In-person events are back. But there’s no ‘business as usual.’

“It’s evident that the events industry is still finding its feet, post-pandemic,” says General Manger of Concise UK Jim Hughes. “Whilst many venues and planners are seeing a return to near 2019 business … the world is different. The pandemic has encouraged even the least tech-savvy to master the basics of technology. We can’t think of returning to the old world of paper-based events and printed agendas.”

Additionally, audience attitudes have evolved. “Over 70 percent of Americans list Family and Physical Health and 67 percent list Mental Health as their priority over work, career development and travel opportunities,” Hughes adds.

The most successful events will be the ones that can integrate the easy connectivity and interactivity of virtual events into the in-room experience and cater to audiences with these new priorities. Let’s look at how organizers can do this by engaging audiences before, during and after the event.

Pre-event engagement strategies and tools


Your event website is the best tool to use to encourage pre-show audience interaction. “Extend the access to your event site or event app platform,” counsels Encore Digital Solutions Product Manager Ryan Sheehan. “Your attendees can have access to sneak-peak content, surveys, even pre-work on the registration site. Going live before your event … allows attendees to learn about your speakers and sessions beforehand. You can generate buzz and by the time the event pulls into the [venue], excitement can be high.”

Gathering data pre-event can also help organizers customize the onsite experience. Encore Director of Sales Engineering-Digital Solutions Rob Wilcox says that pre-event engagement should be part of a multi-pronged and multi-channel marketing approach. “It is an opportunity to listen to your audience with polling and surveys. That helps event organizers gain input that addresses [audience] needs and ‘what’s in it for me.’ It sets the tone and expectations for the event.”

Pre-populating online event websites and app platforms with agendas and other tools that allow participants to plan their ‘personalized’ experience in advance, is another effective way to engage future event audiences. Wilcox recommends that in addition to event sites, organizers should also leverage social media and emails to increase event registration and build buzz and momentum.

Case Study: Using pre-event engagement data to increase the effectiveness of regional road shows


Hughes says that the engagement metrics collected pre-show or during previous shows can be used to increase the effectiveness of future events. One of his clients did this for a series of roadshows they produced.

“The organizers were able to identify what areas of the program and learning were consistently well-understood, and any topics needing more follow-up or support,” Hughes says. “From their data collection, they also realized that there were some regional differences that meant they needed to adjust their approach in those areas.”

The event organizers were able to subtly adjust elements of their program to embrace these regional differences and preferences.

“Their roadshow was particularly successful because the client identified their objectives and understood the data that they wanted to collect in advance of their event, and so were able to build a program that measured what they needed to know.

Event day engagement strategies and tools


During the pandemic, many event organizers relied on online polling and chat tools to engage audiences. The great news is the technologies developed to engage online audiences can be and are being adapted for in-person use.

Sheehan points out that Encore has several digital tools that can provide polling functionality for in-person events. “What you are looking for will determine which solution is best,” he says. “But at a high level, we can integrate polling into your event app, help you design content around digital audience response system tools or even engage your in-person and remote attendees with low-latency streaming.”

Hybrid Latency — the lag time between when something is happening on stage and when it reaches the remote viewing audience — is a huge challenge to engaging hybrid audiences. Current streaming platforms tend to have a latency lag of 40 to 50 seconds. That makes it hard to get remote viewer responses to polls, Q&A and chat responses that sync up to what’s happening in real time for the in-person audience.

“Encore is just about to release a new low latency streaming option, reducing latency delays to around three to five seconds, which will radically change the opportunities for interaction and gives remote attendees a near equitable experience,” Hughes says.

“When using the Chime Live℠ engagement platform’s new ‘Low Latency’ streaming service, we also [can] track an individual’s dwell time, and see who is participating, measuring down into two-minute time blocks. This means that you can see who has watched what, and if at any point there was a significant drop-off.”

Presenters often use polling to keep audiences engaged during presentations. But organizers can use polls to tailor the conference content.

