Clay Yoga. She is also widely recognized for her work with yoga and teens, and founded Yoga, Literature, and Art Camp at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art.
She would be a wonderful addition to your next event, and we encourage you to contact her through her website chelsealovesyoga.com.
Michael Brenner
Michael Brenner is a globally-recognized keynote speaker on leadership, culture, and marketing. Author of the bestselling book The Content Formula, Michael s work has been featured by The Economist, The Guardian, and Entrepreneur Magazine. In 2017, Michael was named a Top Business Speaker by The Huffington Post and a Top CMO Influencer by Forbes.
Over the last two decades, Michael has championed a customer-centric approach at organizations large and small. He led sales and marketing for software companies like Nielsen and FullTilt. As an executive at ICR, SAP, and Newscred, Michael s innovative leadership resulted in massive growth. His workshops and keynotes for Fortune 500 brands and tiny startups have inspired profound personal and professional change.
Today, Michael is the CEO of Marketing Insider Group, founded on the belief that strong leaders who champion their teams are the key to unlocking massive growth.
When he s not working with clients, Michael travels the world helping even the most bureaucratic organizations break down silos, create cultures of innovation, and build engaged workforces.
Charlene Li
Need another great keynote speaker for your next virtual or in real life event? Meet Charlene Li.
Charlene Li is an influential thought leader and guide on digital transformation, with a specific focus on customer experience, leadership in the digital era, and the future of work.
For the past two decades, Charlene Li has been helping people see the future. She is an expert on digital transformation, leadership, customer experience and the future of work. Li is the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller, Open Leadership and co-author of the critically acclaimed book, Groundswell. Her latest book is the bestseller The Disruption Mindset.
She is the Founder and Senior Fellow at Altimeter, an analyst firm acquired in 2015 by Prophet. Named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company, Charlene is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.
Fee: $25K $40K
Washington Speakers Bureau, direct and other booking sites.
Eric Stuart
This one s for the event peeps among us. Looking for a great speaker? Meet Eric Stuart.
An ex-British RAF officer and Supervisor in the Metropolitan Police for 17 of his 33 years with firearms, helicopter and covert deployments, he is an excellent motivator and lecturer focused on crowd modeling and safety. We know because we ve attended a two-day course with him and it felt like 5 minutes. He s incredibly interesting, and brings a wealth of experience and stories that will make you see your role as an event professional in a whole new light.
Eric is the owner of Gentian Events Limited, established in 2009 to enhance public safety at events of all shapes and sizes, working at and advising those who deliver them.
Contact him directly at GentianEvents.com
Jennifer Golbeck
Looking for a great keynote speaker? Meet Dr. Jennifer Golbeck.
As a world leader in social media research and communication, Dr. Jennifer Golbeck shares with audiences ways to best leverage and the vast array of social data both in their personal and professional lives.
Dr. Jennifer Golbeck began studying social media from the moment it emerged on the web a decade ago and is one of the world s foremost experts in the field. Her research has influenced industry, government, and the military. She is a pioneer in the field of social data analytics, discovering people s hidden attributes from their online behavior, and a leader in creating human-friendly security and privacy systems.
In addition to her work as a professor at the University of Maryland, she writes for top online news organizations, including Slate and The Atlantic, and appears frequently on NPR and commercial talk radio.
Fee: Under $25,000
https://www.wsb.com/videos/1302
Greg McKeown
As events transition online, more than ever, the challenge to create something that captures and keeps attention is paramount. One of the best way to hold an audience s attention is to have an engaging presenter who can deliver thought-provoking content in a riveting way. So if you re looking for someone who can do that, online, or in person, meet Greg McKeown.
Greg McKeown is a business writer, consultant and researcher specializing in leadership and the tools for success with a focus on living and leading as an essentialist.
Greg McKeown is emerging as one of the most refreshing and transformative business thought leaders and speakers on leadership, productivity and business growth. He is the founder and CEO of THIS Inc. a leadership and strategy design agency in Silicon Valley a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, and one of the most popular writers for Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn s Influencer Group.
McKeown has taught at hundreds of events across the world including in the U.S., Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Africa. Organizations, teams, and individuals have benefited from McKeown s innovative perspective, which challenges conventional wisdom and defines how to break through to the next level of success and profitability.
Fee: $25K $40K
A Virtual Abundance of Holiday Cheer
EVERYTHING ELSE, FOOD & CATERING, TIPS & TRICKS, VIRTUAL EVENTS
Dig deep, friends.
As we rally the last vestiges of 2020, it s important to focus on the valuable life skills we ve unintentionally mastered this year: adaptability, resilience, responsibility and tolerance (and more fucking virtual meetings than we have ever had in our entire lives). Whether it s been free-range children wandering in on Zoom calls, barking dogs overpowering important presentations, or Wi-Fi outages bringing your day to a screeching halt we ve all been there. And somehow, we ve all found unconventional ways to make it work.
