From Multi-Vendor Project Coordination to Seamless and Worry-Free.

We See Solutions.

“Our job is to be a solutions architect
and partner”

Imagine coordinating 10+ event providers while hosting the 3-day Latino Tax Fest conference – for nearly a decade. Enter David and team in 2022. Now, imagine having a single partner who can do it all and grow attendance by 44%.

David Eck

Customer Engagement Director
The Challenge

The Latino Tax Pro customer recognized the multi-provider approach was not working for them or providing a quality experience for attendees. There was a real need to holistically understand the event experience and identify the right overall solutions.

While the Encore team was elevating the production experience at the 2022 conference, David shadowed 12 different customer teams to create a thorough event analysis with recommendations.

The Solution

Encore provided a full-service proposal to Latino Tax Pro for their 2023 event that completely satisfied their unique needs – relieving multi-partner management stress and boosting attendance and satisfaction in a big way.

Everything was reimagined from marketing campaigns, digital solutions and bilingual services to the multifunctional general session space, continuing education breakouts, expo hall and the annual pool party takeover.

 

The Result

The marketing campaign boosted attendance a whopping 44% – from 1,800 to 2,600! The attendees complimented the smoother, more inclusive experience. And Teena Lopez, Director of Development at Latino Tax Pro was so happy, she came up to David, gave him a hug and exclaimed, “This is the first time in 10 years I was actually able to network and enjoy the event!”

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From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them flawlessly. Explore their stories.

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From Oversized Sponsor Display to Last-Minute Branding Save.

We See Solutions.

“Where there's a
will, there's a way"

Nicole and team were unexpectedly given four hours to transform a hotel suite into an event hosted annually for women in leadership and VIP customers. Just 45 minutes before guests arrived, they learned an unexpected, framed sign for a major sponsor was too large to move up to the room. But that’s okay. This is what Encore’s people do every day.

Nicole Russell

General Manager
The Challenge

Encore in Sydney, Australia, never hesitates, even when there is a change in plan to the original timeline. This is exactly what happened when an unexpected late checkout left only four hours to set up an annual VIP event for key customers. Plus, an unexpected oversized framed branding sign for a major sponsor didn’t fit in the elevator or stairwell, and it couldn’t be disassembled. Just 45 minutes from doors opening and with two merchandise lines on display, it would have been an incredible missed opportunity to not set the stage.

The Solution

Noticing the sponsor was in a frenzy making calls for an alternative branding solution, Nicole thought fast on her feet with an idea. She engaged her production team to provide the perfect solution. The Encore team obtained sponsor approval and raced into action to deliver a monitor and supporting gear to the suite. The Coach® Australia logo was provided electronically and placed above the purse line display for all to see with 10 minutes to spare. Collaboration, on-site solutions and creative problem solving helped the team overcome unexpected obstacles.

The Result

With years of experience guiding the collaboration, Nicole led her team to seize the opportunity of turning the hotel suite into a special event for all participating. The client was thrilled to have such a successful event, and the sponsor was relieved to have their last-minute problem solved. The invitation-only luxe event was a brilliant success, and everyone got the VIP treatment.

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From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
flawlessly. Explore their stories.

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From Typical Corporate Conference to Multi-Dimensional Immersive Experience.

We See Solutions.

“Every client has a story. It's the creative's job to bring it to life."

Megan Angle

Marriott International was gearing up to host an exclusive three-day event for 500 of its esteemed general managers (GMs) and wanted to leave a lasting impact. Their missionLeave the traditional conference format behind and immerse guests in an extraordinary multi-dimensional program. Enter Megan and team, ready to exceed all expectations for an unforgettable experience. 

