Production & Strategy | BizBash

Virtual Events

President Barack Obama gave a virtual commencement speech during Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, which aired May 16 on television networks nationwide.

8 Ways to Be an Effective Virtual Event Speaker

Chipotle, the official restaurant partner for Teen Vogue's Virtual Prom, hosted an after-party with digital star David Dobrik via Instagram. The event included 10,000 free food giveaways, interactive games, and a $25,000 scholarship announcement.

9 Creative Ways to Integrate Sponsorships Into a Virtual Event

Nationally recognized mentalist and illusionist Wayne Hoffman can be booked for virtual events, offering sessions ranging from five minutes to a full hour.

10 Engaging Entertainment Ideas for Your Next Virtual Event

2020 Ask Bb Web (1)

Ask BizBash: How Long Should a Virtual Event Last?

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BizBash Virtual Event Guide

Event Management & Tech Tools

The Virtual Event Company

In April, Travis Scott performed inside Epic Games’ Fortnite, creating a kind of trippy, interactive music video.

Should You Host Your Virtual Event on a Gaming Platform?

As telecommuting becomes the new norm for many companies, popular video-conferencing software Zoom has seen a surge in use.

From A to Zoom: Tips on Planning Virtual Events From Tech-Savvy Industry Pros

Interview: Antonio Trincao on How Youcanevent Created a Shift in the Event Industry With Virtual Events

Maverick VR Virtual Reality Rentals

3 Things Event Planners Should Do During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Event Production & Fabrication

The event included a mix of live hosting and musical performances, plus prerecorded fireside chats and messages of support (pictured) from 17 different celebrities.

What It Takes to Plan a Virtual Gala—In Just 17 Days

Q&A: How This Industry Coalition Is Fighting for the Future of Live Events

Once stay-at-home orders ease a bit, film premieres and other events can take over existing drive-in theaters or be custom-built at outdoor venues, proposes the team at 15/40 Productions in Los Angeles.

Are Drive-In Theaters the Future of Events?

See How Create & Cultivate Tackled an All-Day Virtual Conference

How This Food Podcast Turned Into an Interactive Live Event

Experiential, Activations & Sponsorships

Breakout sessions took place in 10 fully enclosed stages around the event, with the smallest seating 100 people and the largest seating 1,200. Vibrant seating in hues of yellow, blue, and more added a pop of color to each space. See more: See How Google Gave its I/O Conference a Fun, Festival-Like Vibe

#ThrowbackThursday: Event Inspiration from Google's I/O Conference

At the Rosé Mansion, guests can follow a colorful floor flowchart—reminiscent of a Candy Land board game—to discover their preferences for sweet or bitter flavors. Currently, organizers are hosting digital events like virtual happy hours via Instagram while the space is shut down.

Will Instagram Museums Survive the Coronavirus?

HideSeek, a pop-up experience for adults inspired by childhood nostalgia, opened in a 7,000-square-foot vacant space on Dundas Street West in Toronto. The ticketed pop-up, which was open for two months, featured 12 rooms, including one covered in green and pink Velcro ball and catch toys. The pop-up was the first project produced by Experience First Productions, a company founded by entrepreneur Lee Davis. The company commissioned some 20 local artists to work on the installations.

#ThrowbackThursday: A Look Back at Spring 2019's Most Colorful Event Ideas

PopTV hosted its first-ever pop-up in Los Angeles in late November. The three-day Schitt's Creek activation, which was free and open to the public and later traveled to New York, spanned 7,000 square feet and included show-inspired vignettes such as Cafe Tropical and Rose Apothecary.

Need Some Inspiration? Check Out 24 Clever Ideas From Recent Entertainment Premieres and Promotions

Also in 2016, sponsor Delta Air Lines created an immersive installation to introduce its new collaborative research center dubbed the Hangar. Inside the space, 6,000 LED lights simulated a star-filled sky. Attendees could climb throughout the dream-like environment and then submit innovative ideas for Delta to explore.

#ThrowbackThursday: 10 Smart Ideas From TED Conferences Through the Years

Opinion & Experts

2020 Ask Bb Web (1)

Ask BizBash: How Can I Network During Stay-at-Home Orders?

