HOW TO PRODUCE AN AWESOME VIRTUAL EVENT

Hello, production world, this is Les Goldberg, and welcome to The Road Ahead. The Road Ahead podcast is courtesy of LMG with your host, Les Goldberg. Hello production world. Today I have some amazing guests. I have DJ Hanson and John Sideris who are the principals and owners of BluePrintNYC, and I also have Alice Perlmutter who is a show caller, stage manager. And today we are going to talk about live virtual events and what it takes to make great live virtual events. So everyone, welcome to the show. Thank you for being here. So I'm going to immediately throw it to DJ, and DJ, I want to know what do you think are the components of a very well produced virtual event? You sound like one of our clients that are all of them asking the exact same question. You know, for us as a, as a company that that really focuses on engagement and trying to really be a true strategic partner with our clients. You know, we often actually the question we feel like a lot of our clients come to us with is, what is the platform that you recommend we use and how does it work. And we always try to stop them for a second. We say, listen, there's a ton of technology out there to manifest and build out really powerful virtual events. But what we need to understand first is, is that big question of what are you trying to do? Because just trying to like, repurpose a live event into a virtual event is not going to work. We need to start from scratch and really rethink this whole thing in order to deliver the best experience. And so we always start with them, is we want to understand what your strategic purpose is and what are really the objectives of the event. That's number one. And then how can we come to you with the right creative recommendations to bring those objectives to life? So it's just like a live event in that respect. But now we have to think about in that virtual world. And once we understand that and come up with that, right. Creative because the sky is the limit in the virtual world. This is not just a Zoom call. This is not just a Zoom conference. We need to figure out how to reach through that screen and engage those people and really fun, creative ways. So maybe that's bringing in a host. Maybe it's bringing in a competition. There's a lot of different ways to do that that make the event compelling, that have nothing to do with the technology. But once we understand that creative recommendation that flow and how it's going to work, then we can think through like, what's the right platform to do this in and making sure we're stepping away from that Zoom conferencing and those traditional webinars is what's really going to elevate these experiences, to be those wow factor experiences for the end user and those attendees. To be able to say this blew my mind when it came to what we had expected. And this is really, really changed the way we think about virtual events. But it all starts with that creative and strategy first. So I want to throw this to John. Obviously, John, the number of live events have shrunk to almost none at this point because people aren't necessarily comfortable doing live audiences in general. So having to have gone virtual and and all the things you're doing, the question is, do your clients really understand the capabilities and how much of what you do? Do you have to educate those clients about all the different options of how they can accomplish their goals, and how do you approach that? Yeah, that's a great question. Listen, I think, you know, as time goes on from three months ago, from when we first entered this world of COVID, I think it has definitely evolved. Awareness has grown. Our clients have become far more savvy and sophisticated, if for no other reason, from sitting in front of Zoom calls, you know, ten hours a day for the past three months, I think that they've learned the importance of really creating an engaging, immersive world within the virtual environment and that you can't just literally put somebody in front of a computer screen. And it's interesting because we often say, and DJ just mentioned this before, like it's not just a matter of a platform or a tool like it really is, leveraging all of the components of a successful, engaging, immersive live event like we've done before in the past the right strategy, the right creative, sort of all the right tools. You know, just as you would select the right site for a live event or hotel and make sure that the meeting space had all of the elements that you need. Same holds true for the virtual world. There's really there's no holds barred and fact. I think we often tell our clients like, you know, the sky is the limit. You're not limited by a physical constraints or travel or what have you. So we can really create, as you know, unlimited environments within the virtual world. Alice. So so my question for you is this. It's real simple. How are the clients doing adapting to this new world or it's it's still a challenging experience with no live audience. There is such a difference from the first show to the second show, because they're not worried about your technology anymore. Once we get the technology issue out of the way, they can deal with the creative. And once we're getting into that and we're getting into their speech and what's behind them, it's so much easier. And I can't tell you what it's like from day one. If you have the same speaker to day two, they're comfortable, they're happy, they know us. They can actually do create what they need to say instead of worrying about what the issues are and walking in the door. I think