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Partner Talk: How virtual & hybrid events succeed

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ON THE ROCK gives an insight into the metaverse’s potential for events. Find out how to turn your event into an experience in this article.

rooom offers an award-winning platform for online events, the ON THE ROCK Group creates memorable event experiences. OTR are the right partners when it comes to the concept of events that bring people together – with unique equipment, future gadgets and tools in store. rooom are the right partners for creating impressive Metaverse solutions. Together we combine our expertise: From equipment to the event platform, digital and real, together we have everything you need for events with wow-effects. This has already allowed us to launch numerous successful hybrid and virtual events. To gain insight into the multifaceted world of events, we asked the event experts of OTR to share their learnings with us. CEO Winni Petersmann and Communication Manager Ingo Sänger were happy to give us an interview.

Who’s behind ON THE ROCK?

ON THE ROCK (OTR) Group develops individual concepts for companies – uncomplicated and in collaboration with their customers.

In the process, they create experiences that are memorable. For their events, they often combine future gadgets and virtual solutions with classic live communication to encourage people to interact. OTR offers a complete range of services in one place: innovative technology, products and their own location, including a streaming studio. Their strength lies in providing special equipment and yet they also have the usual standards on board: High-quality lighting, official DJ equipment, various sound systems, sustainable furniture, and more. With this, OTR provides the technical requirements for (hybrid) events, sets up streaming studios, has future mobility gadgets, exergames, a game lounge with retro arcade games and much more.

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What Are the Advantages of Virtual and Hybrid Events?

OTR: With virtual event formats, we have been able to increase the reach of our participants significantly. For example, an event that was originally planned as a physical event attracted 10 times more visitors in its virtual form. The level of interaction is also higher in the virtual world. Participants rated the new format as better because they had met more people through the integrated video shuffle, for example, than at an on-site event. "Real world events" have by no means been replaced by this, but it does allow people who can’t meet in person, for instance, to network – and it also eliminates the need for some business trips. It makes meeting business partners from all over the world very convenient. No one has to travel halfway around the world to attend an event. Digital solutions should be as CO2-neutral as possible, such as our joint project with rooom, the E.ON Republic of Innovators. This is a development that, just like remote work, will not disappear from the world of events.

E.ON Republic of Innovators: A Metaverse platform used for virtual and hybrid events

What are the Technical Requirements Customers Need?

OTR: Since rooom’s platform is completely web-based, users do not need any extra equipment. We provide everything else. OTR supplies everything from a simple streaming set to a real-time 3D studio and LED surfaces to let speakers present in the 3D environment of the event. In addition, we equip speakers who are connected externally with speaker sets, if required, in order to ensure the best possible image and sound quality. We also take care of the necessary switches, the overall technical architecture on site and the technical team for the implementation. In addition, we offer our venue at the Zeche Waltrop, which can optionally be converted into a high-quality streaming studio in the countryside.

What does the preparation for such an event look like?

OTR: In contrast to “real world events”, a workshop with customers is usually an important way to kick off the process of translating the analog idea into digital reality with its new parameters. With rooom we have had intensive discussions about new solutions for digital interaction all based on application requirements. This collaboration resulted in many new useful tools being developed that helped create a true live interaction platform. Other exciting aspects of the individual projects were the different company rules regarding usable software and their impact on data protection, etc. There was no off-the-shelf project. Following the workshop, we came up with an application concept based on the rooomEvents platform, coordinated it with rooom and the customers, and then put it into action.

 

“We see ourselves as a link between classic event customers and the new world of virtual events and their providers. Our strength is that we speak both languages and can translate the requirements and opportunities in both directions.” – Winni Petersmann, CEO OTR

 

OTR: New innovations are emerging on a daily basis, especially in the digital or hybrid event sector, so OTR always discusses the latest possibilities for implementation with its customers – openly and closely. We always support with our ideas, but there are also wishes from the customer side, which we take into account. The promotion depends entirely on the type of event. For internal company events, the communication usually remains with the customers. However, we can always help out with logistics, communication and invitation management if needed. Apart from that, we can also take over the area of promotion, e. g. social media coverage.

What are the must-haves to turn events in the Metaverse into a true experience?

OTR: Content is king! In contrast to a “real world event” where the participants are “stuck” in a room, our guests can enter or leave the event any time. It helps to focus on the presentation of content through well-crafted settings that trigger associations, as well as short concise lectures that also work on computer screens. This results in a high degree of interaction with the presenters and between the participants. An experience-driven event environment makes it possible to incorporate additional content in an exciting way. Here, rooom helps with innovative tools that work together with exciting show elements to create hybrid interactions.