Megan Angle

Associate Director, Content Production
  • 20+ years of professional media experience
  • Goes by Megan “The Mangler”
  • Has three busy daughters
  • Drawn to creative storytelling
  • Calls family her “why”
The Challenge

To execute the customer’s vision, Megan and team needed to develop and coordinate event strategy design, the thematic and multimedia creative, complex event technology and overall staging and production — for both outdoor and indoor event spaces. The star of the show, however, would be vibrant motion graphics to keep the audience’s attention while reinforcing an engaging event theme. Cesar and Autumn, rockstars from the Encore Creative Content Studio, immediately got to work on solutions. Pulling this off would be no small feat. It required cohesion across design, lighting, projection and LED screens, collaboration with Marriott International and buy-in from clients across multiple stakeholder groups.   

The Solution

After presenting their concept to the customer, Megan, Cesar and Autumn received enthusiastic approval and wasted no time in bringing the idea to life. Autumn developed a playful overarching theme, Let’s Go, which evolved into the daily subthemes Go Forth, Go Far and Go Fearlessly to reinforce the event’s central concept. To really blow attendees away, Cesar developed incredibly complex 2D and 3D motion graphics that seemingly leapt off the screens! Executing this required close collaboration and extensive testing pre-event and on-site with lighting and projection experts. The remarkable end result

      • In one session, a sailboat cruised beyond the screen’s borders, emphasizing the “Go Far” subtheme.
      • In another, parachuters seemingly soared out of their frame, immersing attendees in a stunning 3D experience that embodied the “Go Fearlessly” message.
Key Solutions Used in This Story
     Creative Production Technology

     Event Strategy & Design
     Event Branding  
     Content Development
        Motion Graphics

Staging Services
Scenic & Decor
Show Management
  

Audiovisual Solutions
   LED Walls
   Lighting Solutions

The Result

The in-house team of imaginative and dedicated creatives set the stage for an electrifying experience, flawlessly executed. The brilliant visuals, ranging from printed applications to immersive general session content, elevated the programming’s impact and kept participants buzzing with excitement long after the final session. In the customer’s own words, “The creative team at Encore challenged us to think differently than we ever have to deliver a product that our GMs had never seen before. They not only delivered but also exceeded every expectation from start to finish.”   

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From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
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Objective

Out & Equal is a global nonprofit organization focused exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Each year, they hold an international Out & Equal Workplace Summit, promoting inclusion in global companies across industries. Encore has supported the event for years, but the four-day 2022 event, at the Mirage in Las Vegas, was set to feature the first in-person component since pre-pandemic.

Upgrading the event design to make it hybrid required new technology and support considerations. The ask? Deliver an awe-inspiring general session, 100+ breakout sessions, engagement opportunities for the onsite and remote audiences, immersive experiences, an afterparty and more. With Encore on the job — consider it done!
















Solution

- Produced an engaging General Session with various panels and keynotes, 116+ breakout sessions, fireside chats, and large performances.

- Created 100% of the custom creative content, including event themes and branding, in collaboration with the Out & Equal team.

- Served as the exclusive provider of rigging and power at the venue.

- Cast sweeping patterns of color with 76 colorful kinetic LED globe lights that changed hue throughout the experience.

- Promoted an inclusive experience by providing live closed captioning during the General Session and within 24 hours of the recorded breakout sessions.

- Audio enhancements, lighting elements and a DJ to elevate the festive afterparty.

- Other immersive solutions included: four custom ultra-wide projection screens in the general session, flanked by three scenic arches, along with projection mapping and a large LED curtain, reinforcing content.

- Dedicated team provided 24/7 support to ensure each aspect of the experience was transformative.

Outcome

Adding an in-person audience alongside remote attendees resulted in almost double the number of participants — up to 5,500+ from 3,000 in 2021! The inspiring summit delivered a moving experience that was so highly celebrated that it was named as a finalist for “Best Pride Event” in BizBash’s Event Experience Awards 2022. Michael Chamberlain, VP of Marketing, Out & Equal, shared:

“Our partnership with Encore has really enabled everything we saw at the Out & Equal Workplace Summit, in person and online, to happen, from the fabulous and beautiful aesthetics to the way we’re able to showcase the really critical voices in this LGBTQ+ inclusion movement … We couldn’t have better partners than Encore! Highly recommend them for any event you’re doing. They’ve really made the show that we have today the best show that we could possibly make and ensure that those really critical messages are heard, in this room, in our online community, and far far beyond so I can’t thank them enough.”









