I just wanted to highlight the tools we are utilizing for EventCamp in New York City this Saturday February 6th 2010.  It has been fun for me to play with these tools. Owning a meeting production company I can see more and more companies, conferences who will want to utilize hybrid events, the backchannel, and streaming solutions to promote and get as many people involved and content to as many people as possible.  Challenges for streaming… The Roger Smith Hotel is all wireless no wired internet so could give us a problem. We will see.

Livestream- Sponsor of EventCamp and it is really a robust live streaming solution.  I have in the past used ustream but LiveStream is the Mercedes of streaming.

Twitter- Event camp is utilizing twitter for the virtual audience to keep abreast of the live event, plus is being used as a backchannel for the onsite audience as well.  Many of the live audience has connected through Twitter already.

Twebevent-  A very cool tool that we are using to combine the Livestream and Twitter so the virtual audience can attend virtually and be part of the backchannel conversation from one browser page.  Only downside to this is the ugly Google ads but a great free tool.

Conference 2.0- An eventcamp sponsor is where our community page is held.  You can connect with attendees, look at the schedule and join in with the forum board.

EventBrite- An eventcamp sponsor is a great option for registration for your event. Eventbrite really can help events of all sizes manage, promote their events.

tumblr – Christina Coster set this up with this blog software for eventcamp it is our landing pages.

Live Tweets- A sponsor of Eventcamp which is a great solution for live stream projecting your twitter feed.  For events it shows pictures in the stream plus a great filtering service for those unflattering tweets.

animoto- Is a cool little way to put your pictures in a collage.  Also a very cool way to do a sponsorship loop. Or a happy face candids video to close out your event!  I also throw it into a editing software and then save it as a quicktime file so we can loop it on any screen.
Here is the unfinished video sponsors loop- but we are still adding them.

If you want your logo in this loop contact me. Their is still time.

Related articles

• Live Streaming Service Ustream Gets $20 Million; Option To Get $55 Million More (contentsutra.com)
• YouTube to Live Stream U2 Concert (mashable.com)
• What Meeting Professionals can learn from James Cameron’s movie Avatar. (eventcoup.com)
• TwitCasting – Free Twitter+Videostreaming iPhone App (asiajin.com)

Hook your Audience With a Captivating Video Opening

As a corporate production company for meetings we are often asked to come up with a captivating opening video for our clients. In your videos, you only have a few moments to hook your audience. Here are some tried and true techniques you can use to make sure you capture the attention of your audience right away. You MUST have an opening that hooks and holds the viewer. Ways to do this:

• Pique curiosity
• Promise a big benefit
• Ask a question about a problem the product solves
• Establish a problem and provide solution
• Tap into audience’s core emotions and desires

Remember, the closing scene always needs a call to action. This means usually sending them to a specific URL, or introducing the upcoming speaker, the days message or conference message as a whole.

photo credit: kelsey_lovefusionphoto

 

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The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Mike interviews Maarten Vanneste Author of Meeting Architecture at PCMA Dallas 2010. I apologize for the low volume on this podcast in advance.

More about Maarten
His company– Abbit
His Book- Meeting Architecture

Even more on Maarten–>

Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media

Please leave us a question or comment, which we will try to address on the show ASAP!
Read the rest of this entry »

Event Pros Launch First Ever Conference for Events and Social Media
Event Planners Collaborate to Initiate EventCamp2010, First Conference Solely
Dedicated to the Emerging Competency of Social Media for Events
EventCamp 2010, a BarCamp-style gathering for
event professionals to share best practices and learn new strategies to create a
successful event, will be held on February 6, 2010 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. The “unconference” is being hosted as part of Social Media Week, five days of events involving the best and brightest in the New York tech community with the goal of educating and encouraging social media practices across all sectors.

EventCamp is the first industry gathering of its kind, offering a low-cost alternative to the pricey annual conference and allowing attendees the option to generate their own content, encouraging participation and allowing for a more interactive environment.Approximately half the session topics will be pre-determined, and aim to assist planners in utilizing social media and technology in event planning, execution, business development and networking.

Panel discussions from the industry’s most forward thinking planners and suppliers,
along with presentations by leaders in the social media world will include:
· Creating Hybrid Events
· Using Social Media On-site
· ROI on Social Media
· Social Hospitality
· Online Event Communities

A grassroots initiative, EventCamp is being organized by a diverse group of volunteers, all of whom are experienced event and social media professionals, and advocates of the power of technology to take events to the next level. In addition, the unconference is being completely funded by sponsors, including: Core Staging, Roger Smith Hotel, EventBrite, Live Tweets, Special Event Bootcamp, and Blue Sky Factory.

EventCamp Session: Engaging Audiences Using Hot Steamy Sex

Space is limited for the first EventCamp “Unconference” for Event Professionals on Social Media and Web 2.0 February 6th at the Roger Smith Hotel in New York City. So sign up now. Who is already going?

What to expect at EventCamp February 6th 2010:
A community of event professionals exchanging ideas and building connections to enhance live meetings and events through social media and Web 2.0 technologies.

Who is speaking?
- David Berkowitz: How To Change The World: A Good Guide To Social Media Marketing
-Hybrid Events panel featuring moderator Michael McCurry
-Jessica Levin: Overcoming Objections to Social Media from Business Leaders and Clients
-Samuel J. Smith: Integrating Social Media On-Site
-Creating an Online Conference Community featuring Jessica Levin
-Social 2.0 Hospitality panel featuring Christina Coster
-Jason Falls: The Art of Listening: How Social Media Can Improve Event Communication
-Jeff Hurt: Meeting The Needs of Face-to-Face & Virtual Audiences
-Deirdre Breakenridge: Social Marketing & ROI for Your Event

YOU: space is provided for you to address the community on your ideas or experiences on Social Media and web 2.0 for events & meetings. Feel free to move in an out of the sessions.
Read more about the sessions and topics!