“When you have too many experts or too much content for the time that you have available, you can poll the audience to identify the topics that are of most interest to them – before or during the event – and pick the content most relevant to them and focused on what they want to hear about,” Hughes says. Because adult learners only retain information they’re interested in learning, this technique enhances learning and retention as well as content engagement.

Polls also can be employed to take participants’ ‘pulse’ to measure sentiment throughout the event. “These check-in/check-out questions help the meeting planners understand where they need to focus their message, so that it connects as best as possible with the audience,” Wilcox says. “The last thing you want is to spend a lot of time and effort producing an event only for the message to fall flat.”

Audience engagement tools can also be used during presentations as knowledge checks to gauge the level of understanding on the subject they are presenting on. For example, presenters can ask the audience a question to test how much they know about a topic before diving into it, then test them after to see how much they retained. “This technique can help presenters customize how they deliver the content, which is another win for event participants,” Wilcox says.

Another technology that enhances audience engagement during the event is second-screen technology. “Second screen technology refers to the use of a mobile device to provide an enhanced viewing experience for a television broadcast or live presentation,” Sheehan says.

One technique event organizers can borrow from television producers is to embed the stream with special content that encourages the audience to interact with the stream as they’re viewing it live. An example of this is the ‘Story Sync’ content broadcast alongside “Breaking Bad” episodes during its fifth season. During the broadcast, an icon on the screen let viewers know that there was an Easter egg they could unlock on their mobile device. This special content included behind-the-scenes photos, trivia, interviews, and more.

“The coolest part [of] using second-screen technology, such as iPads, for events is the ability [of] your attendees to pinch and zoom presentation content to get a better look, skip backwards for a moment to catch something they may have missed, and ask questions right in the moment without stepping up to the mic,” Sheehan says.

One of the best examples Sheehan has seen of this was at a client event for doctors. “While facilitating the training, the presenter provided an image of an x-ray used for a diagnosis discussion. The doctors were able to pinch and zoom and get a great look at the x-ray,” he says. “Normally, they would have been limited to what was on a projection screen.”

Case study: Polling event day audiences for input and buy-in


Polling
helps everyone at the event have an input and say in decisions that impact them. One client Hughes had wanted to revive and relaunch its company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy. 

“They wanted to get more buy-in from the staff and collaborate on solutions,” Hughes says. “Teams worked in small groups to come up with ideas at an organizational level, branch level and department level that supported their ESG policy.   

Then each team pitched their ideas to the whole group, who used the polling function to rate and prioritize the most appealing and viable solutions.” 

Post-event engagement strategy and tools


How do you keep people from forgetting your event? Use a different version of the same strategy you used to engage them prior to the event, Sheehan says.
 

“Whether your event is fully in-person or mixed with hybrid attendance, you can provide extended access to an event site with cool stuff like archived or on-demand session recordings, PDF copies of speaker presentations, and even post-event debriefs with polling or surveys. To be honest, this is also the perfect time to start teasing about your next event.” 

Wilcox points out that if you want to gauge event return on investment (ROI), post-event engagement is just as important as pre-event engagement. “The sales and real work happen after the event, so your post-engagement strategy is key to optimizing your results.” You want to keep the event’s themes and core call to action items front of mind until your next event.  

Here are a few examples of how organizers do that: 

    • Send ‘thank you’ emails to those who attended  
    • Send ‘sorry we missed you’ emails to those who could not attend with an invite encouraging their attendance next time 
    • Encourage participants to share feedback through surveys 
    • Create a post-event page with relevant event highlights and content, key downloadable materials, and a post-event report out 
    • Create a community forum or other way(s) to facilitate networking beyond the event walls 
    • Celebrate key successes around high performance relevant to event goals 
    • Have sales or customer teams personalize their own follow-up/touch-base communications

Don’t forget to analyze the data received from your audience engagement efforts. “Going through post-event survey data to learn how participants felt about the event [will help you] gain insight on how to improve the next one,” Wilcox says. 