From Open Spaces to Five Papal Events for 200,000 People.

We See Solutions.

“Our team can
accomplish amazing
things together”

Chris Baker

Our team was tasked with creating five events for a Papal visit in five locations over three days for more than 200,000 people – with just 45 days to prepare. Enter Chris Baker and team.

Chris Baker

Regional Director, Alberta Branches
The Challenge
The request came from the Canadian Catholic Council of Bishops for Encore to help produce the Pope’s visit to Canada. Our team was tasked with creating five events in five locations over three days for more than 200,000 people – with just 45 days to prepare.
The Solution
The challenges and requirements for each event location were completely unique. Enter Chris and team. Using Encore’s extensive resources available across Canada and North America, the team designed a plan including hundreds of people, individual crews for each site, lots of infrastructure, tons of gear, large LED walls with delayed audio, plus an eight-hour cargo flight across country to Baffin Island, the last stop.
The Result
While the challenges had short turns and were immense, the people of Encore saw solutions, and enabled the Pope to present his message to more than 200,000 people in five different locations. In short, it was a miraculous success.

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From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
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      • The pandemic forced the meeting and event industry to hit the pause button. In that pause, the industry was given the opportunity to rethink how things are conventionally done to see how we might improve. Why is that necessary? Let’s see where conventional thinking has gotten us: The average event participant contributes almost a quarter of a metric ton of CO2 emissions per day at a conference.
      • 70 percent of event speakers worldwide are men.
      • 58 percent of managers say they must reinvent their organization to survive, yet 75 percent of transformation efforts fail to deliver.
      • Attention spans — thanks to mobile devices — are only eight seconds long, yet conference programs are still filled with hour-long lectures.

Clearly, it’s time to break free of industry norms so we can overcome these challenges. How can meeting and event professionals find solutions to these challenges? Design thinking.

“Design thinking is one of the most powerful ways that event professionals can approach their events,” said Anthony Vade, Encore event experience strategy director. “It allows us to navigate the complexities that exist in our stakeholder relationships to find the most elegant solution to create the change that events need to create.”

 To generate awareness, conversations and potential solutions, Encore partnered with IMEX America to create an immersive BREAK FREE booth on the IMEX America show floor.

What we were trying to achieve

Goals for this journey of transformation were to:

      • Encourage the industry to challenge the status quo.
      • Show participants that they can break free from whatever is holding them back.
      • Spotlight the themes of connection, inspiration and collaboration.
      • Connect participants with the Encore team and get them talking about topics that impact organizations, local communities and the world.

Our approach

Encore utilized its strategy and creative process to map the attendee journey and design the experience. The starting point was IMEX’s stated goals for the event. The themes for Smart Monday’s education were ‘connection, community and belonging.’ And IMEX had strong sustainability initiatives, focusing on offsetting carbon emissions and diverting waste from landfills to create a ‘zero-waste’ event. From here, Encore initiated its design thinking process.
      • The Encore Strategy team used tools to unlock empathy and analyze stakeholder needs.
      • Once stakeholder needs were defined, the experience designed focused on how to fulfill them by making design choices that would elicit human emotion, drive interaction and spark meaningful conversation while delivering on IMEX partnership goals.
      • The Encore Creative team conceived, designed, wrote and produced the content, including a video in the second room, which was displayed on a 12-ft. high, 180-degree LED screen.
      • The Encore Sales Engineering and Application Development teams collaborated to customize its Chime Live Engagement Platform to create engagement opportunities and collect data for the Sales and Marketing teams. The platform was used to drive engagement from poling attendees to create real-time word clouds to providing attendees the opportunity to visualize IR-generated content, Encore’s Chime Live platform was the experience platform glue. Click below to read the BREAK FREE Survey Results below.

