Local Events Company Pushing Boundaries of Online Conferences

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As the pandemic placed the conferencing industry on ice, something else was brewing at Maltese event planning outfit JUGS. Video conferencing became the norm, but as lockdown measures lifted, something else was needed, which is how hybrid video conferencing came about.

With over twenty years of experience in the industry, here’s how JUGS recently organised a conference/awards ceremony for a large audience, with just a few being in the actual room.

Amping it up

Speaking to JUGS director Gianni Zammit, it appears a simple task, but what they’ve created is a premium product. “You’ll have a presenter with a backdrop and shoulder camera, and there will be around 4 simultaneous Zoom calls taking place”. These calls are then projected onto a curved screen, giving an audience-like feel.

What amps it up from its most basic nature is JUGS bringing in technical and human resources matched with their expertise in the industry. This ensures a professional and impressive event delivery, which results in the awe-inspiring feeling that such events are intended to have.

A hybrid future

It’s no big secret that this is what the future holds for conferencing around the globe. Expanding on this, Gianni said “I believe the future will work on a hybrid of live and virtual events. The human element is still key, but for international conferences that require travel, there’s still the 15-20% who cannot make it.”

This tech will cater for those people, and it’s tech that’s been around. All it took was a pandemic to bring it to life in innovative and exciting ways. By means of high-end technology, equipment, and resources like stages and production lights, it’s companies like JUGS who are taking conferencing to new levels, ensuring they run smoother than ever.

First-hand experience

Real estate giant RE/MAX Malta decided to take the plunge into the world of virtual events. RE/MAX’s marketing manager Chantelle Muscat was effusive in her praise for how it was handled. “We didn’t expect it to be that good – it was the first time we’d tried something like this, and given the scale, we were so pleasantly surprised.”

For those who attended physically, rapid swab tests were carried out on the day and precaution measures were taken to keep everyone safe.

RE/MAX expect to be doing it again soon for events such as launches and training sessions since attendees were kept engaged. “Held online, it was more cost-effective but professionalism and quality were not sacrificed at any point”.

Was it part of a pre-planned package? Not quite. “The entire event was designed bespoke for the client”, Gianni concludes. “We (JUGS and RE/MAX), created it together to meet the client’s expectations, which means that while it was customised, it can also be replicated and scaled in the future.”

Whether the event reaches 30, 300 or 3,000 participants is entirely up to the client.

Are hybrid conferences the best way forward for these kinds of events?

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