In addition to the quantitative metrics of event platform dashboards and surveys, incorporate qualitative data, like anecdotal feedback gathered onsite through conversations with event participants, the pulse surveys, chat streams and feedback shared on social media about what participants liked, what went well and what needs improvement. 

Case study: Using data to increase post-event revenue


A client using the event platform Chime Live for a product launch wanted to track post-event revenue. The client took the sales team through all the sales aids and support materials using Chime Live to house all the resources.
 

“Immediately after that session, they used a ‘Chime feedback form’ to ask the 200 attendees to identify three clients that they would pitch the new product to, in the three weeks immediately following the meeting,” Hughes says. “As the attendees had interacted with all the content, and felt confident in the product, it was easy for them to identify and capture 600 opportunities for the new product. 

“The organizers had an action plan and immediately hit the market and generated opportunities and revenue as a direct output from that session.” 

It’s clear the meeting industry has changed due to the pandemic, and this has a lot to do with the mindset and behavioral changes of event participants. What kind of strategies and tools are you using or planning to use to keep participants engaged at your events going forward? Let us know by commenting below or tagging us @encore on social media. 

Are you tired of seeing attendees checking their phones during your event? It’s the surest sign that someone is disengaged from what’s going on. And when one person does it, everyone around them feels a need to do the same. The average person interacts with their phone nearly three times a minute or a staggering 2,617 times a day.

Why are your event attendees disengaging? According to Fast Company, there are several reasons why people might not be paying attention to your presentations, including:

  1. Difficulty paying attention to both spoken and written words at the same time
  2. Finding the presentation boring,
  3. Or not being able to visualize the ideas being presented.

Therefore, how do you nip extracurricular activity in the bud and ensure participants engage with conference content? One of the best ways is to provide them with a dedicated Chime Live℠ enabled iPad.

This solution not only keeps phones out of  your attendee hands, but it also elevates the in-room experience by providing multiple ways participants can interact with the event, presenters and each other. Let’s take a look at the boundless possibilities for engagement this technology creates for meeting and event organizers.

Event technology that engages

Chime Live is a mobile event technology platform that delivers real-time conference content, interactive quizzing and polls, and essential event analytics. When attendees walk into a room where an iPad is waiting for them, it immediately makes them feel important. And it lets them know that this is an event that welcomes their participation.

Chime Live-enabled iPads act as a second-screen, and is a perfect in-person event solution, displaying the speaker presentations in an interactive handheld format. Attendees can pinch and zoom each slide to see details, go back to review anything they’ve missed, and take notes on content they want to remember.

By having an iPad in their hands, they’re less tempted to pull a phone out, especially since the iPad allows them to zoom in on what’s being presented. The ability to go back and review or capture the content also aids learning and comprehension. And the technology prevents participants from skipping ahead, so audiences remain focused on what is happening in the room.

The Q&A feature allows attendees to ask questions from the comfort of their seats. This encourages both introverts and extroverts to participate in the conversation. It gives everyone a voice and eliminates the need to wait for a mic to express it.

Additionally, the platform provides presenters with interactive tools, such as polls and quizzes, and heatmaps, which provide an interactive image for participant voting.

For example, presenters can display a world map. As attendees touch the countries they’re hailing from, the heatmap will display color-coded concentrations, with the greatest number reflected in warmer shades and areas of lesser concentration in cooler colors.

Event technology that connects

Networking tools are another compelling reason to utilize the Chime Live event platform for in-person meetings. Chime Live offers features to help your event attendees connect prior, during, and after your live event. Here are ways you can get your attendees to enhance their networking participation:

  1. After participants create a user profile, they can open the “Connect” feature, which uses a matching algorithm  to suggest fellow attendees with shared interests or attributes.
  2. Event organizers can customize these designations to increase the relevance of these matchmaking suggestions for their group.
  3. The “messaging” feature then allows participants to contact and connect with people they want to meet.

