EVENT BOOSTING & ENGAGEMENT TIPS FOR 2017

2017 is predicted to be an exciting year for brand communication for those inspired to stand out from the crowd and deliver tailored audience experiences.
Check out our summary of key trends to whet your appetite:

1. Real Experience vs Virtual Reality In 2016, Pokémon Go introduced a new world, the world of virtual reality; Due to the progressive technology in events, devices like the Oculus Rift and Sony Morpheus could massively increase the reach of an event by bringing together experts and “virtual attendees” from all the parts of the world. That offers the ability to create a generation of ideas and discussion even to those who were not able to travel. This is the opportunity for events to be amplified, to go beyond the location, to preserve the one to one interaction while being miles away.
2. Inspiring Venues Even though hotels have dominated the UK domestic conference market, nowadays conference and awards ceremony organisers look more for venues that fit the theme of their event and can impress their delegates and guests, rather than always choosing conference facilities offered by hotels and purpose-build conference venues. Informality is fast becoming the new norm, and this spills over into the use of more casual locations. This includes places like rehearsal studios, lofts, roof spaces, warehouses, temples, castles and previously unloved spaces that can be re-energised with amazing production techniques #original venues # license to be creative #graffiti signage on arrival
3. Theatre for Brands It’s all about the immersive theatre standard experiential experience: A successful event is based not only on profits and attendees’ satisfaction, but also creating memorable experiences, engaging the audience and later continuing to connect emotion with the event/brand. Be bold and creative and consider using bespoke theatre makers, such as Swamp Studios, to create and curate immersive and unforgettable bespoke brand experiences #theswampmotel #theultimateshow #creative script writing
4. Go Live Although live streaming is not a new thing, the enhanced LIVE functions of Facebook and Instagram paired with drone streaming will let events achieve game-changing, full-360 degree streaming and enable event organisers to create great content, drive interest and engage with the audience. Comshows v-communicator allows you to transcend borders and interact with remote audiences through voting/ commenting and ranking. Also as a bonus you get great archive video footage for use post-event #webcasting #borderless communication #extending the life of your event
5. The Role of Data Stats like percentage of exhibitor types, educational topics discussed, and attendance increases, let attendees know if the event is a good fit. Furthermore, social media analytics tools can reveal the attendees’ preferences, demographics, behaviour etc. Analysing data and acting on it can improve the overall event experience, help organisers focus their marketing spend, and ultimately boost event attendance #BigData #Events
6. View Point: Social Engagement at Trade Shows Have you ever wanted to hear the spontaneous views of audiences about brands in a trade show environment? Viewpoint which is currently in development involves creating memorable experiences by creating a mini-studio at your event – lights, camera, backdrop and set up a playful exercise, asking some questions, tailored to the theme of the event, and invite delegates to get involved. For the participants, it’s a story to share back at the office and a memorable engagement with the event. For event organisers and organisations, it’s a way to create entertaining content, get real insight into themes and understand their participants. We have had some great feedback so far #ViewPoint #Tradeshows Click here to see the taster video .
Want to hear more creative ideas for your next event/exhibition, video or need the technical and creative expertise to unleash your next bold and memorable experience?
Contact:  linda.carroll-doggrell@comshows.com www.comshows.com Twitter: comshows

How to Get Breakfast Events Off to a Cracking Start

Networking events have never been more important, or more interesting, than now. We all know that businesses are about people, therefore success is about people; so how can we help stimulate interaction between talented people? The latest trend in response to this question is breakfast networking events. Mornings present a time of day when everything is getting started and anything could happen – the potential is infinite. BNEs creating an individualised, human experience are an efficient and productive use of time that can provide a competitive edge and help achieve results.

