The Latest and Greatest in Event Sponsorships

Fun fact: the earliest event sponsorships date back to 5th century BC in Ancient Greece. Gladiatorial combat, to be exact. Before the Coca Cola s and Nike s and Ford Motor Company s of the world began pouring millions into sponsorship agreements on an annual basis, wealthy families and citizens would finance the costs of the major events and festivities and it was considered an honor to do so.

Fast forward, uh carry the seven ugh, math, forget this. Fast forward a whole lot of years and corporate sponsorships are a staple of any major event. And thank goodness for that; corporate sponsorship is a true win-win proposition. It puts more money into the event organizational kitty, enabling event organizers to plan a superior event, which ultimately benefits attendees, participants, and sponsors alike. It gives corporations unique and personalized opportunities to connect with their existing and target markets. It delivers critical audience insights and data to inform future decision-making.

Like with all things event-related, event sponsorship has evolved tremendously. Not just from the gladiator days, but even just in the last few years (thanks a lot, COVID). In these on-demand and tech-driven times, attendees and sponsors alike are looking for more than just a logo plastered on some signage. Fortunately, the event planning community has stepped up to meet the challenge, as these sponsorship trends demonstrate.

Virtual Events are Here to Stay

With vaccinations firmly in place and in-person gathering restrictions easing up globally, many are chomping at the bit to shelf (or maybe even burn?) their pandemic pajama bottoms and get back to the face-to-face. Having said that, after nearly two years of virtual gatherings, it s safe to say that virtual and hybrid events will continue to have a meaningful place in the event space. The cost-savings, reach capabilities, and supreme convenience that come along with virtual events are three very compelling reasons for organizers to continue delivering them and for attendees to continue demanding them. Plus, let s not forget that the virtual event software industry deserves a giant shout-out in all of this, for rising to the global pandemic occasion and developing a bevy of tools and platforms that make virtual events way less painful and way more interactive than the days of yore.

All of this to say, that if hybrid and virtual events are elements of your future planning, so must be virtual event sponsorship options. And while virtual event sponsorships look a bit different than those of the in-person variety, they come ripe with ROI maximization, engagement, and data collection opportunities. Live-streamed demos, sponsored posts, gamification, digital marketplaces these are just a handful of the types of virtual event sponsorship opportunities worth considering.

At Decibel, we have helped a number of sponsors activate in a digital world. This has been as simple as brand recognition with logo placement and digital art, all the way to custom interactive initiatives that were built to support each specific event and target audience. The former can be as quick as loading a banner ad, the latter takes additional time and consulting to ensure that the activity matches both the event type and the action/outcome desired by the sponsor.

The Pursuit of Symbiotic and Long-Lasting Partnerships

The days of gold/silver/bronze type sponsorship packages and logo soup signage and t-shirts are past and the days of highly customized and mutually beneficial sponsorship offerings are here. It s a wonderful time to be a sponsor and reap the rewards of a long-lasting sponsorship relationship that delivers more.

In action: TED and Rolex have been a match made in heaven since 2007. Starting off with your standard sponsorship fare of recognition on the TED website and video advertising with select TEDTalks, this partnership continued to evolve and has since culminated in the development of Surprise Me, a popular iOS app featuring custom TEDTalks playlists. As their case study states, we created Surprise Me to meet the needs of people who have a set amount of free time but might not know what to watch. They just know their lunch break lasts 20 minutes and they want to be wowed. We take it from there.

Set amount of free time. Rolex is one of the world s leading watch manufacturers, aka time-keepers. We see what you did there. And we like it.

ESG is Top of Mind

Sustainability in event management is a best practice being widely adopted industry-wide, and this also extends to sponsorship planning. More and more, organizations are taking a strong stance on societal and ethical issues that influence the environments and economies in which they operate. And this stance influences all of their decision-making, from new product offerings to hiring practices to advertising spending. Which means that these ESG (environmental, social, governance) conscious organizations, many of whom have very deep pockets, are looking for opportunities to spend their marketing budgets in an ethically and environmentally sound manner. Is your event towing the sustainability line and does your event provide these types of sponsorship opportunities?