Event technology that informs

Chime Live-enabled iPads can push out surveys and feedback forms to collect responses from event participants. The Analytics dashboard offers real-time insight into conference activity. Post-event reports also can provide the planner with insights into engagement levels.

One of the benefits of using the Chime Live platform is the full-service Encore event team that comes with it. In addition to helping event organizers develop and execute on their engagement strategy, the Concise team provides planners with an analytics dashboard that displays real-time information on how many participants are turned in, how engaged they are, and what live polling response levels look like. Onsite, Encore technicians push all these interactive elements to the iPads at carefully timed moments to keep attention levels high. If any metrics are lower than expected, the Encore team can cue notifications to boost in-room interaction. Post-event, Encore provides event organizers with in-depth analytics reports.

Interested in creating anticipation, increasing engagement and promoting two-way conversations between conference presenters and participants? Contact us for a free consultation on how Chime Live and iPads can enhance your next event.

Hint: It depends on how much time you have to plan.

You may not have the luxury of a generous planning window to put together your next hybrid event, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options to bring people together in exciting new ways. In fact, a wealth of high-quality platform solutions exist to help you expand your in-person event reach, connect with new audiences, encourage remote/in-person participant collaboration and engagement. One of the best ways to determine which event platform and how much support you need is to start with how much time you have to plan.

Too pressed for time to shop for an event platform? Encore provides a curated selection of best-in-class solutions, which we’ve highlighted below. (And if you’ve already selected a platform, the Encore team can provide production and/or creative support.)

Here’s our short list of platform solutions for hybrid meetings and events, based on your event lead time. Read on to learn about the boundless possibilities these platform technologies offer.

If you only have 1-2 weeks to plan

Zoom video conferencing is best for small, casual meetings. It’s also often used to stream content, like webinars and concurrent sessions, that is embedded in more dynamic viewing platforms.

This is the go-to hybrid event platform for several good reasons. But even with the slimmest of planning windows, you’ll have a better-quality event if you don’t try to run it off your company’s Zoom license.

What you may not realize is that Zoom comes in three flavors:

  1. Basic (free) accounts which are bound by a 40-minute time limit and a restricted set of features
  2. Professional accounts, which companies or individuals purchase to extend meeting times and gain access to more robust features, like webinar registration
  3. Enterprise accounts, which are only available to companies like Encore

What’s the difference between using your company’s professional Zoom license and using an enterprise Zoom account provided by Encore?

      • Multiple licenses are at your disposal, which helps you create educational “tracks” or concurrent streams for your event
      • Content can be recorded to the cloud rather than desktop-only
      • You don’t have to purchase a new license if your event grows; enterprise licenses can scale to handle groups of 500 or 5,000
 

Plus, if you go with a full-service event technology provider, like Encore, your event will be supported in real time by a human staff who can troubleshoot and produce a seamless event for you. Another benefit of partnering with Encore is that our team stays on top of the newest third-party Zoom integrations, which means we can point out solutions that you can add to Zoom to increase functionality and enhance participant engagement. To make planning easier, Encore has created a new solution for Hybrid Small Meetings that’s ideal with Zoom and essential technology ready to go — so you can just show us and let us worry about the set up.

If you have at least 3 weeks to plan

Looking for a self-service solution? The Cvent Attendee Hub* is best for events that need a way for exhibitors, sponsors and attendees to network and set up 1:1 appointments with each other before they arrive on-site. It also works well for conferences that have multiple sessions and activities. (*Customer must purchase Cvent Registration directly through Cvent.)

Cvent Attendee Hub allows you to quickly get your event up and running. Features include:

      • Integrated video equipment to create virtual events with live or pre-recorded content
      • Engagement features like live Q&A, chat, polling, and feedback surveys to keep sessions interactive
      • Meeting scheduling capabilities for groups or individuals so participants, exhibitors, and sponsors can connect and network
      • CEU tracking and certificate delivery for professional development education
      • Participant tracking to analyze attendee patterns of attendance and survey responses
 

If you’d rather have a fully-supported quick start event app, you might prefer using Chime Go. Chime Go is a paired down mobile-friendly solution that works well for conference organizers who want to give participants the ability to customize their event schedules. 