the more I do this every day, I say day one is the most important thing with the speaker. If you can't get them over the technology hump smoothly and easily, everything else falls into place. You know that is really good advice. I want to go back to DJ and ask how clients really is the difference between a a web stream like what we would have done 2 or 3 years ago to a virtual meeting, and what the ultimate difference is between those. No. And clients are really open to coming to us and saying this is completely new to us. Like that's the one thing we appreciate is we've had a lot, a lot of folks come and say, I have no idea what it takes to pull off a virtual event. I don't even know what a virtual event is. And so I think it's one thing that actually is helping us see some success in this virtual world is that the clients aren't coming, pretending they know everything. And so, no, they have no idea the difference between a platform like a v mix type platform, how an app plays into that, how the stream plays into that, how they all kind of come together. It's completely over their heads. And so it's been a really interesting thing to see, like the terms that they might grab on to that they kind of really stick to or the 1 or 2 components they might see in one of our demos that they really think is going to be the end all, be all of the experience. You realize that they just have really no understanding of what this technology is and how it all kind of fits together until the whole thing kind of plays out at the end of that. So it's really, I feel like more than ever, we're constantly we're really having to hold their hands through this process because they don't get it. It's just and luckily they know they don't get it. But it's really a constant sort of education to help them understand what's going on. I want to go to a question specifically to Alice. When you're stage managing a virtual event versus a live event, what is the difference and how is the experience and how could you express it? Because you've done thousands of live events. But but what could you share with the audience as far as the difference? And how do you go about stage managing and calling that show? Well, the biggest difference is that every one of my crew members is not in the same room as me. They're all at home. And that it makes for an interesting world, because I can't turn around to somebody and say, hey, do this, hey, do that. Hey, can you bring me this? Can you get me that piece of paper? Can you show me what that looks like? So I have to be more imaginative in the way I work with people and the way I'm coaching people and the way I'm calling to people because everybody is working on a different device. There's no standardization, and it just makes for an interesting day. John, do you think that a year or two from now, when we're kind of going back to live events and we've kind of conquered COVID, do you think this is something that is going to stick around? What's your thoughts on that? Yeah, I'd say absolutely. I think the one thing we've learned is that nothing replaces live engagements. However, on the other hand, what we have learned is the power of virtual engagement, that it allows us a lot of flexibility. It eliminates the need for people to actually get on airplanes and travel. And it just again, as I said before, like, truly, you know, the sky is the limit within the virtual world. And I do really think it will be a combination of the two. Now that virtual is here, people are used to utilizing it and see the value in it. I think it's going to be really difficult for it to go away. So I do think it will be a hybrid of both live and virtual events moving forward. Got it. And what have you learned DJ, from the virtual events you've done so far? That it's a lot of work? Of course. Of course. Anything great usually takes hard work. It's really one thing is like a we're trying to create these virtual events that are as engaging or can compete with what a live event was, was we've been doing product launches, we've been doing sales meetings, mostly product launches like huge events, huge moments in a company's trajectory and trying to bring those to life and really, really exciting ways. And it's one thing to do that in a normal world, creating virtual events with all of us virtual is another challenge all on its own, because it's been a really fun thing to experience and to see how everyone's been adapting. I'm excited Alice is here because she's one of those people that jumped in with us on one of our big events last week. It is critical if you're going to pull it off. It takes the same type of village to pull off a live event. As it takes to pull off a virtual event, you need a strong stage manager calling those, cuz you need a strong video operator who's able to manage all the changes that are happening. Graphics operators like all that needs to be there, but all of us are home alone with four screens in front of us with our remote agent IC comm system, with our queuing systems, on our phones, with our headsets, with our computers. It's just it's unbelievable that we've all figured out a way to adapt to this world in our own private homes and somehow connect through this incredible technology to each other to deliver this broadcast level, quality experience for these attendees. It's unbelievable. But if I've learned anything, it takes a ton of work and a ton of coordination. And you cannot you cannot let your guard down during this process because there's so much, so many eyes to dot and t's to cross. I say that right? Yes. So, Alice, what have you learned from