How to integrate social media into your event

When social media is incorporated into an event, it can be hugely impactful and influential, generating immeasurable campaign awareness before, during and well beyond a physical event.

Here’s how to integrate social media into your event effectively:

Plan your event with social media in mind from the outset

Finding out how your audiences use social media, which channels they visit, the content they engage with and the conversations they are having there – otherwise known as social listening – can provide valuable information to tailor a social media strategy for an event.

Clever social media interaction with attendees prior to an event can also work to enhance the event experience. Attendees can also be incentivised with social media based competitions that engage, increase relevance and build anticipation.

Provide good, relevant content

For social media to be successfully incorporated into an event, delivering content that is worth sharing is key. Participants will share exclusive, insightful and expert information, but also fun and entertaining material. Early planning will ensure this content is relevant and accessible.

Facilitate participants to become advocates

Here are some ways you can encourage engagement and advocacy with participants:

  • Select a simple hashtag and consistently promote it
  • Post live on different social channels throughout the event
  • Incorporate innovative technologies, such as event apps with social media integration, that make it easy, engaging and fun for attendees to share

Social media can take your event to the next level. Ensure you receive the right advice and are fully aware of the technologies that exist to leverage it properly.

This article originally appeared at Business Events News.

What’s the difference between 4:3 and 16:9?

There is enough to keep you busy when organising an event. Understanding aspect ratios can help clarify some of your AV decisions and tick them off your seemingly never-ending ‘to do’ list.

So, what is aspect ratio? Simply put, it is the proportion of width to height of an image, presentation or screen.

Since the 1940s, the 4:3 aspect ratio has traditionally been used in television. For every four inches of width of an image, there are three inches of height.

The 16:9 aspect ratio evolved from the film industry as a way to make movies bigger and better and provide a point of difference for viewers from what they could view at home on their television. Transitioning into 16:9, provided filmmakers with more space around the subject and greater flexibility to compose better images.

Both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios are commonly used today. We typically recommend 16:9 to leverage modern screens.

Most modern-day HDTV screens, otherwise known as ‘widescreen TVs’, are designed for 16:9 images. Only older TVs are built to accommodate the 4:3 aspect ratio. 4:3 images or presentations viewed on 16:9 screens will have black bars down the right and left hand sides of the screen.

For any event, it’s important to maximise the visual impact of presentations or images on-screen. Talk to your AV professional for advice on which option will best suit your event.

This article originally appeared at Business Events News.

How to take your presentation from ordinary to extraordinary

It’s one thing to have the confidence and charisma to give a presentation in the first place, but what is it that can take your presentation to the next level and leave audiences truly inspired?

Here are three tips that will carry your presentation into the 21st century and help you make a lasting impression with your audiences.

1. “The medium is the message”

The phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan still reigns true. The way you choose to deliver a message influences how the message is perceived. Think outside of standard Powerpoint slides. Engage your audiences with relevant technology that will help deliver your message and encourage interaction with your audiences.

2. There’s an app for that

It’s much more impressive to stand before a group with an iPad rather than speech cards or A4 sheets of paper. There are a number of presentation apps that can assist you to both create and deliver your presentation. There are apps that offer effective ways to prioritise content and plan your speech. There are now even apps that enable you to present local documents, websites, music and photos from your iPad, on-screen.

3. Use technology to interact with audiences

A great presentation engages the audience and creates a conversation. Think about how your audiences can engage with your content. Social media can be a powerful way to have audiences discuss and share relevant points throughout your presentation. Videos can help you avoid delivering a monologue and speak to your audience in a multi-sensorial way. Images can often be more powerful than words and are an important addition to any presentation.

There’s nothing worse than having to sit through a presentation with a rambling speaker and no relevant stimulation to keep you engaged and interested.

The creative and effective uses of technology can help lift your presentation and leave a longer-lasting impression. Speak to your AV technician to help guide you on what technology you should integrate into your presentation.

5 ways to use social media to promote your event

Using social media to promote an event attracts customers and increases the level of engagement. But promotion shouldn’t stop once the event has passed; social media can be used to both build a buzz beforehand and extend relationships with customers during and afterwards.

Popular platforms for brands promoting events and building communities include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, and the tips below incorporate ideas for each of these.

1. Be active on social media

Encourage greater engagement with your audience by posting regular updates about your event on the social media platforms they use. Ask your audience which events or which speakers they would like to see and offer early bird discounts to build rapport, then make sure you keep the conversation going by sharing posts about the event and responding to people’s comments.

For example, a brand could ask attendees to check into the event via Facebook and post images while there. A Facebook event page can also be used to promote upcoming events with text, images and video that the audience can like, comment on and share with their own networks.

