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Global event production company Eclipse has reported a rapid return in consumer confidence, as it secures 30% of its pre-COVID annual business in February and March amidst an all-time high for business enquiries.

Following a period in which events were heavily reliant upon virtual capabilities, the event specialists have welcomed the resurgence of in-person events which now makes up 70% of its event bookings for 2022. With recent events delivered in Miami, Germany and Switzerland, the loosened shackle on international travel has also seen the return of overseas events account for more than a third of its forecasted annual revenue for the year.

Eclipse has been actively recruiting to fulfil a rising number of event enquiries and has seen a 45% increase in its workforce since 2020. Since the same period, the production company has reported a 125% increase in annual turnover, which is forecast to rise by a further 85% by the end of 2022.

Eclipse’ managing director Robin Purslow said: “We are all aware of the extreme challenges the events industry has faced over the last two years, and the return of more recognisable business levels brings me great pleasure that we can now look ahead to a more positive future once again.

“Throughout the pandemic we have been developing strong relationships with event organisers and venues and have seen a 25% increase in the level of new client enquiries since April 2021 as a result. In doing so we have since secured additional business that has allowed us to further invest in our team, new equipment and the expansion of our capabilities, and I’m optimistic that our ambitious growth plans are now firmly in progress once more.”

Global event production company Eclipse has joined the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) Alliance, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to seamless virtual and hybrid event delivery.

The announcement follows Eclipse’s well-documented dedication towards offering the best virtual and hybrid event production services and will support the delivery of high-quality and secure, low-latency video across public internet connections – mitigating issues many venues and event organisers and bookers are experiencing.

The SRT Alliance, founded by Haivision in April 2017, already has more than 500 members. Its mission is to overcome the challenges of low-latency live streaming by supporting the collaborative development of SRT (Secure Reliable Transport), the fastest growing open-source streaming project. SRT is a free open source video transport protocol and technology stack originally developed and pioneered by Haivision, which enables the delivery of high-quality and secure, low-latency video across the public internet.

Jamie Castle, Director of Sales and Marketing at Eclipse, said: “Over the course of the last 20 months not only have we been investing in the latest technologies and capabilities to support our event solutions, but we have been working closely with organisations to spearhead the recent revolution of virtual event offerings.

“Through our ongoing knowledge sharing and open discussions with organisations we have played a key role in the development of virtual events and integrations that have today set the standard, and we’re delighted to be joining the SRT Alliance to continue doing just that.”

“With the SRT Alliance, Eclipse is joining an industry movement to improve the way the world streams video,” said  Suso Carrillo, Director SRT Alliance at Haivision. “We’re pleased to see the SRT protocol being actively implemented by some of the world’s biggest broadcast and enterprise streaming workflows as its adoption and industry-wide recognition continues to grow, becoming the defacto standard for low latency internet streaming.”

Green-Screen-Studio-scaled

‘If we don’t do it now, when will we do it?’ isn’t the kind of green flag ‘freedom day’ the events industry was hoping for. A return to physical shows, certainly those set inside, while nominally ‘legal’ from July 19 has been subject to understandable hesitation. 

“The warning light on the NHS dashboard is not flashing amber, it’s flashing red,” according to Health and Social Care Committee chair Jeremy Hunt and, amid the national cacophony of test and trace ‘pings’, any business is walking a brittle line in terms of its staff numbers – as countless hospitality outlets bear testament.  

Suppliers are the key to putting on an event of any size and pre-pandemic there was always time to address issues anywhere along the chain to ensure delivery. Now though, even an alert from the NHS App can mean one of those crucial links can be lost to isolation at the buzz of a smartphone.    

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, a question published in The Times about audience attitudes to live entertainment, asking ‘How comfortable would you feel doing the following in the next few weeks?’ was pretty damning across all categories. Just 27% of respondents indicated they would be happy to physically attend a business event.   

While it’s hard to tell if that opinion would change were masks/social distancing mandates to be reintroduced, lockdowns have highlighted how resourceful the events industry has had to be. It has looked around wholly new corners to develop and deliver solutions to questions hard to imagine some 17 months ago.  

It is not a simple either/or situation between virtual and physical of course. With many events reaching far greater numbers nationally and internationally in their virtual incarnation, hybrid events, which were in practice in some shape or form long before COVID-19 – think Premiership football matches or the Brit Awards by way of profile example – are sure to be the popular choice. But balancing that equation, in terms of who is the priority audience, varies from event to event.  

