Just yesterday, we once again tackled the topic of virtual audience engagement. And one of the points we stressed was the importance of entertainment. The world is always starving for entertainment, and remote attendees are not an exception to this rule! On the contrary โ one could even argue that keeping audiences amused is even more crucial in a virtual setting. Plus, with hybrid on an almost certain path to become the norm, it becomes crucial to learn the ropes of entertainment in this new world.
So today, weโre diving straight into it. Our lovely host Sarah welcomes the iconic JC York from Classic Entertainment & Productions. And JC has quite a lot to say about the topic! As a titan of entertainment, thereโs no one weโd rather have on board to teach us more about entertaining the new age of attendees. So press play and join us for another #EventIcons!
Making It Fun
JC has found a great way to create entertainment for virtual and hybrid events. โOne of the current things that Iโm working on right now is doing virtual Santa Claus. Because thatโs just a tradition and how do we navigate around that? So Iโve actually had some friends reach out to me, as I did it back in Easter with the Easter bunny, asking if I was willing to do some virtual Santa Claus visits. So Iโll be doing some Santa Claus visits via green screen and virtual right from the confines of my North Pole in Floridaโ, he says.
โI think there are people learning how to be able to do that virtually. As for bringing things into the meeting spectrum, I think itโs a nice change of pace. People have been what we now call zoom fatigued or zoomed out. So how do you engage that? And weโve come up with dropped in virtual characters. So weโve had the ability to, during somebodyโs meeting, be able to kind of zoom bomb them with the character. It doesnโt necessarily need to be holiday-related, but now as holidays are coming up, we want to do it with the Grinch and Scrooge or even Santa Clausโ, he adds.
The Key Is Recording!
Recently, we discussed the pros and cons of live sessions versus pre-recorded. And JC makes a great point about making entertainment for virtual and hybrid events pre-recorded! โI have noticed a lot of different things that have come up through meetings. A lot of it has been musical acts or performances that can be done as more of a cirque type of show. So something that you to watch, but the ability to do it live is great. And hereโs the key. Itโs not live. A lot of itโs already pre-produced, but you record in a live setting, you record that it is going to be live. So that when you switch over, people at home donโt know whether youโre switching to a prerecording or switching over to a different studio. And thatโs the keyโ.
โThe attendees donโt realize whatโs going on, what they donโt know, they donโt know. And as a planner, you feel very confident because everythingโs already been done. Theyโve seen it. What I recommend though, is to have some of that entertainment involved, but then also have a live person doing the MC introductions, the banter. Because then they truly canโt tell because that conversationโs happening live. So give the element of true live nature. And I think thatโs what captures people versus just watching another videoโ, he adds.
Entertainment For Virtual And Hybrid Events, Safely
โWith my company, a part of our focus is interactive entertainment. And you canโt get away from interactive and our activity is what makes it live. Itโs what makes it fun. Now, can you do this over a computer screen? Absolutely, you and I are talking, weโre engaging. But Iโll just flip it in and throw a character in there. And all of a sudden, we have something different. Itโs a new element. And then weโd like to take things to the next step, beyond virtual. Which will come with hybridโ, explains JC.
โBut how do you do entertainment safely? One of the products that we have, we call it the interact TV. So itโs live digital animation. We have animated characters that we are now conversing with. So you could put them on a big screen. You can make them the virtual emcee of the events. So theyโre on the big screens or a TV for entering or exiting a trade show area, or just a common area. And the personโs talking to a television set. But itโs a fun way to engageโ.
โAnd what we call that is scripted improv. So we have a base script and letโs say you are going to be on stage. Youโre the emcee or youโre the person thatโs running the meeting. But now I pop up on the big screen and now youโre having a conversation with a three-dimensional character on a screen. So theyโre not there next to you. Youโre actually talking to the person, the screen, and weโre going back and forth on things that have happened. Thatโs why itโs called scripted improv. We know where weโre going, but sometimes you have to adjust to something that just happened. So thatโs the fun partโ, he adds.
Going Above And Beyond
Here at Endless, we often stress the importance of hiring professional help. And while we mostly do so in the context of production, itโs just as relevant with entertainment for virtual and hybrid events. โIt goes back to show thereโs a value to hiring professionals, just like anything else. And we, as artists are exactly that weโre professionals weโve been doing this a long timeโ, says JC. โAnd itโs nice to see that there are people realizing that itโs not just throwing anything up on the screen and people will be entertained. You should be reaching out to those professionals who youโve known in the pastโ.
โThe main thing I love about this industry is the relationships. I think thatโs the number one factor of what we do. We support each other. And we have to come together, we have to support each other itโs this year. So whatโs going to elevate the virtual aspect to the next level is working with the people who are going to deliver a wonderful productโ, he adds.
Be Remembered
Setting your virtual event apart is hard โ but thatโs exactly where entertainment comes in. โWhat are people talking about the next day? Thatโs what weโve always tried to strive for with entertainment. Any performer always wants to leave that lasting impression. We donโt go in and just perform for the performance. Performers want to go and just entertain. We love to make people laugh and feel something and smile. And thatโs that element. So to bring that into the event space is great. I want people to realize that one character can make a difference at an eventโ, explains JC.
โEven if itโs just a meet and greet person at the door, that one element can make a big difference. Even if itโs for a 32-second segment, a one minute segment โ that can make all the difference for people to remember. You want to activate the mind. Thatโs where a lot of entertainment comes in. And thatโs why I would encourage anybody to reach out to their local performers, reach out to people that you have performed with. Spice things up, do something newโ.
Conclusions
So, can entertainment for virtual and hybrid events come close to what we have in-person? Absolutely! JC has already proved that our imagination is the limit. So donโt be afraid to reach out to the performers you know, because they will definitely surprise you with all the creative ideas they have for your event!