Category: Dynamism & Energy

WOW! When did 2018 pass? It’s probably the question we all ask ourselves.

We don’t have an answer for this question, but we certainly know how showed 2018 in terms of events.

It was a year of event experiences taken to the next event thanks to technology, the courage to choose an unconventional location and to offer event experiences to participants.

But what does 2019 bring?

Technology

We live in a world where we are connected to information through a device that we carry in our pockets. In a world where information circulates extraordinarily fast, a world where technology helps us take everything to the next level – from medicine, to technology and industry to the experiences that an event offers us.

Augmented Reality (AR) is back

Starting with 2016 and the appearance of Pokémon GO, the digital transformation of AR has shown an extraordinary potential, both for the gaming industry and for the events industry.

Although Virtual Reality (VR) enjoys popularity and recognition, it cannot be used outside of a specific application. That is why event industry specialists predict that AR will be used, above all, for the engagement of event participants.

Augmented Reality has the possibility to offer turn-by-turn indications to the participants, it can identify the participants in an event through recognition and even offers the possibility of interaction with a product through by means of a hologram.

Drones

Over time, drones have become widely used. Some drones are used to transport fruit or vegetables, while others have light impact dark abilities. Drones have made their way and are useful in a large number of industries, including the events industry. The Federal Aviation Administration (USA) says that by 2020 we will reach 7 million drones. Obviously, filming and photos from drones are extraordinary, but drones can be used in other ways, becoming a strategic element of an event.

Blockchain

Subject debated in the circle of friends, in meetings or in technology conferences. Attention has increased, and blockchain technology is expected to play an increasingly important role in many future industries. Blockchain allows the distribution of digital information, but not its copying.

Interactivity

We continue to advocate for a fast registration process. No one likes to start an event experience by standing in line for 15-20 minutes to enter the event. That is why registration applications have become more and more used.

Also in the respective application you can contact the speakers or the organizing team, asking questions to the speakers, giving them feedback or communicating with the organizing team for the small details that make the experience complete.< /span>

Location, location, location

As we said last year and we will continue to support it, alternative, unconventional locations have come to have priority. With a focus on creating memorable and interactive experiences, the events that take place in unconventional locations help increase participant engagement. These locations will increase interest in the event and create buzz, leading to standards being met just by bravely choosing a “different” location. From parking lots, to artists’ workshops, art galleries, urban gardens or cafes, the offered experience is implicitly unique.

Go Offline & Go Online

Focus your energy on creating unique event experiences that will organically create social media buzz and engagement. Communicate the event hashtag ahead of time to create excitement and you can use industry influencers to reach your target audience.

A Unique Voice

It is no longer enough to plan an event around a sales pitch. More than ever, participants need to experience stories and content with impact, whether you use extraordinary resources for a learning process, your event must offer the necessary support for quality content.

If you plan to offer your colleagues an event in 2019, write to us and one of our colleagues will write you the right offer:

We like to learn from:

• Blog.hubb.me
• Eventbrite
• Omnience events
• Event Manager blog

Made to be enjoyed

“National Wine Day of Moldova” passed the Prut, and for this, on the first weekend of October, “Moldova Wine Festival” – the first event dedicated to the wine, music and culture of the Republic of Moldova that took place in Romania.

The event organized under the banner “Created to be enjoyed” was rich in attractions for visitors, such as: wine tastings from renowned wineries, delicious cuisine, area of games for the little ones and seminars dedicated to wine. Moreover, visitors could enjoy craft activities, such as pottery or wood carving. span>

21 of the most important Moldovan wineries were present at the event, such as Château Vartely, Purcari, Castel Mimi, Timbrus, Gitana, Călărași Divin, Mileștii Mici, Suvorov & Kazayak Vin, Unicorn, Maurt, Alianța Vin, Bostavan, Vinuri de Comrat, Grada Vine, Fautor, Vinaria din Vale, Rădăcini, Sălcuta, Aroma S.A., Doina Vin and Producători Mici, which offered wine lovers the experience of quality taste.

In addition to wine tastings, adults could participate in a series of interesting activities prepared especially for them, including wine masterclasses held by specialists in the field, but also food masterclasses, moderated by Angela Brașoveanu, author of the book “Moldova – people, places, cuisine and wine” and supported by chef Marian Dinu, who revolutionized the concept of Moldovan gastronomy.

During the two days, wine lovers could enjoy Moldavian Wine in a unique musical environment. Renowned artists from Romania and the Republic of Moldova took to the stage located at the edge of the forest: Carla’s Dreams, Zdob si Zdub, Cuibul, Valeria Stoica, The Mono Jacks, Byron, Irina Sarbu Band and Nadia Trohin together with Mircea Tiberian.

