#019 Virtual Events

Everyone ❤️ a discount

Today's read ... 7️⃣ minutes

This week events around the globe begin to get much-needed support. Find out where you can dine under the sea, get a crash course on the current state of entertainment with an exclusive BOH discount, and things get bubbly at a Flaming Lips concert!

Ultra Music Festival makes a comeback, announcing its first event since the shutdown. Next month, Road to Ultra: Taiwan will feature headliners Alesso, Slander, and more! This announcement comes after Taiwan’s successful large scale events we previously reported on.

Live Nation Urban launched a free directory that gives producers the contact info and socials for Black crew members. Find lighting, catering, travel agents, and more through Live Nation’s Black Tour Directory!

Though virtual events have been criticized as a band-aid on a bullet, here’s BizBash’s nine reasons why virtual events aren’t that bad. Some of our favorites include their ability to be eco-friendly and the opportunity to host events with unlimited capacity!

Small venues in Washington state have a bright future ahead of them! The Keep Music Live Campaign sets out to raise $10M to save hometown, community-based music venues with the capacity of fewer than 1,000 guests.

Germany announces its new 10-point plan to help reboot the events industry; this comes after months of little to no government funding.

We continue to look to major sporting and cultural events for examples of how to reopen safely, as Broadway pushes back their reopening date to May 2021.

Award shows have also been paving the way for safely executed events - find out how the 2020 Billboard Music Awards made it happen.

MusiCares launches its brand-new Wellness in Music survey where industry professionals can share their mental health and physical wellness realities.  

The UK takes a giant leap in offering assistance through its Culture Recovery Fund. They have provided support to 22 independent festivals and 1,300 venues totaling 230 million euros in grants. They have even created a risk mitigation document to help keep fans and staff safe for events reopening!

If going to a one-day show isn’t immersive enough for you, Universal Music Group is here to help with their new UMUSIC Hotels. Three locations across the U.S. are coming soon to give fans a full music experience inside their hotels.

Sorry to burst your bubble, COVID, but the Flaming Lips found a way to rock out in person for their fans (safely)!

“ADAPTing” to Virtual Networking, for a Discount 

Don’t miss your chance of networking with industry professionals, learning the latest technology advances, and how industry leaders are ADAPTing to live events during the pandemic. We have teamed up with our friends at ADAPT Conference to offer you an exclusive 20% off virtual admission to this Thursday's (10/22) event! Use the code BOH to receive an exclusive rate on your ticket!

The 411 on Live Stream Platforms (Written By Adam St. Simons)In the aftermath of COVID the entire live music industry turned its attention to the world of live streaming. While it seems that most artists have opted for free live stream events on major platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, asking for donations from their fans or directing them to other opportunities to support, such as purchasing merchandise, a number of new platforms have sprung up as developers have sought to meet the growing demand of event producers seeking paywall solutions for online events. Here’s a quick look at some of the available options, including both those new to the landscape along with platforms that pre-existed the upheaval of the industry.

If you have enough content to justify the development of an OTT (over-the-top) subscription channel then Vimeo OTT is without question the most complete professional solution. Vimeo OTT offers their clients a complete branded website and app suite build-out that provides distribution through iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, and more. Vimeo boasts over 2,000 partner channels and the best analytics in the industry. That said, this type of service and distribution doesn’t come cheap. While the incredibly helpful people at Vimeo expressed that they cannot confirm any pricing information for a public-facing article, when discussing solutions on a sales call I was provided quotes that ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 per month depending on how many platforms the content would be available on along with a $1 per subscriber monthly fee for subscription channels. Vimeo OTT also offers a setup strictly for PPV Live Streaming for which the company charges 10% of the ticket gross plus $0.50 per ticket (this is on top of the $1,000 monthly service plan). While pricey, if you’re an established brand, have the content, and plan on being in the OTT/live streaming space, Vimeo OTT is definitely a solution worth looking into.

The Next Big Ticketing Platform?

Chances are this year you have become quite familiar with the online platform Zoom. The video conference platform previously associated with business meetings is now being used for fantasy football drafts, happy hours, and even weddings! Zoom has helped connect individuals during a time where social distancing is crucial, and it could be the next ticketing platform competition.  Available in the US, OnZoom is a service to sell ticketed Zoom events. With a 1,000 person capacity, fitness, music, and art events have the opportunity to conduct business virtually anywhere.