To align with IMEX America’s zero-waste event initiative, the Encore team made conscious decisions to reduce waste within the booth space:

      • Using reusable printed items
      • Replacing traditionally printed items with projected or digital content
      • Using reusable pipe and drape rather than carpet or built walls
      • Using water bubblers instead of water bottles
      • Refraining from giving away SWAG items
      • Serving bar drinks from recycled and alternative materials

Outcomes

“The experience for me was really about a conversation and how we break free from the surface-level conversations and get a lot deeper,” said Ashley Lawson, vice president of business partnerships, Achieve Incentives & Meetings. “We have the power to make changes and going through this experience, this exhibit, we can break through the surface-level conversations of sustainability, DE&I, and get a heck of a lot deeper to talk about the actions that we can take to actually make change.”

Industry influencer Julius Solaris shared in his social recap of BREAK FREE at IMEX America: “Go big or go home. Without a shadow of a doubt, the exhibit game’s absolute winner was Encore with its BREAK FREE activation. A monumental experiential journey. It could have been less brainy at times with the six QR codes to scan, but it doesn’t matter. Showing up with this level of bravery matters. I see you there thinking: ‘But they must have spent millions!’ Some booths may have spent even more than them but aligning the presence with the message is everything.”

Other results:

      • More than 900 people experienced the Break Free activation at IMEX America.
      • Nine media outlets, including MPI, Skift, Smart Meetings and Meetings Today, provided media coverage of the booth during IMEX America.
      • Encore reached all eight of its top-tier trade targets, including all major industry media, which will provide coverage on Encore and its innovative end-to-end event solutions through Q1 2023.
      • To deepen the connection between the BREAK FREE experience and industry customers, Encore is releasing a Break Free from Conventional Thinking guidebook with chapters being released in November and December 2022.
      • Encore successfully delivered the message to venue partners and meeting and event participants that it is an important industry partner that can provide end-to-end solutions, deliver transformative experiences and help industry professionals manage rising costs with its innovative solutions.

Encore’s Break Free ’22 Video Highlights:

Continuing the conversation

Encore does more than start conversations. It also cares about walking the talk. One example is around sustainability and how Encore is deepening its commitment beyond offering sustainable options for event technology.

Company-wide, Encore is finalizing our 2021 Global GHG emission footprint so it has a baseline to put goals around, including ones that involve our in-property inventory and operations. Looking ahead to 2023, Encore will put its first electric vehicle (EV) trucks on our fleet and install a solar farm at our largest U.S. facility in Washington, D.C. to offset power consumption for that location and return excess energy to the grid.

Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.

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Click image below to enlarge:

Challenge

Phillips 66 was looking for a partner for their Marketing Conference that could elevate their general session production, expo floor, and gala event. They wanted an event partner that could match their level of progress and innovation. The event needed to educate, celebrate, and engage their customers in a way that felt fully immersive and true to their brand.

Solution

Leading with strategy, Encore and Hargrove worked together to create a total end-to-end solution for the Power Ahead conference. The creative, design, production, expo, and gala all tied together to create an innovative, transformative experience with comprehensive Phillips 66 branding.

The expo floor had a modern look with hard wall structures fabricated by Hargrove that were branded for each exhibitor. The floor plan layout was based on the Power Ahead arrow design that allowed for the C-Store of the Future and Power Theater to be central focal points.

The thematic design was inspired by the colors of each of the Phillips 66 brands. A custom-built stage, decorative elements, signage, lighting, and graphics were all used to create a comprehensive look through the entire event space. All elements tied together to create a fully immersive and engaging event experience

Results

The Phillips 66, Encore, and Hargrove teams developed a strong partnership that led to an incredible event for over 1,200 customers. Education and hands-on learning were the focus of the daytime schedule, and the evenings were dedicated to celebrating and honoring their customers’ hard work. Highlights included a engaging learning sessions, inspiring keynotes, and energizing celebrations and entertainment.