Another building block of the hybrid strategy is our “Interactive Playground”. The interactive playground is all about physical interaction in immersive virtual worlds. Exercise, sports and fun can also be combined with a large pool of retro and arcade games at ON THE ROCK. Our event platforms are selected and tailored to meet the specific requirement. The full potential of combining physical with virtual experiences, for example with our virtual playground, unfolds even more so after the pandemic. The spectrum ranges from tools that can be set up quickly to immersive 3D worlds in which the events take place, in combination with physical live events.

What drives OTR forward?

CEO Winni Petersmann launched ON THE ROCK in 1991 as a true one-man show. Today, he is a renowned specialist for people in interaction and still the motor behind ON THE ROCK. This is how the authentic creative powerhouse of event culture grows – with a highly motivated team, a network of international specialists and always equipped with cutting-edge technology for live, digital or hybrid events.

What technical opportunities have OTR and rooom been able to implement together so far?

OTR: From the standard use of rooomEvents to the design of completely independent Metaverse environments with live avatar systems, we have implemented a wide variety of projects with rooom. Up to twelve simultaneous livestreams with global content delivery system, shuffle-based networking and interactive breakout sessions are just a few examples.

rooom: OTR’s expertise and experience in the event sector has inspired us to develop a number of features that make our platform even more interactive. The E.ON Republic of Innovators is one example in which our combined strength as partners has led to success. This joint project also won the silver Eventex Award. We were also able to launch numerous Deutsche Telekom events, such as Telekom Tech Grounds 2021, but also the “DHL – Era of Logistics Conference”.

Communities in the Metaverse

E.ON Innovation uses rooomEvents to build and connect a community online. Together with OTR, we launched the E.ON Republic of Innovators, where virtual events take place throughout the year. In an immersive 3D world, members have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of free offers and participate in various event formats at a central location. Interactive formats such as networking sessions, scavenger hunts for coins as well as exclusive talks on the latest energy topics encourage a lively exchange within the community.

Read the Success Story

How can a strong corporate identity be translated into the digital world?

OTR: The approaches can be very different. On the one hand, we have created a virtual “home” for the event by recreating familiar spaces for the event. On the other hand, a completely new reality has been created in the Metaverse for the Republic of Innovators, which perfectly reflects the topic of innovation. Together with the client, as well as with CD/CI experienced designers and software developers, we create the design of the platform and also form a link between the individual parties involved. With Deutsche Telekom or E.ON, logos and slogans in virtual worlds, stages, etc. visually signal the live appearance of a company. The higher the level of familiarity, the greater the recognition value, of course. In addition, the backdrops in Metaverse spaces or on virtual stages can be colored to reflect the corporate design.

We were able to translate Deutsche Telekom’s corporate identity extremely well into the Metaverse.

But even with slightly less prominent customers, we try to reflect the appearance of the real-world presence accordingly online. rooom offers numerous templates for this purpose, which can be adapted to the corporate identity of the organizer or customer. In this way, prefabricated event spaces can be quickly and easily customized with logos, colors, marketing materials, and more.

Five Success Factors for Events in the Metaverse

Metaverse, virtual and hybrid events are no longer unfamiliar concepts for you? You understand they bring numerous advantages? Great! Then here’s a checklist to make sure your next Metaverse event is a complete success.

1. Find the right partners

With experienced partners at your side that know what’s important in the Metaverse, you can reduce the work to a minimum. Once the technical equipment is provided and professionals are on board who understand virtual and hybrid events, all that’s missing are the guests.

2. Allow for enough time

Even if online events seem effortless, there are a lot of people involved in organizing them. From planning to implementation: even in the Metaverse, everything has to be provided and staged.

3. Adapt the platform to your needs

Before the implementation can begin, you need to determine the scope of the event and whose needs it should be tailored to. With the content management system (CMS) of rooomEvents, the content and design can then be customized for the relevant target groups.

4. High quality content

The Metaverse offers the possibility to give free rein to creativity. What matters in the end, however, is exciting content, interesting programs and entertaining speakers. If you don’t limit yourself to what’s possible in the real world, you can create events that stand out and leave visitors in awe.

5. Incorporate features for interaction

With virtual and hybrid events, it is especially important to keep the interaction rate high so that guests feel entertained. Therefore, it should be clarified in advance how high the interaction rate should be and how much is needed. Fortunately, we have several solutions at hand and offer several gamification and networking tools that make attending events exciting and fun.

Author

Antonia Straub

Partner Marketing Manager at rooom

Since 2022, Antonia has been strengthening the team at rooom, where she closely collaborates with the Channel and…

More about Antonia Straub

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