The event took place in parallel with the National Wine Day in Chisinau, the initiator of the project – the National Vine and Wine Office – wanting to pay tribute through this synchronicity to the common history and tradition of of the two peoples in the centenary year.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Robots, Internet of Everything (IoT), Blockchain, Customer Experience, Li-Fi Tech are just some of the big themes that held the poster for the 7th Internet & Mobile World 2018.

The expo-conference took place on October 3 and 4 at Romexpo with the aim of presenting the main digital, mobile and software solutions for increasing the efficiency and productivity of a business, from small companies to giant companies.

During two days, 9,264 employees of Romanian companies, present as visitors, together with 136 speakers on the 7 stages, 22 domestic start-ups and 156 partner companies with over 2700 digital solutions, have transformed the Capital into the main hub of digital business.

A first novelty brought this year by the Internet & Mobile World was the expansion of the space allocated to the event, thanks to the move to the newest pavilion with a total area of about 7000 sqm, which brought an increase of about 1500 sqm compared to the previous editions.

This year Internet & Mobile World provided 7 stages with 130 conferences and no less than 136 speakers, famous names from major international companies as well as from the country, such as Siri Børsum – Google, Alex Casalboni – Amazon Web Services, Ilona Grzywinska – Uber, Tomasz Pieta – Booking.com, Alan Goode – Goode Intelligence, Roger Halbheer and Radu Ștefan – Microsoft.

The jury of the StarTech Factory program, launched by Internet & Mobile World and Raiffeisen Bank, decided to offer the prize of 2,000 dollars to the ClarK team.

The young people, already laureates of many start-up competitions in the country and abroad, presented on the main stage at Romexpo the product that brought them fame: smart industrial glasses with AR technology that facilitate and digitize the work of employees in several industries such as automotive , logistics, construction, oil and gas, etc.

During the two days of the event, we had the opportunity to talk with people passionate about IT solutions & digital, people who inspired us and conveyed the desire to make innovation a priority in the development of our businesses.

Thanks for joining us at the 7th Internet & Mobile World, the largest business expo-conference for IT solutions & Digital from Southeast Europe.

In the meantime, we have put on sale tickets for < a href="https://imworld.ro/">next edition Internet & Mobile World, which will take place at Romexpo, in Pavilion B1, on October 2-3, 2019.

Imobiliarium, the largest housing fair in Bucharest, opened its doors in the 4th edition and brings to those interested more than 22,000 properties from the portfolio of 84 complexes. The infusion of technology brought to the real estate fair and the spectacles of virtual reality present at the stands, facilitates the purchase process for any home and more, it will allow you to discover all the ensembles in one place! Started in 2017 as an alternative to classic real estate events, Târgul Imobiliarium comes with a simple objective: to facilitate the process of searching for and purchasing a property.

The new element at this edition were the “hemp” houses, which use this natural material in the construction and insulation process, with the aim of giving the buyer an increased comfort, from bio resources.

In this year’s edition, there have been changes in the approach to the offer so that this time construction quality, the introduction of high-performance and energy-efficient materials, smart solutions, as well as overall infrastructure development.

At the level of compartments and sizes, the offer brought together apartments of 2, 3 and 4+ rooms, in the preferences of three quarters of buyers, as well as houses, preferred by almost a quarter of those who choose to buy a new home. The top continues with homes by the sea and mountains, a segment whose increases come from the high demand recorded in previous years, which is also reflected in the current offer. On a smaller scale, at the next edition of the Târgu Imobiliarium, customers will also find some properties built in the vicinity of natural reserves. It is certain that the tendency to move to “greener” technologies or solutions – eco, energy efficient or smart – is increasingly present.

During the event, some of the exhibitors offered discounts, bonuses and other benefits upon purchase, this autumn’s edition having the richest offer compared to the three previous editions such as kitchens furnished, access to transport and last but not least parking spaces.

Among the largest residential complexes under construction or completed in Bucharest and its surroundings are: Aviației Park , H Pipera Lake, Luxuria Domenii Residence and Greenfield Residence, Vivenda Residencias, Arcadia Domenii Residence, 102 The Adress Barbu Văcărescu, Valletta Residences, Arbo Residence, Amber Gardens, Satul Scandinav or Plaza Residence.

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As event organizers we want to always be one step ahead and always surprise our audience. And on our to do list there is no “something to suit everyone” or “it’s been done before”.

Over 260 events organized last year and just as many reasons to want to take the event experience to another level. Reviewing what we learned from their organization and what we liked about others, we leave below some ideas to offer an interactive format of a conference.