Secret events for those who connect with your brand via particular platforms, such as Facebook or Twitter, are a great way to reward audience loyalty and generate good word of mouth.

2. Make it easy to share your event on social media

Who doesn’t love telling their networks what they’re up to? After all, social media is full of updates from people sharing what they are doing at any given moment – and your event attendees are no different.

Help your audience tell the world about the event by pointing to your social media profiles, building discussion about the event on forums, publishing speaker’s social media profiles and publicising any associated hashtags. This exposes the brand to a wider audience than attendees only, and spreads the promotional message further.

3. Embrace real time

Include using social media during the event in your promotional strategy. Twitter is an excellent real-time tool because you can see what people are saying about an event right now by searching for the event hashtag.

Have someone monitoring social media during the event and share updates and photos (if applicable) via social media, retweet others’ tweets, regram others’ Instagram posts, and encourage attendees to do the same. You can also point to what is happening in the near future, such as a Friday afternoon happy hour that starts as the event finishes.

4. Social media is not just for younger staff members

Many think social media is the domain of Gen Y and younger, but that is not true. Your events will appeal to attendees of all ages, so it makes sense to encourage a range of staff members to be involved with promoting your event via social media.

Another reason to consider age when it comes to social media promotion is the experience that is needed to understand and manage the online community you’re looking to build. Ensure whoever is involved in promoting your brand via social media has been trained in the correct usage of each platform.

5. Advertise on social media

Social media is a big part of many people’s lives now and affects so many consumer decisions, so advertising on the platforms your audience uses will reach further and build your brand’s influence.

The impact social media has on repeat business is a major one, so use these tips to start building a relationship with delegates and then extend that relationship afterwards for ongoing custom.

This article was originally published at eTB News.

Make your next event an Appy one for attendees

These days it seems everything is moving from print to digital, this includes how events are organised and executed.

For an event organiser or planning team, an event app can save hours and sometimes days in the preparation and planning of any event, can allow content to be updated in a timely manner, and provide further opportunities for event organisers to engage with event attendees.

A good event app will integrate event information with social media tools, gamification, surveys, push notifications and live polls. Event attendees are becoming increasingly tech savvy and with this, they expect both an online and offline experience.

Here are some features to look for when considering using an event app.

Interaction

Look for apps that act as an interactive conference guide, allowing the user to access up to date event information such as programs, flyers, videos, maps, and local weather as well as speaker, attendee and exhibitor information.

Feedback and reviews

Attendees should be able to interact and engage with speakers and other attendees by leaving reviews on sessions, speakers, venues and exhibitors.

Social networking platform

Look for an app which integrates with social media channels. The best aps will even let attendees post updates, tag their location, like posts, comment and send private messages within the app.

Reporting

An event app should include an analytics function allowing event organisers to comprehensively report on active users, attendee interactions in the app and reviews. This information can be useful insights when planning future events.

This article was originally published at Business Events News.

Case Study: Creating the carnival that is the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

Hosted on Hamilton Island, located at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is the largest offshore yachting regatta in the southern hemisphere. First held in 1984, it has evolved into the not-to-be-missed event on the international sailing calendar.

The event’s beautiful Whitsundays’ courses attract the sailing elite, and caters for the full spectrum of keelboats – from non-spinnaker cruising yachts through to Grand Prix level racers.

Keeping not only the sailors and their family and friends returning year after year, but also attracting travellers in search of a unique winter getaway, is the impressive shore-side social calendar.

Over the past three decades, the event has evolved into a spectacular display of on-water racing, paired with the finest cuisine, glamorous parties, flowing champagne and celebrity guests.

Because of this growth, in 2007 Hamilton Island Enterprise decided the business needed support to ensure everything associated with Audi Hamilton Island Race Week ran smoothly. This included complete event support from audiovisual lighting and themed dinner settings, to celebrity fashion designer exclusive parades and headlining music acts.

To achieve the aim of creating a carnival-like atmosphere for the event, Hamilton Island Enterprise contracted AVPartners to provide audiovisual support for conferences at the location and professional technical assistance for delegates.

Over the years, AVPartners has set up concert stages for the likes of The Angels, Anthony Garcia, Jon Stevens, Diesel, James Reyne, Lisa Hunt, Jo Camilleri and The Hoodoo Gurus as well as event lighting and floating pontoons for Audi car displays, a Collette Dinnigan fashion parade and screen celebrity chef master classes live via outdoor LED video screens.

