Taking the Lead: A Case Study
The Foundation: A Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company needed to train speakers to present on the virtues of one of their flagship products. Speakers needed to become fluent in the product’s features and indications and be able to speak with confidence and authority, while remaining compliant with governmental regulations.
The Audience: Health care providers, specializing in rheumatic disease, from multiple global regions: North America (excluding the U.S.), South America, Europe, and Asia
The Deliverable: Develop, build, and produce a multi-day hybrid training event
The Experience
Under ordinary circumstances, our client would have preferred an in-person event, but continuing safety concerns due to the global pandemic ruled this option out. To replicate the deep engagement and enthusiasm associated with this normally face-to-face event, we adopted a hybrid strategy, based around a hub and spoke system: small, local groups (the hubs) gathered in person to connect and engage with sets of fully virtual attendees (the spokes). Virtual presenters served as key points of connection, delivering essential content and driving discussions. Top tier messaging and video conferencing tools ensured that virtual participants could actively interface with presenters and face-to-face discussion groups, creating an engaging and equitable experience for all.
The Great Outdoors, Digital Edition
We wanted a compelling backdrop to set the tone and character of the event and promote active participation amongst attendees. Working in conjunction with our client and their content specialists, we came up with an outdoor adventure sports theme. Instead of a virtual lobby modeled after a staid convention hotel, audiences landed at an explorer’s basecamp displaying wilderness vistas tied to the visitor’s geographic region. From there, attendees could venture to a group amphitheater, breakout camps, a resource lodge, and a help station for anyone experiencing technical issues. This ensured a tailored, immersive experience for each attendee, supporting the hosts’ learning objectives.
Pre-Show Recon
Audience engagement began well before the attendees arrived, with Brella’s strategist, designers and writers working with our client’s learning specialists to develop and deliver advance compliance materials, assignments, and emails for each region (Europe, Asia, and the Americas). Attendees received a pre-show learning objectives questionnaire to help them set clear personal goals for the training sessions. Pre-event quizzes helped them assess their own depth of knowledge about the subject matter and unlocked publications and abstracts to help them prepare. All of this served to get everyone on the same page prior to launch, resulting in attendees who showed up on the first day energized and ready to actively participate.
Just Do It
At the heart of the event’s success was a “learning by doing” model of instruction. Experts showed participants how to run a compelling technical presentation, providing an essential foundation. Attendees then broke up into small group face-to-face and virtual practice sessions, coaching one another and receiving feedback from facilitators. Live Q&A sessions provided additional clarity, while affirming the client’s dedication to and support of the presenters they were training.
Gold Medal Production
Never underestimate the power of spectacle. Strong production values produce a visceral response in the viewer, hooking them emotionally and driving audience engagement. With that in mind, we packed the event with dynamic visual content, starting with an energizer video, featuring kinetic text and bold adventure sports imagery to get participants into an active frame of mind. A TED Talk-style address shot in an open auditorium lent a sense of scale to the proceedings, and welcome videos featuring luminaries of the organization jogging on mountain roads and kayaking on lakes reinforced the outdoor theme. A patient testimonial video, shot with our remote touchless production package, provided an emotional touchstone, reminding participants that their efforts would have a real-life impact on patients in need.
The Results Are In
Using the 6Connex virtual platform allowed us to provide in depth reporting and metrics to the client after the event, giving them a firm foundation for evaluating its success and planning future virtual and hybrid events. Post-event surveys brought a veritable flood of positive feedback, with highlights including:
“Having been on both sides of the screen, I can say everyone did an amazing job and I was proud to be part of the [event]. Thanks, and congrats to everyone for a job very well done.”
“I received a lot of direct positive feedback, people were listening and engaged.”
As for the client themselves, they were thrilled with the outcome, noting:
“I wish I could put into words how truly lucky I was to work with such an amazing team…Amazing support, flawless execution, and the agility needed to catch the flying pucks and keep the game alive!”