Posted on June 30, 2020 by William Fogler

Since the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reshaped our lives, virtual connections have come front and center. There has been plenty of talk about virtual events, from conferences to fundraisers. But what does a virtual event really look like, and how can it actually be fun, interactive and just generally worth participating in?

We launched re:EVENT-ion, a digital and distanced event offering when the COVID-19 pandemic required that we maintain social distance. At that time, we knew that it would be vital to rethink the way large- and small-scale events are designed. We drew upon our many years of incorporating digital and tech-savvy elements into our events and created a new template.

To launch our virtual events offerings, we teamed up with our friends at Affairs to Remember and hosted a trial run of a hybrid event we called the Rosemary Awards, and we were off to the future!

Our emcees for the evening were our own William Fogler and Kristy Cook from Affairs to Remember. With a background soundtrack, attendees connected via video conferencing, and guest feedback made possible with social media and chat features, we executed a mini-event that shows how virtual events can keep us together and seamlessly disseminate brand messages.

 

Features of the Event
As imagined, the Rosemary Awards were streamed live from the fabulous Fox Theatre, where 200 socially distanced guests were joined by 500 online viewers. As the onsite attendees enjoyed a delicious catered dinner, including rosemary truffles, by Affairs to Remember, viewers at home partook of catered dinner and snacks that had been delivered. To maintain a cohesive event feel, home viewers were shown on screen and celebrated multiple times. In addition to their food delivery, those “guests” had also received programs and gift bags.

Being interactive also included the opportunity to submit a virtual photo booth photo and to participate in the challenge question in order to win a prize. These are just a few of the many ways virtual participants can remain part of the action.

Once the award ceremony kicked off, nominees were featured on video, and each winner was conferenced via a live remote to accept their award and make a short speech.

Despite not being in the same location, all event guests had a similarly engaging experience and were able to enjoy many of the elements they would have onsite. While this event was planned as a hybrid offering, it could equally be executed as a fully virtual event. It might feel like a big change to re-imagine your next all-team meeting, sales conference, award ceremony, fundraiser or corporate gathering without bringing everyone into the same space. But when it comes to virtual events, the possibilities are only limited by your vision and our creativity – which means they are endless!

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