#1 Demo Day

If your company has a wide range of products and services, you can organize a Demo Day event. Offer clients and potential clients the experience of your company. For example, if you have a large community that you normally keep engaged through various forms of digital communication, dedicate a day to invite them “to your home”. Or organize an in-house event where they have the possibility to interact with your employees, to test their favorite products and services. Either, you organize an event in a dedicated location, where you have a conference and expo type event format.

We organize Universum Inspiration Day. A day in which we invite people from the HR, Internal Comm or Marketing departments to present them with all the news regarding events – from information in the form of presentations, interesting speakers, apps and tech events. There are also activations or expo areas with the newest products from our portfolio.

#2 Eventex: Time allotted for Q&A preparation

At most conferences, the Q&A session is the only moment dedicated to the interaction between participants and speakers or the content presented.

At the Eventex Conference, the moderator invited the participants to write down 3 questions they have for the next speaker. Thus, the participants were attentive if the speaker answered their questions. After the presentation, the speaker proposed to those who have not yet received an answer to ask the questions through an event application. Afterwards, the questions with the most votes received the answers. Thus, most questions were answered through a 10-minute Q&A session.

#3 IMEX: replacing presentations with polls< /span>

I noticed that it has become a trend for speakers to energize the audience using live polls. Most of the time, they are just a bridge to the presentation. However, there are also speakers who support their presentation through these surveys, and the experience is truly impressive.

For example, last year at IMEX, Padraic Giligan and Patrick Delaney from SoolNua gave up any type of presentation and sent their message through live polls. They started with two more “light” questions to get people comfortable with the app and the format.

#4 Shorter and more dynamic presentations

I was talking in a previous article about speakers’ presentations. About how you can bring WOW, a faster learning process and greater engagement of the participants. From Poster Sessions, PechaKucha 20×20, Ignite Talks or interactive sessions with several speakers.

Event applications can also be used. A panel is organized with 4-5 speakers and a moderator, and the participants can ask questions to the speakers through the application. Thus, the speakers’ discussion is personalized and in accordance with the audience’s expectations.

Depending on the objective of the event, the type of audience and the format of the event, you can create a quality experience for the participants. We live in times where the quality offered is within the reach of any event organizer, you only need a minimum of information about your audience.

Whether you are starting a new project or expanding your team, there are many aspects to cover in the integration of new colleagues.

Thus, I have outlined below some ideas to consider for a successful process. Of course, each process is unique in accordance with the company’s personality, values and objectives.

AN INTEGRATION PLAN FOR NEW COLLEAGUES

Create a detailed plan for the integration of their new colleagues. Take into account especially the organizational culture and the company’s objectives. Make sure the HR team takes into account the 4Cs: compliance, clarification, culture and connection.

Compliance refers to legal aspects, both general and specific to the company. Newcomers must know them, and company policies must be clear.

Clarification regarding the role of the new employee and how he fits into the overall picture of the company is another important aspect. There are so many possibilities to show clarity to newcomers, regarding their job. Depending on organizational culture, the vibe and its role give free rein to the imagination to provide clarity.

Culture is defined by all the norms and expectations, formal and informal of the company. If, for example, regular internal events are organized within your company – such as Happy Day – be sure to invite and involve the newcomers as well.

Connection is realized immediately if interpersonal relationships are also nurtured, but it would redundant to insist on this aspect. Schedule One-on-One meetings – either lunch or coffee – where discussions will cover both professional aspects and challenges, but personal concerns will also be discussed. Thus creating the connection.

COMMUNICATION

No matter how detailed and complex the new colleagues’ integration plan is, make sure there will be open, transparent communication and feedback from both sides. Thus, you create an environment that will not give in to challenges and difficulties, moreover, you even capitalize on their input.

Every company has an internal communication channel, in addition to email, for succinct communication, questions or even funny discussions – whether we are talking about Skype for Business, Slack or customized platforms.

Finally, a kind reminder from us: don’t integrate the function, but the person.

It is obvious that we are in love with events – do you still remember the campaign #inlovewithevents? We like small events, because they are concentrated, you get to know all the participants and their context is quite obvious.

We also like big events, because they are a challenge. When you have to manage large flows of people, location (or locations), halls, activities, transport and of course event content. The latter must be varied enough to cover everyone’s interests, catchy enough to capture the attention of as many participants as possible, but also concise.

Today, we are talking about how you can create a synergy in a large-scale event, but also how we can improve the learning process of the participants.

CONTENTS

Over the years, we have noticed how it has gone from large-scale traditional conferences to those where the emphasis is placed on the quality of the delivered content. Feedback is the most handy tool you can use to generate useful content for everyone.

