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We See Solutions.™
“When you know more,
you can do more"
When the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association (NCJUA) needed an event production partner for their critical board meeting, they turned to Encore to deliver a seamless two-day hybrid event that would connect and engage their important participants. Enter the tech-savvy Joanna and her team!
Joanna Brady Matthews
- 20+ yrs. of AV / technology event experience
- Thrilled by live productions
- A “classic country girl”
- Four-wheeling enthusiast
- Helps care for two close family members
- Has six adorable (outdoor) cats
The Challenge
When NCJUA’s remote audience increased from two to ten, and the in-person board member needs adjusted around the “U”-shape setup, Joanna and her team knew adapting their technical support would be crucial to deliver a seamless production experience.
A seasoned technician, Joanna understood the customer’s needs, from the distance of the in-room split screens and different views, including a robotic camera that caused switching complexities and readability issues, to elevated internet requirements and the right in-person table-top microphones to handle private side-bar conversations during live presentations.
The Solution
Passionate about solving challenges, Joanna anticipated needs the customer hadn’t originally expressed! She and her team recommended customed solutions to set NCJUA’s event up for success:
- In room, they included everything from a 55-inch confidence monitor and versatile push-to-talk microphones for the adjusted head count to hard-wired internet for secured speed and stability.
- For the dual-audiences and seamless board meeting, Joanna partnered with NCJUA’s IT Coordinator to build confidence and trust as she stepped in to cue up and advance content for a dynamic, switching production experience.
| Key Solutions Used in This Story | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production / Show Management | Technology / Audiovisual Solutions | Infrastructure Services |
| Staging Services Show Management | Audio Solutions Presenter Support | |
The Result
Thanks to Joanna and her team’s forward-thinking mindset, expertise and personalized solutions, NCJUA’s board meeting elevated from standard to standout! When the event had wrapped, the customer stated, “Everything went even better than we could’ve expected!”
Explore More Stories and Solutions.
From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them flawlessly. Explore their stories.
Objective
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
- 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
“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.”
We See Solutions.™
“When better is possible
good is not enough”
Eager to attract new distributors, jewelry designer Sara Blaine was planning a special event at Le Meridien Atlanta Perimeter to showcase her jewelry collection, eSBe. The event would be crucial for her small business, so she needed each of her current and new custom designs to dazzle. Enter Jazz and team – ready to deliver down to every last illuminating detail.
Jazz Thomas
- 10 yrs. of experience
- Over 1,500+ events
- Known for being "rock steady"
- Photographer for community-oriented events
- Proud owner of a pet cockatiel named Pepper
- Enjoys learning about new event technology and tools
The Challenge
With her jewelry showcase event just one week away, Sara visited the venue for a pre-event walk-through. She mentioned that she wished the ballroom where her custom designs would be displayed featured daylight lighting, which she felt would really make all of her jewelry pieces shine. As a natural troubleshooter, Jazz sprang into action to execute on her vision.
The Solution
With over a thousand events under his belt, Jazz was able to use his lighting expertise and personal research to determine which new LED daylight fixtures would provide the right wattage, brightness and light beam pattern to source them. He then worked with Le Meridien to replace 25 key ballroom lights above the showcase tables with the new bulbs to ensure both Sara and her jewelry would be radiant at the event.| Key Solutions Used in This Story | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | Technology | |
| Show Management | Audiovisual Solutions Lighting Solutions | |
| Key Solutions Used in This Story | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | ||
Technology | ||
The Result
Thanks to Jazz’s solution-oriented mindset, Sara’s event was a success. She was incredibly impressed with Jazz’s initiative, technical problem solving and the end result. The venue was equally pleased. The lighting fixtures he installed added such brilliance to the space that the venue itself decided to not only keep them in place but matched all lights in the ballroom to preserve the same ambiance. As for Sara, she continues to utilize Le Meridien and partner with Encore for her events, having seen Jazz go out of his way to elevate each detail, creating the right environment for an excellent experience.
