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Five Innovative Gifting ideas for Attendees and Staff

Five Innovative Gifting ideas for Attendees and Staff

by | May 27, 2021 | Hybrid Meetings, In-Person Meetings, Virtual Meetings

Swag bags and logoed promotional products have long been a staple of corporate events and gifting. This last year has undoubtedly changed the environment of corporate live meetings and altered the state of corporate gifting.

For one, it has made customized ordering (each person can order what they want) and direct shipping much more accessible and user-friendly than ever before. It has also placed a value on higher-end gifts. This type of gift is one-way corporations reinvested conference expenses previously spent on live events back into the participants or staff. While name-brand goods cost 25% – 75% more than generic, it hits home when staff or clients receive a recognizable brand.

Participants at live events have grown accustomed to receiving their welcome packet, name badge, and swag bag. This last year of virtual meetings brought us creative unboxing parties, and this year, as hybrid meetings become the new normal, we expect to see the innovation grow.

“Use a professional to navigate quantity pricing. They also make sure your gift achieves the intended impact without being gaudy. Logo size, color, and positioning all need to be thought through and done well.”

– Michael Lumpkin, Thread Logo Co-Founder

As we move into this next stage, we wanted to inspire you with these five curated gifts by our American Meetings Network Prime Member, Thread Logo, with high quality, name-brand value, and without the bank-breaking price tag. The key to this is using a professional who can deliver value.

Charging Pads and Devices

We are all plugged in and needing power. These charging pads make it easy, allowing recipients to leave all the cords behind and charge phones, watches, earbuds, or anything electronic and rechargeable. Ideal for travel or home, these are helpful to both the tech-savvy and not.

Sherpa Blankets

Blankets and throws are a great unisex gift for indoor or outdoor cuddling year-round. Neutral colors match home or office décor or can easily be thrown into the car for a road trip, camping, or picnic after the event.

Fine Leather Goods

High quality and hand-made in the USA, these luxury gifts will become a staple for the receiver. Padfolios for event notetaking, totes, briefcases for conference materials, or hauling paperwork from client meetings to networking groups are a perfect gift.

Ring Lights

Videos, Zoom meetings, and even profile pictures look better with good lighting. With a variety of warmth, brightness, sizes, and adjustability, ring lights make your participants look great. Whether live streaming content at the event, capturing an afterparty shout-out or uploading the next viral TikTok, you will equate your team with screen confidence.

Bose

Bose is a household name when it comes to sound quality, which makes these highly valued gifts. Speakers, headphones, and earbuds with the Bose name ensure crisp sound in anyway your recipient wants to experience it.

The goal of gifting has always been to help people be pulled into the fold of the sponsor – to help them feel like they are part of something bigger. Whether this is a company purchasing wearables to demonstrate unity at an event, or attendees receiving swag to welcome them and invite them into the experience, corporate gifting accomplishes this.

Your professional meeting planner can help source and distribute these items on your behalf. Just ask AMI!

5 Benefits and Challenges of Combining Live and Virtual Experiences for a Hybrid Meeting Model

5 Benefits and Challenges of Combining Live and Virtual Experiences for a Hybrid Meeting Model

by | Mar 25, 2021 | Hybrid Meetings, In-Person Meetings, Virtual Meetings

If 2020 was the year of virtual meetings, it looks like 2021 might be the year of hybrid solutions as we begin to reconnect in person. With this shift comes some challenges as well as exciting benefits of the virtual combination of live and digital meeting experiences.

Hybrid Meeting Benefit: Smaller Crowds, Larger Attendance

Large-scale live meetings will likely be slow to return this year. With hybrid meetings and events, however, smaller clusters of groups can meet in a variety of locations to boost attendance without the risk of travel or large gatherings that many are still leery of in a post-pandemic world.

In the case of our client Stratus, they used a hybrid model of combining virtual and live meeting components to support the need for in-person training. A 100% virtual option was not sufficient for their national sales meeting, so technology was used to stream the general sessions to sales teams located in six U.S. locations where their sales team could safely travel the short distance. Small groups of a dozen team members each were able to safely get together for team building, training, and product launch information sharing while social distancing.

