In the 5-part blog series "From online to live events: what will you take with you soon?", I cover the topics: creativity, efficiency, eagerness to learn, pride and trust. All these values were reflected in the online events organised during the pandemic. Now that live events are being organised again, I look back and give suggestions on what learnings we can bring to live events. In this blog: creativity!
During the pandemic, there was a lot of room to experiment with communication. Despite all the uncertainty, for many organisations, "staying quiet is not an option" soon applied. At the same time, ZOOM fatigue was soon scientifically proven and so online events had to be offered at least on TV quality.
"I saw this on TV and thought, we can do this too!"
Event professionals were trained en masse and gradually learned how to create impressive online event productions. Creativity was tapped into and turned out to be necessary to stand out in the suddenly huge offer of online events. Therefore, not only the event managers went to work on creative content, but often entire teams were put to work. And with success!
A few examples:
- Colleagues who started recording vlogs:
It quickly proved valuable to hear, in addition to the discussed views of a board during an online talk show, a colleague working on a particular topic on a daily basis. For a care institution, a Manager of Sustainability got on his bike and updated colleagues through a short, powerful vlog from a wind farm and explained how the care institution switched to wind energy for 60%. The vlog was broadcast during the livestream. The manager enjoyed making it, colleagues found it interesting to hear and the management's message was further reinforced.
- Experts to work as chat moderators:
While discussing specific topics in an online event, viewers' questions sometimes stormed. Experts from their own organisation therefore dived behind the screen to answer numerous questions live or to give live feedback in the broadcast as a sidekick. During an international customer event of a company in the agricultural sector, the Director of Communications linked questions from all over the world live from behind his "sidekick desk" in Hamburg to guests in the studio in Den Bosch. A new role for him and, as he himself said, "a cool challenge that also makes me think in new ways!"
- Communications departments at loggerheads:
Bumpers suddenly turned out to be "hip and happening". They are short video clips, with a music track, of 3-10 seconds in which an organisation's logo is incorporated in a creative way. Bumpers connect the separate programme components of an online broadcast. The programme becomes more unified and takes on the character of a TV broadcast. Something you don't yet see much in live events, but the power was quickly proven during online programmes. Designers, event managers, communications staff: everyone bent over backwards and viewers were often impressed by creatively designed bumpers!
- Live dial-up with satellite locations:
Everyone at some point missed the office and the obvious networking moments. We were mostly sitting at home. Therefore, a lot was broadcast from our own offices or switched to correspondents on the spot to report from a special location. For instance, a 2-day online employee event started each morning with a workout by a boxing champion from our own office in Amsterdam! The entire team let us know how much fun they had, and also to see their own workplace again. For another event, the "IDEA Experience Conference", I connected with event agencies across the country and heard what they were trying to do in the meantime. It increased the sense of engagement with the viewers.
And then there were drinks packages, music performances, lunch quizes, spoken columns and numerous other creative forms to keep communication going and connection experienced. Organisations thought creatively about how, online and in a challenging time, they could still get a message across in an inspiring way. And often they outdid themselves!
What does your organisation take from it in live events?
As you start organising live events again soon, ask yourself these questions and discuss them with a colleague.
- Which colleague who was involved in setting up an online event can also play a valuable role in a live event?
- Which creative elements of an online event , can also be reflected in the live version of an event?
Can you feel the creativity bubbling away? If it helps you: it would be my pleasure to think with you about creativity during your events. Then contact me.
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