As the COVID-19 pandemic starts to ease up and people restart their lives attending in-person events, organizations everywhere are continuing the trend of virtual events all the same. That might have some impact on the way they style their venues. Certainly, some are discovering that having a smaller venue now works. This is because in-person and virtual hybrid events typically have a smaller in-person crowd. However, virtual spectatorship is much larger. Even with this, event stage design is an important factor, something that hasn’t changed one bit.
If you’re not used to running virtual events yet then you might not appreciate that the themes and styles of the stage design must be more visually impacting. If you just started during the pandemic, you must focus on design for your virtual audience rather than your in-person audience. Those who attend your event in person can soak up the atmosphere all around them. But, your virtual guests are in their offices or homes.
They are not inside your event venue, and thus don’t get the same sense of grandeur. Nor do they get to see the theme that you have running through the entire event. They only have the view of the stage as their indication. Thus, stage design is their only window into the atmosphere and feel of the event.
A properly designed stage with an anchoring backdrop and video screen is a way to capture and hold the attention of attendees both in-person and online. It needs to be a focal point that people capture on camera. This allows them to also share with their own audiences via social media and beyond.
Balancing the design is especially important. While you want it to have that wow factor and be as shareable as possible, you also don’t want it to overtake or overshadow your message, and brand. You also want the audience focusing on the people presenting and speaking at the event. The two sides have to be in harmony.
Clever and innovative stage designs are important. When they are done right, they also allow for an awesome light show. Lighting can become one of the key attention-holding aspects of an event. However, if it doesn't match with a complementary set design, then it falls flat. It can cast bad shadows, and leave a pall over proceedings. Therefore, having a stage design and lighting team that can work closely together is essential to create something that both in-person and virtual audiences will find engaging.
Why do people remember just about every major Apple unveiling event but probably not a single government press conference ever given over the past two decades? Set design and presentation is everything. When Apple ran their events, they had a simple stage setup. But, all of that was just to draw attention to two things, the small blue-jeaned man in front of the big screen, and the massive new iPhone on the screen. It was a simple, cutting-edge choice of set design that made those unveilings some of the most memorable moments in technology history.
All events need to aspire to that kind of innovation. Place brand and message front and center, make use of lights, video, graphics, and other tools to create an imprint. You want to be on the minds of all who see it either online or from a seat in the audience. The events may be going online, but the stage design hasn’t lost one iota of importance. If anything, it’s gained some!