Explore More Stories and Solutions.
From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
flawlessly. Explore their stories.
We See Solutions.™
“The right partnership transforms challenges to successes”
With 300 of a financial customer’s top investors flying in from all over the world for their Annual General Meeting in France, the stakes were high. The ask? With 14 fund meetings in two days, in
two different venues, provide a digital logistics solution for a five-star experience.
With Jo and team on the job — Consider it done!
Jo Merriman
- 20+ yrs. of experience
- Hundreds of events & counting
- Artist & actress
- Loves to travel
- Enjoys helping friends spark their creativity
The Challenge
A finance organization was preparing for their Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the stakes were high. The customer needed to plan a seamless experience for 300 of their high-value investors, who were flying into Avignon, France, for the event from around the world. Yet with 14 fund meetings in just two days at two venues across the city — and different groups attending each — the customer needed a polished and simple-to-follow system to ensure the international attendees had a seamless experience. This included an easy way to receive any last-minute changes to the agenda, speakers and/or locations. Enter Jo and team, ready to deliver.
The Solution
To deliver a smooth event experience, Jo and team recommended that the customer create individualized itineraries for each participant, which would minimize the number of relocations between venues and accommodate for travel time. Under their technical guidance, the customer was able to equip participants with pre-event access to Chime Live℠. With this technology solution, each fund investor only needed to look at their phone to see where they needed to be and when. Any last-minute agenda changes were available immediately.
| Key Solutions Used in This Story | ||
|---|---|---|
| Production | Technology | |
| Onsite Chime Live technical support | Chime Live | |
The Result
Thanks to Jo’s creative problem-solving and digital solutions, the team navigated the customer’s multi-session and -venue logistics challenges, delivering a flawless event for their high-profile participants. With Chime Live, everyone made their meetings at the right venue and on time. The platform’s easy-to-use yet powerful tools equipped audiences with enhanced engagement opportunities during the meetings as well — a benefit the customer already regularly used Chime Live for. The technology also ensured the customer had valuable post-event analytics at their fingertips. Both the customer and participants were delighted with the experience.
Explore More Stories and Solutions.
From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
flawlessly. Explore their stories.
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
- 20+ yrs. of experience
- 1,000+ events
- Single mom, 1 son
- Loves to travel
- Life coach/mentor
-
Plays piano, sings karaoke and
is a fan of 80s music
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.
| Key Solutions Used in This Story | ||
|---|---|---|
| Technology | ||
Audiovisual Solutions | ||
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.
Explore More Stories and Solutions.
From routine challenges to the moment of truth that threatens to derail your event, our people solve them
flawlessly. Explore their stories.
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.
Call us at (866) 351-1144 or click the button below to get started!
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 city. Our 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 Equal‘s 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!
Meetings and Conferences
Global Summit
Objectives
Europe’s largest digital experience conference, the Adobe Summit EMEA, returned to ExCeL London in May 2019. Once again, Encore was chosen by agency Taylor Bennett Partners to deliver the two-day event’s full technical production.
Focused on creating innovative customer experiences, over 6,000 attendees from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa gathered to hear the latest updates from Adobe Experience Cloud and its partners. Led by our Group Creative Director, we were tasked with bringing Taylor Bennett’s incredible vision to life by delivering the technical production for the main conference plenary, exhibition space, break-out sessions, and the hotly-anticipated Summit Celebration.
Featuring a spectacular light installation and an interactive projection–mapped chillout area, the Adobe Summit once again knocked it out of the park when it comes to delivering extraordinary experiences.
Line of business: Tech Giant We Delivered: Full Production Services
Solutions
The Jellyfish
It wouldn’t be the Adobe Summit if there wasn’t a wildly creative centerpiece drawing attendees into the exhibition space, and this year was no different.