The Encore team can configure Chime Go in multiple ways to support in-person, virtual and hybrid meetings. Chime Go features a mobile-based agenda and in-room engagement tools, as well as a microsite that can be built around your streaming conference content or hybrid meeting. Benefits include:

      • A quick start, branded conference site accessible via mobile or other devices to elevate the attendee experience , with self-registration, agenda, map pdfs, ability for participants to ask questions (customer moderated), upvote other’s questions, and take notes that they can send to themselves. Add-on options include sponsor banners and fundraising links
      • A hybrid-ready microsite with all of the above, plus the option to include streaming windows for participants to watch live broadcast or on-demand content. Other options include chat and sentiment stream, closed captioning, Zoom meeting integration , and more

If you have at least 4 weeks to plan

Interested in blending the in-person experience with the digital one? Consider creating a choreographed hybrid experience with Chime Live, a powerful digital storytelling platform. Chime Live works well for high-profile events where you want attendees to feel special. It also is a good fit for events that prioritize two-way conversations between the presenters and the audience, as it provides robust collaboration and engagement tools.

      • Pre-event, Chime Live provides a branded registration platform, sponsor areas, social media sharing, and pertinent event information.
      • During the event, participants interact with Chime Live via mobile app to view, vote on, submit questions, and interact with conference content.
      • Post-event, Chime Live shares insights on participant interactions, submitted questions, and other data

If you have at least 6 weeks to plan

Looking to maximize engagement and impress your audience? Chime Live is ideal if you have at least a six-week planning window. These Chime Live engagement add-ons enhance the in-person and remote elements of events by providing a deeper way for presenters to connect with the audience, and for event participants to customize their event experience. You’ll receive all the bells and whistles mentioned above, plus:

      • Choreographed event design to focus attendees on what they need to see or do in the platform by pushing slides and pop-up interactive polls, Q&A, and more, in real time
      • Customized user interfaces for in-person and remote experiences
      • Personalized journeys featuring segmented or integrated experiences and customized agendas to support your organization and participants’ objectives
 

Another option is the Cvent Attendee Hub platform, which you can transform into a full-service solution by engaging the Encore team to help . The Encore team can support you during the design, set-up, and production phase. It’s a great choice for larger events, especially if you want to maximize engagement and let professionals manage the technology for you. In addition to the bells and whistles with the self-service option, the full-service version offers:

      • Worry-free tech set-up, streaming and production support, provided by the Encore team
      • Integrated Cvent registration
      • On-demand viewing functionality
      • Gamification
      • Customized attendee hub configured to suit your needs

If you have more than 8 weeks to plan

Consider leveraging all the above-mentioned perks of the Chime Live platform and elevating the experience for your remote attendees by adding a virtual lobby that allows them to “physically” interact with each other and content at the event through avatars. This functionality works well with global expositions, conferences and trade shows that need to provide an interactive online environment that is as compelling for its remote participants as for its in-person ones.

Create an immersive 2-D or 3-D virtual environment that recreates elements familiar to in-person conferences, such as lobbies, theaters, virtual trade show booths and networking lounges with Notified from Intrado. This platform accommodates large events and exhibitions and is a fantastic choice for events attracting a large number of remote attendees. Benefits of the platform include:

      • Broadcast studio-quality streaming
      • AI-driven matchmaking software and video chat options
      • Sponsorship packages
      • Custom-branded areas
      • Full-service creative, production and design assistance from the Encore team

If you have more than 12 weeks to plan

If Notified by Intrado is on your list, and you have a three-month window before the event, you can add an integrated registration option to the immersive elements mentioned above. These options work very well for virtual expos and conferences.