Ideally, events will want to provide for everyone equally – and the tech is there to feed live content across the world with the capacity for interaction and engagement everywhere. Eclipse, for one, has its own in-house virtual event studio in Beckenham together with comprehensive facilities across London and the globe, all of which are supported by a dedicated team of in-house creatives and GFX designers. 

Networking ‘from home’ though, without the technology and the expertise on tap, is more than a struggle to deliver and harder still to sell, which is well worth bearing in mind for the sales and marketing pitch. 

Nevertheless, while we can’t predict exactly where the pandemic will take us next, the steps the live events world has taken to adapt has no doubt kicked even the biggest doubter’s doors off its hinges. Come what may, the show can and will always go on… and in spectacular fashion.

While we continue to overcome these barriers and develop innovative solutions to keep business moving, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team of event production experts for support on moving forward and to discover how Eclipse can assist your event through this turbulent period.

Virtual platforms have been a saviour to the meetings and events industry throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to online services like Zoom, WebEx and Demio we have been able to catch up with our colleagues, network, and attend conferences and events with relative ease from the safety of our homes.

While the threat of Covid-19 is present and travel restrictions remain, virtual events will undoubtedly continue to be held and, as event planners become more confident and creative in their delivery, we’ll see them evolve.

However, while virtual events might be relatively simple to set-up and seemingly require less planning and organisation than their physical counterparts, if event planners want them to go smoothly and be a success, it’s important that they apply the same level of care to virtual events as they would to physical ones.

To help event planners run successful virtual events, here are my top tips for making online offerings share a similar impact as events designed to be attended in-person.

Pick the right platform

Consider the online platform you choose to run your virtual event in the same way as you would a venue for a live one. When researching it, ask questions like: ‘Is the virtual space big enough to hold potential visitors?’ and ‘can presentations run while someone is speaking?’ Alternatively, the platform you’ve been looking at might be too complicated for your needs and something simpler might suffice. You wouldn’t hold your product launch for 50 people in a lecture theatre with 400 seats and likewise, you wouldn’t squeeze 400 delegates attending a one-day conference in small meeting room with capacity for 50, so the same goes for virtual events. Select appropriately.

Stay connected

If you know that hundreds, or even thousands of delegates will be attending your online event, it’s important to ensure you can reach them. Connectivity is a two-way thing, but if the deliverer of the event has a problem with their IT infrastructure, you can expect barriers to event delivery. If you’re live-streaming an event, it’s essential that you work closely with your technical partner to ensure you have the capabilities to deliver a seamless broadcast and effectively integrate interactive functions you may require, such as live polling, Q&A’s and more. There’s much more to it than meets the eye and having a strong internet connection is far from being a recipe for success, so it’s highly recommended that a technical partner is consulted before going live, who will conduct a comprehensive audit of infrastructure and mitigate any IT threats. If you’re still wondering why it’s important, imagine inviting hundreds of delegates to your live conference and them finding that the doors to the main auditorium are locked when they arrive. It wouldn’t happen would it?

Try, test, and test again

Efficient event planners know that the secret to a successful event is good planning and making time for a dress rehearsal. A professional event production team will always check sound and lighting before an event starts and experienced speakers will have their script, or presentation compiled and practiced well in advance. The importance of testing the delivery of a virtual event – including sound levels and lighting is potentially greater than that of a live one. If attendees aren’t happy with what they find, they can simply end their involvement with the click of a button.

Delight delegates

At Eclipse, we constantly push the boundaries in event production and work hard to create events for our clients that will exceed expectations. ‘Anything is possible’ is our mantra at Eclipse and we work closely with event planners to find ways to delight their delegates. This same mindset should be applied to virtual events. Online and hybrid events have grown massively in the last few months, so it’s vital that yours stands out among others and you find a way to hold someone’s attention. Featuring a dynamic virtual backdrop, patching in recorded presentations from expert speakers, and including some live chat and polling functions are just some of the ways event planners can shake up their online events.

Green Screen hybrid studio

Event planners should be applying the same professional and creative approach to virtual meetings and events as they do live ones if they want to remain competitive, says Eclipse managing director Robin Purslow.

Video meetings, webinars and other online events have temporarily replaced live meetings, conferences and award ceremonies since lockdown began, but Purslow believes many are failing to realise their professional and creative potential, so could be missing out on current and future revenue.

The appetite for virtual events remains high. In the latest Pulse Survey by Northstar Meetings Group, 84% of respondents said their greatest need right now is virtual event platforms.