“Audi Hamilton Island Race Week has grown onshore with the inclusion of celebrity chef dinners and luncheons and fashion parades including Little Joe, Henry Lloyd and Collette Dinnigan,” said AVPartners Hamilton Island Partner, Jarum Rolfe.

While the sailing regatta is the centrepiece for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the addition of non-aquatic events have broadened the week’s appeal and helped turn it into an occasion that is marked on calendars internationally.

“With the increase of events off the water, we have been able to provide the special event team with a large range of modern technologies to put a real edge on their events,” explained Mr Rolfe.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week awards are hosted in the Hamilton Island Conference Centre, the largest conference venue on the island, with space to accommodate up to 1,000 delegates for conferences, product launches, exhibitions and incentives.

Hamilton Island Business Events Manager, Julie Ford, said the atmosphere created around the regatta event has attracted attention from international guests, celebrities, entertainers and the media, in addition to the already dedicated nautical following.

“AVPartners has a huge amount of involvement in making the week as special as it is with the range of colours, lighting, band equipment, staging and a general presence over the week,” said Ms Ford.

“We couldn’t do it without AVPartners. They assist with pretty much every set up during Race Week, whether it be for large bands, extravagant dinner settings, fashion parades or small unique outdoor dinners. Hamilton Island is a unique destination for such a large event and everything is contained within the island, which makes it even better,” added Ms Ford.

The next step is to keep growing Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, wowing guests every year with more spectacular performances, events and impressive audiovisual and lighting displays.

Mr Rolfe said, “The hype around the week continues to grow and the desire to create an extraordinary event each year drives both Hamilton Island Enterprise and AVPartners.”

“You have everything at your doorstep jam-packed into 10 days: food and wine events, fashion, live bands, featured shopping, family-friendly activities, onshore games for yachties and their families and of course the on-water races every day!” said Mr Rolfe.

“Hamilton Island Enterprise and AVPartners work alongside each other well to create fantastic events. AVPartners add the wow factor to our events,” added Ms Ford.

The battle between projectors and flat screens

Do conference and event attendees prefer rich images viewed on a flat panel screen, or do they want larger than life characters that almost step out of the projection?

The debate about which screening technology is best for conference and event venues has carried on for many years. However, the answer to this question is not as simple as choosing one screen or another, because both are suitable in different circumstances so the decision really depends on how the screens will be used.

A good audiovisual specialist will be able to advise which room needs a flat panel screen and which would be better with a projector. Many venues have a combination of both flat screens and projectors to give their clients the choice. To help narrow the decision, here are some factors that define each screen technology.

Projector pros

1. A projector’s image will scale to be double or triple the size of a flat screen. This factor is more important when room size is a consideration so all attendees can see the screen.
2. Most projectors reproduce high definition images.
3. Projectors are more portable and less manageable than a flat screen.
4. Projector screens take up less space than large flat screens and can be recessed in the ceiling.
5. Projector systems can be networked with sound receivers, remote management and multiple lens options for greater flexibility when it comes to different events.
6. As the flat panel screen size increases, so does the price and the logistics of getting it shipped to your venue, inside the room where it will be housed and then installed.

Flat screen pros

1. Flat panels provide rich, bright images.
2. Flat screens are better in environments where lighting cannot be controlled. Ambient light in a room can wash out the image from a projector.
3. Less coordination is required to set up and run a flat panel system and there is little ongoing maintenance.
4. Flat screens have no lamps to replace.

Ultimately the screen needs to be the right size for the room it is servicing, and this will be one of the deciding factors (along with how the screen is to be used) that will determine whether a flat or projector screen is the right option for your venue.

This article was originally published at Business Events News.

5 Reasons Why You Should Keep Parties in the Marketing Plan

The last few years have seen many marketers take events, conferences and seminars off the marketing plan and instead focus more of their resources on digital according to Ryan Taylor, Partner at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, AVPartners.

The main reason for this is cost. Events are seen as more costly than seemly inexpensive, and sometimes free, digital channels. However, digital activities cannot replace the powerful human element that events can deliver.

In fact, it shouldn’t be one or the other. Marketers should be using a combination of both offline and online marketing tactics to achieve cut through.

While digital marketing can reach tech savvy audiences with bite size information to elicit an action, it requires a large effort and volume of content to get a response; hence the conversion rate can be quite low. But with events, you hold an audience’s attention much more effectively and are able to use the human element combined with great AV and staging techniques to create a lasting positive impression that results in a much higher conversion rate.