The holidays should be no different. If necessity truly is the mother of invention, then finding ways to share special holiday memories with loved ones amid this year s socially distant reality should be mankind s modern-day Creativity Revolution. Plenty of options still exist for creating holiday moments just as special as those we had when we could simply show up at each other s homes.
We all started 2020 the same enjoying the novelty of online Happy Hours with family and friends but the freshness of that blue-lit facetime quickly wore out as digital fatigue sunk in. But that doesn t mean we should completely rule out the ripe opportunity that virtual experiences can provide for maintaining vital connections with each other. After all, your face + my face still equals face-to-face (only now with the added benefit of a mute button to silence anyone who gets too far out of line).
Like everything else in life, a little ingenuity can go a long way to break through the boredom. The winning ingredient for digital socialization is to center your meetup around a specific activity. Get fancy and hire a professional to facilitate an organized evening, or go as simple as creating your own private group on Facebook or Zoom and inviting friends and family to gather online.
Need a nudge? Here are a few starters:
1. Curated Cocktail Hour
(Wait, didn t we already establish that going online and drinking got boring months ago?)
Well, yes, but there are ways around this. We recommend curating an experience. I absolutely love a shared experience where everyone can focus on something you are all doing together. Throw out a quick poll, or suggest a cocktail for everyone. Make it something new and novel, and instruct your attendees to get the ingredients ahead of time. I am a big fan of mise-en-place when I cook, and making craft cocktails is no different. Order the components online, get them all ready, and then the host can give a mixology lesson to the group. At the end of the evening, everyone will have added to their personal repertoire of tried-and-true drink recipes perfect to resurrect when we re all able to gather in person again.
My favorite craft cocktail that I have found this year is a recipe for the Aviation. This is a great pre-prohibition cocktail that deserves some respect. We had the great fun of making this during a cooking class with the team from Truffle Shuffle and being virtually connected with my parents in the audience, as well. I ll go into more detail about them below, but the short version is that they are former French Laundry-trained chefs that have started a virtual cooking class company. Think Michelin-Star Hello Fresh, with a teacher.
I was able to source MOST of the ingredients for the cocktail locally the lemon, eggs, Maraschino cherry liqueur, gin, etc. but the creme de violette was a special order. Dad to the rescue: he overnighted me a bottle to make this all work. Who doesn t love getting a physical package in the mail these days? It was a bit MacGyver, a bit of Tom Hanks in the opening scene of Castaway, and a whole lot of fun.
Point being, don t just be, take the time and effort to curate the experience.
Here s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
- 1/2 ounce cr me de violette
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Splash Simple Syrup
- Garnish: brandied cherry
- Enhancement: One Egg White
Steps
- Add gin, Luxardo & violette with a splash of simple syrup, lemon juice and egg white.
- DRY Shake the ingredients (no ice) for 60 seconds
- Add ice and shake for another 30 seconds
- Strain over new ice into a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry.
2. Dinner Date
On to the team from Truffle Shuffle. If you are looking for a virtual dinner date, consider another curated experience sensing a theme here? This particular business is a couple of chefs that were formerly at the French Laundry, and opened up a Zoom-style, learn-to-prep-and-cook-a-meal mail order business. They are rock solid, have great production value and keep the hour-and-a-half class moving.
We learned about the Truffle Shuffle team through the Mondavi Sisters. They offered the cooking class with one of their Dark Matter wine pairings. We loved it so much, we booked a second class. This is a great way to connect with customers or friends over the holidays and gives everyone a great story to talk about. It also includes EVERYTHING you need for the meal in one package.
We re definitely seeing more of these particular cooking-class-style mail order classes out there, so keep your eyes open for new offerings as well as wine pairings to take this to the next level.
Do your own search for sommelier-led, around-the-world wine tastings like the list Food and Wine recently put out. And if you are a current client of Decibel, look for your Truffle Shuffle invites coming early next year. We like it so much and it s so in my wheelhouse that we are planning to roll this out for some great client connections, as well!
3. Game Night
Who doesn t love a good game night? If there s anything this year has taught us, it s that the simplest ideas can turn out to be the most fun. This type of virtual get-together provides easy interaction for a diverse group of friends who may not all know each other well, or for family (who may sometimes wish they didn t know each other so well). Grab the box of Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Scattergories or Yahtzee, dial into the video call, and let the showdown begin. Multiplayer video games like Call of Duty and Mario Kart can also be shared online, many with chat functionality to smack talk your buddies as if they were sitting right next to you. The last time the family got together to do this, we ended up dueling for hours. I definitely recommend this for an easy impromptu connection that doesn t require heavy pre-planning or coordination.