In action: Last year, VivoPower became the first Official Battery Technology Sponsor for the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. In the lead-up to the first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal, Tottenham Hotspur had been ranked first by the Premier League Sustainability Table for its operational efficiencies and its climate change advocacy actions, making it an ideal partner with VivoPower, a sustainable energy solutions provider. Not an event sponsorship per se, but still an excellent example of sustainability and symbiotic partnership in action.

Category Exclusivity

You know how a bride doesn t really want to share her spotlight on her wedding day (well, maybe a bit with her new husband, but even that is done begrudgingly)? Category exclusivity is a bit like that, albeit with less bridezilla moments. Sponsors love not having to share their category spotlight. Whether they are the sole sponsor for coffee breaks, the official transportation sponsor, or the keynote speaker sponsor, not having to share the spotlight with another sponsor or seventeen, makes for a higher profile and more impactful experience.

In action: L Oreal has been the official beauty sponsor of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for over ten years. Elements of this exclusive sponsorship have included makeup and hair services for press conferences and galas, a two-floor beauty boutique at the event so that non-celebrities can get in on the glam fun, a beauty correspondent scouting contest, the launch of a limited edition TIFF nail polish color, the roll-out of an app (ModiFace), and more.

How do your event sponsorship opportunities measure up? Are they in line with what today s sponsors are looking for or are you still catering to the sponsorship demands of bygone days? Do the sponsorship offerings actually enhance your event or merely help to finance it? The team at Decibel Events are specialists in crafting and executing on innovative and original sponsorship opportunities, and we d love to give yours a review.

Reach out today!

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! 

Missing Live Events? Here is a Look Back at Six That Went off in 2021

BACKSTAGE, EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, LIVE EVENTS, PRODUCTION, VENUES, VIRTUAL EVENTS

Remember 2019? Back when there were large-scale events held. Maybe one that you had attended previously, maybe one that you hadn t ever attended before but you felt it was time to check it out. So, you d make plans to attend. You d buy tickets. You d make travel arrangements. You d book childcare. You d buy a new outfit. You d attend the event. You d take lots of pictures. You d have a great time. And then, you d wash, rinse, and repeat with another large-scale event a month or two later. Ah, good old 2019.

And then, remember 2020? COVID swept the nation and the world and all large-scale events were canceled or postponed. Some were held as virtual events. There were no travel arrangements to be made. No childcare required. Maybe some new pajamas or sweatpants were in order. You bought your first Zoom Shirt (yes, it s a thing). No photos taken, what s the point. It was a meh event. It was a meh year.

And then 2021 rolled around, and along with it a vaccine for COVID. Contraction rates improved. People felt cautiously optimistic about being around others again, with vaccine cards, hand sanitizer, and masks in tow. Some travel was booked. Babysitters began emerging from their COVID-induced exile. New outfits were acquired. And event attendance began to resume. 

Here we take a look at six of those large-scale events that went off in 2021. 

Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

In a move that is sure to leave future generations scratching their heads in confusion, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) opted to keep the Toyko 2020 branding for the summer Olympics, despite the event being postponed by one year from 2020 to 2021. Tokyo 2020 was described as an unprecedented demonstration of unity and solidarity as the world came together for the first time following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for an Olympic Games focused on the pure essentials: a celebration of athletes and sport.

From performance-enhancing drug use to boycotts to claims of corruption to participation restrictions, the Olympics are one of the more scandal-ridden large-scale events, and Tokyo 2020 was no exception. Controversies included:

  • Tokyo reporting record-breaking numbers of COVID cases days after the Olympics began, and only a quarter of eligible citizens being reported as fully vaccinated as the Olympics got underway;
  • Extreme heat which in itself isn t particularly controversial, but the fact that the Olympic bid lied about anticipated weather conditions, claiming mild and sunny weather and an ideal climate for athletes to perform their best made global headlines;
  • Beloved American gymnast Simone Biles withdrawing from multiple events due to mental health concerns; and
  • Reactions from competitors and the general public alike around the inclusion of the first openly transgender athlete, Laurel Hubbard.

The final price tag on the event? Officially, $15.4 billion, although estimates put the actual price tag at closer to $25 billion. 