It’s that simple, in addition to the feedback related to the organization of the entire event, ask some questions related to the content of the agenda – from the speakers, to their presentations and what future topics would be of interest.

Besides the fact that the speakers and their themes can help you attract them to the event, but half of the promotion effort can be saved with the help of this information.

MORE SESSIONS

One of the reasons why the sessions organized in the form of smaller events, with a small audience work for each participant, having more elements in common. Large events have the advantage that you can segment a larger audience into breakout sessions. Afterwards, panels can be organized in a room where all the participants are brought.

A room with 30 participants allows you to use a not very formal format. Also, if the design of the room supports the learning process, we could say that you shoot several rabbits at once: the synergy created within the group, the connection created with the speaker and the learning process.

INTERACTIVE FORMAT

Speakers’ presentations can keep hundreds of participants actively interested if they have the right format, we debated about their WOW in the previous article. Also, a “hot”, current topic or a panel with charismatic speakers certainly does not need any artifice.

Questions from the room, perhaps using a small throwable or an event application that also collects questions, can keep the audience interested.

IN CONCLUSION

To obtain a suitable result from a large-scale event, you must dedicate attention to the contentwhat is going to reach the participants: collect feedback and create sessions according to their needs, if the audience consists of several types of participants organize them into smaller sessions and even better, use technology to deliver interactive content.

To make sure that you keep your community active, you can end the event with a closing plenary to draw a conclusion of the respective day, to make sure that the learning process was a qualitative one and that you have engaged participants.

You have surely participated in a conference where the content of the speakers seemed difficult to digest, the attention was harder to capture and the outcome after the event tended towards zero.

We will approach this topic in a positive manner, offering some possibilities for improving the content of the speakers’ presentations. In our portfolio of corporate events we also meet corporate conferences. And as we really like to accept the challenges of large-scale events, we have come across situations where a 2-day conference with 500 participants needs improvements in terms of presentation design – and here we are not referring to the design per se, but to the flow or way of presentation.

I was talking in a previous article about Effective Learning and how important is the design of an event so that the entire content is assimilated by the participants. So, here are some alternatives to the classic Power Point projected on a screen, with many slides and a duration far too long for the attention and patience of the participants.

Short (May) Sessions

Shorter sessions, more varied and followed by breaks.

Instead of 50-minute sessions, organize shorter sessions of a few minutes, use an interactive event application to collect questions from the room, and afterwards the speaker reserves 10 minutes for to answer them. An alternative, in order to encourage human interaction, would be that after the presentation of just a few minutes, the interested participants are invited to a room for a “break-out session” in which they have the possibility to interact with the speaker or to network with the other participants.

If each speaker is given 15 minutes of presentation, not only does he concentrate on his entire content in this time, but also the attention of the participants is dedicated to those 15 minutes.

Also in this category, we also mention the format of type presentations PechaKucha 20×20, Ted Talk sessions (including a red carpet) or Ignite Talks .

Poster Sessions

To encourage the above point, we recommend Poster Sessions. Each speaker creates a single poster to present his topic. He has a few minutes (5-7 minutes) and afterwards he can ask questions from the audience or retire to a breakout room to spend time with those interested in the topic addressed.

We encourage e-posters, not only because we eliminate the print and the difficulty of transporting them, but there is the possibility of subsequent changes and rapid transition between speakers.

Interactive Sessions with several Speakers

They have the format of the famous panels. Several speakers are invited on stage, an MC moderates the session and the audience can interact with them through an event application. The speakers can have short presentations before the panel or they can present their area of expertise at the beginning of the session. For such sessions, we encourage the use of the event application, the content being very easily customized and directed by the participants through questions. The learning process in such a session is very fast, and the feedback is positive.

In Conclusion

The success of an event depends on a lot of variables – from location, to the agenda, activations or present speakers. The purpose of an internal corporate event is for the participants to assimilate a fairly large volume of information, that’s why you need to use the appropriate method for them to be a win-win. And, for example, to increase the interest and interaction between participants in your event, you can find some solutions in the article 4 Quick Methods to Increase Attendee Engagement.

Looking over the trends of recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have became an essential part of the events industry.

And maybe not only from the events industry, because there are blog articles, newsletters, e-books, video-blogs and almost everything around us has adopted VR and AR the These are among the most innovative technology trends of the last decade.

Before we see how the two can be integrated into your next event, let’s go back to basics.

Virtual Reality (VR)

As he defines it Oxford Dictionary:

The computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.

This starts from the idea of creating something “almost real”. VR is used in events to create an interaction without limits and is often used in hybrid events or predominantly in virtual events.