It’s no secret that conference content not only drives attendance, but it also generates on-site brand publicity through social media engagement and can generate significant post-event revenue. If you have a generous planning window of at least 12 weeks, you should consider hiring a content development team to design, source and produce different elements of your conference content. Encore offers Creative services that can:

      • Design presentation templates and create presentations
      • Transform your brand logo into an animated asset
      • Produce short and long-format video segments and interstitial video “stingers” to introduce speakers, promote sponsors and highlight event elements before, during and after the event
      • Create motion graphics and animations to spice up in-person and broadcast content
      • Coach speakers and ghost-write executive speeches
      • Capture images and video on-site
 

Encore can also provide on-site presentation management with Content1, a fully supported system for collecting and distributing presentation files to meeting spaces at events. Presenters can upload their presentations from their home or office pre-event, then check into our Speaker Ready Room on-site for final revisions, uploads, and review.

Presentations are automatically transferred to the meeting rooms and delivered from a single, customized computer, ensuring the final revision is presented without delays during the meeting.

Where do you fall on this spectrum? 

Has this guide helped you select a potential hybrid event platform? Or are you still wondering what the best options are for your event? Encore is happy to help. We offer free consultations. Even if you’ve selected an event platform, we can consult with you on how to elevate your event. Connect to an Encore team member here.

To help you remember the different platform solutions, we created this infographic you can download and keep with you.

Platform solutions by lead times

One of the easiest ways to select a hybrid event platform is by how much time you have to organize it. Here’s what we suggest. If you want help selecting a platform, or need assistance setting up and running one you’ve already selected, Encore can help, too. Get in touch for a free consultation.

When you’re broadcasting content during a hybrid or virtual meeting, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Why would you want to start with a set-up that’s doomed to fail? If you’re depending on Wi-Fi internet, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

“For hybrid, the success of the meeting is dependent on having a good internet experience,” says Alex Wedesky, Encore Director of Internet Operations. “You need a more reliable connection to hinge your meeting on.” That’s why wired internet solutions are superior to Wi-Fi ones when you’re producing a hybrid event.

The downside to Wi-Fi

Why does relying on a Wi-Fi connection make your meeting vulnerable?

  • Even a small group of people can have an intense internet demand, and Wi-Fi forces your meeting to share bandwidth with all the devices in the space.
  • The stability of your connection could be jeopardized by a group of people outside your room, if they have devices that are trying to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
  • The strength of a Wi-Fi network’s signal relies on the number of radios in the space that act as access points, how old they are, how old or new the device you’re using to connect to the internet is, the number of people connecting to the same network and your distance from the access point.

Using a wired internet connection eliminates all these disruptive elements, Wedesky says. Plus, it provides greater peace of mind.

“Free is not always the best option,” Wedesky says. “Free often means unsupported. You can’t troubleshoot free stuff.” Paying for a wired connection gives you a real-time support team whose job is to make sure your event isn’t interrupted by internet glitches.

Questions for event technology providers

Wedesky recommends meeting and event professionals ask the following questions to guarantee they secure the best possible internet solution for their hybrid event.

  1. Is there wired internet in the space?
  2. Can the venue provide the right bandwidth for your meeting?
  3. Will you be sharing bandwidth with other events happening at the same time?
  4. Does the venue have a failover or backup solution?

You want to be able to secure your camera and laptops to a wired internet line. Having a dedicated pool of bandwidth guarantees you’ll have the exact amount of bandwidth you need, and it will not ebb or collapse as other connected parties join. Finally, networks are no more reliable than cell phones. If yours goes down, you don’t want your participants’ screens to go blank. That’s why every event needs a failover or backup solution, even if your internet is on a wired connection.

Tiered internet solutions

Think of the internet as a highway. When a lot of people get on the road, you end up with a traffic jam. But, if you’re able to ride in the HOV lane, you can quickly bypass any hold-ups.

