Global Conventions in a Virtual World

How a QSR company transitioned their series of global annual conventions to successful virtual experiences.

By: Christopher Baron, Senior Director, Digital Services

Hosting annual conventions for a global audience can be a feat in itself in-person, let alone in the virtual world. Finding unique ways to engage attendees year after year, while ensuring your vendors achieve their objectives, and driving home key messaging, can be a challenge.

In early November, one organization needed to find the right mix of platform, production and technology to help them bring 10 separate global conventions to life – virtually. Here’s how they made that happen.

Bringing Together Big Brands

Our client, a multinational QSR (quick service restaurant) company hosts several events for their investors, franchisees, vendors and corporate team members throughout the year. This includes a series of conventions for their most prominent brands. Last year, they were looking to find creative ways to host their series of 10 conventions virtually, connecting over 7,000 attendees from around the world including North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

Crafting the Right Virtual Experience

Platform

Partnering with the Encore Digital Services team in Canada and a team of specialists from our sister-company Concise, our client planned to host their 10 annual events utilizing our Chime Live platform. Chime allowed our client to create custom designed lobbies to engage audience members with an in-person feel as well as create a massive exhibit floor with over 200 unique exhibitors across all 3 of their iconic brands. To ensure a seamless attendee experience, a live information booth was created in Chime to answer any questions from the virtual attendees, provide technical support and register last minute guests.

Production

This QSR company took advantage of our global Presentation Stages™, including our Ultimate stage in Toronto, to record key messages and broadcast them out to attendees around the world. Our Production team partnered with Encore team members in Switzerland for pre-production and video capture for pre-records of remote speakers, as well as Encore Asia-Pacific team members to capture pre-records of remote speakers in Singapore. Encore team members in Australia were also there to support the technical execution for on-demand streaming into Mainland China.

Technology

The team leveraged zoom for streaming as well as to create breakout rooms for the various educational sessions. And Encore Canada’s Video Networking Lounge, Powered by Rally  was leveraged for the various networking sessions within the Chime platform, to help attendees connect and replicate that live-event networking experience.

Global Collaboration for the Win!

At the end of the event, the Quick Service Restaurant brand team was thrilled. Not only was the team able to deliver on providing an engaging virtual convention that allowed for a virtual tradeshow, networking opportunities, and education, but the global reach provided by Encore, enabled our client to bring their global audience together for this shared experience.

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