Before marketers make the decision to strike events off the marketing plan, they should consider that events have the ability to:

Directly and physically influence an audience

In an increasingly digital world where many interactions occur online, events provide a human and physical element which can be powerful and influential, leading to higher conversion rates and hence an increased ROI

Share content in a truly immersive and engaging manner

With increasing focus on the impact of effective content on customer behaviour, events remain one of the best ways to deliver content in a way that is immersive, erasing ambiguity and creating engagement because of person-to-person interaction.

Convert customers while they are in a state of interest and excitement

In a world where marketers are fighting to gain attention from increasingly distracted audiences, events provide the opportunity to focus the attention on a single proposition, person or idea. They can also create excitement and leave audiences in a state of anticipation, the perfect opportunity where you are more likely to be effective in achieving sales conversions.

Create a meaningful and memorable experience for your customers that correlates to a positive brand experience

The importance of positive branding and consumer sentiment cannot be underestimated. Events can allow you to leave a positive imprint on your audience by creating an in-the-flesh, in-the-moment wow factor that has a lasting effect and can stimulate positive word of mouth.

Engage your audience to become your marketers to amplify your message beyond your event via social media

The combination of physical and digital can be powerful. People attending and posting to social media about an event can quickly amplify to become trending topics. Savvy event organisers that use social media hashtags, handles and pages can take the brand beyond the physical event.

This article originally appeared at B&T.

Matt Taylor Staff Profile

We are excited to introduce Matt Taylor; the newest Partner in the AVPartners family. Matt was appointed as partner at Crown Perth following AVPartners being awarded the audio visual contract at the complex in June 2014.

Matt brings to this exciting challenge a wealth of experience, knowledge and dedication. His most recent position as Business Development Manager for AVPartners Perth has provided the ideal background to move forward in this new role.

Growing up in Kingsley (Perth’s northern suburbs), Matt followed his dream and upon finishing school he completed an Advanced Certificate of Broadcast Operations and Certificate IV of Music Industry Skills. He acquired valuable camera, lighting, audio and vision operation techniques during this time.

Matt’s first role in the audio visual industry was that of Technician back in 1999 when 35mm slide projectors, VHS tapes and 3 gun projectors were still used! He quickly moved up the ranks to Senior Technician and then onto Venue Services Manager at the Parmelia Hilton and Burswood Entertainment Complex before commencing with AVPartners in 2008.

Matt loves working at AVPartners and is very passionate about the events industry. Just having the opportunity to work with dynamic and creative people each and every day gives him a buzz and nothing makes him happier than exceeding the client’s expectations.

It was extremely difficult for Matt to pinpoint his most memorable show but his greatest career achievement to date was the successful management of the Medical Meetings – Pfizer Pharmaceutical National Sales Conference. This event was held in 2010 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and Sheraton Perth Hotel. The pre-production phase alone consisted of several interstate meetings held over four months with the event attracting over 600 delegates. The execution of the event had him overseeing a team of two full time AVPartners Event Managers, Technical Director and 30 staff. The event was a resounding success and the beginning of a new relationship with Medical Meetings, establishing AVPartners as a market leader to the Australian audio visual industry.

Matt’s greatest personal achievement is his family. He loves spending quality time with his wife and 3 young children and their many friends. He still loves his music too and when he’s not at a concert or adding to his extensive CD collection he is either playing his acoustic guitar or electronic drums!

AVPartners appointed as audiovisual partner at Crown Perth

AVPartners has been appointed the in-house audiovisual service provider for Crown Perth and will provide the audiovisual support for events and conferences at Crown Perth as well as professional technical assistance for delegates.

As one of the most desirable conference and exhibition destinations in Australia, Crown Perth offers five-star service, premium catering and on-site state-of-the-art technical support. The venue can support a wide range of events from large international conferences, exhibitions, charity balls, gala dinners, awards nights and seminars, to workshops and small meetings.

Matt Taylor, AVPartners Crown Perth Partner said, “Crown Perth offers world-class facilities, accommodation and entertainment and we’re excited to be partnering with the team to deliver great event experiences.”

Director of Events and Conferences at Crown Perth, Michael Altieri said, “We appointed AVPartners because of the company’s extensive experience, creativity and technical know-how. We are thrilled to work with such an expert team which will help us to continue to deliver stand-out events to our clientele.”

Commenting upon AVPartners appointment Crown Perth Chief Operating Officer Hotels and Entertainment, Andrew Hill said, “We have watched AVPartners grow from start-up to a market leading provider of event services in Perth. Their dynamic and innovative approach to providing audiovisual and event support will complement Crown Perth’s current offering and we look forward to working with the team going forward.”

AVPartners Founding Partner, Gary Hackett said, “Crown’s decision to appoint AVPartners is a credit to our Perth team who have built our reputation through the consistent delivery of great customer service and outstanding events.”