In terms of tiered internet solutions, using a Wi-Fi network or sharing bandwidth with other events is like being on a highway. You may not have any issues. Or you might find yourself at a standstill as demand clogs the road. The cost savings might not justify the risks. These types of connections are available at 3MB and 5MB speeds, which are adequate for streaming content, but may not be able to handle complex demands, like video playback and product demonstrations.

Want your own HOV lane? Talk to your event technology provider about dedicating bandwidth to your event with a wired internet connection. To provide this service, they will construct a VLAN network specific to your group inside the venue’s larger network. This dedicated connection also offers perks that can enhance the experience and provide additional monetization opportunities, such as:

  • Customized/company-branded network name
  • Splash page with customized content (e.g., terms and conditions, COVID policy, etc.)
  • Automatic redirect to a target site, such as a company homepage or product offering, after participants log in

 

The benefits of working with an end-to-end event solution

“Overall, if Encore is providing all services, there are efficiencies we can add in,” Wedesky says. For example, being able to increase the amount of bandwidth if the meeting is approaching its limit to keep the broadcast stream from hiccupping.

Another perk Encore provides is a cellular back-up solution that can be ported into any facility. If anything happens to the internet connection, the cellular solution adds a layer of safety and comfort around the meeting and ensures it stays online.

“Encore also uses a content distribution network for most of our hybrid broadcasts. That can lower the bandwidth demand in some instances.”

Working with an all-in-one team like Encore also means that you’re eliminating some of the problems inherent when you work with multiple vendors.

“We can communicate with each other and know exactly how to get your content from capture to broadcast, Wedesky says. “Plus, there’s lots of great data we can capture when Encore is providing the total solution.”

Encore offers a variety of wired internet connection options to help meet your event’s needs. Speak to one of our professionals to learn more today!

All Events - Made Easier

Our team members have the technology and expertise to help transform any event experience with ease—whether in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of the two. Since 2009, Encore has been seamlessly connecting in-person and virtual audiences around the globe. We have a full range of leading-edge solutions to engage with those at your location and participants joining for anywhere. Let’s create the perfect event together.

Elevate Every Event with the Best Platforms

With hundreds of event platforms on the market today, choosing the right solution for any meeting or event can be daunting. So, we’ve curated a portfolio of best-in-class platforms, selecting partners with deep industry expertise to meet your needs. From self-managed one-hour online meetings to fully-managed multi-day in-person conferences and trade shows with hybrid components, we can help you find the best solution and recommend the right level of support from Encore production and technology specialists.

person running to an event on the pdf's cover

Polling+

Easy Q&A and Polling
Transform Q&A into a seamless experience. Attendees can scan a QR code or click a web link to instantly participate in sessions.
Polling+

Chime GoSM

Quick Start Fully Supported Event App
Chime Go is a quick start event app that’s easy, affordable & professional.​ The app puts essential information and interactive tools at participants' fingertips -- like agendas, Q&A, venue maps and more. With Encore experts by your side, feel confident that you can take your event to the next level.
Chime GoSM

Chime LiveSM

Choreographed Event Experiences
Transform your next event with the Chime Live platform, built to drive engagement whether your attendees are joining onsite, online or in combination. Our full-service solution can be customized to tell your story, highlight what’s important and deliver the outcomes you need pre-, during and post-event.
Chime LiveSM

Notified®
Virtual Event Platform

Immersive Virtual Expos & Conferences
Immerse remote attendees in event spaces that emulate the in-person experience with the Notified Virtual Event platform. Encore and Notify bring you seamless large-scale hybrid conferences and exhibitions with in-app streaming, production expertise and creative services.
Notified®
Virtual Event Platform

Even if you bring your own platform, Encore can provide creative, production, and technology support services to enhance your event.

End-to-End Event Solutions

From strategy and creative to production and technology to the event and post-event follow-up, we have expertise to help you deliver boundless inspiration, connections and engagement.