Watch: The most emotional moments at Tokyo 2020

Superbowl LV

Tom Brady led his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a decisive 31 9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in front of what can only be described as a one-of-a-kind audience that included 30,000 cardboard cut-outs, 7,500 comped health care workers, The Weeknd, a hologram of deceased NFL legend Vince Lombardi, a hairy male streaker in a hot pink thong, Miley Cyrus, and 14,500 football fans. This was an expensive party to attend with tickets starting at $8,000 and going as high as $40,000. It was an ever more expensive party to advertise at with a thirty second ad setting advertisers back by $5.6 million, equating to just over a nickel for each of the 96.4 million viewers. 

Watch: 10 Best Superbowl Commercials 2021

Met Gala 2021

Fashion s biggest night out was held on September 13. The Met Gala, which has also been affectionately referred to as an ATM for the Metropolitan Museum of Art was more scaled down this year after being canceled in 2020, for only it s third time in the events 73-year history. The theme for this year was American independence and Black Lives Matter protestors were congregated outside while attendees rocked can t-look-away outfits indoors including a 3D head horse bustier (Kim Petras), a gold suit of armor on top of a crystal-inspired bodysuit (Lil Nas X), and a map-patterned, ruffled-sleeved outfit portraying two men kissing (Dan Levy). 

Watch: The Met Gala 2021 Red Carpet Arrivals

Big Weekend 2021

Big Weekend, hosted by BBC Radio 1, is the United Kingdom s largest music festival. The 2021 iteration of the event was four days long (running from May 28 31) and featured a variety of popular artists who filmed their 100+ performances at a wide range of iconic backdrops. Like Coldplay, who played their set at Whitby Abbey. Or Ed Sheeran who performed with a lovely English countryside backdrop. Or Royal Blood who performed from a pier. Attendees took it all in online from the comfort of their home.

Watch: Top Ten Big Weekend 2021 Sets

Library of Congress National Book Festival

With an incredibly timely theme of Open a Book, Open the World , the National Book Festival was jam-packed this year with a wide range of programs and formats. With an amazing vision from the Librarian of Congress and some great hosts including LaVar Burton and Dolly Parton, the event was flawless. From virtual live events to author interviews to a national television special to free in-person events, this year s festival nicely bridged the worlds of live, virtual, and on-demand events. This literary event, initially founded by Laura Bush in 2001, featured over 100 of the nation s best authors, poets, and illustrators.

Watch: 35 On-Demand Videos from the 2021 National Book Festival

93rd Academy Awards

And the Oscar went to well, lots of different movies, thespians, and supporting personnel, but Nomadland cleaned up quite nicely this year, taking the award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Originally scheduled for February 28th, the event was moved up to April 25th due to COVID safety concerns, and only nominees and presenters were permitted to attend. The public response to this scaled back version of the Academy Awards was lukewarm at best. As Mike Hale from the New York Times described, it was more like a cross between the Golden Globes and the closing-night banquet of a long, exhausting convention. The trade-off whether because of the smaller crowd, the social distancing, or the sound quality in the cavernous space was what felt like a dead room, both acoustically and emotionally. There were powerful and moving speeches, but they didn t seem to be generating much excitement, and when the people in the room aren t excited, it s hard to get excited at home. As my cat would say, meow . 

Watch: Highlights from the 93rd Academy Awards

Well, there you have it. Six event staples that helped to pave the way for a live event return to pre-COVID times. If your organization is in the market for an event to mark the long-awaited return to pre-COVID times, Decibel Events has you covered!

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.

Decibel Events wins 6 Telly Awards for work with Library of Congress' 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!

Decibel Events wins a Gold Telly Awards in Non-broadcast General - Museums & Galleries Category Decibel Events wins a Silver Telly Award in Non-broadcast General - Education Category Decibel Events wins a Bronze Telly Award in Non-broadcast General - Education Category - Madeleine Albright Decibel Events wins Bronze Telly Award in Virtual Events & Experiences Category - John Grisham Decibel Events wins Bronze Telly Award in non-broadcast general - diversity & inclusion category - Chelsea Clinton Decibel Events wins Bronze Telly Award in non-broadcast general - cultural category - Robert M. Gates

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 - Decibel Events Talent Spotlight

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 - Decibel Events Talent Spotlight

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 - Decibel Events Talent Spotlight

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 - Decibel Events Talent Spotlight
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 - Decibel Events Talent Spotlight
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 - dB Talent Spotlight
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

It s our Corona-versary. Yay.

COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, NEWS, VIRTUAL EVENTS

It s been exactly one year since the pandemic shut us down. One whole fucking year.

We aren t speaking figuratively. It s been exactly one year since we literally had to turn the truck around. It was the event management equivalent of this:

but without Padma Lakshmi. Not a great day. 

Here s how it went down:

The long version: 

We had a big 2020 planned. Elaborate activations, experiential events, so many creative concepts coming to life it was going to be our best year yet. 

We had just wrapped an international broadcast event created for a client to announce a billion-dollar merger. We hosted the event in five locations: three in the states, one in Bangalore, India, and one in Brussels, Belgium. The Shanghai activation was cancelled at the last minute due to COVID closures, so the virus was top of mind for us, but not cause for concern outside of Asia. This was before masking was recommended by the CDC, and handwashing and protecting the elderly and immunocompromised was the primary concern. 

So we replaced shaking hands with fist bumps, stocked up on Lysol products, and powered on. (We even made a meme about it- check it out here).

March 11, 2020.  

The day of the shutdown was brutal. Decibel Events was finalizing a mobile marketing tour launch for a CPG client, for debut at the Boston St. Patty s Day Parade. We had spent months planning the tour, designing a badass mobile oatmeal bar for parade-goers, securing site and health permits, fabricating and wrapping the van, and training the team. 

We were ready to roll and super excited. 

Our driver was in the tour truck, heading to the event site, when we got the email: 

Turn the driver around. Everything is off.

Turn the driver around. Everything is off.

So there it was. March 11, 2020 at 11:54am, and we were cancelled. 

That was the same day that the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a global pandemic. Soon thereafter, the NBA announced the cancellation of their season.

NBA Shutdown During Global Pandemic 2020

That was a turning point. If a billion-dollar machine couldn t make things safe for guests, no corporation wanted to put their attendees at risk. Within hours of the NBA s announcement, 100{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of our live events were cancelled, and the reality of living through a global pandemic set in. 

The New Normal.

We re not the only company that experienced a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Across the board, the event industry was among the first hit, and the hardest. Our job as event planners, producers and organizers is to bring crowds together, and all of a sudden, crowds were the enemy.

So you give yourself a day, and then figure it out. Adapt or die.

Enter: Zoom calls. Masks. Hand sanitizer. The proper way to wash your hands (hello, thumbs). A new appreciation for toilet paper. And yes, a daytime Scotch (or two). Staying in became the new normal, and rapidly reshaping our business (while ignoring our abandoned, dust-accumulating luggage) became our only option. We leaned in.

We were fortunate to have some projects remain, from fabrication builds to new tech R&D, and are so grateful that new and existing clients trusted us to lend our virtual event experience to their digital activation.

March 11, 2021. 

It s been a year since our plans went up in smoke. We miss our old life. We miss our clients, our partners, and our vendors. We miss handshakes and hugs. 

We miss the thrill of turning a temporary space into an unforgettable experience. There just nothing like the rush of a crowd, the sound of applause, and the look on someone s face when they first see a badass experiential activation in person. Hell, we even miss tearing down those same activations, just a few days later.

Good Things to Come. 

We re starting to see the sun on the horizon, and it s s l o w l y thawing out the live event industry freeze. Vaccinations are rolling out at warp speed (thank you, science!), and we re elated to report that the outlook for mid-to-late 2021 for both hybrid and in-person events is optimistic, with high hopes for 2022. 

It s been a tough year. But we re here, we re open for business, and we re proud of what we have accomplished. 

And as soon as it s safe, we can t wait to see you in a crowded room.

The Decibel Events Team

Cues for Hues: 2021 Pantone Color of the Year

EVENT DESIGN, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVENT PRODUCTION INSPIRATION, NEWS, VIRTUAL EVENTS

While it s easy to get caught up in looking at year-end reviews, we at Decibel Events like to look at prospective trends in content, events staging, and even color schemes for the next year.  One of our favorite annual spectaculars is Pantone s Color of the Year announcement. In a brilliant and shrewd marketing scheme, Pantone has managed to throw a wild bash each year to name a key color from their own exclusive catalogue to define fashion, product design, interior design, UI, and graphic design for the following year.  