the many virtual events you've experienced? What could you come out of it with? What knowledge that you could share? My first bit of knowledge is that the client is now part of the technical rehearsal, which we've never had before. We've never shown them the magic, what goes on behind the scenes, but we have to have them come in, make sure their computer works, make sure we can hear them, make sure we can see them. Make sure all of that happens even before the first rehearsal. And that's our first introduction to them, and really have to make sure that we make a good impression. First time we do that, then when we rehearse them, we have to understand that they are alone and that they have no help. And they're sort of in this netherworld of just staring at a blank screen. And we have to make them feel part of the process. We have to make them feel excitement. We have to make them interested in what they're doing with their kids running around and their dogs barking in the background. And we have to make sure that they learn to focus on what we're doing here. So, so for for traditional stage managers who haven't done a lot of virtual, what recommendations would you give to those stage managers, your compadres, the people that we all know that just haven't been introduced to enough virtual? What would you give them? Advice. Patience is a virtue. You have to be really patient with the speakers. You have to be patient with the producers. You have to be patient with everyone because we're all learning this together. Another thing is, I feel like we need more rehearsal in this than we do on a stage show. So rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, even if you're doing it offline. Have stand ins. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. And then you have to think of it also as DJ. And John was saying, there's a whole new way of doing this creatively, and you have to be open to the new ways of doing things creatively, and you have to spend your time thinking through the creative process, not just the technical process. So let me throw this to John. John, how important is rehearsing and coaching your clients through this process before you go into your live show day? I couldn't emphasize more the importance of rehearsal. We found it so much extra work for us because in this new world of virtual, there are so many different components and technology for all of us that we're learning and getting used to and becoming adept in. So imagine a client who has never done a virtual meeting before, aside from a Zoom stepping into show day, and all of the different components are in front of them. Like DJ just mentioned, the mix and Ike agent and all of the various components that are happening simultaneously with the DSM. So I think it's really it's extremely important. We did it recently on a meeting where we rehearsed the heck out of our clients, and they were not only really appreciative of it, but we ultimately had an incredible show with virtually no hiccups. So yes, very important. You know, I like the term no hiccups. I'll tell you, one of the things about countless virtual shows we've done is we're at the mercy of the internet. It's either the last mile of connection for the presenters or for the people watching and and for ultimately from the broadcast hub, wherever that is, to the, you know, the CDN to, to rebroadcast the stream. And these are kind of the weakest links on this. And then obviously you have to make sure your talent is trained and coached and you ultimately get a finished product. And and DJ, I completely agree with you. You know, we can't even compare a virtual event to a Zoom call because a virtual event has production value, and you add everything from graphics to video playback to cueing people. And, you know, most of them have some live elements, maybe some prerecorded. The totality of this is a finished product that people go, it's more like a broadcast production than it is any type of, you know, Zoom call. You know, it seems like it'd be hard to to justify charging a client. If you get a product similar to a Zoom call, a production team is adding value and they're adding quality and they're giving everyone the finished product. And ultimately, that is what I think people are paying for that skill of knowledge. So this is to DJ and John, what would you recommend anyone who's trying to do a virtual event? What would you recommend be if someone's listening that hasn't done one before and they're thinking about whether two to hire or how to approach it? What advice would you give to others? Well, I think one is you do have to prepare your clients for what they're in for because as much as it's a lot of work for us, it's also a whole different level of work for them, especially in this COVID world right now, where they're all working from home because we're sending out these kits, whether it's with green screens and lighting setups and all these things that they're going to have to set up. There's a much different kind of preparation here that that isn't typically required. And I feel like one of the things we, one of our learning curves is helping prepare our clients that that's going to be part of this game like this, you know, for us to be able to succeed in this, they need to really, truly understand what's going to be asked of them. But it also kind of goes back to what I said. It's so funny because, you know, we you know, we have we work with you guys on all of our virtual events, and we have certainly leveraged demos that we've built together where they've been able to see, like me and John, with the green screen