However, the focus for many is simply to find a platform with the ability to host their event and that delegates can log into, with little thought to the rest of the delivery.

Yet, according to a survey by AIM Group International, 78% of corporate sponsors are interested in investing in virtual events, but only if participant interaction is guaranteed.

To enable event planners to deliver a successful event on a virtual platform, creative event production company Eclipse has launched its Virtual Events Studio.

The new service is a one-stop-shop for those planning any form of virtual event that they want to make impactful, attention-grabbing and awe-inspiring.

Clients work closely with Eclipse’s experienced team to design their perfect virtual event and maintain full production value, with Eclipse advising on best shots and sound before the event or recording begins to ensure seamless delivery.

The studio can also be used to project presentations and graphics, such as sponsor logos, for the speaker to reference, while the latest green screen technology provides an augmented reality backdrop. Here the studio team will advise clients on the best way to engage partners and provide clearer return on investment to sponsors.

Audience engagement can be a mark of an event’s success, but it is not always possible to gauge when the event is delivered virtually. Eclipse’s Virtual Events Studio allows audiences to engage with content using chat and social media integrations, with functionality tailored to the needs of each client.

Robin Purslow continues: “In the rush to continue delivering events during the Coronavirus pandemic, many event planners have forgotten, or have been unable to apply the same high standards to virtual events that they’d expect when delivering live ones. DIY solutions may have meant they have also missed out on vital revenue from sponsorship, or attendance fees.

“While we await a return to physical events, virtual events are likely to be around for many more months to come, so Eclipse has been working hard to create a solution for event planners to make virtual or hybrid events as successful as possible.

“Our Virtual Events Studio pushes the boundaries in virtual event production and our range of solutions can help event planners deliver professional and creative events, that just happen to be online.”

To find out more about Eclipse’s Virtual Events Studio, visit https://eclipse.global/solutions/virtual-event-platforms/

During these very trying times I want to write to reassure you about everything Eclipse is doing to ensure we are open and available to support our clients in the best possible way. We are following the guidelines set out by the Government and WHO in terms of all our working practices and continue to update these regularly to ensure we are following the very latest advice. This includes new hygiene guidelines for when we enter client premises, working closely with individual companies to ensure we adhere to all their measures. We understand that Terms & Conditions are a key concern for many companies, and I would like to confirm that our Terms are not changing. To support all our clients at this time, we will offer any cancellation fee as a credit for any postponed event re-booked in 2020. A copy of our full terms can be found on Eclipse.global.

We are faced with uncertain times and both internal and external communication is key to ensure the wellbeing of both our staff and clients. Eclipse is here to assist with any virtual platforms you may need to facilitate home working and web-based meetings, so please do give us a call if you need any assistance to support your business communications. We have uploaded a guide to alternative event formats on our website that can equally be utilised to support home working, so please have a look if and get in touch if you need any assistance from our team. On that note I would like to thank all my team at Eclipse, clients and fellow industry colleagues for their support and kind words as we try to guide the business through this crisis. Tough decisions are being made daily, but the support from you all goes some way to ease the burden as a business owner.

Thank you for reading and please share.

Robin Purslow

Webcast

In recent weeks the well-documented threat of Coronavirus COVID-19 has provided a degree of uncertainty across global business, presenting potential challenges to continuity in the events industry.

With general precautions being taken by many countries as a response to the outbreak, including barriers to travel, we understand the potential challenges and changes that event organisers and venues may currently be facing.

In light of the current climate we have been working closely with our suppliers and venues to gain a further understanding of the potential impact the threat of the virus may have on event management, delivery and continuity. Looking to prevent potential event cancellations, we therefore provide assurance that there’s always a solution to any challenge event organisers may face.

Event technology provides an opportunity to avoid cancellations and postponements to critical or financially dependent events. Our investment in technology is important to not only meet the changing needs of our clients but also to facilitate changes brought about by incidents such as COVID-19.

If you are concerned about the future of your event, we will be happy to discuss alternative hosting options to enable you to continue to broadcast your event or meeting virtually.

Eliminating travel challenges and unlocking opportunities to reach a wider number of delegates, a digital solution embraces all the capabilities of any live event, allowing for seamless audience interaction and supporting delegate engagement at all times.

Whether facing an event challenge or seeking reassurance, call the Eclipse team on +44 (0) 20 8662 644 to find out more about how our webcasting solutions can support your event.

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