For a more in-depth adventure, we ve seen in-person team-building activities like Escape Rooms morph into online experiences this year, too. Once again, centered around a shared objective, escape rooms are a different and unique way to gather a group of people and create some excitement and connections (something we re all craving these days). Just like the traditional escape rooms, the collaboration and competition among allies is great fun and the shared victory in the end is a memorable reward in itself.
4. Gift Exchange
This one may take a little advanced planning, but with the help of a free service like Elfster, you can generate a secret gift exchange and host an across-the-miles unwrapping party with each other.
Or you can go straight pyramid-scheme. Have you seen the Holiday Bourbon Exchange going around Facebook? By the time you read this, the pyramid should be complete but there may still be time. The basic premise is that a friend of yours tags you on Facebook and offers you to sign up for the Holiday Bourbon Exchange. The rules are that you buy ONE bottle of bourbon for your friend s friend, then put your name on the list and send the instructions to your friends. Bottles of bourbon start appearing at your doorstep. Is it a windfall? Not really I sent my one bottle and (as of this writing) have received about five in return. Not a bad return, but not the three dozen that the letter promises. Why? It s a chain letter pyramid scheme. People drop out, don t continue the trend, are wary (as they should be). It s why pyramid schemes don t work.
Why was this one different? We re all missing the human connection. I jumped on this because it was a fun idea, and thought that at $45, it was worth the buy-in to see what happened. It was worth it to do something nice for someone I didn t know (but was a friend of a friend) and thought I would love to connect with some new people. That worked in spades. It s likely my most commented post on Facebook, I have connected with friends that I have not seen in a long time, and absolutely got $45 in value out of the experience.
Why are we talking about this here? I m not expecting or suggesting you run your own pyramid scheme. But take this as an awesome experiential lesson and a magnifying glass to 2020. Virtual/digital is not enough. Your clients and audience are LONGING for a physical connection. Even more than in years past. Those brands and corporations that figure out a way to crack that barrier will end up out front. Every.single.time.
No matter how distant you may physically feel from friends and family this year, make your 2020 holidays a time for social creativity get inventive, get virtual, and get celebrating.
Have some ideas of your own? Be sure to share them in the comments below.
dB Blog #318: The Best of Both Worlds: Hybrid Events Offer Unique Benefits
BRAND ACTIVATIONS & MARKETING, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EXPERIENTIAL, LIVE EVENTS, PRODUCTION, TIPS & TRICKS, UNCATEGORIZED, VIRTUAL EVENTS
It s no secret that producers of large-scale events have had to quickly rethink almost every aspect of their existence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hybrid and virtual events took off, becoming the new normal for marketers and event organizers, with the majority of major events using updated technologies in their event planning to accommodate new health and safety concerns.
Hybrid events are not new. They have been around for years now, usually consisting of an in-person event combined with some kind of live streaming technology that allows viewers at home to tune in. That format still exists, but is quickly evolving. The COVID-19 pandemic has added serious fuel to the fire, necessitating events to embrace virtual and hybrid options, which ultimately means new technologies and greater innovation. Here are some awesome benefits hybrid events can provide for audiences and event organizers.
Let s start with some data. A recent study conducted by LinkedIn, based on interviews with more than 1,800 marketers across 13 countries, gives us insight into the current attitude of the events industry towards virtual and hybrid events. Of those interviewed, 85{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} had held a virtual event in the last year and 28{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} said that between 91-100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of their events are now fully virtual. The same data revealed that event marketers are predicting 40{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of events will be virtual, 36{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} will be in-person and 24{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} will be hybrid events, combining what could be the best of both worlds, if they are produced well.
Hybrid and virtual events are changing the capability expectations for marketers and event management companies. Skills nowadays should include producing and directing video content, having technical knowledge of different platforms, being able to moderate online comments and discussions, and understanding how to amplify the event on digital marketing platforms after the fact.
While all of that might seem overwhelming, we think it s all worth it and the events industry is largely in our camp. In that same study we mentioned earlier, LinkedIn also predicts many event organizers will develop a digital twin or create an online component of their event to ensure they are getting the most out of their investments. On top of the potential increase in ROI, the shift in the event industry towards hybrid and virtual events also poses serious benefits for audiences, event management companies, and the environment.
Let s put this in the context of hybrid events. Hybrid events are actively experiencing a growth spurt. These new grown-up events will be integrated experiences for both virtual and physical attendees. They can be tailored to individuals preferences, allowing for a wider audience and more speakers, and open the door for more extensive discussions and post-event promotions. They harmonize the magic of an in-person event while enjoying the extensive reach of a virtual one.
For conferences and speaker based events, hybrid events massively widen the scope of the experts from which they can choose. Now, organizers can invite and host speakers from nearly anywhere in the world. With more speakers comes more interested individuals. The virtual side of the event can accommodate many more attendees than an in-person venue ever could.