Back of House Guest Posts feature some of our favorite people from across the industry sharing their expertise. If you would like to be featured in a future issue, or know someone who would, email us at [email protected].As a rare Colorado native, Kristyna Nedele brings over twelve years of live event logistics and Lifestyle planning. She has a strong specialty in Contract Administration and Event Management. This week, we learn first-hand how she shifts from the world of live to the world of virtual events and learns how to make the most of the industry's current state.   I will never forget my “ah-ha” moment. You know, the moment when it hits you that you are meant to work in events. I was standing on stage, watching eleven thousand people dance to Big Gigantic in the snow. That’s when I knew I was meant to create unforgettable memories for people.

From then on, I wore several different hats, from planning events for city officials to driving the climb van at Red Rocks. I knew that I wanted to keep bringing life and happiness to people, no matter the job title.

My birthday is at the beginning of March, and that’s when rumors began to fly about the ‘Stay at Home’ orders. Four days later, our lives changed. No one thought six months later we would still be in a pandemic and no longer planning events. The simple familiarity of strapping on a radio and calling for a “radio check” or hearing “THIS IS AN ALL CALL” is gone.

    Lifestyle Engineered Events was started in 2017 by our President, Scotty Nichols, with a simple ideal – to live the life you love. Lifestyle truly cares about crafting the best teams to produce the most incredible events. We specialize in delivering strategic and memorable live experiences, and we’re designed to cater to all events of any scope and scale. Our wide range of in-house services and capabilities allow us to be leaders in the industry while still being agile enough to adapt to any of our clients’ needs.This quick and adaptive spirit is what made it possible for us to shift when the pandemic hit. We were told things would be back to “normal” by Fall. Thinking, “No problem, it will just be a couple of months of radio silence” (pun intended). But unfortunately, every day that something happened, or changed, which pushed dates back, was another day where our stomachs sank. 182 days have passed, and we are faced with the harsh reality that live events will not happen in a format that we are used to. Thousands of people will not be bopping their heads, shoulder to shoulder any time soon. We knew we must figure out a way to create happiness and memories for fans still. Over the last several months, Scotty and I have been working together with our subcontractors researching COVID Protocols. One of which included best practices for shipping gear out to artists to ensure they remain safe.  We have done a lot of research to find the best platform to share and seamlessly connect people while providing presenters or facilitators have the right tools to capture their presentation or show while keeping their audience engaged.Here are just a few of the essential things that we found that need to be considered when throwing an event during these times:

    • Each state, city, and county has different protocols regarding  COVID-19; being aware of their rules and guidelines is vital.

    • The safety of clients, talent, and staff is the number one priority. We show them the precautions our team is taking to make them feel comfortable. IE: Properly disinfecting and sealing gear being shipped, including instructions to set up any equipment.

    • Research each city you are interested in activating for their events permit process and its parameters and timelines.

    • Establish a plan for onsite shoots for live streams that ensure the health and safety of others.

    • Create a credential plan that meets event operational needs and public safety, health, and security protocols.

    • Develop plans & review in conjunction with the client, policy, procedure, and duty of care responsibilities while providing documentation for all event staff and guests.

    Is there someone specific you hope to see featured in an issue?We would love to hear who! Reply back with someone you think would be a great addition to our newsletter!

    Last Week's Results:88% of BOH subscribers have made efforts to decreasewaste consumption during the pandemic.

    ▶️ Netflix is looking to hire an A.V. Manager in L.A., responsible for maintaining all aspects for the A.V. Events team from design/consultation to execution.

    ▶️Superfly is hiring a Guest Services Team Member for their sitcom-based experiential exhibit in November of 2020.

    ▶️ CommentSold, a social commerce platform, is looking for an Event Manager to focus on their in-person and virtual events.

    ▶️ A photo-bombing giraffe, a fish that smiles and even a penguin going undercover. Take a look at the finalists for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

    ▶️ Take in rarely seen marine ecosystems while having a delicious meal with Norway’s “Under” restaurant which sits 5 and a half meters below the surface.▶️ If you’re still on a quarantine cooking kicking, try making these braised pork butts at home.

    October 20: Join the IFEA for a virtual day of thought-provoking insights, new ideas, a little motivational reinforcement, and the critical professional networking to help get us through our current challenges.October 20: Driving Change will bring together music business executives and thought leaders for conversations about how we can take meaningful steps to support underrepresented communities in our industry and what we can learn from each other to help institute much-needed change.October 20: Will Curran, the founder of Endless Events, has pinpointed several trends that he foresees will shape the year ahead. Get his take on what's in store for the industry.October 22: Project Human Nature is a Pela-Powered Summit Series that opens up the necessary dialogues to fuel action in creating a sustainable future for ALL.October 22: Learn how to ADAPT to our new reality from inspiring speakers, panels, and keynote speakers. (And don't forget to use our code BOH for 20% off your ticket!)

    Written while listening to "Honeybody" by Kishi Bashi.