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Need Some Motivation? Here's How Event Pros Are Prioritizing Wellness While Working From Home

Interview: Antonio Trincao on How Youcanevent Created a Shift in the Event Industry With Virtual Events

Maverick VR Virtual Reality Rentals

3 Things Event Planners Should Do During the Coronavirus Pandemic

A crowd gathers at the Freaky Deaky Texas festival, held at the Houston Raceway October 26 and 27, 2019.

‘Right Now All We Have Is Hope’: How One Festival Producer Is Navigating the Pandemic

Programming & Entertainment

In place of its in-person event—a conference for the global event industry that had been scheduled to take place in Frankfurt this week—IMEX Group launched PlanetIMEX on May 6. For several days prior to the official kick-off, IMEX built excitement by letting attendees engage with the eye-catching virtual world, which features a series of 3-D 'islands' built by Storyscape 3D. The official educational programming kicked off on May 11, and a third island, dubbed 'Networking Island,' will launch later this week.

10 Smart Tips for Keeping Attendees Engaged Before, During, and After a Virtual Event

TV personality Erin Lim (left) hosted the virtual fundraising event, chatting with a slew of celebrities, including actress Yara Shahidi of Grown-ish fame. Some of the A-listers autographed a handful of the T-shirts from the SHEIN Together collection, made up of quarantine-theme tops with playful messages on them such as 'Stay Home Club.'

How This Fashion Brand Drew Over 1 Million People to its Virtual Fundraiser

The NFL worked with each of the clubs, such as the Cincinnati Bengals, to identify fans to include during the Thursday and Friday night broadcasts via video conference calls.

How Football Fans Became the ‘Centerpiece’ of the NFL’s Virtual Draft

Journalist Roland Martin chatted with student government presidents from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) around the country to learn how their student bodies are dealing with the COVID-19 shutdowns. All attendees were encouraged to wear shirts representing their schools.

6 Things This Virtual Conference Did Right

Hidden Door Experiences has launched a 'remote lip-sync battle' offering, available for groups as large as 200. Click here to watch a sample video.

15 New Ideas for Virtual Events, Ice Breakers, and Other Teambuilding Activities

Registration & Ticketing

If it is necessary to ask participants their gender, include an option for folks to identify as non-binary and/or 'other.'

3 Tips for an Inclusive Online Registration Form

2020 Ask Bb Web (1)

Ask BizBash: Should I Charge for Tickets to My Virtual Event?

(From left:) Kori Gorman, Tom Stulberg, Ruby Sohi

How Do You Get Guests to R.S.V.P. to an Event?

Eventene—an all-in-one event planning solution.

Event Planning Apps Guide

Run events smarter, better with Zoho Backstage.

Are All-in-One Event Management Tools Really Worth the Hype?

Strategy

If it is necessary to ask participants their gender, include an option for folks to identify as non-binary and/or 'other.'

3 Tips for an Inclusive Online Registration Form

Earlier in May, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami—home to this year’s Super Bowl—announced it will be the first pro football stadium to attain the GBAC STAR accreditation.

Why Venues Across the U.S. Are Focusing Efforts to Attain GBAC STAR Accreditation

2020 Ask Bb Web (1)

Ask BizBash: How Long Should a Virtual Event Last?

Geoffrey Zakarian hosted City Harvest's 'The Great New York Foodathon,” which aired on local New York stations on April 17.

9 Lessons These Event Pros Learned From Hosting Virtual Fundraisers

In addition to the upcoming virtual site visit videos, Avenue Event Group offers Google Maps-like virtual tours for each of its venues, allowing event planners to drag their mouse to walk through a venue virtually and see it from all angles.

How Event Planners Can Get a Head Start on Future Events—From Home

Breakout sessions took place in 10 fully enclosed stages around the event, with the smallest seating 100 people and the largest seating 1,200. Vibrant seating in hues of yellow, blue, and more added a pop of color to each space. See more: See How Google Gave its I/O Conference a Fun, Festival-Like Vibe

#ThrowbackThursday: Event Inspiration from Google's I/O Conference

Q&A: How This Industry Coalition Is Fighting for the Future of Live Events

See How Brands Are Using Virtual Proms to Engage Gen Z

2020 Gather Geeks Trincao

Podcast: How This Virtual Platform Can Help Establish the New "Hybrid Standard" for Events