READ THE CASE STUDY HERE

Hybrid Meeting Challenge: IT & Security

A remote workforce interacting on virtual platforms can mean less control over client information, meeting access, and an increase in cyber threats. Creating processes for how information is accessed and shared across an organization is a priority in a hybrid meeting situation. Thankfully, the need has been presented and solutions created, often by the platform providers themselves.

Verifying users and participants can help control hacks and disruptions, and there must be a balance between attracting attendees and protecting data. With strong controls and systems in place, AMI has never had a data or security breach and neither should your organization.

Suggested reading: “How to Hack-Proof Your Virtual Event”

Hybrid Meeting Benefit: Built-in Technology

Because the demand for video conferencing and work-from-home platforms have dramatically increased in a short period of time, technology has been forced to improve. In the past, virtual meetings were often limited to corporate or business use, but now collaboration platforms like Zoom feature background noise reduction, appearance enhancement, low light adjustment, and high-fidelity music for almost any kind of meeting.

Large virtual events have also evolved to include more accessible technology that offers TV-quality production to increase engagement and interest. We’ve all learned in the last year how to use technology in new ways, and this comfort level is equipping us to take it to the next level in terms of registration, interactivity, production, and more.

Hybrid Meeting Challenge: Thinking Creatively

Tradeshows, demonstrations, swag… there are things we have come to expect from live events that will need to be managed more creatively. Again, services exist to support virtual and hybrid events, but it takes innovative solutions to garner attendee engagement.

Suggested reading: “7 Tips for Planning a Virtual or Live Tradeshow”

Pre-sending swag to meeting attendees helps build comradery even when distanced. Using break-out rooms and live streams can help facilitate demonstrations, networking, Q&A sessions, and more. Even delivering your attendees a delicious lunchtime meal enhances their virtual experience.  Best practices for bringing live and virtual components to hybrid events will continue to evolve through the next year and beyond.

Hybrid Meeting Benefit: Cost Effectiveness

Virtual events can help reduce the expense of large venues, travel, and staffing. Using budget spend on more powerful AV, production, and attendee swag is the way to successful hybrid meetings. Use less space, limit the need for on-site staff, and reach a broader audience by allowing guests to participate in-person or remotely.

Local events can now promote on a larger scale to attract attendees where travel may have prevented attendance in the past. For many organizations, a hybrid meeting model can allow for more cost-effective production, with just as much bang as a fully live event.

7 Tips for Planning a Successful Virtual or Live Tradeshow

7 Tips for Planning a Successful Virtual or Live Tradeshow

by | Jan 26, 2021 | In-Person Meetings, Virtual Meetings

Tradeshows can be very beneficial – for event organizers to generate additional revenue and industry recognition; for vendors to receive more exposure, leads and sales; and for attendees to get inspired and make connections.

Our current climate has changed how tradeshows look and how they are conducted, but they are worth it, especially if set up and managed well.

Here are some tips to do exactly that:

Give It Time

Especially on a first-time tradeshow or expo, give your team plenty of time to brainstorm and plan. Consider the target audience, overall goals, and how to achieve the objectives. What needs and wants does the team have? Does it make the most sense to be virtual or live? What’s the overall budget? What traits will the ideal venue have (if live)? Who may sponsor? Who may want to have exhibits?

Don’t rush, instead, take the time to build a high-quality event that will build interest for years to come so you don’t have to reinvent year over year. Consider how the event may look now and how you’d like it to look in the future.

Plan a Theme

With a deep understanding of your objectives, target audience, and expected vendors, choose a theme that helps you clearly identify your message and reach out to prospects. The clearer you are, the easier it is to target the appropriate demographics and appeal to them. Do your research to create a tradeshow that meets the needs of both attendees and exhibitors.

In marketing and branding, use the theme – and have fun with it!

Get Sponsors

Whether exhibitors, product or service sponsors, get commitments on advertising. Advertisers can purchase recognition by sponsoring all print materials (if you use them), gifts/swag (whether shipped or in-person), catering (if applicable), awards, programs, entertainment, and more. Get creative and off-set costs with great sponsors.