A few things to keep in mind… A positive start to the day can inspire increased productivity and a confident outlook, but no one wants to be overwhelmed in the morning, we need to be gently eased into the day ahead. Therefore surrounding and atmosphere are key components of a BNE ensuring participants are engaged and yet not overwhelmed. Another vital element is retention of the experience: what use is a networking event if ultimately it has no tangible outcome – follow-up is essential. There are several other tips we have come up with to ensure we put together the most engaging and productive breakfast networking events possible. These are our top ten…

1. Healthy food. Breakfast networking events are centred on food (it’s in the name!), therefore the event must provide an enjoyable selection of food and drink. Healthy food that is high in nutritious value stimulates the brain and body, preparing you for the day ahead. One particularly fun way of doing this is smoothie bikes – pedal your way to make your own breakfast.
2. An exciting and unusual venue. One way to engage participants is through their surroundings. From an aquarium to a river boat to the Ritz – taking people away from their everyday lives will encourage increased curiosity and interest. An added benefit of a morning event is that these venues will not be busy yet.
3. Music. Music is a powerful tool in building an atmosphere and shaping people’s moods. Why not consider a live acoustic event, either as the main attraction or a distinctive background accompaniment. In the morning, people are fresh with a clear mind, nothing distracting them just yet, acoustic guitar or harp music can provide the ideal backdrop to a BNE.
4. Interactive activities. In conjunction with social media, interactive activities are beneficial on many levels and to all parties involved. From location tagging and hashtags to taking a photo with your barista, drawing attention to attendance at a BNE not only spreads the word, but also proves that attendees are proactive and ambitious people, with the motivation and people skills to succeed, regardless of the industry they are in.
5. Innovative and immersive experiences. The most impressive events aren’t the biggest; they’re the most inventive. How memorable an event is will determine how people talk about it and convey its value to others. Recently Comshows organised an event for attendees from around the globe, where, to alleviate jetlag and ensure everyone felt revitalised and dynamic, we hired an oxygen bar at the London Film Museum. This event in an unusual venue received very positive feedback from all who attended and provided an immersive experience unlike any other.
6. Motivational speaker/special guest. What better way to prepare for the day? A motivational speaker or special guest would surely be a significant improvement on the podcast you usually listen to on the way to work. They have the dual ability to provide entertainment and spark conversations. Inspire participants to really utilise what they’ve learnt at the event, go out there and take on the world.
7. Routine, but with a twist. Take an everyday convention and revitalise it into something special. This is a good compromise between striving to be different and maintaining a very grounded, core message. For example, a cook-your-own-breakfast activity, led by a nutrition expert or celebrity chef, will engage participants while remaining structured around a related exercise.
8. Token. This is one way to provide an unforgettable experience that stays with you. Remind participants that though it’s a ‘breakfast networking event’ your involvement with them doesn’t end when the clock chimes 10am. A token provides a small aide-mémoire of the positive experience they participated in.
9. Sponsored events. This is one way to tie together several of the above suggestions, while also creating an opportunity for a new funding source. A particular company may even be interested in particular sets of people, which would incentivise them to contribute and provide an additional networking branch. From a make-your-own-smoothie event to a tea and coffee tasting, the possibilities are endless and can be specifically tailored to your target audience.
10. Return on Investment. Follow-up the event in a semi-formal manner to ensure the networking event reaches its full potential. One possibility could be arranging a scheduled time for participants to engage with one another on social media, facilitating finding each another by sending out links to each social media account for each person – LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, etc… Additionally, by making this a live, online event, using a countdown and sending alerts, people will continue to actively engage.

Look out for our blog next month with our nutrition experts from Health Embrace who will give us further insight into the variety of opportunities offered by the newfound focus on healthy foods at events. www.comshows.com #comshows

Puzzles and solutions

We’ve been thinking here at Comshows about how to add value to our clients’ conferencing events, whilst also appreciating that the current climate isn’t exactly bringing the budget for grand gestures to the fore…

We’d love to start a dialogue with clients and fellow event agencies, to talk about what simple ideas would make an event memorable and unique, without costing the earth. We’re happy to share, and hope you are too!

A few ideas include:

– Large-scale messageboards for conferences and exhibitions, in the style of festival boards, to communicate with both the event hosts and other delegates

– Networking opportunities for delegates, both prior to the event and

– Multi-platform events, to drive costs down from hosting several separate events, making each work independently but in an integrated fashion

– Evening events following the day’s conference – re-enforcing themes during introductions etc., and referencing them visually and with content

Now, that’s just a few. We’d love to hear from you – whether your a business that holds events who wants to comment or make suggestions, or an events team who’ve had experience with any of the above and would like to say how it went.