behind us and me pipping in and all that kind of stuff, and they absolutely love it. And we start out the story saying it's all about having the right creative and strategic approach, and then it's about getting the platform right. And like, I had a client just say all I heard was green screen and all I thought is I want green screens. And that's kind of what I'm talking about. It's like helping them see that this is this there's a totality here of resources that are required to pull off an event, and that includes your creative, your creative approach, your strategic approach, and then also the platforms that you use. And they just don't seem to get that until they've seen it. And so how you message that and help them come along in that respect is really, really critical because they're so hung up on the technology. And I know that's what you guys provide, and you have a really great technology that has helped us build out these really powerful events. But the technology is not going to work on its own. And trying to get them to understand that is really important. And the other thing this is an interesting one is it's it's an equal investment almost as a live event. You know, they don't have the travel and that kind of stuff. So that's great. But when it comes to the production side of it and the creative and all the assets that it's going to take to make this a powerful experience, the investments pretty similar. And I think that's a surprise for a lot of people. But again, once they see it, they're like, I get it. So John, do you want to add anything on to that? I do, I do I was going to say in addition to that, what we've really learned is the importance of creative. And pre-COVID, we always would say to our clients, you know, people are using information, interacting with information differently than they ever have before, between social media and their phones, and having quick access to screens and news hits like we need to take that into account during a live meeting. Experience the way people are used to getting information now. And the same really holds true. Even more so when it comes to a virtual event. Like some clients, when we initially spoke to them to or three months ago that were considering having converting their their launch meetings to virtual really weren't quite grasping the fact that the importance of really creating an extremely creative and engaging experience to keep the attendees in front of the computer, you know, imagine in a ballroom how difficult that is. But imagine somebody at home, you can't tie them to the computer. They could turn off their video and get up and go to the bathroom. So that is something that's also equally as important to really think about what the attendee experience is like and how to keep their attention during the course of a virtual event. Alice. So when you are doing your role, you know you're talking to maybe presenters or talent, and through the feedback they're getting through agent, I see, how does that work and how does it feel like when you know whether you're talking to you probably talk to crew more than talent? Do you end up actually ever communicating with the talent? Well, this is a surprising thing about working in virtual is that I spend a lot of time talking with talent. And that's because the medium, the technology that we've been using right now don't allow a lot of people to be able to talk to the talent. So we've been I've been using a lot of shows with V mix lately, and there's only spots for eight people, which a lot of times means that the producer can't be on, the coordinator can't be on. So I'm the one who's talking to the talent 90% of the time. So I have to speech coach them. I have to calm them down. I have to talk them through their technology problems, which can be frightening for a lot of speakers. They are not used to being their own IT department. They come in and they're used to having an IT department. They're used to having someone solve their problems and they walk in and they can be very fearful. And I'm finding that speaking to them in a calming way, understanding their fears, understanding what they need to get done, there's a lot that they have to do now before we can get into the actual rehearsal and understanding that process and speaking to the presenters is a big part of my job. Now, I would say that you are right on, because right now people are glued to their screens for eight hours a day and to create some engagement and to try to make it something that is different than what they're seeing on their Zoom or their WebEx calls or whatever. And to make it fun and interesting is that one of the greatest challenges. And I think you guys are well on your way ahead of the curve because you've given a client something that they can take, wrap their arms around and deliverables and, and you continue to do great events. And I'm proud to be, you know, able to participate on your work. And so I'd like to thank both of you, John and DJ, the principals of BluePrintNYC and Alice Perlmutter for joining me today. You all are amazing people. You do great work and your true consummate professionals and I look forward to future events. And thank you so much for joining us today. And this is Les Goldberg and The Road Ahead. As I think about today's show, I realized how quick the industry had to pivot and adapt to this new world of virtual events and to truly create something that means something and it is needed. Virtual events are here to stay, and while I can't wait to live events come back, we've got something to do and make sure everyone's having fun doing it.