Knowing your budget will help you determine how many and what types of sponsors you need. In the virtual meeting setting, you can still brand slides, gifts, awards, and more. Be creative with sponsorships and be sure to deliver value to both advertisers and attendees.

Book Your Venue or Determine Your Platform

Knowing your theme and expected attendance and exhibitors, choose a venue that can appropriately accommodate your expo. If you are doing a hybrid or virtual event, choose an online platform that can accommodate all your registration and tradeshow needs. Vendors may want to use online scheduling platforms to meet with participants in a one-to-one setting, virtually or in-person for demonstrations. Help to make this happen by determining needs and including them in your planning.

Breakout rooms – whether virtual or live, need to meet your goals and budget and be easy to navigate. Use clear communication to help participants know how to find what they need.

Book as early as possible to get the best location and rate and be sure to ask about cancellation policies in case of changes to local mandates. Use technology to increase engagement and safety wherever possible, such as creating digital maps and check-in.

Plan the Layout (If In-Person/Hybrid)

Once you have a venue chosen, plan a layout that includes premium booth spaces and standard spaces to offer to prospective vendors. Be sure to include information about outlets, drapes, booth set up/tear down, and more to communicate early and often.

Use signage to support safety measures and attendee flow. Manage occupancy guidelines with restricted and/or monitored entrances.

Understand the limitations and new protocols for safety including waiting areas, parking, registration, and amenities. The venue can offer suggestions for room set-up which you want to take into consideration for flow, especially if distancing rules are in place.

Plan the Flow (If Virtual)

Venue layout is exchanged for event flow in the digital space. Practice how participants will “travel” through the event, such as using waiting rooms and breakout rooms. Determine how attendees will participate and what needs to be in place to facilitate sessions and transitions.

Determine any backup plan in the case of technical issues.

Consider Entertainment

Relevant entertainment and fun can incise attendees into the show and keep them there longer. Determine what needs attendees may have and try to meet those needs (such as refreshments and beverages) to keep participants engaged and moving through the expo.

Whether virtual or live these components can be included and should be! Being distracted can happen more frequently when an attendee is virtual – so fight for their attention by inviting them to engage with gifts they open at specific intervals in the event or by using a fun MC and providing entertainment.

With live or hybrid events, entertainment should be booked early as well and used to help promote the fun of the event, and catering should be on par with the theme and overall flow.

Market, Market, Market

To make the event truly beneficial, attendance is critical. Encourage cross-promotion by having vendors invite attendees as well. Remember, you will be selling vendor spaces, advertising spots, and admission tickets almost simultaneously. Being clear about who will attend and who will exhibit will help you do this well.

To learn more about security in virtual meetings or other ways to make your next event the best it can be, contact AMI today.

5 Advantages of Using Pre-Recorded Content in Your Virtual Meetings

5 Advantages of Using Pre-Recorded Content in Your Virtual Meetings

by | Dec 17, 2020 | Virtual Meetings

 

As virtual meetings continue to reign in the COVID-19 saga, best practices and success strategies continue to be tested and refined. One of these strategies is using pre-recorded content in your virtual meetings. Of course, the human connection is critical for engagement, and no one wants to sit and watch videos when they could be doing something better with their time, but pre-recorded content has some big benefits.

Here are 5 advantages of using pre-recorded content and how to use it successfully to gain engagement:

Using Pre-recorded Content Helps Reduce AV Issues

Pre-recorded content allows you to manage content by having it ready ahead of time preventing any issues that could come up with live-feed, sound, or video quality. Additionally, features such as captioning and translating are made significantly easier.

Using Pre-recorded Content Helps with Logistics

The virtual conference is knocking down walls, allowing participants access to events that would have been off-limits in the past due to travel expense or timing. Pre-recording guest speakers or an MC creates an even more streamlined experience when guests are in a variety of time zones or locations.

Pre-recorded Content is Reusable

Use pre-recorded content as teaser footage to increase event attendance, or offer content in bundles as upsells. Those who can’t attend can still receive valuable content, for a price, and those who did attend can relive the event by re-engaging with the recordings.