What did Pantone choose for its 20th color of the year announcement?  How did the experience translate as an exclusive virtual event (that we attended)?  And even more so, what are their color-industry competitors also choosing to define the aesthetic of 2021? 

Without further ado, here are the colors you should rely on for your events this year.

Pantone

Every year I hope that Pantone finally enters its goth phase and chooses the blackest black as their color of the year.  After the year we had, 2021 was literally my best shot.  We ended up with, kind of the opposite.  Your TWO Pantone colors of the year are:

As people look for ways to fortify themselves with energy, clarity, and hope to overcome the continuing uncertainty, spirited and emboldening shades satisfy our quest for vitality. 

PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power. 

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colors of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience.

2019 s Classic Blue bash was seriously unreal.  Here s how CNN s Kristi Goldynia broke down the exclusive live event:

In collaboration with partners across industries, Pantone created a multi-sensory Classic Blue experience, which it showcased in Manhattan on Wednesday night at its 2020 color reveal.

The fragrance of Classic Blue wafted through the air while Classic Blue sounds resounded. Classic Blue-textured cushions littered the floor and Classic Blue drinks were served. It was, beyond dispute, a Classic Blue sight to behold. But interpreting the color through the other four senses is a far less objective task.

A multi-sensory event about the color blue.  Imagine being the one guy, before the big visual reveal that was all, *sniff sniff* does it smell like Pantone 19-4052 to anyone else in here?

So of course, when I got a ticket to this year s virtual Color Reveal Party, I expected the following:

  1. An unmarked Lincoln Town Car with all tinted windows to roll up into my driveway 
  2. A courier wearing a full-on N95 mask bedazzled in semi-precious stones to present me an Oculus Rift on a velvet pillow 
  3. An out-of-body experience, a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes too rich and complex to have names in any language, replicating that one experience I had at Bonnaroo as a college student many years ago

Nah, it was a powerpoint detailing all the ways you can use Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Grey in stuff.  As it turns out you can use them pretty much anywhere: Sunglasses, powerpoint backgrounds, cabinets, powerpoint text, etc.

I m left wanting more honestly. 

Sherwin-Williams

Paint supplier Sherwin-Williams took the opposite for approach for their 2021 color of the year.  SW went for something completely boring and devoid of any excitement.  Philosophically, sure, we get where they re coming from.

Meet the Joe Biden of hues: Urbane Bronze, beige s sassier(?) cousin.

The trend for biophilia continues to shape our spaces, proving that nature is never far away. Urbane Bronze might be a color rooted in nature, but it also has a unique ability to ground a room through organic appeal. Whether it s accentuating window trims or accent walls, this warm hue draws from nature for a feeling of relaxation and serenity. It also works well with other biophilic elements including such as light-filled spaces and foliage.

After you reflect on it, it s calming like a Chase Bank or Car Dealership office is calming. Meh?  I m not sure about Urban Bronze, especially because their suggested complementary colors are other mostly forgettable neutral brownish tones, like Messenger Bag. Yes, Messenger Bag.

Messenger Bag.  It s a color.  Wow, that s striking! thought no one ever.

For real, Sherwin-Williams, take a colorful stance!  Now is not the time for neutral tones!

Benjamin-Moore

And not to be outdone, home interior company Benjamin-Moore is throwing their own hat in the ring for a color-of-the-year as well.  Meet Aegean Teal.

Celebrate the simple pleasures think the faded rumple of linen sheets in the morning and perfectly ripened fruits on the windowsill. The twelve hues in the palette radiate warmth and wellbeing. These are colors that make your home feel even more like home. Settle in.

It s kind of neutral but kind of not.  It s kinda blue but also kinda gray?  Like it could go pretty much anywhere but still seem kind of adventurous.  Seriously, it s perfect.  Aegean Teal can pretty much take on any spin you want.  Choose this for literally anything.  I can even see this jiving well with Pantone s Illuminating Yellow.  Why not, right?  Mix it up!

You can check out their full complementary 2021 color palette here!

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

  1. Add gin, Luxardo & violette with a splash of simple syrup, lemon juice and egg white.
  2. DRY Shake the ingredients (no ice) for 60 seconds
  3. Add ice and shake for another 30 seconds
  4. Strain over new ice into a rocks glass.
  5. 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. 

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!

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