Corporate Events Plus

Although we are extremely busy with pre production planning for Mobile World Congress I had an interesting request for supplying one of my classic cars for a fashion shoot for an American men’s quarterly lifestyle magazine. London’s Shoreditch with it’s trendy gallery’s and art shops became the location and after a spirited drive into the capital the 1969 Triumph Spitfire helped set off the scene. Our industry is so varied, I like the fact that each week you never really know what type of event is just around the corner.

Having taken the first aid at work and Fire Warden and Marshal courses with St John’s Ambulance I am on their mailing list for information. They have sent through a very hand App with valuable information that could save someones life.

Look up the free App on sja.org.uk/app the information to understand symptoms and how to deal with an incident may just jog your memory to process dealing with an accident on site.

Meanwhile back at the coalface an interesting conference for DMSAV Production Managing a retail conference saw us working with Declan Curry the ex BBC Business Breakfast economist and journalist. Having a compare such as Declan to link the business session relevant to the economy and market place was far more interesting than a chalk and talk presentation option.

What a great month of work and hobbies

Working in Paris on the motorshow is right up my street, I love these events, new technology being used and a theatrical element to the show with revolves, dancers, models and a concept product to launch- it is great working on these events especially when you get to work with a team who are at the top of their individual game.

Also it has not all been work – one of the reasons I go to work is to be able to enjoy hobbies and one is motorsport, following on from the success earlier in the year with a 1st in class win at Brands Hatch we were pulling out all the stops chasing our competitors on the race track at Snetterton in Norfolk and achieved a 2nd in class to finish off the motorsport season in style. I am not sure I will try this exact line on this bend again though !!Pre production visits to Barcelona and Berlin next on the horizon – time to reaquaint ourselves with valued suppliers abroad.

As I prepare for a week in Paris working at the Motoshow I am glad of the news that our Mobile World Congress project for the 3rd year running in Barcelona has been confirmed for the first quarter of 2015. To have work confirmed in advance enables further plans for investment to benefit the business.  Excellent.

Plans and scaled drawings count for nothing if they are not followed on site, here we are marking the venue floor where the steel beams will be laid using a coloured chalk line, once the steel is in place on this project the 6m high walls are built around the structure – get this wrong and you could have a very lop sided looking exhibition stand!

One way of constructing an upper decking floor base safely is to lay in the battens and screw the tongue and groove flooring together while the deck is on the floor. Having placed spacers under the steel subframe during construction we sometimes use 4 fork lift trucks to raise the floor and then attach the legs.

Before you know it, the structure is built and being used.

There comes a time in most Exhibition production when the individual elements of software, graphics, design, client expectation and delivery of the vision against budget comes to a tipping point.

Will the conference calls, emails, drawings, fabrication of steel and glass all come together?

Exhibition work is not quiet the adrenalin rush you get from delivering a live event element to an audience on stage and I think I may be missing that in the work we have been doing of late. Exhibitions are a display – yes there are sometimes theatrical elements incorporated but in the main once the doors to the Hall are opened the actual ‘event’ is a bit of an anti climax.

It is just a different type of work Exhibition from Conferencing.

Having watched the opening of the Commonwealth Games, the screen and the use of the graphics were fantastic, that was work to be proud of for sure, well done to all those involved.

Suddenly over the horizon an interesting project to work on at Gamescom which is the largest trade fair and highlight for interactive games. There are reported to be up to 350,000 people heading for the exhibition in Cologne between the 13th and 17th of August.

There are several booths to technically manage with video consoles, big relay video screens and audio systems – the projects are interesting, just wish I had some German language skills – the Spanish is coming along well and after a month in August on site in Germany I am sure I will have picked up afew key local phrases !

Until then it is nose to the grindstone with pre event management.

Hybrid Events are on the rise according to Meeting Professionals International. In a recent survey the report found that just over half of the organisations were using virtual or hybrid technologies for meetings and events.

Personally I do not think that this is a complete threat to face to face meetings but I also think it is an area that should be embraced. Only last month I was researching hybrid options for events and it appears this is a developing area of event production.

An interesting post on Linkedin by Martin Shepherdly from BeThere Global this month about the acceleration of social media & the use of online video.

On events I have seen clients use webcasting for delegates who could not attend the event in person.

I agree with Martin on the following points

”Clients should think about production values for both audiences”

”Give the web audience a voice – e.g. social media, questions, comments, polling”

Do something in the breaks…..use a dedicated ‘virtual host’ , consider an event ‘studio’ & use specific content for the remote audience.

I think the above is well worth considering – baring in mind the web audience is probably multitasking or easily distracted by their own office environment  particularly during the coffee and lunch breaks – additional content during these event down times could also be an opportunity to share additional information.

Chalk and Cheese

What a busy month and events that cover the spectrum of live event work.

Our month started in Barcelona with the conclusion of Technically Directing the delivery of 750sqm of double height exhibition booth including a grid truss roofing structure, offices with air conditioning, architectural lighting, hospitality and demonstration pods, audio visual support and telecommunications for Ivory.

During a staff briefing one of the intern students collapsed, I was called upon to give first aid being the registered first aid first point of contact on our Exhibition Stand. The revived young man was cared for until the Pavilion Doctor arrived on scene, it is important not to let anyone give the patient tablets or drugs without knowing the cause of the collapse – dehydration the culprit – a lack of water. Having taken the St Johns Ambulance First Aid course I felt confident to deal with the situation.

Onto Switzerland to the Genève Motor show for Invent Technically Directing the press launch of a new engine for the Q50 Eau Rouge Concept car. I love this type of work, huge images, great sound tracks, the hub hub of the press scrum.

Then onto Guildford to Produce a staff meeting for 850 for a Financial Services company, again, large screen projection and a voting system for information gathering and valuable feedback.

Working on leading events in the Technology and Automotive sectors is fantastic. To see what the industry is offering in terms of display technology, design and delivery is so valuable for staying current with ideas and being able to see just what works and sometimes what does not.

April – oddly a blank canvas – I wonder what is just round the corner?