Hybrid events create the opportunity for the event to stay connected and relevant long after the in-person experience has ended. Organizations and companies can continue to extend the hype around their events with post-event campaigns and/or repurposing content for blogs and social media. This can help retarget attendees, gaining access to an entirely new audience beyond the one that attends the in-person experience. Hybrid events uniquely allow organizers to engage two types of attendees, measuring success both in-person and through an online community that will continue to grow long after the actual event is over.
For the environment, hybrid events, and virtual events even more so, pose an interesting solution to some of the more wasteful practices used for large-scale events. Hybrid events have the added value of maintaining the balance between sustainability and the joy of having an in-person experience. Again, the Linkedin research found that 42{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of organizers will continue to produce virtual events in some capacity because they are more environmentally friendly than in-person sessions, reducing the need for transport, and cutting down on disposable items.
Inclusivity is another awesome perk of virtual and hybrid events. Having a virtual side to an event opens up the experience to more people, especially those who, for a myriad of reasons, might not have been able to access it in-person. Now, anyone can take part in the event from the comfort of their own home, with options for closed captioning, transcription technology, or other health and safety necessities.
This is all predicated on the fact that you produce a Hybrid event well. We have all seen some real disasters and epic fails over the past two years. We have also seen some very large AV companies claim they can host virtual or hybrid events, only to discover that they really do not have a handle on the platform, basic best practices, or have platform tunnel vision for their specific tech platform. What we know is that there is no platform panacea. They all do something really well, and many try to do lots of things pretty poorly. This also includes true accessibility and 508 compliance. With this in mind, it is important to have a solid vendor with an in depth knowledge of the landscape, that can anticipate needs and hiccups before they become problems and one that you trust.
As we enter 2022, we can t wait to see how major events start to push the technological and social boundaries of the industry.
For more information about organizing hybrid events get in touch with the team at Decibel!
Elevating the Ambiance: 5 Awesome Ideas for New Year s Eve Events
BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT COLLATERAL, EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, EVENT RESOURCES, EXPERIENTIAL, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, PRODUCTION, TIPS & TRICKS
We don t do boring. Event management requires a high level of creativity. The ability to create inspired, original experiences is the mark of a competent and compelling event management team. At Decibel, we do exactly that. We re not simply talking about big-picture issues here. Consistency and attention to minor details elevate an event from average to exceptional.
Organizing events requires detailed planning and execution, design, marketing, production, stage management, and more. With New Year s Eve around the corner, here are five awesome ideas that can elevate a party s ambiance:
1. Immersive Experiences:
Taking advantage of technological creativity for entertainment purposes allows you to give your event an innovative, immersive aspect. Incorporating interactive displays and all-encompassing experiences will ensure your party is a memorable one. Cater to all five senses, mixed with thematic elements and story driven content. These elements can elevate your event from a typical end-of-year party to an unforgettable experience.
2. Creative Themes and Venues:
Theme and venue are paramount when it comes to event planning. On one hand, you need to make sure your venue aligns with your theme, while, on the other hand, it should check all logistical boxes for your unique event. Get creative, go bold. Try hosting your party in a museum, art gallery, brewery, or a bold architectural space.
3. Phone Charging Stations:
What s worse than an empty phone battery at a party? We ve got you. Include smart charging stations at crowded parties and events to give your guests the opportunity to charge their phones safely. They can pick up a portable battery, charge their phones, and return the battery to any station. These stations are present in many venues, including the Las Vegas Convention Center or MGM Grand Garden Arena.
4. Go Live With 3D Virtual Platforms:
Virtual and hybrid events can be just as entertaining, interactive, and professionally produced as in-person ones. When going live on a 3D platform, virtual guests can create their own holographic avatars that can run, jump, wave, dance, and do other things, making them perfect for participating in any party! Webcams on avatars may be turned on and off, allowing for live presentations or face-to-face chats. Attendees can also keep digital information in a briefcase to view or download directly to their devices.
5. Crowd Control Solutions:
When planning large scale events, there are a few safety measures one should consider. Floor mapping, organizing crowd control solutions, and COVID safety measures are essential for a safe and secure event. After being under lockdown and separated for two years, the intensity of the audience must be considered. Our team at Decibel provides custom plans for our clients in order to maintain safety and ensure a successful event every time. This is something not to forget.
We hope you have a very Happy New Year s Eve and wish you the absolute best for the upcoming year!
Want to learn more about planning and executing a successful NYE party? Reach out to our team of experts and we ll get it handled.
Negotiating Event Contracts In a Post-Covid World
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, TIPS & TRICKS
Les Goldberg talks with Cindy Lo from Red Velvet, Tim Glanzer from Elevated Meetings Solutions, David Sonntag from Decibel Events and Wendy Drake from The Webster Group about negotiating the contract in a post-Covid world.