We'll Work With You Every Step Of Your Event

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Benefits of Extending Your In-Person Meeting to Hybrid or Virtual

Expand your in-person meeting to accomodate remote participants with or convert your event to virtual if you can’t meet in-person. There are boundless benefits of engaging your audience virtually and in-person , during and after events that
you may not have considered such as:

Increased Attendance & Scalability
Thought Leadership
Networking
New Revenue Streams
Richer Event Data
On-Demand Viewing Flexibility
Expanded Social Reach

Case Studies for In-Person, Hybrid & Virtual Event Platforms

Need some inspiration? Check out our in-person, virtual and hybrid case studies for some real world examples of our successful customer collaborations.

Virtual & Hybrid Event Case Studies

Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.

Call us at (866) 351-1144 or click the button below to get started!

What Our Customers Say:


“I knew this was going to be good. But I didn’t realize it was going to be this good!”

Chris Bryson, CEO Consulate Health Care

“...Encore was the ideal partner as we entered into an unknown situation. They helped us shift from what historically had been an in-person event to a successful hybrid outcome with as little stress as possible, during the planning phase. This was particularly true as it pertained to keeping all attendees engaged, and Encore's Chime Live platform was definitely the right situation for that.”

Jude Riley, Education Director, Heart of America Eye Care Congress

Learn how to create the most successful
hybrid meeting

With so many organizers opting to hold events using hybrid formats, it is vital to choose an investment that will up production value and boost your participants’ experiences. Encore has put together 10 tips to help you produce your most successful hybrid event and keep virtual participants glued to their screens.

In this guide you’ll learn about:

          • Various digital features that work best during hybrid events
          • How to step up virtual and in-person production
          • What features keep attendees engaged
          • And more!
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Download this guide to help you make the most of your hybrid events.

 

Download the Hybrid+
10 tips guide

Don’t let audio issues disrupt your event

When speakers are presenting their message, it’s crucial to make sure all participants can hear clearly. Taking the time to ensure your audio components are working properly will improve your attendees’ experience and help them fully engage in meetings. That’s why choosing the right audio-visual equipment and technology is so important. Encore developed a guide to help you improve the interaction between presenters and audience members, especially for events with audiences in various locations.

In this guide you’ll learn about:

          • How to identify typical audio-visual issues
          • Which sound solutions work for various meeting formats
          • Best practices to improve sound quality
          • And more!

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Download our guide to step up the sound quality of your hybrid events today!

 

Download the Audio Streaming Solutions Guide for Planners

Discover what camera options work best for
your meeting

Video cameras play an integral role in both your participants’ experience and your hybrid event’s production. Proper visual equipment has the power to connect your in-person and remote participants to help them stay engaged and feel included in the conversation. That’s why choosing the right camera package is so important. Encore developed a guide to help you deliver an interactive event experience.

In this guide you’ll learn about:

          • The importance of the audio-visual experience
          • How to define your desired experience
          • Factors that can impact your meeting quality
          • And more!

Download our guide to step up the quality of your hybrid events today!

 

Download the Camera Solutions Guide for Meetings & Events

Determine which technology features you need for a successful event

In this workbook, you’ll discover the pros and cons of audio-visual technology, including:

          • External cameras and audio
          • Wired internet
          • Additional displays
          • Enterprise video conferencing tools
          • Laptop rentals
          • Event technology provider
          • And more!
 

Download the workbook today!

Download the Hybrid+ Essentials Workbook

We hope you enjoy your download of Encore’s workbook and use it for planning your next hybrid event with success! Want the entire scoop? 

Learn more about essentials for small hybrid meetings. 

The Importance of Hybrid Events Stays

While we all look forward to the day when in-person events are back at full capacity, having the option to attend virtually has become an expectation among participants. However, as many meeting planners know, hybrid events are complex and can present a number of challenges. Encore created this quick guide to help you plan and execute successful hybrid events of any size.

In this guide, you’ll learn about:

      • The six key pillars of a hybrid event
      • The importance of the attendee experience
      • Tips to help you design a successful meeting
      • And more!

We hope you enjoy your download of this guide and use these tips for planning your next hybrid event with success!