Augmented Reality (AR)

It is similar to VR, but it does not create an alternative to reality, but complements it. You must have played, or at least heard about Pokemon Go. The magic of that game was created with the help of AR.

In Oxford Dictionary, AR is defined as:

A technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.

Like VR, augmented reality is often used in hybrid events.

Here are some ideas caught on the fly from colleagues in the MICE team to approach AR or VR in your next event:

1. Twist it up with a bit of gamification

I kept talking about gamification, clearly becoming a strong component of events and especially of team development. You give an interesting and fun twist to a serious event.

Combining the useful with the pleasant – you help the participants to communicate with each other, you can collect feedback, promote the partners of an event and all this with the help of gamification. And, of course, you can do this with the help of VR or AR.

2. Product display

And here we refer to the products that are perhaps more complicated to bring to an event – we have the well-known example of those from Volskwagen, when they developed an application for the Golf Cabriolet. The application uses AR and VR and gives you the opportunity to discover the car only with the help of a smartphone.

3. Creating a hybrid event

Before creating a virtual event, you can try organizing a hybrid event. That is, in addition to the participants who come to a conventional location (or not), you can also have those who participate online from various parts of the world.

And here we are not referring to the live streaming of the event, but to living the experience of the event with the help of Virtual Reality. An example at hand is the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.

4. Stands with VR

We live in an era where information means power. And brands want to convey, that’s why more and more are starting to offer information in various formats. Among these we call VR.

Here we have the example of colleagues from Internet & Mobile World and Bucharest Technology Week, in one of our events – Inspiration Day – presented their events through an application and some VR glasses.

5. Offers virtual tours

Unprecedented experiences with the help of an application and a pair of VR glasses. We can talk about how interactive the event is for colleagues from Imobiliarium, or rather we invite you to enjoy the experience Real estate on October 12-14.

6. Interactive presentations

The content of an event is in the top 3 reasons for participants choosing to attend an event. The presentations and information delivered by the speakers can also be offered in the form of AR.

A very good example is Bill Chang’s speech:

Conclusion

Both Virtual and Augmented Reality take your event experience to the next level. And if your audience is tech savvy… bingo!

Team meetings are special moments created either to give the team a boost of energy, or to make the action plan for the next year, or learning or all of the above. The meetings of the management team are more special because, in addition to those mentioned, perhaps a shift in thinking is needed, the topics may be more sensitive, or perhaps the event is one of the few in which the entire team gathers in a less formal setting.

So, while talking with the business development team, I learned about the next steps to choose the right location for the management team

• Step #1: Determining the exact number of people who will participate
• Step #2: Duration of meetings – it can be a one-day meeting, half a day or a complex event, for example, of which the meeting takes up a third
• Step #3: Logistical requirements – whether we are talking about an LED screen, a video projector and a projection screen, laptop, flipchart or if there are also teambuilding or energizer activities during the meetings, we are already talking about more logistics complex
• Step #4: Activations or entertainment – as we mentioned in the previous step, if there is room for activities in the agenda of the meeting, we recommend that you discuss with the location if this is allowed, in what time slot and of course if there is actually space for this
• Step #5: Accessibility – it is a very important aspect if the team is given transport to the location or it is necessary that the access be done quickly by other means
• Step #6: Planning this event in advance – even if you take care of it yourself, even if you give it to an agency, we recommend that you organize it in advance if you want it to be different
• Step #7: Other elements such as tables, cocktail parties or a specific arrangement of the room are aspects to be taken into account sent either to the location directly or to the event organizer

Considering that in such meetings the discussions are very serious, and the participants must be receptive, absorbing as much information as possible, while being relaxed and involved, the location and design of the event can help you to do this as efficiently as possible. From natural light, to the color of the location or the fresh air, they are through these elements.

If the meeting is part of a more complex event, it is very important that the agenda of the meeting is in accordance with the concept of the event, the theme or the values of the company so that the message transmitted is as strong as possible. For example, if it is a company focusing on sustainability or green energy, the meeting can take place in nature – park, mountain plateau, Botanical Garden or greenhouse. Even if the message is about power and about doing even more, we always recommend a circuit on an autodrome.

In Bucharest there are a lot of unconventional spaces which can be rented to escape the monotony of a conference hall – palaces, gardens, rooftops or art galleries.

The possibilities are countless and we know that in the case of managers’ meetings the most important thing is the content and those in the organization are mostly concerned with this aspect, the structure of the meeting, the topics covered, reports and future plans, hence our recommendation to leave the organizational part in the care of experts so that even a serious meeting can be an unforgettable experience.