Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the client sought to transform its flagship biennial conference from a physical event to a digital one, with the aim of providing actionable insights for its stakeholders to prepare for the “new normal”, and reinforce its branding as a forward-thinking organisation. The eventual virtual edition of the client’s Asian Insights Conference (AIC) brought together global thought leaders such as former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, and Singapore’s Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, to discuss pertinent issues facing us in a post-Covid world, such as food security, and technology as a force-for-good.

Background

Travel and social distancing restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic have profoundly changed the way societies function. Many are seeking direction on how to work towards a more resilient future in a post-pandemic world. These same travel and social distancing restrictions has also meant that the format of business events and conferences, and the way they are planned and executed, has needed to change. The client saw the opportunity to cement its thought leadership position in the mind of key stakeholders by hosting its formerly physical flagship biennial conference, AIC, on a virtual platform, and worked with the agency to launching the first digital edition of AIC. The 2020 edition of AIC marked the event’s 10th anniversary by pulling together a distinguished group of policy makers, business leaders and subject matter experts who shared their views on the most pressing issues facing us in a post-pandemic world.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The challenge was to re-create the well-known physical conference in a virtual environment, in a similarly engaging and immersive fashion. With a digital conference, there was also a need to navigate corporate firewalls and other technical limitations. Moreover, the user interface of the virtual platform had to strongly reinforce the client’s brand positioning, and the brand image of AIC 2020 as a hallmark flagship conference attracting the most senior C-suite executives and thought-leaders from around the globe. The benefits of going digital included being able to reach out to a wider global audience, and accommodate overseas speakers with packed schedules who might have turned down speaker invitations if required to travel. This format also allowed us to create a virtual “Learning Hub” where attendees could access additional material e.g. presentations by the client’s subject specialists and ‘smart investing’ tips, in addition to the session recordings, further enhancing the overall experience.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Content curated to address current-day concerns The content was curated in accordance with the theme of “Navigating a post-pandemic world”, with the aim of providing actionable insights which would help government leaders, business executives and investors from both the public and private sectors work towards a more resilient post-pandemic future. Integration of technologies for seamless delivery “Best in class” solutions were selected, and through a proprietary integrator, we customised and integrated these solutions to create a memorable and differentiated virtual experience for the audience, whilst keeping in mind and adhering to cybersecurity requirements. Good UX for better engagement A user-first creative approach was adopted to create an intuitive user experience that allowed for interactivity and engagement, and to minimise drop-outs due to technical or navigational issues. Two-way interactions with attendees were encouraged through live polls, surveys and supporting speakers with Q&A and alerts for meaningful interactions with the attendees.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Integration of technologies for seamless delivery A secure cloud infrastructure was set up to host and integrate various solutions and to ensure platform stability. Different techniques and solutions were deployed for the desired effect, eg, integrating various webcasting and live streaming tools, availing simultaneous audio translations and coupling show production with web production. Recreating the physical environment virtually Attendees began in a 360-degree panoramic event lobby, which led them to (1) the Main Stage for live-streams and pre-recorded sessions, (2) the Learning Hub for exclusive content including the client’s pre-prepared presentations on economies and markets and ‘smart investing’ tips, and (3) the Networking Lounge where attendees could meet, mingle and text chat in real-time. Engaging the audience To aid show production, we deployed various communications channels, for example, a cloud-based solution to push out questions and alerts to the speakers, to allow the speakers to meaningfully engage with the audience.

List the results (30% of vote)

Despite the short turnaround time of two months, the team delivered a virtual conference that was well-received by attendees. The blend of multiple technologies and technical know-how was an industry-first, and for many, a first-of-its-kind experience. The conference attracted over 2,300 unique attendees from 46 countries, 155% more than the previous physical conference. • 42 speakers and moderators • 13 live and pre-recorded sessions • 80+ media representatives • Almost 50% of the audience attended both days • Average of 750-800 unique attendees per session • Average dwell time was 2hrs, indicating that the subject matter was interesting • Average view time of 48min for video-on-demand • Total Media value of SGD 6 million (AVEs) We also gauged public sentiment on the event through various public session chats facilitated via the virtual platform, many of which indicated that attendees were very impressed and had mostly positive feedback.

Please tell us how disruption in your market place inspired the work

As Covid-19 has transformed society, many are seeking direction on how to circumvent challenges in a post-pandemic world. To remain connected with its stakeholders in a pandemic when large events are banned, and to maintain its thought-leadership position in the banking and finance sector, the client worked with its agency to roll out a landmark virtual edition of the client’s flagship biennial Asian Insights Conference. Holding the event virtually meant we could engage a distinguished global panel of speakers which we might not have been able to bring together for a physical conference. The result was a highly relevant and timely conference which provided actionable views for the client’s stakeholders to prepare for the “new normal” and work towards a more resilient future. The event also enabled the client to strengthen its brand identity and thought-leadership position in the minds of a global audience.