Participants can also choose to opt into several “break-outs” rather than sacrificing one for another because they are recorded and able to be retrieved and re-watched.

Pre-recording Can Help You Focus

Focus on live engagement and monitoring rather than delivery. Often participants look to engage with the speaker, and yet the chat board is blowing up with questions that either an assistant or MC is attempting to manage during the speaker’s presentation.

By pre-recording, the speaker can watch the chat and then do a live Q&A to address what was being discussed in the chat, limiting distractions and offering true engagement.

It Can Be “Perfect”

Multiple takes can be done to make sure the content is delivered precisely, and graphics and effects can be integrated seamlessly for a high-quality presentation. Transitions between speakers can be smoothed out for a professional experience, captioning can be incorporated, and more.

For your pre-recorded content to be well received, it should be done professionally and be engaging. Don’t expect participants to sit and watch the “television show” you produced without being able to interact. Leverage the benefits of pre-recording at least a portion of the event for a smooth end product that truly reaches your participants.

Overall, a blend of pre-recorded content and live streaming or other engagement tools will create the best experience for virtual meeting attendees and presenters.

To learn more about security in virtual meetings or other ways to make your next event the best it can be, contact AMI today.

How to Hack-Proof Your Virtual Events

How to Hack-Proof Your Virtual Events

by | Nov 18, 2020 | Virtual Meetings

With COVID shutdowns, virtual meetings took over, allowing people to stay connected while safely apart. However, with the rise in virtual meetings also came the need to keep unwanted guests from entering meetings – competitors dropping into private meetings, students who didn’t pay for courses were crashing classes, or late registrations allowed in problematic hackers.

Andrea Velasquez, Head of Event Technology with American Meetings Inc. (AMI), a leader in world-wide event management, offers some strategies for keeping your virtual events free from unwanted guests.

“You must find the balance between security and creating roadblocks for attendees. There is a need for the right amount of secrecy, security, and accessibility,” Velasquez begins.

Here are the tips she offers:

Scrub Your Registration Lists

“Only allow attendees from specific emails to register,” she advises. For example, use your database, rather than a general registration portal. Or, if you do open an event’s registration, monitor the list and compare registrants with known promotional databases.

If there is someone registered who you don’t recognize, use that to create a touchpoint – either an automated email or a personal phone call – whichever makes the most sense for your business or event. Follow up with the registrant to determine how they found the event and what they are looking to gain from it.

You can also use campaign tracking to see what methods are grabbing the attendees and use only whitelisted emails. Close the registration early enough to allow you to review the attendance list. This also prevents competitors from jumping into the event last minute without you knowing.

Remove Search Engine Tags

“The tags you use to promote your event can also attract unwanted guests,” Velasquez continues, “Remove these tags and use an API integration instead.”

While an API Integration can cost more, it creates greater security by offering password-protected invitations. This also simplifies the user journey and helps you control who finds and knows about the event.

Only pre-registered attendees have access, which is ideal for high-security virtual meetings. The list of attendees, because it is already pre-approved means there is no additional need for scrubbing. Besides, API platforms continue to do upgrades for security regularly.

“The weakest point is the human because create predictable passwords or share links. If you give the same password to everyone in the event, that is going to be shared. But a platform does the best practice of creating user-specific or randomized passwords,” Velasquez adds.

Use Waiting Rooms

Waiting rooms are important for security as well. Establish waiting rooms and ask attendees to identify themselves through logging in, or introducing themselves rather than starting the meeting immediately. Use your video conferencing platform to screen your audience before letting them in.

Velasquez reminds us: “Often people will use casual names, unknown email addresses or avatars that don’t match expected attendees, so verifying attendance ahead of time will help keep only the right people in attendance.”

To learn more about security in virtual meetings or other ways to make your next event the best it can be, contact AMI today.

Should I use a master of ceremonies for my virtual event?