Measuring 5,000 sq ft and floating gracefully above the Adobe informational booth, the beautiful light installation known affectionately as the Jellyfish, dazzled attendees, and created an interactive experience. Dreamt up by Russell Bennett, Partner at Taylor Bennett Partners, Encore collaborated with experiential design studio Cinimod and laser specialist ER Productions to transform the vision into reality.
Four circle truss structures fitted with beam fixtures and DMX-controlled fans allowed the illuminated material to billow through the air. Attendees were able to change the installation’s color by passing their hands through a cage of 24 laser beams situated in the center of the Adobe booth.
As though one interactive experience wasn’t enough, guests were able to take some time out in the projection–mapped lounge space. Inspired by the Adobe Experience Cloud, the area featured a series of deconstructed blocks that came together from a specific focal point to create the Adobe logo. Guests could alter the color and movement of the logo content in real-time using a handheld replica of the Adobe ‘A’ fitted with an accelerometer.
Setting the Stage for Adobe Insights
This year’s Keynote theatre played host to some famous faces, including international human rights attorney Amal Clooney, actor Eddie Redmayne, and comedian Jack Whitehall.
World-leading brands such as Unilever, BT, and illycaffè shared their creative insights on stage. To illuminate the space and showcase the Adobe Summit content, we used projectors and ROE LED panels supplied by 80-Six, to deliver a jaw-dropping expanse of 24 million pixels.
Lighting in the Keynote theater created a stunning design to complement the on-screen content while delivering dramatic walk-on stings and ensuring the speakers remained beautifully lit throughout.
With the Summit located at the opposite end of ExCel this year, we had some structural challenges to overcome. The challenge required us to maintain the same sound coverage and sonic quality of previous years while working with greatly reduced ceiling height and tricky sightlines to the mammoth screen.
A Global Celebration
This year’s Summit Celebration featured a global celebration of delicacies from around the world. Guests partied their way through Japan, India, Switzerland, America, France, and the UK, sampling food from each country along the way. With Taylor Bennett Partners’ vision, we worked with creative event specialist Bimblabee Productions to ensure Adobe’s globetrotting guests were in for a treat.
Other popular features included a projection–mapped replica of No.10 Downing Street, which allowed guests to catch a peek of Theresa May’s legendary dance moves through the window. Meanwhile, a 29 ½ foot high version of the Golden Gate Bridge created the perfect platform to survey the spectacular surroundings.
If that wasn’t enough, revelers danced the night away to pop sensation Jess Glynne, DJ Benny Blanco, and Adobe Summit regulars The Earth Lights. Thousands of white balloons hung overhead forming clouds that framed the stage. In contrast, vintage hot air balloons and propeller planes hung from the ceiling and appeared to be suspended in mid-air between the clouds, completing the overhead feature.
To create the perfect stage background to display rich video content and allow beams to pass through, our team installed 181 panels of LED. Striking lighting design and an impressive rig enhanced the party atmosphere.
Results
Russell Bennett, Partner at Taylor Bennett Partners, said:
“The Adobe Summit is where experience makers are born, so the pressure is always on to find new ways to immerse and amaze delegates. By getting technical experts on board, we’re able to utilize the latest technology to create engaging brand experiences that forge everlasting memories. We have a fantastic relationship with the team, and no matter how crazy the idea, I always know that they’ll rise to the challenge and find a technical solution that will turn my vision into reality.”
Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.
Call us at (866) 351-1144 or click the button below to get started!
Financial Sales Meeting
Hybrid meetings accommodate those that are unable to attend your event in-person. A 100-person Sales meeting was broadcast from an Encore venue to those viewing remotely, allowing the team to move forward with their important event.
Objective
Alignment
Outcome
Let’s Talk About Your Event Experience Needs.
Call us at (866) 351-1144 or click the button below to get started!
Family Medicine Residency Graduation
Graduating from Medical school is an amazing achievement. After years of intense study and real-life work as a hospital resident, it was critical for this group of medical students to celebrate how far their studies have taken them – in a safe, eventful way.
See how professors, graduates, family and friends were able to connect with one another in a hybrid setting.