Phillips 66 team members and attendees raved about how “this was the most amazing show we’ve ever seen!”

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A Signature Hybrid Event

Encore partnered with PCMA to produce Convening Leaders 22, a signature annual conference for association professionals who produce large-scale events. For PCMA’s in-person experience, the Encore Production team designed all the sets and spaces – from the mainstage and concurrent session rooms to the Promenade area, which served as a central gathering spot for networking, sales conversations, education, and communal meals. They also constructed a broadcast studio PCMA could use to pre-record content and stream live interviews to the remote viewing audience. 

The Encore Creative team designed the presentation graphics, lower thirds, and branding for PCMA’s live and broadcast content. In addition to providing technical and production support for the in-room experience, the Encore Technology team filmed, mixed and broadcast content from the conference to PCMA’s streaming partner. Encore also brought in a couple of its specialty divisions – Hargrove from Encore and CSI – to augment different elements of the 360-degree experience they created. 

Objectives

PCMA likes to raise the bar on what they present every year. After all, producing events for event professionals isn’t easy. Adding to the complexity is the fact this is the first year Encore partnered with PCMA to produce this event. And the timeline was condensed. Encore had four rather than eleven months to shake things up and do things differently. 

Other objectives: 

      • Create a feeling of intimacy and connection between the audience and the speakers/entertainers 
      • Facilitate authentic and profitable connections between sponsors and event participants 
      • Design an open-air space that could facilitate conversations as well as sponsor activations, meals and educational stages 

Solutions

To bring the audience closer to the presenters and entertainers, Encore designed a central mainstage with a low runway that allowed the talent to “walk into” the audience. Encore also built a side stage for PCMA to utilize for entertainment and more traditional announcements. This side stage ended up providing a dynamic solution to a last-minute challenge. A week before load-in, the Wednesday keynote notified PCMA that they could not travel and could only present virtually. Not content with “zooming in” such an important person, Encore installed technology and lighting on the side stage that allowed the speaker to present as a hologram. And the stage’s position allowed the Encore team to “hide” the set up until the big reveal. 

Encore strategically designed its display technology to up the excitement factor as participants walked into the mainstage space by placing LED welcome columns in a triangular formation. This not only provided branding opportunities, but it also funneled traffic around central camera positions, creating a more appealing entranceway. Some of the unique audiovisual features included digital scenic elements constructed of curved LED lights, a mixture of traditional (16:9) and nontraditional aspect ratios (3:1), LED strip lights, and concert-quality audio. 

One of the biggest design challenges Encore faced was how to accommodate concurrent communal meals, sponsor activations and educational stages in the massive Promenade area. The primary issue would be noise that could negatively impact the quality of sponsor activations, casual networking opportunities and learner engagement. Encore solved this problem by providing headsets. These headsets allowed Encore to mic speakers but transmit the audio directly to wireless headsets. That eliminated any sound bleed over from the stages in the space. The headsets also filtered out ambient noise from hallway conversations. It was an elegant way to allow participants to decide if they wanted to network with others over a meal, interview potential vendors, catch up with friends, or attend an educational session – all within the same open-air space. 

Among the sponsor activations in the Promenade was an Encore booth. It was the first major opportunity for Encore to introduce event professionals to its new brand identity and expanded capabilities. The Encore Creative department designed the booth and collaborated with Hargrove to build and execute it. A dynamic exterior design lured participants inside, where they discovered interactive displays and a comfortable environment in which they could connect and refresh while learning about Encore’s end-to-end event solutions. 

Results

PCMA Convening Leaders 22 attracted more than 2,500 event professionals from around the world. After witnessing the opening session with Paula Abdul, the silent stage set-up, the digital presentation graphics, and dynamic Encore activation, participants kept asking, “Did Encore really do all of that?”  

