Virtual Event Transformations

With COVID-19 in full swing, ECI decided to chart new waters with a 100% virtual event. Their annual Sales and Marketing Kickoff event (250 international attendees) is normally in-person, but due to the pandemic, they had no choice but to spin it virtual. ECI’s in-person events generally contain high-value content and learning, with a mid-high production awards night to cap it off.

Coordinating with directors and C-suite speakers for pre-recorded sessions created a logistical hurdle that was difficult to sort out from a distance. Zoom meetings with one speaker and one presentation are simple; recreating an entire in-person sales kickoff with multiple breakout sessions, trainings, and general sessions proved much more complicated. To top it all off, the attendee base spanned the entire globe with a wide range of activity time due to time zones.

Needless to say, there was hesitation initially with transforming this large in-person meeting into an entirely virtual experience…

Project

Virtual Meeting Transformation

Clients

ECI Software Solutions

Goals

Recreate in-person sales kickoff
an international virtual event

Partnering with a professional AV solution provider was key in creating a virtual event that checked all the boxes of an in-person sales kickoff. Michael Arp and BrightAV worked with Brightspot’s planners to build out an interactive site on Bizzabo, BrightAV’s virtual event platform. This site acted as the nexus for registrations, live agendas, attendee networking, and as the stream location for showtime.

Using Bizzabo’s ability to create custom agendas and views for each registrant, the Brightspot team was able to create a shifting schedule for each international attendee that fit their timezone. Coupled with the ability to view previous sessions, Bizzabo provided the perfect method of keeping each attendee engaged, no matter where they tuned in from.

What really separates this hybrid virtual event from all others was the use of an in-person recording stage set up in a meeting space, closely monitored with top health and safety protocols. The directors and C-suite were brought in to pre-record sessions, lead live training sessions, and answer Q&A segments in real-time with a full AV production crew, courtesy of the experts at BrightAV.

Jeff Civillico emceed the general sessions and guided attendees through the gift baskets that were delivered to their homes, which included a ring light for added webcam glam and a few extra goodies to help enjoy the show! These virtual meeting care packs added a tangible element to the event and drastically increased attendee engagement.

Over 250 attendees from all over the globe tuned in and were blown away by the production value. The vast majority rated the virtual event transformation as “above expectation” and would like to see the option in the future. That being said, the large majority still prefer the in-person meeting, but even with the return of meetings post-COVID, there is a use for this hybrid virtual event model.

Not only was there positive feedback and adequate registrations, but cost savings also impressed the C-suite when everything was settled. The virtual meeting ended up being around 40% less expensive than the in-person sales kickoff and provided a healthy ROI.