The pandemic changed how we interact with others in almost every situation. We can greet people without shaking hands, complete trainings and submit projects digitally, and many of us now work online in teams that include remote employees. Those changes also spill over into the meeting space, and Virginia Beach is already poised to help you make the most of your next event with new audio and visual technologies that deliver measurable results.
While micro-events initially were deployed to meet capacity restrictions, hybrid events emerged as a solution to balance both attendance and engagement. Embraced by companies and associations of all sizes, hybrid events are definitely here to stay and easily extend the reach of traditional in-person gatherings. “Expanded options including asynchronous schedules, on-demand content, live streaming, virtual tours and chat features can capture attendees who previously were constrained by travel,” says Mark Nay, sales manager at Productive AV.
Recently, the Virginia Beach Convention Center tapped Productive AV as their preferred AV provider and had them upgrade sound systems and elevate sound quality in the space with new speakers that produce higher audio fidelity. Better sound quality delivers better products for use during hybrid events and also extends the shelf-life of recorded components. All these new capabilities and event elements allow maximum flexibility for attendees to curate their own interests and gain the greatest benefit from their participation whether in-person or virtual.
“Technology allows planners to host meetings in the face of changing conditions to maintain the experience,” adds Productive AV CEO Juan Bialet. “Even with additional costs, product quality is greatly enhanced and, in some cases, allows budgets to be stretched in new ways.” An example is incorporating remote presenters to make big-ticket guest speakers more affordable.
One key element to consider when adding new technology to events is the ability to subtly mine activity data from attendees. Forget about post-event surveys --you can easily track how many of your sessions are downloaded and when, monitor attendee engagement using live chat features, log attendance on virtual tours and more, all in real-time.
As you plan to gather for your group’s next event or meeting, take advantage of Virginia Beach’s newest technology offerings, especially at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, to create one that presents high-quality content in a modern, tech-savvy package.