The partnership provided a fantastic opportunity for Encore and its Hargrove and CSI divisions to showcase the diversity of the creative, production, and technology services it offers to an audience that’s hard to surprise. A behind-the-scenes element powered by Encore backstage tours ensured PCMA Digital Event Strategists were able to augment their training with hands-on examples.

Overall, the experience deepened Encore and PCMA’s commitment to expand on the promise of partnership for future events. 

Encore PCMA ’22 Video Highlights:

Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.

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Gala Opening Celebration 

Thematic Content and Venue Capabilities 

Objectives

The stars aligned for a gala grand opening celebration at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The VIP event introduced existing and prospective customers to the newly opened convention center.  

Encore’s Creative Content team was engaged to develop ideas and designs that would bring the CE Groups’ vision of “Fire, Wind, Ice, and Earth” to fruition.  

 

Line of business: Venue and CVB     We Delivered: Full Production Services 

Solutions

Fire 

 The event began with a red carpet arrival featuring fire dancers and LED and intelligent lighting to bathe the entrance in red and deep amber fire hues.  

 

Wind 

Upon entering the main lobby of the center, the guests were introduced to the “Wind” portion of the journey. A violinist played as ribbon dancers performed on the stairway. Above Exhibit Hall 3, a 180’ x 15’ metal mesh screen is installed in front of a white wall. Internal LEDs normally light this mesh “chain mail” installation, but Encore projection-mapped onto it. Intelligent lighting provided color and patterns throughout the atrium walls, floor, and ceiling and provided special illumination for the performers.  

  

Ice 

On cue, the audience was invited to the next leg of the journey, “Ice.” A “wagon wheel” truss structure flown in the center of the room created a focal point for the Ice experience. An Ice Flo set from the San Antonio Encore branch office was mapped with custom “Ice” themed video images, while another stack of projectors projected additional Icy vistas above the DJ stage on the entrance wall. 

  

Earth 

 Guests continued to the next leg of their journey up to the third floor Stars at Night Ballroom. Earth Harp provided a special musical experience using a custom harp with strings that stretched 125’ out and over the audience.  

Results

This event was a true collaboration and partnership between Encore, the San Antonio CVB, the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, CE Group, RK Group, and others.  

Guests were entertained at every turn with Encore’s Creative and Production teams incorporating focal points to enhance the structural and technological features within the newly renovated Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.  

Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.

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Meetings and Conferences

Event Strategy and Design, Creative Content, Staging, Scenic, Breakouts 

Objectives

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates held a high-profile, celebrity-packed summit for more than 4,000 attendees. Their goal for the event was to elevate it into an experience that incorporated aspects of Philadelphia (the host city) – particularly the messages of love and inclusion, synonymous with their brand message. 

The three-day event included over 90 workshops, panels, roundtables, networking mixers, receptions, and plenaries. 

 

Line of business: Association     We Delivered: Full Production Services 

Solutions

We won this bid, in part, due to having all the resource needs in one team – event strategy and design, thematic content, video production, show management, talent booking, full staging services, breakout sessions, as well as support for off-site events.  

Encore designed a custom stage and replica of the famous LOVE statue by Robert Indiana as an homage to the host cityOur creative content teams also created event branding, animations, videos, motion graphics, speaker bumpers, logos, backgrounds, as well as an onsite highlights video.  

Multiple functional and AV-supported areas were staged across the convention center. Our Production teams booked all entertainment and talent, and Digital Services handled video conferencing from two separate locations. They also developed an event mobile app and provided handheld devices for attendees. 

Results

The Encore team handled every production aspect of the Out and Equal annual meeting. As a result, Out and Equal Workplace Advocates did not have to work with any other vendors during the planning and execution processes 

Out and Equals attendees shared that they felt connected with both the brand and host city during their conference experience. Because of this event’s success, the Encore team went on to handle the subsequent years conference as well. 

Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.

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