Should I use a master of ceremonies for my virtual event?

by | Sep 30, 2020 | Virtual Meetings

Learn how to host a virtual event and what to look for in a virtual meeting master of ceremonies or moderator

There’s no doubt Virtual Events have taken over, and with the current state of global affairs, it isn’t clear how soon that will change. We recently met with Jason Alpert, owner, and master of ceremonies with Alpert Enterprises, to talk about what to look for in a virtual event master of ceremonies and best practices in hiring talent for your corporate meeting or event.

AMI: Why do people use a master of ceremonies in their events?

Jason: Overall, the master of ceremonies runs the event and should be fully vested and part of the process. Many people think the master of ceremonies is simply a presenter and they want to choose their company’s CEO. However, the MC should work more like an event consultant, working hand in hand with the full program scripting and agenda.

AMI: Your description sounds like it would apply in both live events and virtual events.

Jason: Right. The master of ceremonies should really be driving the program and managing the ebbs and flows because they know the big picture. It’s fine for a CEO to have the spotlight, but the master of ceremonies is there to troubleshoot and help with setting and managing the energy of the event, virtual or not.

AMI: I’m not seeing very many masters of ceremonies’ on virtual events but I expect that will change, especially as larger events begin being hosted virtually. What advice do you have for people looking to make this shift?

Jason: Most of the work of the master of ceremonies is done during prep time, not just at the event. Be sure to work with a company that understands this.

Second, use a high-quality technology company to manage the live stream. It needs to look really sharp for participants. Grabbing and capturing the attention of participants who can easily become distracted is a big obstacle to overcome with virtual events. Who you partner with will make a big difference in the participant experience.

Third, when hiring a company for MC services, it’s important there is a good relationship between the master of ceremonies and the tech company. There will need to be a lot of communication to make the production look and feel like a TV show. The master of ceremonies needs to know where to turn for problem-solving, which can happen at any time, whether live or virtual.

Additionally, the master of ceremonies must have a comfort level in front of a camera rather than a crowd. Their background and skill set will need to be stronger towards broadcasting than interaction with a live audience. There are different skill sets required and you need to be aware of that. A background in television would be ideal for a virtual event MC.

AMI: Those are some really good tips. What else are masters of ceremonies responsible for?

Jason: Overall the master of ceremonies monitors information such as chat, and is really comfortable with the event’s mission, goal, and branding so they can fill time if needed. They also would monitor participants during the event.

AMI: What else is important in virtual events that we haven’t addressed yet?

Jason: Content. It needs to be short and efficient to create a compelling program, however, those aren’t one in the same. I’ve done a lot of programs that are so-called “long,” but are very efficient and compelling/engaging. Keep in mind that it’s not how long something is, but rather how long it feels.

Don’t get hung up exclusively on the clock- get hung up on producing a compelling and engaging program. People have so many options to be distracted, the event has to really keep them involved.

Also, I suggest doing a full-dress rehearsal, going through the entire program including playing videos, and making sure all the graphics work as intended. Use pre-recorded videos as much as possible to limit tech issues.

AMI: Using pre-recorded videos seems strange. How does that work?

Jason: People are often concerned that if it isn’t all live it won’t have the same energy. Great shows, like Nightline, feel very much live but are pre-recorded. During one event, we pre-recorded the speaker’s presentation, and then she wore the same outfit for live Q&A. It was assumed it was all live, but the pre-recording allowed for time management and a smoother transition.

From a technology perspective, we can only control so much, so pre-recording lets you focus on the live elements like chat, rather than on delivering content at the moment.

AMI: What are you seeing that is working really well in virtual events, or not so well?

Jason: Virtual events are allowing organizations to cast a wider net. For example, a company that used to hold local events was able to get participants from 38 states and 6 countries by making the event virtual. It eliminated the need for travel or restrictions on room size. Selling out is practically impossible.

As far as what’s not as successful, there is a lot of networking value from live events that is lacking in virtual ones. One way to overcome this is with small breakout rooms that allow participants to mix and mingle before, after, or during events. All of us in the industry are watching what others are doing, seeing what works, and fine-tuning them for future events.

Creating high-quality virtual events that engage the participants and keep things running smoothly and professionally is accomplished easily with AMI’s Virtual Meeting Solutions.