NOTE: Sadly, the hot steamy sex for audience engagement session was canceled today.

Unfortunately we had to cut this session because of a scheduling conflict. The speaker had to moderate the hybrid meetings panel.  We apologize for this inconvenience this may have caused you. The day will still be full of exciting engaging experiences for all. See you there!

More info:
http://eventcamp.org/
http://eventcamp.conferencespot.org/
Twitter handle
#EC10
Linkedin
McCurrys Blog
Event Coup
Jeff Hurt
Christina Stalling
Jessica Levin

Interview with Michael McCurry of Experient

Photo Credit and hat tip to futurowoman (very cool stuff)

 

 Standard Podcast [19:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

The Meeting Planners podcast source for what’s new and exciting in meetings and events industry!

Michael McCurry is in the above opening video which was played at the 2010 PCMA event. One of the great transitions the production team came up with.

Mike McAllen of Grass Shack Events & Media interviews Michael McCurry of Experient and of the Blog McCurrys Corner at the PCMA Dallas meeting.

Michael talks on how he got into the Events Business, his association with PCMA, his role with Experient, technology, social media, his blog, Second Life and Event Camp organizing team he is part of.

Please leave us a question or comment, which we will try to address on the show ASAP! Read the rest of this entry »

This blog is basically a place we do posts and podcasts about events or meeting production.  We also like to interview different perspectives of the event industry. Yet I find myself thinking about themes and stories constantly.  When any production company is producing creative for events and meetings they try to push for engaging audiences though storytelling.  To spark ideas we should look to real life.

I live in an affluent neighborhood of Oakland California.  The Oakland Hills. I go to a gym in either Oakland or Emeryville every morning (same climbing gym company) This morning I had to write a particularly crappy email to an organization I was bowing out of.  So I was in a kind of mood which matched the gray sky.

As I drive to the gym, I go by some insanely large rich homes and then through some really bad neighborhoods.  I also drive by a very successful business area. The movie studio Pixar, the huge pharmaceutical campus of Novartus to name a few of the businesses.  It is also hugely multicultural area. I have seen lots of hipsters, hookers and once I saw a guy who had just been shot. So it is always seems to be a visual adventure everyday.

So this mornings drive at 7:30am I stopped at a red light, a young mother sipping a can of Sparks (caffeinated alcoholic drink) out of a straw in a paper bag walked in the crosswalk with two small kids, like 4 years old each. They all had just come out of the corner Liquor store and the two were happily eating two bags of Fritos.   Made me sad for these little kids who seemed to be  doing ok as they skipped across the street.  Breakfast of Champions I guess.  I have no idea maybe they ate already…this was a treat of some kind.

I moved on down the road, past PIxar, the little diner that the guys from Green Day own. As I came near the Novartus campus many huge white film industry trucks were parked everywhere.  I see a bunch of people standing there near the movie star trailers.  One is Clint Eastwood and I also saw Matt Damon who are shooting a movie.

You know what went through my mind?

I wonder what they had for Breakfast.

Photo credit- SpiritualMonkey

I am in the process of working on a few RFP’s for Event Production and video production.  Along these lines I usually start to drill down into what the clients message, theme and how they want the attendees to feel as the leave the venue.   Usually they say “I dunno” to this question. This is how it usually starts for meeting or event production questions. But thats ok. It is a process. Many event planners think when a production company asks for design or the look and feel of the meeting that it is like a paint job on a car.  Not a critical question to them.  I have to usually point out we want the stage design to blend and be a part of the overall story and message. Stage design should really not be a noticeable portion but a blend into the overall event experience.     Which brings me to the second portion of event production – the story question.  What is the story surrounding this event.  Actually it should be the first question, but rarely can it be.  If you start with stage design with the meeting planner then the story naturally can unfold. The stage design can adapt. Every session should blend into the attendees event experience.  For example everyone enjoyed storytelling as a child or show and tell.  We all love a good story.  In an event planning meeting engage what the overall story is. What will those attendees retain and remember? What do you want them to remember? Having your speakers put real life ideas, experiences, plus focused visuals brings out the best in the overall story of the event.  Next is emotions,  people remember emotional stories and inspirational stories.  The CEO that can make fun of himself or make him or herself in the position that anyone in the room could be in will bring real life emotion to his presentation will ultimately win over the audience. Adding in current events or trending events is also something to interject. After these questions are addressed we can work on the creative and supply the meeting production elements the client is looking for.

I added this bands video as a example of creativity in design.  Plus I thought it was pretty fun.

Hat Tip to @DonStugots  www.donsugots.com

Up next:  Meeting Production for the audiences big picture via visuals.

Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it.    Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you’ve got, and fix it as you go.  -Paul Arden

Try to engage your audiences you don’t have to be perfect but you just have to try. If its video, corporate theater or engaging presentations I hope more production companies, event producers, meeting architects and meeting planners will take hold of this advice because it pays dividends in the end.

I pulled this clip from Tim Streets blog who called this the perfect acceptance speech. Listen to Felicia Days speech, sounds like Paul Ardens advice doesn’t it?